Bayou Stix Series: Bayou Stix Limited Edition Box Set (110 page)

Suddenly, a man with a violin walks in and starts playing a soft song. The strings seem to sing. Clove sighs and snuggles against Liam’s chest and all of the couples are absorbed in the music. His playing is really beautiful.

When he finishes, everyone claps. Clove and Cruz’s desserts are brought out and the waiter places a covered dish in front of Bradi. She didn’t order dessert?!

She looks confused too. She’s opening her mouth to say something, when I see over her shoulder.

Micah calls her name. “Bradi.”

We all hold our breath as she turns around with a perplexed expression on her face. She gasps and is silent. Bradi is never silent.

Everyone is staring with bated breath as Micah leans over and takes the covered dish from the table. He’s on both knees holding the dish with the most wondrous expression on his face. He lifts the lid and we all try to see. Bradi starts crying.

Removing a ring from a blue box, he takes her hands. “Bradi, you and I have been through so much. You drive me crazy. We’ve hurt each other. We’ve both been broken to the point that I wasn’t sure we would come back from it. Yet, through everything we always find our way back together. In all the darkness, you are my light.

Since the day I met you, you’ve been my girl. You stole my heart with your smart ass remarks and your sexy smile. You broke my heart and then put it back together. Your love completes me. I am the man I am because of the woman you are. You make me feel like I’m on a roller coaster every damn day. Life is never boring with you.

I told you once that when you are near me, you steal all of the spare air. You do. You’re a hurricane, Bradi. But, you’re my hurricane. I love you. I will never love anyone the way I love you. I could never love anyone else the way I love you. You own my heart. You taught me that there is such a thing as forever
. You are my forever.

Spend forever with me.

Will you marry me?”

She’s sobbing as he finishes speaking. His hands are shaking as he holds her hand and the ring. Everything hinges on her answer. My nerves are shot for him.

Lexi says, tearfully, “Answer your man, Bradi.”

Bradi blinks. Then she launches herself at Micah. They fall to the floor as she kisses him. He lands on his back and wraps his arms around her. I feel like this is a private moment and we’re intruding.

He pulls back and says, “Is that a yes?”

She screams, “That’s a hell yes! I wasn’t sure you were ever going to ask me! Yes! I will marry you. Yes, when? Oh my God, let me see the ring. You want to marry me?”

We all laugh. He nods and slips the ring on her finger. “Of course I want to marry you, you crazy woman.”

She screams out to the restaurant in general, “I’m getting married to this sexy mofo right here! This gorgeous man wants to marry me!”

We laugh and laugh. Classic Bradi.

I call the waiter over and order champagne for the table and a ginger ale for Clove. This is becoming a habit with this group.

Melonie

D
ade left yesterday and I miss him. How can I miss him so much already? This feeling scares the hell out of me. I was freaking engaged and I didn’t feel like this about my fiancé. That’s also why I am no longer engaged.

I am sitting in my office watching Bayou Stix’s Good Morning America segment from this morning on my laptop in between patients. They did a song outside the studio and people were everywhere. Signs and people screaming. I can’t imagine what that’s like for them. But the interview went well. They talked about the concert tonight and threw out some press for the accompanying band, Devil’s Lair. I think it says a lot about them that they are giving another band press. So many people are filled with competition and jealously when there’s room for everyone. They just got another point in my book.

Dade messaged me from the plane yesterday. I was shocked when I came into the office for my call and saw a notification that “D. Rodrigue” sent a Facebook friend request. I was almost scared to open it thinking it was fake. It was real though and we flirted through messages for a brief minute. I had to get to a patient when he asked a question and then I didn’t respond until I was done for the day. He texted from his room last night and let me know he was going to dinner with the band and then getting some rest and then they did the GMA segment first thing this morning then the concert is tonight. He’s probably crazy busy. That’s why he hasn’t called or texted and I don’t want to be a weird stalker person, so I’m not calling or texting either.

Looking at my blank phone one more time, I slip it into my pocket and head back out to my patients. I have a light appointment book today. We book more during the week since we close the office at one on Fridays now. Of course, when my patients go into labor, that’s different, but the actual office is closed from one on Friday afternoons through nine on Monday mornings. It’s nice to have the little break since things are so busy now.

I didn’t have any plans for the weekend, so I told my Mom I’d meet her in town tomorrow for lunch and a little shopping. I know she wants to find out what happened with Dade after we left the other night.

A couple of patients called in thinking they were in labor today. I had them come in so I could check them out. Neither was in labor, but it’s not far off. I’d be surprised if they made it through the weekend, so by the time I get through my last patient of the day, I’m exhausted. I just want to kick my shoes off and relax with a glass of wine. There’s a knock on my open door and a red head pops in making me smile.

Monica is very pretty. She’s my mentor and friend. She took a chance on me and I appreciate her every single day. She asks, “Can I come in?”

I nod and gesture to the chair in front of my desk. She looks at the stacks of charts spread out over the surface. “You about done for the day?”

Sighing, I lay my head back and unclip my hair. It cascades down my back. I’m hoping that’ll stop the headache I have brewing from forming fully. I mutter, “Yeah. I just made my last notes. I have two patients I don’t think will make it through the weekend, but I’m all caught up.”

She laughs. “Want to hang out for a bit?”

I look at her in question. She chuckles. “Joe has the boys and they are going to get some new game that came out today after school, so, it’s just me tonight until later. I don’t want to go home. If I do, I’ll see a mess and I just can’t handle cleaning up after four teenage boys right now. I’m too damn tired.”

I laugh. Her boys are a handful alright. I don’t know how she stays sane. But she loves them and is a very dedicated parent on top of being a kick ass doctor.

Thinking about it, I think an afternoon in sounds awesome. “Yeah, but I’m too tired to really move. Want to just head to my place for some wine? I probably have enough ingredients to whip up some pesto pasta, too. Sound good?”

She looks at me beseechingly and then smiles. “Sounds awesome. I’ll follow you when you’re ready. I just need to shut my computer down and pull two charts for Monday.”

“Give me five minutes and I’ll be ready, too.”

She gets up, I straighten my desk, and unplug my laptop before shutting everything down and checking my cell as I grab it off of my desk. Still nothing from Dade.

Oh, well. He’s busy. I’m going to enjoy chit chat with my friend. It’s been awhile.

After turning off the lights, we set the alarm, and head to our respective cars. I live about twenty minutes from the office and hospital on a good traffic day. It’s 1:30pm on a Friday in Baton Rouge, so it takes us about forty minutes to get to my complex.

Monica follows me into the house and we both kick our shoes off. Laughing, I walk into the kitchen and take inventory of the wine fridge. I call out to the living room, “Moscato, Riesling, or Pinot Grigio?”

She calls back, “Whatever you want as long as it’s cold.”

I grab a Moscato. It’s a twist top. I love those. Swiping two glasses, I grab a tray and set all of it on there while I get some sliced cheese from the fridge and open a new pack of wafer crackers. I have grapes and strawberries already washed too, so I add them to the tray and carry it out.

She looks at it and smirks. “Kind of feels like a date. Of course I haven’t been on one of those in years, so I wouldn’t even know how to act.”

I wink and laugh. “I have the hottest date around.”

She laughs as she opens the bottle and pours us both a glass. We sip it and eat a few crackers and some fruit before lounging back. She’s sprawled on the couch and I’m on the love seat with my feet draped over the arm. This is really comfy.

As she leans her head back and gives an appreciative sigh, Peanut strolls out of my bedroom and meows loudly at me. Monica opens her eyes and laughs. “She’s such a pretty baby. I remember when you found her in the parking lot in the rainstorm. It looks like she’s settled in nicely.”

I pat my leg and she jumps up and curls into a ball on my hip. I pet her with one hand and cradle my wine with the other. “Yes. She’s my baby girl. Spoiled little shit.”

She smiles at me as she watches me with my fluff ball. When I look up and see her watching me, she says, “Soooooo…”

I was expecting this. I’m surprised she waited this long to bring it up. I figured she was biding her time. I slyly say, “So?”

She smirks and pins me with a look. “So, tell me about the fine ass rock star you bumped uglies with on St. John.”

I act innocent. “What about him?”

She’s not buying it. She throws a cracker at me. “Give me the scoop. I’m married with four teenagers. I want to live vicariously through you. Sex with a hot rock star. I can’t even imagine. We’re lucky if we have vanilla sex on Wednesday nights before the 10PM news these days.”

As I catch the cracker, I laugh. “Vanilla sex?”

She chuckles and glares at me. “All those romance books you read. You know what vanilla sex is and I’d be willing to bet you don’t have it. Especially since you got naked with Dade Rodrigue.”

My cheek flush and I choke on my wine. “How do you even know who he is? I didn’t.”

She laughs. “I have
FOUR
teenage boys at home. I didn’t know. I don’t listen to them regularly or anything, but I have heard them through the walls of my house. They’re good if you like that sort of thing. And I treated Clove and saw the staff at the hospital in a tizzy when that man meat stayed the night, remember?!”

I nod. “Of course I remember. He left me on the island to rush back here. Only I didn’t know that at the time.”

She gets serious for a minute. “I know that you were upset when you got home. I didn’t push, but from the bits and pieces you told me. I knew a man had broken your heart. It surprised me since you went there to get away after the Jake situation. But I also know that things hadn’t been right with you two for a long time.

Then two weeks ago, you come in to work and you’re even more upset. I finally get you to tell me what’s wrong and all you’ll say is that ‘Mr. Right’ was actually Dade Rodrigue, brother of your patient, and bandmate of her fiancé. You said you fucked up, but no details.

I respect you and I care about you, so I let it go. Then, you come into the office smiling three days ago and say you met back up with him and you two are going to talk it out.

Yesterday, you walked into the office with a good-and-fucked glow. It’s not hard to piece it together, Mel. But I’d like the details if you want to share them.”

She’s clasping her hands under her chin and batting her eyes at me. I snort. “Ok, I’ll tell you. How much do you want to know?”

She grins. “As much as you want to tell me. Don’t leave anything out.”

I start at the beginning and tell her from seeing him near the pool, to meeting him in the bar, and spending the week with him having monkey sex everywhere, to him leaving and me not understanding why or what happened. I finish with him being in New York right now after loving me thoroughly two nights ago on the couch she’s sitting on. She hems and haw’s as she listens.

She’s clucks her tongue when she’s done and takes a big sip of her wine and savors it before swallowing. She looks at me. “Mel, I love you. I’m a bit older and I’m a little bit wiser. I do not doubt Dade is a good man. But… I want you to be careful. He’s used to women being a certain way I would imagine and you are not that way. Don’t compromise yourself for anyone. You’ve worked damn hard to get where you are.”

She’s voicing the thought aloud that I’ve been thinking since I found out who he was. Yeah, I didn’t know, but now I do and I see firsthand the women that go to see them. I saw them on the video from GMA this morning. Robin Roberts asked them if they were single. Dade and Cruz said they were unattached… I understand what Monica is saying, I just hate that she said it. Dammit! Now my insecurities about what the hell this is are back in the forefront of my mind.

I nod. “I know what you’re saying. I hear you. I just don’t know what’s going on here.”

She smiles at me. “Well, figure it out. Go into whatever this is with a clear head. I see how he affects you. Just keep your wits about you, ok?”

She’s right. I have to keep my head straight. I can’t allow him to sway me or allow my feelings for him to allow me to compromise myself. I’d hate myself. I’m not doing that.