A Long Goodbye (7 page)

Her pretty, little lips formed a little ‘o’ just as I walked out and headed toward the opened elevator.

CHAPTER 9

ASHTON

My heart had pitter-pattered so fast, I thought Daddy could hear it all the way from South Carolina. My Lord that boy could fill out a pair of Levi’s very nicely, front and back. And that stomach hiding under his tight t-shirt looked like I could easily bounce a quarter off of it if given the right opportunity.

And that smile, damn that smile, you’d think it was the entrance to the Bermuda Triangle because you could get lost so easily when he flashed it. But, boy did he also scream dangerous with a capital D. I liked it, and for some reason unknown to me, I trusted him. Maybe it was the way he waited all night to dance with me, maybe it was the way he helped with Lu, or maybe it was because he didn’t rush me, but it was something. Something made me trust him from the get go.

“Holy shit, Ashton Grace Winslow is looking to get laid tonight?” LuLu whistled before wiggling her eyebrows at me. I admit this was even a little much for me, but something about that boy made me want to unleash the devil that I knew was hiding somewhere deep inside of me, that was just waiting to be released.

I brushed my hair watching the soft curls bounce with each slow tug using my ever-precious Mason Pearson hairbrush. LuLu was still eyeing me up with a big ol’ grin. “What?”

“I asked you a question, Ashton. What’s with the clothes? You never ever dress like that.” I faced the mirror in the bathroom staring into the glass at my reflection. I had on a very short, very tight black leather mini-skirt, with a tank top that was just as tight as the skirt with the words “Country Grown” written across my chest along with my favorite red cowboy boots. Even I could admit I looked good, and I was never one to compliment myself. But tonight, I knew I was going to knock one mysterious man named Woody straight out of his Levi 501s.

I grinned back. “Maybe,” I answered as I dabbed a soft shade of red lipstick on.

Lu flopped on the bed after dropping her towel to the floor. Her hair was still wet from her shower, and she was sprawled out in her hot pink panty set. She propped herself up on her elbow to face me. “If I didn’t see you with my own eyes Miss Goody two-shoes Ashton Winslow, no offense,” she held up her hands, “I wouldn’t believe you were trying to seduce a man. But here you are. And might I say, you look hot, girl. H-O-T, hot.”

Quickly, I turned to her. “I’m not trying to seduce him. I’m trying to get him to like me. It’s different.”

“And you think the slut way to go is gonna work? What if he likes pretty and sweet and not hot and nasty?”

“Trust me, Lu. He probably wouldn’t mind either, but something tells me hot and nasty is the way to go tonight. Besides, we only have three more days according to you until we take off. I want to make the most of it while we’re here. Memories I can hold on to.” And Lord knows I’d need them if Trevor Owens was going to be the one forced down my throat.

“You need to promise me you’ll be safe without me.”

“What do you mean? Aren’t you coming?” I asked panic seeping through my words.

“And be a third wheel. Now why would I do a thing like that? Besides, this is a good thing, Ashton. I want you to have fun, let loose, be happy tonight. You don’t need me to make that happen. This is exactly why we’re on this trip.” She stood in front of the mirror to brush her hair. “Just call me if you need me, and you know I’ll be there in a flash.” She started to walk toward the bathroom, but turned. “And don’t forget your can of mace.”

Quickly, I checked my purse to make sure it was still in there. It was. Daddy insisted I take a can with me, and he even gave one to Lu, which kind of surprised me, seeing that he never thought much of her safety before. You’d think after fifteen years of friendship that he’d finally understand what she meant to me. She was like a sister. One that I’d treasure ‘til the day I died. “But, you’re a part of making this trip perfect, Lu. Please come?”

She shook me off with one of her ‘evil smiles’ like she knew leaving me on my own would benefit me in some way. One quick deep breath was all I got in before I heard the knock at the door. Shoot! I raked my hand through my hair one last time, and then nervously made my way to the door.

When I swung it open, my heart stopped beating for a moment. As would any living breathing girl who was presented with a man like Woody waiting for her. He had on a pair of blue jeans, a tight black V-neck tee exposing a heck a lot of tattoos I didn’t know existed, his signature sunglasses, and he held two bouquets of flowers. One in each hand.

His eyes took me in for several quiet seconds with a very nice smile making me feel like I’d chosen the right outfit for tonight. “You look…I don’t even have the words, Grace.” He stepped inside our hotel room, peering all around when Lu popped out of the bathroom dressed in her pajamas. I could see in Woody’s eyes that he’d just figured out that he had me all to himself tonight, and I prayed to the Lord above that he was just as happy about it as I was. Although my nerves were starting to kick in, making me anxious.

“These are for you, ladies. I didn’t know what you’d like, so I got a little bit of everything.” He strutted over to Lu first and offered her a bouquet, and said, “You feeling all right, tonight?”

She waved him off, smiling, but took the flowers smelling them quickly. “I’m a little banged up from drinking too much last night. I heard I owe you a thanks.”

“It was nothing,” he assured her. He rounded his way back to me with his head down, but once he got closer to me, he lifted it and smiled shyly. “These are for you, gorgeous.” As he handed them off to me, he leaned in for a sweet kiss on the cheek that had me shivering in my boots, and that shiver made it all the way up to what I liked to call my happy place. He smelled of soap with a hint of cologne making me want to smell him for the rest of my life as he pulled away.

“They’re beautiful, thank you.” Lu came over to me to grab the flowers, as I smelled the sweet hint of roses and freesia.

“You two go have fun now and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Woody was by the door holding out his hand for me to come along, but Lu leaned in to whisper in my ear, “he’s sweet, Ash.”

I smiled back at her. “Don’t wait up.” I wiggled my brows at her as she shooed me toward Woody and to my night of adventure.

Woody and I stood in the elevator alone. Both of us looking straightforward not knowing what to talk about. At least, that was how I was feeling. Right now, my knees were wobbly, my heart was racing faster than a car trying to win the Daytona 500, my hands felt slightly clammy, and yet I still had this ridiculous desire to take his hand in mine. To claim him somehow. Which was ridiculous, seeing as I barely knew him.

The elevator pinged as we reached the main lobby and Woody guided me out with his hand resting on the small of my back causing me to shiver again. Once out the doors instead of removing his hand, he left it there, making me feel buzzed without even drinking a drop. “You all right, Grace?”

I cleared my throat. “I’m fine. Where we going?”

He smiled mischievously as his eyes raked my body from my head to my boots. “Change of plans. You like burgers? I know this place that makes the best in Nashville.”

I swallowed. “Sure. I could eat a burger,” I answered nervously. I was kind of hoping for a steak, or possibly a piece of fish, but right now I’d take what I could get. I hadn’t eaten all day just so I could squeeze my booty into this dang skirt.

Once outside I stopped in front of the valet station, but Woody kept walking. He turned when he realized I wasn’t next to or behind him. His lip curled up slightly. “Grace, you coming, or did ya change your mind about our date?”

“I’m waiting for your car,” I answered, glancing around for the valet that was here earlier when I’d checked in my car.

Woody walked toward me with his lip still curled up slightly like he was trying to hold back a big ass grin. “My truck is over here. I don’t valet, Darlin’.” He held out his hand for me take, and I didn’t hesitate grabbing on. His fingers instantly wrapped around mine possessively, making me want to pull him back inside and upstairs. Just holding his hand made me feel this sensation of what I didn’t know, just something and knew I was in trouble.

CHAPTER 10

DANE

I almost dropped the flowers and swallowed my tongue when Ashton had opened the door earlier. I swore I could’ve fallen to my knees asking for her hand at the sight of her. I planned on taking her to the fanciest joint in town to try and get to know her better, but now, the only thing I could think of was getting that girl on the dance floor, to feel her body move with mine.

Sitting opposite of me, Grace placed her napkin in her lap as she glanced around the greasy spoon where I’d taken her. Her face was a dead giveaway that she probably wasn’t expecting to be eating in a two star place, but time was wasting and I didn’t plan on wasting it sitting on my ass watching her eat. Although, she looked good doing that too.

“So, tell me about this bucket list of yours?” I asked as we waited for the waitress to bring over our food.

She smiled, taking a tortilla chip from the basket on the table, and when she did, it warmed me as nothing else could. “It’s silly, but it’s just well, I have a father who kind of controls my life, so I have two weeks away from him and I want to do as much as I can before I head home.”

“Why do you let him control you?” This was something that had been bothering since I’d taken on the job. The girl was twenty-two damn years old and not only did he control her, but she let him.

“It’s a long story.”

I opened my arms as if I was parting the sea. “We got time, Grace.”

She sat back, eyeing me up for a quick second or two. “My mama died when I was born.” This I knew.

“I’m sorry,” I told her.

“It’s okay. I guess the answer to your question is that it’s pretty much just been Daddy and me against the world for so long that I’m afraid to disappoint him. He has given me everything any girl could possibly want. But…”

“But what?” I pressed her for more information because I was dying to know everything that made this girl tick.

“Well, let’s just say he wants me to be a certain kind of woman with this certain man from our town, and I really don’t want to be that daughter he wants anymore.”

She looked so sad. It hurt so bad to hear her confession that I wanted to march back home and convince her father that he was wrong about Ashton. “It’s normal, Grace, to want to be the person that you feel comfortable being, and not what people want you to be. I think you should tell him how you feel. You may be pleasantly surprised.”

She smiled softly, but I could tell she was trying not to cry. “You don’t know Daddy.” She swiped at her eyes, but kept her smile soft and directed at me. I stopped the questions immediately since I didn’t ever want to be the cause of tears in Ashton Winslow’s eyes again.

~~~

You could hear the sound of boots stomping on the dance floor and banjos playing before we even got inside the bar in the Lower Broadway section of town. She’d been quiet on the ride here from the restaurant, and I couldn’t help but feel responsible for bringing her down with all that daddy talk. I grabbed a hold of her hand making sure every single guy knew that she was not only mine, but not to even look in her direction tonight.

Because that was the thing about Ashton, even though most guys usually see her as this unapproachable tight ass princess, she looked and acted nothing like she normally did. That skirt and shirt, well, let’s just say Mother Nature did a fine ass job when they made her. As I said before, she had curves that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, because even though those very curves most likely would do me in, I still wanted to hold on with both hands and take that ride regardless.

“What’ll it be?” I asked her as we sidled up to the bar.

“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” She looked out to the dance floor, her eyes all lit up as if she could barely wait to test the boots she had on.

I handed off the shot and the Bud I ordered each of us. She grimaced. “What’s this?”

“It’s what I’m drinking. You said the same, so I got you the same. It’s Southern Comfort, it won’t kill ya, but it may loosen you up a bit.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but instead shot me the sexiest ‘don’t dare me face’ before she clinked her drink with mine. “To loosening up,” she said grinning, and then woofed it down. Unable to take my eyes off her, I waited until hers found mine. Slowly, Ashton traced her bottom lip with her tongue, licking the remaining alcohol away. I was dumbstruck frozen watching as she did it and I was pretty fucking sure she knew just what it was doing to me.

Ashton grinned, leaning into me, pressing her chest against mine. “Whatcha waiting for?”

Still checking her out, I took the glass off the bar and tilted it back letting the amber liquid glide down my throat, watching her, wondering what those pretty little lips would taste like. She lifted the beer bottle to her lips, taking a long swig. “You going to ask me to dance or should I go find another partner?”  I had to admit to myself I really liked this feisty version of Ashton.

I followed her to the dance floor watching her ass shake with each step. “You taking the lead or am I,” I asked, grinning and teasing her. She put her small hand in mine, her other on my left bicep, while I placed my hand around her waist. “You ready, girl?”

She smiled through two songs and two dances of me pushing her around the floor when a slow Lady Antebellum song had come on. She was breathing heavier than I expected after only two dances, and I almost asked her if she wanted to sit this one out, but changed my mind when her eyes met mine almost questioning what I was thinking. “Come here, girl,” I whispered in her ear. I couldn’t walk off that floor without giving her a slow dance, wrapped up in my arms. “One more dance and then we are getting out of here and starting that bucket list of yours.”