How to Save a Life (25 page)

“I suddenly don’t want any coffee from
her."

“Her?" Ethan said straightening up his posture from where he was leaning on the counter with a menacing look taking root on his face.

“
Here
…I said here." I didn’t of course, but who was he to argue to me about something he knew absolutely nothing about. But then again if Sheridan was fucking Bradley, perhaps he knew more than I did about her because, at this time, I felt as if knew absolutely nothing.

I pivoted my work boot on the floor turning in the opposite direction from my audience and shoved open the glass door that was outlined in metal, making it come close to hitting the aluminum siding. I needed to calm myself down because that was all I needed to end up having to pay for a broken door.

I took a few deep breaths filling my lungs with the fresh air from outside. Deep inhalation in and letting it slowly release out through my nose.

“What the hell was that?" Todd said as he came out from The Diner finding me seated on the back bumper of the ambulance my navy work pant clad legs were crossed at the ankle and stretched out in front of me. He was carrying his cup of coffee and I regretted openly denying myself a cup. I missed Sheridan’s coffee, but more importantly I missed her.

Apparently she didn’t reciprocate those feelings which made me feel like a failure all over again. I believed that it was safe to say that I was a failure at keeping anyone in my life.

I deserved my life of solitude, I just didn’t want it.

“Jameson what the hell, man?" He jerked his boot up kicking my crossed feet apart further trying to get my attention.

I unfolded my arms and pushed myself off of the bus and walked around to the passenger side door banging my open palm on the back of the bus on my way, which signified that I was ready to go.

I couldn’t trust myself to speak. I was never really one to open up about my feelings and Sheridan had been the first in an extremely long time. Things were better off when I was closed off and a recluse.

I still had several hours left on my shift, in one instance I was hoping for radio silence, but the other I wanted to keep busy so my mind didn’t wander back to things that couldn’t ever possibly be.

One thing I knew was that I had to call Brock. I took my phone out of the cell holster that was attached to my belt, whenever I was on shift it was much easier to grab my phone from off of the side of my hip instead of digging around in my pocket. I found Brock’s name and pressed send and waited for him to answer.

“Hey, Mike," he greeted happily on the other end of the line.

“Hey, uh, do me a favor, will ya? Change the brakes on Sheridan’s car and then call her to let her know that it’s ready. I won’t have time to work on it anytime soon and she needs a car." That was a blatant lie, I had time to work on it, I just couldn’t bear to actually do it anymore. The truth was that it could’ve been done ages ago, but it was my way of keeping Sheridan around.

I guess that didn’t make me any better than Pate. Sure, I didn’t
force
her to stay but I wasn’t exactly relishing on her freedom.

“Sure, thing man! Oh and don’t forget that we are playing at Emmy Lou’s tomorrow night." I rolled my eyes consciously knowing that he wouldn’t be able to see my reaction. I had no desire to play tomorrow night, but I had a duty to the band and I wouldn’t leave them hanging.

“Alright, what time should I make myself known?"

“Be there at six-thirty so we can get everything set up. And be sure to wear a smile, even if it is just a forced one. I don’t really know what’s going on, but you are retreating back to your former pathetic self."

“Got it," I replied in my most enthusiastic tone before I ended the call on him. I threw my phone down in my lap and laid my head back on the headrest only moments before we got a call to head to the local nursing home.

Flipping on the lights and turning on the siren, we were on our way to do what we were trained to do; save lives. It didn’t help that, in the furthest back recesses of my mind, I wished that things would’ve turned out differently for the one who saved mine.

Rushing my way into the front door of the bar, I looked down at my watch to see it was six-thirty on the nose. I was extremely lucky to make it on time. After getting off of shift at seven am this morning, I tossed and turned in my bed until I finally fell asleep around noon. Which meant that I overslept my alarm and luckily was awoken by a whimpering Sadie who wanted to go outside.

Work was hellacious after leaving The Diner. The call we received from dispatch to the nursing home ended up being a case where we had to wait for the coroner. It never got any easier seeing someone die. It was a part of my job that I didn’t enjoy, especially when it happened on my watch it always hit a little too close to home.

A beer was definitely calling my name so I made a b-line to the bar before I even went to seek out the other members of the band. But it seemed as if they were on the same wave length as me as they were all sitting at the bar having a drink. Now this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence but it was odd for them to be altogether before a set.

Normally Toby was running around like a chicken with his head cut off making sure that his choice of outfit for the night was up to par. Brock almost always was in the backroom making sure his guitar was in tip top working order for the night. Charlie was another one of the easy going guys in the group, he was often late and showed up right before it was time to be on stage. So the fact that he was here, on time was weird in and of itself, especially since he and Maggie were back together.

I seriously felt as if I was in the middle of the twilight zone has they all three simultaneously turned around on their bar stools to where they were now facing the stage. I caught Grady out of the corner of my eye and lifted my hand in the air signaling that I wanted a beer. There was only one kind that I drank and he knew that was all I ever got while being here.

Tessa was the one to bring me back my beer also bringing her husband, Brock a refill as well. But instead of leaving, she put her elbows down on the countertop and leaned into her hands.

“I am so excited, I cannot wait," she said. I had no absolute clue what she was talking about so I didn’t hesitate in asking.

“Oh, it’s just the newest Brown County Babe is performing tonight before y’all go onstage."

“Tell me Tessa, what is the Brown County Babes and who do they entail?" I hadn’t a clue what she was referring to as I had never heard that term before. It was endearing I supposed calling a group of her friends the Brown County Babes. Or maybe it was a new all girl group in the area, that would be a great variety.

Cupping her hand to her ear pretending that someone was yelling for her, “What’s that Grady?" Trying to turn in the opposite direction she was desperately tried waving me off but I reached over the counter and caught her by the elbow, she wasn’t getting out of this so easily.

“It’s nothing big, Toby just dubbed a few of us girls as Brown County Babes. There is of course me, Emmalynne, Maggie, and now…" She trailed off on the latest newcomer and once I heard the sound coming from the piano she didn’t need to fill in the blanks, I could handle that task just fine.

I took a more than generous swig from my green tinted beer bottle before I turned to give the guys the most menacing look that I could muster up.

I didn’t know if I could actually turn around and look at her.

She seemed to be doing a quick warm up exercise that had the entire audience into it when I glanced all around me, but still not being able to turn in her direction.

Then she actually started speaking into the microphone, introducing herself.

“Ahem… Good evening, everyone. You’ll have to excuse my nervousness it’s been," she quickly took a deep breath, and I could hear her releasing it into the microphone, “quite a long time since I’ve performed for a crowd. My intention is to sing, but with my nerves I’m not sure if it’ll be a possibility." I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, she was actually going to sing.

I polished off my beer before I finally made the brave decision to turn around and as soon as my eyes connected with hers my breath whooshed out of my body. She looked exquisite. Her hair hung down her back in curly ringlets and the way the piano was set up on the stage I could tell that she was wearing a light teal dress with a cream sweater over it. The dress hit her mid-thigh while she was sitting down on the piano bench. I could see fragments of her bare feet on the pedals that were connected to the bottom of the piano.

It almost made me crack a small grin to know that she couldn’t wear shoes while playing.

And of course to strike me dead right here where I was standing, she was wearing her signature ruby red lipstick. I didn’t know anyone else who could make that color look so goddamn enticing.

I could just imagine her succulent red lips wrapped around my straining cock, staining it crimson as she took it deep within the alcove of her mouth. Only that could never happen now since she was with Ethan. And that did absolutely nothing for my overbearing erection.

You could see the presence of her nerves as she began speaking again. Her hands were faintly shaking as she adjusted the microphone that was on a stand in front of her, making it to where it was a little more easily accessible. “So if you would, please just bear with me, I would greatly appreciate it." She finally broke her eye contact with me as she went on. “This song really hits home for me. I never intended on ever coming to Brown County, but someone thought it was crucial in my making an appearance. And although there are hundreds and possibly thousands of different ways that it could’ve happened, a certain person took a risk by driving impaired and collided with my car." She began shaking her head back and forth, “No this isn’t a public service announcement about drinking and driving, although I could very well turn it into one. After all, I do have the mic." She giggled and then winked at someone in the crowd. She was working them and they were eating out of the palm of her hand.

You could tell that she was relaxing because her posture wasn’t as pronounced and the shaking in her hands had ceased. She was becoming comfortable with everyone. I was on the verge of praying that she would sing because I wanted to finally get to hear her beautiful melodic singing voice. If it was anything like the woman before me, it would absolutely astound me.

“And as much as I want to be furious with that person, in the end I would’ve never taken a chance on Brown County and then ultimately made it my home. There was one special person who went above and beyond their duty, especially with us being perpetual strangers, and helped me out with no questions asked. We became friends and I always had the hopes to become something more, but that wasn’t meant to be because I held a very huge part of me back from him. I just hope that one day he can forgive me for doing what I felt needed to be done." She took a hand and wiped her cheek, no doubt trying to erase any sign of tears falling from her eyes.

Forgiveness… That was funny because that was one thing that I was trying to do. Maybe it would’ve been easier for me to accept things if she wouldn’t have been so quick to jump into the arms of another.

“I would also like to introduce someone you already know, Emmalynne Morgan. I’ve heard through some pretty justifiable sources, mainly being her fiancé Grady that she is the woman behind the name of Emmy Lou’s. I think that is incredibly romantic. But anyways, I’m getting off topic here," waving out a hand, “she has graciously accepted to help me out tonight by playing the drums."

Emmy walked out onto the stage with her set of drum sticks and everyone clapped. She was like the sweetheart of Brown County. Emmalynne made the most incredible desserts and was the owner of Turn the Page Bookstore. She did a little curtsey and sat behind a drum kit. My drum kit. I was so preoccupied with Sheridan’s presence on the stage that I failed to realize that my drum kit was the only other instrument set up on the stage beside the piano.

My focus was strictly back to Sheridan. If I had been sitting down, I would’ve been on the edge of my seat with anticipation.

I had hoped that Sheridan would stick around until after our set then maybe I could get her alone to talk. I didn’t see Ethan around, so maybe that was a possibility.

Sheridan adjusted her seating once again and placed her hands on top of the piano keys as she closed her eyes. Seconds ticked by and just when people were starting to look at each other with confused expressions she opened her eyes and began the song.

After the first few notes were released from her fingertips and her mouth connected with the microphone beginning to lightly sing the beginning words, I knew exactly what song she was playing. Then Emmalynne came in on the beat.

“How To Save A Life" by The Fray was what was coming out of those delicious red lips. Lips that reminded me of blood, singing a song that reminded me of losing Hannah. I couldn’t look away from how into the song Sheridan was getting, I was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Her sultry voice was so mesmerizing and it was a true shame that she decided against going to Juilliard to perform. A lot of people were missing out on this amazing spectacle that was Sheridan.