Diamond (14 page)

Jesse nodded. “I’ve got that short road trip coming up next month. What is it—six, maybe eight nights out? I don’t want to go without her, Tommy. Let’s try and get a studio booked beforehand so she can finish it in time to go with me. Okay?”

“You’re the boss,” Tommy said. “Just leave everything to me.”

Jesse nodded. He was so used to Tommy handling all the mundane details of his life that he had no reason to question his about-face. And when Tommy left minutes later, he had no reason to believe that he wouldn’t follow through on his orders.

Jesse slapped the mare on the rump to move her over and then poured the bucket of sweet feed into the trough, smiling to himself as she buried her nose in it and began to eat. Her baby danced just out of his reach, nickering nervously as Jesse tried unsuccessfully to coax it toward him.

“One of these days,” Jesse warned, and laughed aloud when the foal tossed his head and kicked before making a short run down the fence line.

A big white car turned and started down his driveway. The driver honked and waved as Jesse looked up. Jesse recognized the car but couldn’t imagine why Al was there until he saw the passenger door open and Diamond emerge.

He tossed the bucket inside the barn, fastened the gate, and started toward the house.

Al got out of the driver’s seat and went to meet him.

“Hey, Jesse,” he said. “Me and Rita ran across your lady doing a little shopping. We offered to bring her home and save Henley the trip of going after her.”

Jesse smiled. “Thanks, Al. You don’t know how much this means to me.” He reached out and shook Al’s hand.

Al looked at a space just over Jesse’s shoulder, embarrassed to be showing emotion in front of another man.

“Yeah, I think I do,” Al said. “I remember when me and Rita first met, how much I wanted everyone to like her as much as I did.”

Jesse nodded, unable to express how much Al’s acceptance of Diamond meant to him. “So, if you were chauffeuring Rita around, where is she?” He looked beyond Al into the empty car.

“Oh, Di took her into the house to show her something, but I don’t know what. You know how women are. They buy something new, they got to show everyone in sight.” He grinned.

“Di?”

Al grinned again. “Rita did that. You know how she is. She thinks nicknames are cute.”

“What’s she call you?” Jesse asked, and laughed when Al blushed.

“You don’t want to know,” Al said. “Come on. I better get Rita out of the house before she starts moving furniture and Henley has a stroke.”

Jesse laughed aloud, remembering the last time he’d had all the members of the band and their families out for a barbecue. Rita had taken it into her head to rearrange the living room furniture and Henley had truly come close to having a seizure. He’d been torn between courtesy for his boss’s guests and dismay that a woman was changing his world around to suit herself.

They walked into the house and caught Henley hovering in the hallway just out of sight of the living room, where the women were visiting.

“Saved by the bell,” Henley said, and walked away with a dignified air, ignoring the fact that he’d been caught in the act of spying.

“Hey, girl,” Al called out. “Come out here. We’ve got to get on home. The kids should be home from school.”

Rita Barkley walked out into the hallway and into her husband’s arms, hugging him in spite of the fact that he turned three shades of red when she tugged at his collar to lower his mouth to hers.

“Oh, good Lord,” Al said, and grabbed his wife by the arm. “Let’s get out of here before you completely ruin what reputation I have left.”

“Thanks for the ride home,” Diamond called as they went out the door.

They waved and then were gone.

“Nice people,” Diamond said. “I think Al’s finally beginning to like me.”

Jesse looked dumbfounded. “What do you mean, finally? Have the boys been giving you trouble?”

She hadn’t meant to bring up the subject of the band members’ attitudes toward her. She just shook her head and said, “Let’s eat. I’m starved. Henley said you waited.”

“I was afraid not to,” Jesse teased. “Hell, honey, if I’d eaten too much, what would you have done for sustenance?”

“There’s always you,” Diamond said.

Suddenly, the last thing he wanted was to sit down at a table full of food. But knowing Diamond, before anything else occurred, that was exactly what he was going to do.

Jesse came out of the shower, expecting to see Diamond in the bedroom waiting for him, but there was nothing but an empty, turned-back bed. He pulled on a pair of Levis, buttoned a couple of buttons just to keep them from sliding down his hips, and walked barefoot through the house, looking for her.

Twice he almost called her name aloud, but something—call it instinct—told him that whatever she was doing, she didn’t want him to see.

It was the creak of the swing on his back porch that told him where she was. And when he looked through the screen door, he saw why she’d slipped away without telling him where she’d gone. She was crying.

The hinge protested as the door swung back at Jesse’s touch. Her head came up, and the sight of tears running down her face made him sick at heart. He couldn’t imagine what had caused this when only hours earlier she’d been so happy and carefree.

“Come here,” he said softly, and held out his arms.

She walked into them, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face against his bare chest, mingling tears with the water droplets still present from his shower.

“What’s wrong, honey?” he asked. “Did I do something to—”

“No, no, no,” she said, and hugged him tighter.

“Then what, Diamond? As God is my witness, you’re gonna have to tell me, because I can’t stand to see you cry.”

He threaded his hands through her hair, relishing the texture of the thick strands falling down her back and across his arms. Her body shook beneath the thin robe she was wearing. Her skin was hot to his touch, almost feverish.

“I’m happy,” she said. “And I didn’t think I’d ever be…not like this.”

Jesse gave one long sigh of relief. Women! He’d never understand them, but he damned sure didn’t want to live without them, especially this one.

“My God,” he said, “you cry like this because you’re happy? I don’t
ever
want to see you cry when you’re sad.”

And then a memory surfaced as he remembered the time when he’d first seen her and heard her singing. It was at her father’s funeral, and she hadn’t been crying at all. A slow but certain understanding of his lady began to surface. Diamond was the kind of woman who buried the deepest hurts inside herself and never let them out. It was only her joy that she was able to share.

Jesse lifted her into his arms and carried her into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. He laid her on his bed and then watched with satisfaction as the expression on her face changed to one of desire. He leaned forward, splaying his hands across her breasts and caressing them under the satiny fabric of her robe.

“No barriers,” Jesse said as he slid the robe off her body and then stepped out of his jeans.

She reached for him, letting her hands follow the curve of his arms and shoulders as he came down to her.

Jesse shuddered as her hands encircled him, and a sweat broke across his forehead. He wanted inside this woman. But wanting and doing were two different things when she had him under her control. An impossible need to stop warred with a constant need to keep moving, and still she would not lessen her hold.

Just when he thought he was going to burst, she rolled out from under him and in one smooth motion settled herself across his legs. He was hard, and ready, and Diamond knew the pleasure he was capable of giving her. But tonight she needed to give something back to the man who’d given her so much and asked nothing in return.

Jesse started to speak, but when she lowered her head toward him, nothing came out of his mouth but a groan. He meant to watch what she was doing, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything except the flashes of light going off in his brain. He closed his eyes and reached back for the bedpost as her mouth and hands encircled him.

There was nothing in his world but a heat and a pressure that concentrated into a spiraling need that she’d created. She moved her body up and then impaled herself upon him. Slowly. Completely.

Her muscles contracted around him, and he shuddered and arched. Unable to control himself anymore, he spilled into her and then held her as they slept.

Morning brought them to earth slowly as Jesse kissed her awake. Diamond looked up into the face of love.

“Mornin’, honey,” Jesse said, and kissed the corner of her mouth.

“Morning to you, too,” she said, and cupped his face with her hands, moving her thumbs across dark beard stubble before threading her fingers through his hair. “It’s so black it almost looks blue,” she said, and rubbed a lock back and forth between her fingers.

“Leftovers of my Cherokee ancestors,” Jesse said. “Most of my great-grandfather’s family came from Georgia.”

“Really? I hadn’t thought…of course, your name—Eagle.” She scanned the dear and familiar face with tears in her eyes.

“Right, love,” he said. “Henley might be teaching you how to drive. But I’m the one who taught you how to fly.” He lowered his mouth and tasted the tears on her cheeks. “If I can just teach you how to be happy without crying, then I think we’ll have it made.”

She laughed, but it sounded more like a sob.

“Oh, hell, honey,” Jesse said. “I know one way to stop those tears. Get your pretty self out of my bed. I’m going to feed you. That works every time.”

She followed willingly. She wasn’t sure whether it was because he’d called her “love” or because she couldn’t resist the sight of his bare backside walking toward the shower, but she followed.

They were just finishing brunch when Henley came through the door with an armload of groceries.

“Miss Diamond, did you get your message?” he asked as he began unpacking the bags. “I heard the last of it just as I was leaving for town. I supposed you would see the light or I’d have left you a note.”

She looked up in surprise and then down at the blinking light on the answering machine.

“No, but I will,” she said, and punched the button. Tommy’s voice was the last thing she expected to hear.

“Miss Houston, it’s Tommy. I’ve reserved a studio for you day after tomorrow. Unfortunately that’s the day Jesse has scheduled for the shoot on his new album cover, so he won’t be able to accompany you. However, rest assured that I’ll do everything I can to make this as painless as possible. Be ready at eight
A.M.
I’ll send a car.” With that, he disconnected, leaving Diamond a little bit nervous and a whole lot excited.

“This is it, darlin’,” Jesse said, and hugged her. “This is what I promised you back in Cradle Creek. I’m not going to tell you good luck. I don’t think this gambler’s daughter wants to hear the word
luck
in the same sentence with
good.
”

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “How right you are,” she said. “Besides, there’s no such thing as luck, only good fortune.”

“Then what should I say?”

“Nothing. Your actions speak louder than words, any day.”

“So, you like my actions, do you?” Jesse asked, tightening his grip on her.

“Good Lord,” Henley muttered, going back outside to unload the rest of his purchases. “I’m living in the midst of an unending soap opera.”

Diamond blushed and Jesse laughed aloud. “I’ll go help Henley unload. I can tell by the gleam in your eye that you want to borrow my guitar again.”

She smiled. “So?”

“So help yourself. You will anyway, with or without my permission.”

Jesse watched her leave and felt as if something tangible had just come between them, then scoffed at himself for being so foolish and so selfish. He had his music. It was only fair that she had hers.

He picked up the phone and dialed Tommy’s number. The few words that passed between them were congenial, even pleasant. But Jesse had the strangest sensation as he hung up that Tommy was being too nice. He shook off the feeling, chalking it up to the fact that he just didn’t want Diamond out of his sight, and went outside to help Henley.

Diamond ran her fingers across the strings of the old guitar and knew that she’d reconnected with her other self. For a short time she’d lost herself in Jesse. But as dearly as she loved him, she had no intention of losing her own identity by disappearing into Jesse’s shadow. She didn’t want to be just Jesse Eagle’s woman. She loved him, but she wanted her own part of his world…the world of music.

9

Tommy was nice, and
courteous, and he had even cracked two rather off-color jokes on the way into Nashville just to show her that she was “one of the boys.” Diamond wasn’t sure whether to be glad or wary. She wasn’t certain she could trust him.

The tension of recording the demo was now all-consuming. That Tommy still had to pitch it didn’t even come into consideration. It was the first step in a longed-for dream—and it was about to come true.

“All right!” Tommy said. “We’re here.” He pulled into the parking lot of the studio and stopped. “Get your stuff, girl. We’re going to go inside and do it right, you hear me?”

Diamond nodded. His smile and the encouragement in his words were just what she needed. “I hear you,” she said, and then stopped him with a touch just before they entered. “Oh, and Tommy…”

Tommy looked down at the long, slender fingers wrapped around his arm, half expecting her nails to dig into his flesh. “Thank you.”

It was the last thing he expected her to say. He nodded and then stepped aside for her to enter. A small, niggling worry that he suspected was guilt skittered across his consciousness. But Tommy being Tommy, he ignored it. He was all business, and just where he wanted to be—in control.

A motley assortment of musicians lounged around inside the studio. One was tuning his guitar, another absently running through chords on a keyboard. A fiddler was playing softly in a corner of the room, whiling away the time with the instrument tucked beneath his chin.