Rocked & Romanced, page 30
"I know you like singing, but did you like doing the tour in that manner?"
She looks at me thoughtfully and smiles, but it's not a happy one.
"Honestly, no. There wasn't time to get out in the city, and to really spend time with fans. Actually, there wasn't time to do anything, really. Like I said, the food sucked, if we were even able to eat, and it was all work, all the time. Honestly, with that kind of pace, I understand why so many turn to drugs to try and keep up. Even though I wouldn't, but I kind of get why someone might."
"Are all tours like that?"
"No, this is just the one my manager set up. Do you know the band Highway 55? Landon and Dallas? They took a stand, when they were touring, and wouldn't work with anyone on drugs, and slowed their tours down. It really changed things for the people working with them. Now, they have their own label, and they do things differently."
We spend the next hour walking around, and she gets stopped a few times with fans, asking for an autograph or a photo. I love taking those photos of her, but I stay in the shadows, watching her. She truly cares about her fans, and it shows in every interaction.
We are just finishing walking the art and crafts section when an alarm on her phone goes off. I'm shocked we made it this long without some paparazzi hounding us. Or maybe, they just got their shots from a distance, and I'm not realizing it.
"It's time to make our way back to the stage."
I walk with her back, and when she meets up with the sound guys, she turns to me.
"You can go meet up with everyone and come back for the concert."
"No way. I'm here with you, and I want to see you do what you do, soundcheck and all." I smile at her.
That seems to catch her off guard, and then she catches me by surprise when she leans in and gives me a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Go get a spot, front and center. It’s the place during soundcheck. I'll be able to still see you."
Watching her go through the moves, during the soundcheck, and hearing her sing just for me, is different from the Savannah I saw on stage for the crowds.
Once the soundcheck is finished, she heads off to get ready. Then, they open the gates and people start filing in. I make my way to the side of the stage, and Abby flags me down.
"Savannah asked me to give you this." She hands me an envelope and inside are tickets to one of the VIP seats. Abby goes on with a huge smile, "She wants you to get the full experience."
I shake my head and go find my seat. The buzz in the crowd is catching, and if you weren't pumped up before the show, you would be now.
It seems like forever, before the music starts up, and the show starts. I know this is a different kind of event for her, because she’s the headliner today, and she isn't opening for someone else. Everyone in the crowd is here to see her, and the pride that fills me isn't something I was expecting.
Watching her sing and feed off the crowd, has me mesmerized. She’s even better to see in person than on the videos online. When she announces the last song, I start to make my way to the side of the stage. I want to be there when she’s done and be one of the first to tell her what a great job she did.
As I watch her singing, she gives me a wink, before turning back to the crowd. The music scene has never really been my thing. Sure, I like to listen to music, but I can count the concerts I've been to in my life on one hand, but right now watching her, I know I could never get tired of it.
She wraps up the show and makes her way over to me.
"You were captivating," I say, as she wraps her arms around my neck, and my arms naturally go around her waist. She’s leaning back, looking at me.
"It's such a different kind of rush, knowing they all came out to see me."
"They loved you," I tell her and hold her tighter.
It all happens too fast, and I miss the movement, but in the blink of an eye, her soft lips are on mine. The kiss is a shock to my system. It's unlike anything I've ever felt before, and I hope to experience many more. As her lips dance across mine, I move my hand into her hair and cup the back of her head, so I can deepen the kiss.
The moment she melts into me, her soft moan floats out. I take advantage by sneaking into her mouth with my tongue and stroking hers. When her body, which is pressed close to me, shivers, my dick wants inside her. My cock is already hard as nails, and when her hands tangle in my hair, I’m wanting to take her and keep going. There’s no way to hide how hard I am either. There isn't an inch of space between us, and every time she moves, she brushes against my cock. She moans again, and I have enough presence of mind to remember where we are, and how exposed we are. I don't want anyone but me to hear those sounds, and I sure as hell don't want to get carried away any more than we already are here in the open.
Slowly, I pull back and rest my forehead on hers. We both catch our breath, as I run my hand through her hair because I can't seem to stop touching her.
"Ready to go check out the rides?" I ask, needing to put a bit of space between us before I find a room where we can continue that kiss.
"Let's do it." She flashes me a huge smile and pulls me into the crowd.
Chapter 9
Savannah
The show yesterday raised over ten thousand dollars for the charity alone. That's not including the donations collected and the money the rest of the carnival made.
I'm so excited to have been able to help. It's so much more fulfilling than killing myself on tour and not seeing a dime until it’s over. Not that I have a need to spend it on anything. I was able to prepay my bills for the length of the tour since we didn't have time to go out and do anything.
I guess that's why I’m liking this break more than I thought I would. Less than two weeks ago, I thought it was the end of the world, and possibly, the end of my career. Now, I find it freeing, as I’m able to do things, like the show at the carnival yesterday and participate in the town’s Secret Santa today.
Ford is coming over, and the four of us are going to get our names. Lilly and Mike have been talking about it all year. This is a new event. Apparently, the church ladies saw some Christmas movie about a town Secret Santa that led to two people falling in love and decided they just had to do an event like that in Rock Springs.
But this is Texas, so they put their own twist on it. You have to do something nice for the person. This way, those that don't have the money to spare don't have to spend money, just their time. They promised to give a list of things the person needs, along with the name.
It was fun to fill mine out. Mike, Lilly, and I sat down the other night, and they, of course, had on their list a bunch of work around the ranch and with the horses. My list was a little different. One thing I put down was research to find new charities to help, ones like Abby and Greg's that really need the assistance. Another couple of list items for me were helping me deliver Christmas cookies around town, and in the off chance, a lawyer gets my name, help with my contract.
That last one is a long shot. But hey, a girl can dream. So now, I'm in Mike's truck and heading with Lilly and Mike to the church to see who we got.
Just like I expected, the town is more crowded with people, who are not even bothering to hide their cameras. Apparently, Jason put a sign up on the bar that no cameras were allowed inside, and Jo followed suit with the diner. For the first time ever, she went as far as to pull the shades down in her windows.
I haven't voiced what it means to me that the town is trying to protect me, but I have a feeling Lilly already knows because she’s keeping up with it all. Needing to take my mind off of it, I turn to Ford.
"What did you put on your list?" I ask him.
"Work around the ranch, redecorating the house, and help with my Christmas shopping."
I laugh, "Anything to get out of shopping."
"Not really. I know what I want to get everyone, but it does require a few runs into Dallas. If I can have someone do that for me, it will give me enough time to get stuff done on the ranch. Or if they don't want to shop, they can do some chores here, while I shop in Dallas. Either way, it’s the same result."
"And hopefully, you can avoid the city." I tease him.
"That too, though I don't mind Dallas, because I know the city. It's the cities that I don't know that I'm not a fan of."
"I understand that more than you know," I say and look out of the window.
As we pull in at the church, everyone is excited to see who they’re going to get. It's part of the fun, like opening a present on Christmas. A quick glance around shows there aren't any photographers here. I guess they don't expect me to show up at the church since I'm not known to go to one on tour.
"Okay, remember we get our names and no opening them until we get home," Lilly says, and we all agree.
We go in, and Mrs. Willow greets us.
"Alright, this is very simple. Let’s try not to mess this up!" She levels us with a glare that says people have already messed it up.
"You are going to find your name on one of the Christmas trees. Men are on the side with the white trees, and the ladies are on this side with the green trees. On top of the tree, there are a few letters. It goes by the first letter of your first name. So, Lilly finds the green tree with the Letter L and then looks for the envelope with her name on it. There are signs everywhere that explain this. Don't screw this up." Then, she shakes a finger at us, and we all laugh.
"I feel like there’s a story behind your speech, Mrs. Willow."
"Sweetheart, you have no idea. With the kids these days, the whole world is in trouble." She goes off on a tangent, as she starts organizing papers on the table, where she’s sitting.
We split up and go find our trees. It really is pretty easy to find my envelope, which is at the back of the tree. I meet Lilly and the guys by the front door, and Mrs. Willow verifies we have gotten the correct envelope before we go back out to Mike's truck.
On the way home, all I want to do is open my envelope.
"Whose idea was it anyway to wait, until we got home to open these? We should have done it in the truck." I say, annoyed we have to wait a whole fifteen more minutes until we get back to the ranch.
"I second that," Mike grumbles, making us all laugh.
"We will be home in a few minutes. It's not that bad." Lilly laughs and rubs his arm. Watching Mike visibly relax under her touch, makes me ache to find what they have. I want it more than anything; more than I want to go back on the tour, even though I won't admit that out loud to anyone.
"So maybe, we should take a day and go up to Dallas to do a bit of shopping, and we can figure out what to do for the people we get? Maybe, tomorrow?" Lilly suggests.
I already know Ford won't go. He's going to wait to see if he can get his Secret Santa to do the shopping, and he’s already mentioned he has too much to do. I, on the other hand, have an almost completely free schedule.
"I'd be up for a shopping trip, but you know that," I smile.
"Where you go, I go," Mike says once again, making me ache for the love they have.
Lilly looks at Ford.
"Come on! We’ll make a day out of it," Lilly says.
Ford looks over at me, and I smile. I want him to come, and hope he’ll say yes.
"Well, I guess I can't let Savannah be the third wheel to you two, because I know what that's like."
Lilly cheers, as we pull into her driveway. I smile over at Ford, and his smile matches mine. He's more excited to go than he’s letting on.
We all head inside and sit in the living room. Lilly makes a big deal out of each of us, opening our envelopes one at a time. She lets Mike go first, joking about how impatient he is, only it's not really a joke, and we all know patience isn't his strong suit.
"Alright, I got Brice." He says and looks at Ford.
"I can tell you without even looking at his list. He needs help with organizing his office more than anything. Joy, his receptionist, is out of town visiting family like she does every year. Normally, his mom stops in to help, and he gets by, but she had surgery and isn't able to this year."
"I can help you with that. We can make a day out of it," Lilly says.
"Okay, easy enough." Mike sets his card down.
"How did you know that?" I ask Ford.
"Brice and I grew up together, and next to Mike, he's one of my best friends." Ford shrugs like it's no big deal.
To me, people knowing you and knowing what you need help with is a big deal. Do they know how special a community like this is? How rare it is? I hope so.
"Lilly, you go next," I say, trying to shake the thoughts from my head.
"Oh! I got Abby!" She smiles big.
"What's on her list?" Mike asks, leaning over to read the paper.
"Two things. Helping her study and helping wrap up The Winter Carnival. That’s great, and we can do both," she says.
"Yep, I can help out with the carnival, and you can help her study," Mike says.
There they go again. No matter that this is supposed to be a person-to-person thing, they are still a team. It's almost too much.
"You go next, Savannah," Ford says, pulling me from my thoughts once again.
I open my envelope.
"I got Anna Mae. She needs help setting up and organizing the nursery. Oh, that’s going to be so much fun!" I say, suddenly very excited. I already have ideas running through my head. So, they have a gift to open under the tree, I can pick up something small and wrap it.
"Okay, Ford. You're up." Everyone turns to look at him. "I got Mac. Looks like he needs some assistance around the ranch and help to plan a surprise for his family on Christmas day."
"What kind of surprise?" I ask.
"It doesn't say, so I guess I’ll have to go talk to him and find out."
"Oh, this is so exciting!" Lilly says, almost bouncing out of her seat.
I have to admit it's fun, but now, I wonder who got me.
Chapter 10
Ford
"Candy Cane Donuts, really?" Savannah asks as we pull into the bakery.
"Yes, and you are going to fall in love with them," Lilly says, as we get out of the car.
Today, we are in Dallas doing some Christmas shopping, and while I really had no plans to come into the city, I wasn't going to miss spending some time with Savannah.
We have spent the day running around and shopping downtown. When Savannah dragged us into a baby store to get some things for Anna Mae and Royce, we all groaned.
So far, I was able to knock Brice and my parents off my shopping list, and then we had lunch and walked it off, and now, we're at the bakery. It's a crime to go into Dallas this time of year and not come stop at the bakery.
When I hold the door open for Savannah, Mike then takes it from me to hold it open for Lilly. I have noticed today we work well taking care of the girls, and I hope that’s a good sign.
After her show, we had that kiss, but there hasn't been another one. Though, she hasn't been shy about letting me hold her hand today. We also haven't really had a moment alone to talk about it, but I want to find a way to have some alone time with her.
If nothing else, just to see where her head is, but at best, because I'd love another kiss.
"Wow, this place doesn't mess around on the Christmas decorations," Savannah says in wonder, as she steps into the bakery.
"No, they don't," I say, as I place a hand on her lower back and guide her to the line, as she takes the store in.
The bakery is spotless with modern decor. Lots of white, well, everything is white. For Christmas, they have brought in a lot of red and silver decorations. From the ceiling hanging at all different lengths, there are large red and silver balls. They are designed to look like Christmas tree decorations, but they are the size of a beach ball.
The counters, cabinets, floors, and tables are all white, and they have done a great job bringing in the red décor, making it look magical. There’s a small sitting area off to the side, and we’re fortunate to find an open table.
"Why don't you girls grab that table, and we will get a snack. When we get ready to leave, we can grab some goodies to take home," I tell them, and Mike nods in agreement.
The girls link arms and stroll over to the table. I know Savannah has been worried about being spotted today and ruining the fun, but the few times she was stopped, it seems like Mike and Lilly were just as excited for her, as I have been.
Whenever she can, Savannah has been wearing a baseball hat with her hair tucked up under it and sunglasses. Even casual and without makeup, she still looks stunningly beautiful.
Mike and I get into line, and he turns to me just as expected.
"So, what's going on with the two of you?" He nods towards the table where the girls are.
"I'm not sure. We had a great time at the carnival, but we haven't been able to have any time alone since." I smirk at him because he already knows that.
"So, nothing’s happened?" He asks.
"We kissed," I say because I'm guessing he already knows that. Savannah probably told Lilly, and I know Lilly would have told Mike.
"And?" He asks.
Thinking about that kiss again, I can't stop smiling.
"It was a life changing kiss." Mike smiles, and I know he's happy for me.
"You know you need to be careful though, right? I want you both happy, but she will be out of town the first chance she gets. She has dreams that don't include Rock Springs."
"I know." I sigh and shove my hands into my pockets. "But I can't deny what I'm feeling for her. I have to believe, if it's meant to be, it will work out. I get that more than likely I will end up with my heart broken, but that's a chance I'm willing to take."
"You’re a brave man. I had to take that risk with Lilly, too. She was a truck driver and always on the road. But I got lucky, and a blizzard trapped her here and gave her time to figure out what she wanted."
"I doubt I will get that lucky, but I damn sure plan on trying," I tell him, as I watch the girls leaning over Lilly's phone and giggling.
