Sweet Seduction Serenade (23 page)

I sat bolt upright in the bed, sheets held firmly against my naked chest.

"What?" I exclaimed, receiving a huff of a laugh from Nick.

"My thoughts exactly, cowgirl. But they are. They've just entered their access code to the alarm at the door. Any second now my mother will come barging in here and demand I join them for coffee and pancakes. She has no boundaries," he added, pulling on a T-Shirt as he spoke. "I'll head them off at the pass, you get dressed and come out and wow them with that Tennessee smile. If we're lucky, they'll be so shocked I've actually got a woman here they'll leave in a stupefied daze."

He leaned down and kissed me soundly on the lips, tongue and all. Making any thoughts of him not wanting to try out some fantasies and re-walk down memory lane fade as he pulled back and husked, "Fuck!" Then walked from the room, dressed but with bare feet.

Nick's parents. It never occurred to me that he had parents. Well, I assumed he did, I just never thought I'd see them. Ever. And here I was in their son's bed naked, having had the most mind-blowingly awesome re-visit sex and only about three hours sleep.
And
I didn't braid my hair last night so it was a tumble-weed mess requiring half a bottle of conditioner and twenty minutes in the shower with a wide-toothed comb. I didn't have that sort of time. Being naked at all in Nick's house with his parents through the thin walls next door was unacceptable. Even if I was in a locked bathroom under the noise of a steaming shower. I had to get dressed and get out there, save they think I was lying around naked in his bed post-coitally.

Of course I was, but they didn't need to think that. No parent did, whether or not their boy was thirty-two or fifty-two. It just wasn't right. I may have been brought up by a mother who traded up loser boyfriends like a geek does Star Wars cards, and I might have had a skank-loving father as an absent role model during my formative years, but that did not mean I had to fall into their trailer trash ways and prove I was a product of my upbringing.

Hell, I'd spent the past eight years trying to prove the opposite. I was not stopping now.

So, splash of water on face, to ensure no panda eyes and definitely no post-coital sleepiness - although that was pretty hard with my heart thumping erratically in my chest - blue jeans and pale pink and green checked cowboy shirt, complete with pearl buttons and an embroidered pattern peeking out from under the collar, tucked in and then finished off with a casual brown leather belt with small rhinestone silver buckle at my waist. I thought I'd stick with bare feet too and although I was tempted to hide my hair under a hat, I restrained myself and instead tied it up in a messy bun on top of my head, adding a few inches of height which I felt I just might need, if Nick's parents were as tall as him and his brother.

Then it was time to go face the music, which you would think being a Country singer would be par for the course, but I found myself dawdling and hanging around in the hallway, head tipped down and frown firmly in place. I could hear a deep masculine voice, which wasn't Nick's and then a female's lighter tone, followed by laughter. Then to my horror a second masculine voice that wasn't Nick's, and
another
higher female one.
Four
people waiting out in the kitchen. Holy guacamole, cowboys, how was I meant to handle this?

Then to my utter shock - but strangely also a slight amount of relief - I heard Gen. Gen Cain was here. A friendly face, someone I could immediately latch onto - or hide behind - I just hoped she was on the same page as me. I squared my shoulders, telling myself sternly that cowgirls are afraid of nothing, and walked out into the room. I hadn't got a good look last night, the stainless steel and granite had blinded me about as quickly as my lids fell closed from exhaustion, so I wasn't familiar with the layout. Not that I planned on using the position of any furniture as a possible hiding place - well, it had crossed my mind, but it wasn't forefront there - it's just entering an unknown situation with a number of unknown people in an unknown environment, is a lot of unknowns to deal with at one time. I would have liked to have known what the room really looked like, before I stumbled through the door.

And stumble I kind of did. Luckily not falling flat on my face but managing to stub my toe on the corner of a mobile chopping block stand and muttering a ridiculous, "Who put that darn well there?" under my breath as I did it.

All conversation stopped. Of course. And all eyes turned to me. I scanned the room in an instant. Located an amused Nick over by the kettle, cup in hand halfway from a cupboard above his head and the bench, and an equally lip-twitching Gen, standing on the other side of the room, the guy-who-could-have-been-related-to-Nick next to her, arm wrapped around her shoulders, lips twitching too. I realised I'd seen him at Sweet Seduction last night, part of the ASI professionals, which surprised me as he'd been wearing a really expensive suit the first time I saw him nibbling on Gen's ear. Then finally making up the stare-at-the-cowgirl audience I had an older gentleman, dressed in jeans and a dark blue tucked-in shirt, who simply looked like an older version of Nick, just with greying hair but definitely handsome smile. An older dark haired woman immaculately dressed with expensive jewellery, mimicking the movie-star glamorous younger woman at her side.
Both also smiling beatifically at me.

"Howdy," I managed to get out, sticking to the Tennessee part of the plan. A series of "Hi"'s and "Hello"'s followed and even a little wave from movie-star girl.

Wow. This was fun.

"You must be Evangeline," the older woman said. "We've heard all about you from Genevieve." My eyes flicked to Gen who beamed a Gen-type smile back at me, but I saw the look of disapproval the older woman shot towards Nick and felt my heart sink. "
Not
from Nick though," she added, maybe explaining the disapproval away with those words?

"Haven't seen you all week, Ma," Nick answered, carrying on with his coffee pouring task.

"No excuse, we have to hear all about the excitement from our soon to be daughter-in-law," the woman said. "The least you could have done was pick up the phone, Nicky, and tell us you had a new friend."

I tried, I really did, but the smile was
not
going to be contained and unfortunately the giggle following it wasn't either. Nicky? New friend? This woman was gorgeous.

"Angel," Nick said in a low voice. "Wanna tell us what's so funny?"

"Oh, he calls her 'angel'. How lovely," the woman threw in and my giggles hiccoughed into a strangled laugh. Gen's fiancé, whom I hadn't been formally introduced to yet, let out a cough which I think was meant to be a laugh by the look of the smile on his face. Gen just sniggered at his side, adding to the cacophony of hilarity in the room. And the older gentleman, obviously Nick's father, hid behind a well placed hand at his jaw. But I saw it. There was a curve to those lips hiding there.

"Really, Mama," the movie-star woman declared, "you're embarrassing him."

Nick's mother made a tsking noise and shook her head. "
He's
embarrassed me. So, Nicholas, are you going to introduce us?"

"Yes, please do, darling," movie-star - sister? - added. "We're dying to hear her sing."

"She is not going to put on a performance just for you, Katie," Nick shot back. "Eva's tired and needs to rest. She's had a hell of a week."

"I'd sing if I had a guitar," I offered, because that's just what I do. I sing.

"Oh, we've got your guitar in the car," Gen offered and then shoved at her fiancé. "Go get it, honey, would you?"

"Only if you say please," he said teasingly, his head tipped down placing his lips an inch above hers.

"How's this?" she asked innocently and then proceeded to give him a barely decent kiss on the lips right in front of his family.

"Get a room, you two," Nick threw in, putting full coffee cups on the kitchen table between us all.

"You'd think they were in love or something, wouldn't you, darling?" Katie said, picking up a coffee and taking a sip, not even looking at the snogging pair across the way.

"At least
they
tell us what's going on in their lives," Nick's mother added, taking her own coffee cup and simply holding it.

"Give the boy a break, Liz," the older gentleman - Dad obviously - said. "They've obviously just woken up, let them both warm up to us. We can be a bit frightening en masse like this." He offered me a friendly and apologetic smile as he leaned forward to take a cup off the table.

"Yes, did we wake you up, darling?" Katie asked with faux innocence. "I do hope we didn't disturb."

"Oh you disturbed all right," Nick muttered, moving around the table to finally come stand beside me. He handed me a cup personally and when I took it, wrapped an arm around my shoulder and hauled me tight against his side. Staking a claim even when surrounded by family. I stared down at my cup and battled a frown.

Nick's brother walked back in the room with the Breedlove in its case. He placed it along the far wall and joined the rest of us.

"So, Eva, as my lackadaisical brother won't do it, allow me. I'm Dominic, the older brother and the more intelligent one."

"Don't forget handsome," Gen chimed in with a smirk.

"Thank you, sweetheart. How could we forget that?" Dominic replied, giving her a shoulder squeeze and a light kiss on the temple. "This is our younger sister Katie," he indicated movie-star woman who smiled and again waved. "And these two wonderful people are our parents, Elizabeth and Jacob Anscombe."

Both the two older Anscombe's smiled welcomingly, blinding me with their good looks. If Nick and Dominic managed to look as good as their father when they reached his age, then they'd be very lucky indeed. I smiled back to everyone, accepting their open friendliness with as much Tennessee grace as I could.

"And I believe you know my Genevieve," Dominic finished. The way he said
my Genevieve
left me in no doubt that Dominic was very much like his younger brother. Proprietary. I smiled at Gen, who was simply shining under Dominic's gaze and words. Is that what it would be like to have Nick call me his?

"Hi, y'all," I said softly, still Tennessee-ing it. "It's nice to meet you."

"Oh," Mrs Anscombe gushed, "the pleasure is all ours. Genevieve tells us you're a Country singer, is that right?"

Nick groaned quietly at my side, making me flick a glance up at him. He winked at me and then took a casual sip of his coffee to cover it up. I returned my attention to his mother.

"Yes. I live in Nashville," I added, unsure why, but it just slipped out.

"Oh," she said clearly a little confused and I was thinking disappointed. "I thought maybe you'd moved back here."

"No. I have a band back home."

"So, who were you playing with last night?" Mr Anscombe asked politely.

"Some old friends I used to play with before I left NZ and one new member who was between bands and prepared to play with us for a few months while I'm here."

"No plans to change bands then?" he asked, sipping his coffee in the same casual way Nick did, as though trying to hide his expression.

I did have plans to stay here and sing with my new/old band, but although I'd approached the guys about it, I hadn't had a chance to say anything to Nick. And even though everyone was being so friendly and welcoming, I just didn't feel right about talking "future" with Nick in front of everyone here. I struggled to find an answer that wasn't a lie, but that didn't give too much away.

It was Nick who came to my rescue, but most unexpectedly.

"When and if Eva returns to Nashville I'll be going with her."

The room buzzed with electricity. I didn't realise a group of people could be so wired when simply standing there. A jolt had shot through me at Nick's words. Sure, he'd indicated his desire to chase me wherever I went, but I had not expected him to admit it so boldly to his family. With me at his side. Truly I had thought they were all just words. Clearly I'd been wrong. I blinked up at Nick, no doubt my mouth hanging open, as I tried to come to terms with this now very public declaration of where he stood. I was stunned. Flattered. Excited. And darn scared.

"You're what, darling?" Katie was the one to break the silence. She sounded pretty shocked.

"He said he's leaving for Nashville," Dominic spoke in a level and authoritative voice. I wondered what he did for a living, I was guessing lawyer, what with that suit he'd had on and the court room persona he seemed to now effect.

"Only if Eva goes back," Gen offered quietly. I thought perhaps she may have been intimidated by Dominic's court room voice, but then dismissed it when I chanced a glance at Mr and Mrs Anscombe. Gen had read the tone of the room and one look at Nick's parents told me all I needed to know.

They did not like the idea of their son throwing his life away to chase after a cowgirl.

I thought it might be best to intervene and the first words that came to my mouth were this, "Well, I won't be going back for a while, I'm waiting for my father to die."

Oh darn it all to hell. Did I have to say it like that?

All eyes turned to me and several blinked, stunned.