For Now (Forever Book 1) (13 page)

              “That actually sounds like fun. We didn’t know any of our neighbors, we all had privacy fences. We would only see them if Ryder or I accidentally threw something over the fence into their yard. Can I ask you another question?”

              She nods.

              “You went to live with your mom’s best friend after the accident. Why not family?”

              She shrugs, “Karen’s the only family I have. Both of my parents were only children. My dad’s mom died twelve years ago, then my grandfather died two months later. My mom left her home in Chicago when she was eighteen and never looked back. Her parents were horrible. I’ve never meet them and I really don’t ever want to. Karen and Jackson are all the family that I need. My mom meet her when she was eight. My grandfather would take my mom to the bar because he had to drink and her mom couldn’t be bothered to take care of her, so he would make her go to the bar and stand outside and wait for him. It didn’t matter what time of year, she stood out there for hours. Karen’s dad owned the bar and Karen would come out and play with her. In the winter, she would invite her to their apartment to warm up. She took her in and my mom never forgot how good she was to her.”

              “I’m glad you have Karen. So she must have bought the bar from her dad?”

              “He left it to her when he died fourteen years ago. She’s going to be sad if she has to sell it. It’s all she has left from him.” She frowns and looks out at the pasture, in thought.

              Then it dawns on me. “That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? The bar is in trouble and you wanted to help her.”

              She nods, “She’s been everything to me since I was thirteen. I can’t let her lose the bar. Did you realize that when we had to move to a smaller apartment, she took the couch, she gave up a bed and a room for me?”

              “She sounds amazing. She must love you very much.” I’m now thinking of Karen and a way to thank her for all that she has done for Elaina.

              “Cam, what’s going to happen after the tour?”

              I frown and before I have a chance to answer the uncomfortable question, Roy rides up.
Thank god because I don’t have an answer to give her yet.
“You two kids ready to head back?”

              “Yep,” I reply as we stand up and start to gather the blanket and cooler.

              “You can leave ‘em, I’ll send my boys up later to fetch ‘em.”

              I help Elaina onto her horse, though I know she doesn’t need my help. I mount my horse. I watch Elaina on the ride back and I can’t help but to think that I’m unworthy of her. I have no idea the right thing to do here. I’m going to have to make some tough decisions.

Elaina

              “Yee-haw,” is the first thing I hear when I get out of the van. The band is all in the tour bus. I thought they were supposed to be working on a new song, but it sounds like they are messing around.

              My jaw drops to the floor as I step on the bus. Ryder, Eric, Alex and Caleb are all dressed in western-type shirts, cowboy boots, jeans and cowboy hats. I wouldn’t have even recognized them. All crazy hair and tattoos are covered.

              “What are you guys wearing?” Cam asks, laughing.

              “Now that we have a real life country girl with us, we thought we’d make her feel at home by going to a honky-tonk bar tonight,” Ryder replied coming over to put his arm around my shoulder.

              “You guys, in a country bar?” I laugh. “Besides, I’ve never lived in the country in my life and I don’t listen to county music.”

              “Ellie, you grew up with a cornfield in your backyard, it doesn’t get much more county than that,” Alex says.

              “Look, we had the sales lady get you something too,” Caleb assures me, holding up a bag.

              “Fine, but no cracking jokes at my expense all night,” I warn.

              I grab the bag from Caleb and head towards the bathroom to take a shower and get ready.

              After getting out of the shower, I decide to put on a little make-up and put my hair into two braids. I eye the shirt and shorts wearily as I pull them out of the bag.  The shirt is a black and pink, plaid button-down shirt. There are only two buttons, because this shirt is so short, it will show off most of my midriff. The shorts are just long enough to cover my ass. I’m going to kill these guys. I decide that I may as well wear it since I have nothing else that is really appropriate for line dancing. I tug my shirt and shorts down willing them to lengthen.

              I slip the clothes out and head back out to the living room.  I can hear Ryder and Cam auguring about something. “Dude, you have to wear the cowboy hat and boots. We’re going country.”

              “Ugh, fine Ryder. How did you all have time to go get this stuff? I thought you were all working.”

              “We were, but we finished early.”

              When I see them, I now notice that Ryder is wearing a belt buckle that says, “The man” with an arrow pointing up and “the legend” with an arrow pointing down. I roll my eyes.

              They all look over when they notice my approach.

              “Remind me to send a thank you to that sales lady,” Eric says.

              I blush a little at everyone’s attention. Cam is eyeing me in a way that makes heat rush through my veins.  I play with a string at the bottom of my shorts and blush.

              “Here,” Caleb says handing me another bag, “We also got you some boots and a hat.”

              I pull a black cowboy hat with pink embellishments out of the bag and put it on, it is actually cute. Then I pull the shoe box out of the bag and open it up. There is a beautiful pair of pink and black cowboy boots to complete my outfit.

              I pull them on and I’m ready to go. “I’m going to kill you guys for making me wear this,” I mutter.

              Ryder laughs and wraps his arm around me again, “But babe, I think we’d all die happy after seeing you in that. So it would be worth it.”

              Cam grinds his teeth and I shrug out from under Ryder arm. “Let’s just go get this over with.”

              Cam ignores the clothes they bought him and changes into jeans and a t-shirt. He puts on the boots and places the hat on his head. He decides to drive instead of hiring a driver; hoping to avoid a scene when we arrive at the bar.

              “Shotgun,” Alex yells running for the passenger door, but I was closer and beat him to it.

              “I don’t think so; a lady should get to sit in the front. We’re in the South, so you have to act like a gentleman,” I tell him.

              “Fine,” he grumbles, “but you owe me one dance tonight.”

              “Sure, as long as you can keep up,” I tease.

              He climbs in the back and sits next to Eric. “I get a dance with Ellie tonight,” he brags.

              “Once she sees my amazing moves, she’ll want to dance with me instead. Your dance moves could cause bodily harm.”

              “Whatever.”

              The two spend the rest of the ride arguing about who’s got the better moves. While, I pull on my shirt and shorts, trying to make them longer somehow.

              “You look sexy as hell,” Cam whispers, making my cheeks flush. “I just wish I was the only one that got to see it.”

              “I’ll keep it and wear it just for you sometime,” I whisper back. The band is talking so loudly that they have no hope of hearing.

              Cam lets out a low growl as we pull up to the bar. We find a parking spot and Cam walks around the car and opens my door.

              My feet barely hit the ground, when I feel myself being lifted. Ryder is carrying me over his shoulder and starts walking towards the bar.

              “Oh my god. Let me down. What if someone sees, I don’t really want my ass on the cover of a magazine.”

              Ryder sets me back on my feet at the door. “Relax, no one is going to recognize us tonight. I mean look at us. Plus the people in here, probably aren’t the type of people that listen to our music.”

             
Good point.
“Okay fine, but that means I don’t have to be your girlfriend tonight.”

              “Ouch, you say that like it is a good thing.” He pouts.

              The guys catch up to us and we all enter the bar. There are animal heads on the walls and people line dancing on the dance floor. This is far from anywhere I ever thought I’d see the band.

              Cam tries to find a table and Eric offers to go get us all drinks from the bar. I’m not surprised that he volunteered to go, when I see the bleach blonde behind the bar in the tight half shirt.

              Alex grabs my hand and leads me towards the dance floor. I quickly realize that he has no dance moves. I’m thankful, after the fifth time Alex steps on my toe, Eric walks up and tells Alex it‘s his turn. A slow song starts and he holds me, but at arm’s length.

              “My toes thank you for coming over when you did,” I complain.

              He laughs, “I told you, he could cause bodily harm out here.”

              “That you did, I should have listened.”

              After a few songs, I can feel him behind me before he says anything. “Mind of I cut in?”

              “Come on Cam, you don’t dance.” Eric starts, but I say, “Yes.”

              Eric sulks on his way back to the table, but I barely notice because Cam has wrapped his arms around me.

              “I’ve barely gotten any time with you tonight.” Cam mumbles.

              “I know, I’m sorry. I just thought, it might seem weird to the guys if I turned them all down and spent time with you all night.”

              “I know, it just sucks that I can’t just have you by my side and let everyone know that you’re mine. This tour can‘t end soon enough.”

              I’m elated at his possessiveness. He’s close now and I can feel his warm breath on my lips. Right now, I want nothing more than to lean in a little and let the world know that he’s mine, but I gather whatever restraint I have left and take a step back.

              “Okay, if I don’t get some air to clear my head, I’m going to be making out with you in front of an entire bar,” I laugh.

              He loosens his hold on me and nods. “I need a few minutes too.” He gives me his sexy half smile.

              I make my way to the exit and see Eric, Alex and Caleb laughing about something at the table. Ryder is in the corner of the bar on the phone, whatever is being said, he doesn’t look happy. His good mood is quickly gone.

              I step out into the cool night and find a quiet place on the side of the building. The light breeze leaves me with goose bumps, but it feels good after the flush of my skin from dancing with Cam. 

              “I was wondering when I would get a few minutes alone with you tonight,” Ryder says a few feet away from me. He’s clearly drunk and a little pissed off.

              “Oh, hey Ryder. Is everything okay?”

              “Do you know what I gave up to put on this big façade with you? I thought that in return, we could at least have a little fun. But no, you didn’t want that and now you’re all over my friends tonight, like they’re better than me.”

              “You know I don’t think that Ryder. They just asked me to dance.”

              My words are cut short when my body is suddenly trapped between him and the brick of the building, his lips are on mine. He tastes and smells like whiskey. I push against his chest, but he doesn’t stop, he just intensifies his kiss.

              Suddenly, he is being pulled away from me. “Ryder, you need to stop, man.” Caleb is behind him, pulling him away. He looks at me, “Are you okay, Ellie?”

              I nod, but tears are pooling in my eyes. Ryder looks surprised, like he doesn’t know how he got out here. He leans against the brick and slides down the wall. Putting his head in his hands.

              “Can we leave?” I ask Caleb.

              “Yeah, of course, go wait by the car, I’ll grab the guys. Cam will help me get Ryder to the car.” I look down and Ryder is already passed out. He must have had a few before we even went out tonight.

              When Cam unlocks the van, I immediately climb into the back. From the looks of it, Caleb didn’t tell anyone what happened because Cam is helping Ryder to the van and not punching him. If I get into the front seat with Cam, I don’t know if I could keep it from him right now. I’m sure that Cam would beat Ryder if he knew and I didn’t want Cam to lose his best friend over a drunken kiss or cause problems in their working relationship. I mean, they live together and I don’t think Ryder will even remember it in the morning, he was so drunk.

              Once back at the bus, I grab clothes and head straight for the bathroom to brush my teeth and change for bed. When I open the door, Cam is standing there, waiting for me.

              “What happened back there? Caleb didn’t really say.”

              “I was getting some fresh air and Ryder came outside to do the same thing I guess, I don’t know. He mumbled a few things and sat down on the ground and passed out. I guess he had more before we left for the bar than I thought.”

              “Well, we got him to bed, but he’ll be feeling pretty crappy in the morning, I think.”

              “I can imagine. I’m going to head to bed. Good night, Cam.”

              “Night Elaina.”

              Cam went into the bathroom and I’m not sure why, but I went and grabbed a glass of water and a few pills out of my purse and took them back to Ryder’s room. I set them on the nightstand by the bed and turned to leave. A hand reaches out and grabs my arm. I stop, though I don’t look back.

              “I’m sorry, Ellie. You didn’t deserve that,” Ryder grumbles sleepily.

              “You’re right, I didn’t deserve it.” I’m pissed. I know he was drunk and probably didn’t know what he was doing, but I’m not ready to accept his apology just yet.