Unexpected Admirer (18 page)

“You’re packing?” He was curt and to the point.

“It seems best.”

Jesse nodded and then moved in quickly and gripped her arms. The shock was enough to make her gasp, but she realized he wasn’t hurting her.

“Don’t go. Please don’t let this get to you.”

“Jesse, I don’t belong here.”

“One night. All I need is one night to say goodbye to everything and head home with you.”

She shook her head and threw another blouse into her bag. “You can’t do that in one night.”

“Damn it, Melissa.” He turned her toward him. “I love you, and you’re letting these unimportant people fill your mind with lies.”

“But I don’t know what the truth is out here. I know my town. I know my people, my students, my life.”

“I want to be part of that life. Please don’t lock me out.”

She let her shoulders drop. “I’m worth all of this to you?”

“Haven’t I been trying to make that clear to you?” He moved in and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I love you. I want to marry you. I want Jonah as my son.” He brushed his fingers through her curls. “I want a child of my own with you, maybe a house full.”

“But all this…”

“Isn’t important.” He smiled. “Melissa, if I never sang another note I’d still be fine. I’ve written all my songs and have rights to the songs from the group. Other artists record my music, too. Don’t you see? I don’t have to sell out crowded arenas to do what I love to do. And I can do that from the sanctity of Aspen Creek.”

“Your mom…”

“Will be fine without me here. I’ve set her up nice, and that’s all she ever cared about.”

“But she hates me.”

“She’s never liked anyone in her whole life. Don’t take her opinions to heart.”

“Tyson…”

“Will be fired.” He shook his head. “He doesn’t have my best interest at heart.”

“Because he doesn’t like me?”

“Well, that’s only one reason. There are a million more.”

Melissa leaned into him and rested her head on his chest. “You’ll really move to Colorado?”

“I’d like to buy your grandfather’s place and raise our family there.”

He sure knew how to tug at her heart strings.

She chuckled. “Mom said someone was already looking at it and made a bid.”

“I’ll bet I could out bid them.”

Melissa sighed. “I could pull some strings.”

Jesse’s arms came around her and held her tighter. “You’ll stay. Maybe tonight I could even announce our engagement when I sing to you. God, wouldn’t that piss Tyson off.”

She lifted her head and looked up at him. “You’d better call my son first.”

Jesse smiled. “He did give me permission to ask you. I guess I’d better let him know it all worked out.”

“You asked his permission to marry me?” The tears were back, but at least happy tears didn’t hurt.

“I’m a gentleman. If he had said no, I’d have let you pack.” Jesse gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. “I love him, Melissa. I have an amazing opportunity to be a good father to him, and with the understanding that I keep his father’s memory alive for him.”

Melissa sucked in a sob. Oh, this man and his words.

He took hold of her hands and kissed each one. “Let’s go call him.”

Jonah had been very matter-of-fact when they’d told him. He’d known that was where everything was leading the moment Jesse called his mom on stage. But his voice carried his excitement.

Her mother was cautious but equally as excited.

She’d wait until she got back to Aspen Creek to tell William. After all, that one wasn’t going to go as well.

Jesse had left her for his last sound checks and whatever business he had to attend to before his final concert. Bryce had a car ready and waiting for them in the drive.

“We’re taking a limo?” Melissa grabbed hold of his arm.

“Oh, honey. Why not live it up? Besides Jesse is footing the bill, and we are going to do some damage.”

“I can’t let him buy me clothes.”

“Like hell you can’t. If that man is going to be your husband, you’d better get used to having everything you want.”

She sighed as the driver opened the door for them. “With him by my side, I’ll have everything I need.”

“I believe that, too.” He patted her hand, and they climbed into the limo and headed down to Rodeo for some shopping.

Three hours later, with a bed full of shopping bags, Melissa fell into the chair in Jesse’s bedroom, exhausted. For the first time in her life, she understood the term
shop till you drop.

Bryce was a machine. He’d just look at something and know it would fit her and look perfect. And when she tried it on, he’d been right. Now the trick was going to be getting it all home, but Bryce had ensured her they’d ship it back to Colorado. That would be “easy peasy,” he’d said.

The outfit she was to wear was hanging on the door to the closet. It was simple, a pair of jeans and a beautiful, silk blouse. The heels he’d chosen for her had her a bit nervous. Only a few weeks after a sprained ankle, she didn’t think she should be walking in such unstable shoes. But she’d learned quickly that Bryce could talk anyone into anything.

A stylist was on her way up to her to do her makeup and fix her hair. She’d once looked forward to this, but that was prom and it involved her girlfriends. Now she was just a ball of nerves waiting to explode.

Melissa sucked in a breath and let it out.

If she was going to be Mrs. Jesse Charles, she was going to have to learn how to present to the public.

Another two hours later, Melissa walked out of the bedroom a new woman. She’d never felt so amazing in her entire life, and that included her wedding day.

As she descended the stairs, she noticed Jesse sitting on the couch in the formal sitting room. A smile had formed on his lips, and his eyes lit up when he saw her.

That alone had her heart doing flips in her chest. She loved this man more than she’d wanted to ever admit. This was going to be the strangest journey—a lifetime with a younger man who adored her. But it felt right. It felt real.

He stood and crossed to her. “I don’t even have words for how amazing you look.”

“You have a great team to put me together. “

“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t need a team. This is all you.”

He moved in and kissed her cheek so he wouldn’t mess up her lipstick.

He took hold of her hands and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “I have a car outside waiting for us. I have to get there for wardrobe.”

She nodded as he took her hand and led her out to the car that waited for them.

Melissa leaned into Jesse as he held her close. The traffic was heavy, but she’d learned quickly that it was the norm for L.A..

Bryce sat in the front seat with the driver, and the privacy screen had been raised between them.

Jesse maneuvered himself so he could kiss Melissa, which he did deeply and passionately.

“I love you.”

She smiled. “I love you, too.”

“So we’ve told your mom and Jonah that we’re going to get married.”

“We did.”

“And Bryce, well, he already knew.”

“Uncanny how he can read us.”

Jesse laughed. “I told my mother today.”

He was still smiling, but she could read his eyes. That hadn’t been a happy moment. But she wasn’t going to mention it. Her marriage to Jesse had nothing to do with the woman.

“Tonight I’m going to announce that I asked you to marry me, and I’m going to bring you out on stage and sing to you.”

“Admirer?”

“Yes.”

She nodded. “I think it’s appropriate. You were a very unexpected admirer to me.”

“Well, now I’ll be an expected one because I will admire you until I die.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. She liked the sound of that.

Jesse reached into his shirt pocket, and Melissa adjusted so she could see what he was doing.

Between his finger and his thumb, he pulled out a diamond ring. She gasped aloud.

“I picked this up for you today.”

The tears were back, but they couldn’t fall. No! Her makeup, but it was growing harder to hold them back.

Jesse took her hand and slid the ring on her finger.

“You’ll still marry me?”

Melissa looked down at the solitaire diamond that had to be no less than two karats. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t grunt. But somehow, while holding back the tears, she managed to nod her head.

“I was thinking a nice, private Christmas wedding in Colorado. What do you think?”

“I think that sounds very nice.” Her voice cracked as she spoke.

Jesse wrapped her back into his arms. “We’re going to be so happy. You. Me. Jonah. We will be the perfect, little family.”

Nothing could diminish her happiness. Dear Lord, she begged, don’t let anything ruin the bliss that is running through my veins.

The limo turned into the parking lot of the arena. The driver took them to a garage door where groups of people had already formed a mob. Some carried posters, others wore T-shirts bearing Jesse’s face, and others just stood there screaming and crying, just as she’d seen in footage of Beetles concerts.

Security guards pushed back the crowd as the limo drove through and the door opened, allowing the car inside.

A moment later, the car came to a stop and the noise had died down. Other groups of people started for them, and each looked as though they had an agenda.

“This is it.”

Melissa nodded.

“Stay with me at all times. Smile and just keep walking.”

She nodded again, and he gave her a gentle kiss.

“They are going to notice the ring.”

“Should I take it off?”

“Never.” He smiled. “But just keep your head high and only go with Bryce, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I love you.”

She let out a deep breath. “I love you, too. Now let’s make a splash.”

“That’s my girl.”

The door opened and Jesse exited the limo, stopping to help Melissa out and hold tight to her hand.

Bryce was right next to her the moment she started walking.

He leaned in close and whispered, “Nice rock.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Very official.”

“That it is.”

“Good.” He let his stride slow, but was always right behind them.

Agents from the arena started talking to Bryce and Jesse. Then a reporter snapped a picture and asked him questions which had nothing to do with the tour. Melissa just kept smiling.

It took nearly ten minutes to walk a few feet to the dressing room, but once inside, most of the crowd stayed out.

But there, in the room, was Tyson.

He smiled wide when Jesse walked through the door, and the moment he saw Melissa, his smile dipped into a scowl.

Bryce took hold of her arm and steered her toward the couch as Tyson moved in on Jesse.

Bryce retrieved them each a bottle of water and showed her where to sit.

“He’ll be a bit. You doing okay?”

“Until I fall on my butt on stage tonight.”

“You’ll do fine.” He gave her a nudge. “That S.O.B. is going to have a bad day tomorrow,” he whispered again.

“Jesse said he was firing him.”

“Yeah, he’s shady.”

Melissa could have told him that, but the man scared her to death. He might be shady, but it was hard not to believe everything he said.

Jesse was surrounded by different people for nearly an hour. Bryce had been pulled away as well, and Melissa sat alone on the sofa.

She couldn’t help but wonder if Jesse would actually give up all of this attention just to live quietly with her. Could he?

This was his life.

She guessed she’d have to learn to trust more than she’d ever trusted before because she knew she couldn’t travel with him always.

She loved him. It was all worth it—she continued to tell herself.

When the team of people who had surrounded Jesse all night finally left his side, he crossed the room to Melissa and held out his hand.

“Show time.”

She took his hand and stood up next to him. “I think you look more beautiful than you said I do.”

“Impossible.” He kissed her on the cheek. His headset had already been taped against his cheek. “Bryce is going to show you where to stand. He’ll send you out when it’s time.”

“Okay.”

“Tonight, you sleep in my arms.”

“Deal.”

“Tomorrow I’m flying home with you.”

She smiled. “I like that.”

Just as they walked toward the stage, the crew was setting up his set. The opening act walked off the stage and gave Jesse a nod as they moved past.

She saw a mask nearly form on his face. A different man was walking away from her. It was an act, this man who performed on stage. The one who held her in his arms was the real thing—and all she could have ever asked for.

The concert was an hour in, and Admirer was to be the last song before the intermission. Her heart pounded in her chest. She was about to be announced as the woman he was going to marry, and she’d walk off stage with him, hand in hand.

Bryce had been called off, but she could see him and he’d call for her when it was time.

“He’s very talented, isn’t he?”

Melissa turned to see Tyson standing next to her, his sunglasses still on despite the dim sidelights backstage.

“Yes, he is.”

Tyson stepped around her and then stood right in front of her. “He’s not going to marry you.”

“Yes. Yes he is.” She held up her hand.

“Nice rock. He’s a multimillionaire. He can buy those by the case.”

Melissa felt her jaw clench.

Tyson stepped in. “You need to go now.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“You’re only going to get hurt. If you don’t want to see the destruction, run. He’ll understand.”

“I’m-not-going.”

Tyson stepped to the side just far enough to let her see around him. What she saw was Noelle Camillo walking toward the curtain. The part that didn’t go unnoticed was the tight dress that clung to her curves and the enlarged, round stomach which was so well pronounced.

The tears were back. How could she fight them now?

“The baby is Jesse’s. He’s already asked her to marry him.”

The first tear fell.