Blackbird Lake (22 page)

When the song ended, their last number of the night, the Wild Critters waved to the applauding, boot-stamping crowd and quickly jumped down from the stage.

Brady pushed to his feet and ambled around the tables toward the bar, where Madison was accepting a Coke from the bartender. He watched as she and Delia slid onto the only two empty bar stools in the place. Eddie and Steve were already starting to haul the drums and equipment out the door.

He noticed a couple of other men looking Madison’s way, too. Several were in their twenties or early thirties, but one
was a short, burly guy of about forty wearing a plaid shirt. He’d started purposefully walking toward the two women at the same time Brady had. But Brady got there first. As he paused before their bar stools, he saw from the corner of his eye that the other man had halted in his tracks, frowning.

Sorry, bud, you’re a minute late and five bucks short,
he thought in amusement, noting the other man’s gut sticking out above his belt buckle. The guy wore scuffed cowboy boots that had definitely seen better days.

“Great show, ladies.” Brady rested a hand at the back of Madison’s bar stool. He sent Delia a friendly smile, but his gaze lingered on Madison. “You got a minute?”

“’Course she does.” Delia smiled brightly and took another sip of her Coke, but Madison stared up at him in dismay.

Now, what’s that all about?
he wondered.

“Only a minute.” She bit her lip. “We need to go help the guys load up—”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Delia’s crimson-nailed hand lifted in a careless wave. “We’ll handle it, Maddy. You and Brady take your time.”

She hopped off the bar stool and started toward the door to the parking lot where Eddie and Steve were loading the truck, but a young cowboy with slicked-back hair swung in front of her and asked her to dance. She practically jumped into his arms as the jukebox spun out Jason Aldean’s “Hicktown.”

“Liked your show.” Brady squinted at Madison through the faint haze of smoke in the Spotted Pony. “You’re good. I mean, you’re
really
good.”

“Thanks.” She nodded stiffly. “I’m working on writing some songs of my own. Eddie says when they’re ready we’ll try them out in a couple of shows.”

“You know, you’re supposed to smile when someone gives you a compliment,” Brady pointed out. “Not look like you’re expecting to get snakebit.”

She flushed. “Well, it’s not that I don’t appreciate what you said, it’s just that…”

His eyebrows lifted as her voice trailed off.

“I have a feeling there’s something bad coming next,” Madison blurted. “Like…” She lowered her tone, even though it would be impossible for anyone else to overhear with the jukebox spitting out music at full blast. “Like you can’t come to the auction, or you’ve changed your mind about helping me.” Nervously, her gaze searched his face.

“Madison, no. You’ve got it all wrong. I was just about to tell you that I haven’t forgotten. I’ll be there. A deal’s a deal.”

“Really?”

Seeing the luminous smile break across her face, Brady felt something twist hard inside his chest. Damn if that smile didn’t make him want to move a little closer to her. Even in the baggy navy sweatshirt with her hair pulled back from her face, she was the prettiest girl in the place, hands down. Without even trying.

“There’s just one thing.” He tried to concentrate only on the conversation, and not on her lush bottom lip or the velvety softness of those caramel-colored eyes. “About the money—”

But before he could explain he had no intention of letting her pay him for the date, the man in the plaid shirt suddenly reappeared and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Excuse me, son. If you’re done jawing, I’d like to ask this pretty lady to dance, if you don’t mind.”

“I’m not your son and I do mind.”

The man smirked. “Well, it’s up to the lady, isn’t it?”

“The lady’s sorry, but she’s a little too tired to dance after that long show.” Madison shot him a smile as she slid off the bar stool. “As a matter of fact, I was just leaving—”

“Hey, c’mon now. We’re talking about one little dance.” The man stepped quickly past Brady and clamped a burly hand on Madison’s arm. “I’ve seen your picture in the newspaper. Not lately, but a few years ago. You’re the beauty
queen, right? And now we know you can sing, too. I’d love to be able to say I danced with a beauty queen—”

“The lady gave you an answer. She said
no
.” Brady’s gaze locked on the other man. “Now, take your hands off her.”

“Who are you, kid? Her keeper? The lady doesn’t know all the facts yet. It so happens I know someone in the record biz. She might be interested in hearing what I can do for her and her career—”

“Sorry, I’m not interested,” Madison told him a little breathlessly, pushing his hand away. “Come on, Brady, let’s go.”

But as they started forward, the man in the plaid shirt darted around them and stepped in front of her again.

“You’re making a big mistake, young lady. I know people. Important people. I could get the Wild Critters a record deal. Just like that!” He snapped his fingers. “But you and me, we have to have a private chat first—”

He got no further.

Brady gave him a shove that sent him toppling sideways into a table. He pitched forward, knocked over a pitcher of beer, then caught himself on the edge of the table as the three cowboys sitting there swore in annoyance. In a flash the man spun back toward Brady, his face red and his fists raised.

But even as Brady took a giant step forward, ready to finish what he’d started, Madison jumped between them, her face white, taut, and pleading.

“Brady, no. Don’t hit him! You can’t afford to get in any more trouble! Remember?”

“It’ll be worth it.” Brady’s gaze was nailed to the other man’s face. “C’mon, step back, Maddy. Out of the way.”

“Are you kidding? You could go to jail for assault this time. I’m
not
letting you land behind bars on my account!”

Then Eddie and Steve ran up, their faces flushed, their arms spread as they wedged themselves between Brady and the older man.

“Whoa, guys, what do you say we cool things down here?” Eddie was breathing hard.

Looking worried, Steve jabbed a finger at the guy in the plaid shirt. “You need to back off, man. You, too, Farraday.”

Delia spoke up quickly. “Our stuff’s all loaded. C’mon, guys, it’s late. Let’s get outta here!”

She grabbed Madison’s arm and began pulling her toward the door.

But Madison shook free. She spun back toward Brady.

“I am
not
leaving here without you!”

To her relief, he turned away from the man in the plaid shirt and fell into step beside her and Delia. No one said a word until they were outside the bar.

“Whew. You going to be okay? Want me to drive home with you?” Delia asked Madison in the parking lot as the five of them stood beneath a star-studded sky.

“No way. I’ll be fine.” Madison gave her a quick hug and smiled at Eddie and Steve. “You guys go on ahead. See you at rehearsal tomorrow night.”

When Delia and Steve had both climbed into Eddie’s truck, and the three of them disappeared down the rough, dark road leading back to Lonesome Way, she turned to Grady with a shy smile.

The cool night breeze felt good as it swept down the mountain, blowing away the heat and closeness and noise of the bar.

“We need to get out of here before that jerk comes out the door,” she told him.

“Yeah? You have no idea how much I wish he’d walk outside right now. There’d be no witnesses, except for you.” Then, at her exasperated expression, he grinned. Reaching out, he brushed his knuckles gently across her cheek.

“Don’t worry, I’m not looking for trouble. Thanks for keeping me from doing something stupid. I just didn’t like the way he was talking to you. Touching you. He’s nothing but a dirty old man.”

“It doesn’t matter. I can handle jerks like that. It’s not worth you going to jail over!”

“It would be worth going to jail if I had the chance to give him a couple of good punches right in the face.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t talk like that. My grandfather already—” She broke off.

“Your grandfather already what? Hates me? Wants to throw me back in jail?”

“He thinks you’re trouble.”

“What do you think?”

“I think my grandfather is wrong.”

“Hey, could it be? Someone actually believes in me?” He let out a low, rueful laugh that dug with astonishing force into her heart. “That would make you the only one who does.”

“Not according to what I hear. Rumor has it Jake Tanner asked you to work on the new cabins he’s building up near Blackbird Lake. Something about a retreat for bullied kids and their families, right? And he got Denny McDonald to hire you back to your old job.”

“Guess it’s true what they say. There really are no secrets in this town, are there?” But his tone was lighter as he walked her over to her Silverado and opened the driver’s-side door.

“This is Lonesome Way, Brady, remember? If you want to keep secrets, move to the big city—” Madison gave a gasp as a car horn blared suddenly from somewhere on the mountain road. She jumped and nearly stumbled, but Brady’s strong hands shot out, planting themselves at her waist to steady her.

“Hey, hey. It’s only a car horn. What’s up? You okay?”

“I guess.” She felt herself flushing. “Maybe a little on edge.”

“Because of that creep back there?”

“Yes…no. I mean, partly—but that’s not the only reason.”

She was all too aware that his hands were still clamped to her waist. When had Brady’s hands become so firm, so strong
? It must be from working in construction,
she thought. His grip felt good. Steady. Comforting. So did his closeness.

She hadn’t been this close to him since they’d lain side by side in his treehouse when they were kids. Or on the floor
of her living room when they were doing homework together in sixth grade. Only then they hadn’t even been touching.

Not that she hadn’t wished they were.

She forgot all about getting in her pick-up. For the moment, she simply wanted to stay right where she was, looking up into his eyes. He held her gently but firmly. She felt a breathless sensation being this close to him. It almost made her forget why she was feeling jumpy.

“What’s the other reason?” His voice sounded husky. In the pale glow of starlight, his gaze was riveted on her as if they were all alone on the planet, not standing outside a bar in a gravel parking lot, with rowdy laughter and shouts streaming softly out to them from an open side window.

“It’s nothing. Nothing important.”

“Madison, come on. Tell me.”

“I’ve just…had a strange feeling lately.” She shook her head. “It’s silly.”

“My dad used to say if you speak a fear out loud, it goes away.”

Madison swallowed. “I guess it’s worth a try….”

When he didn’t say anything, just waited, she took a breath.

“Sometimes lately, I feel like…like someone’s watching me. It’s happened more than once.”

Brady’s gaze sharpened. “Who would do that?” They’d been just joking around before, but this sounded serious.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense. And it’s not as if I’ve seen anyone or anything; it’s just a feeling. I can’t explain it. Once or twice while I was walking Emma in her stroller, I was certain there was someone behind us. I kept stopping and turning around to look, and of course, Blue Bell Drive was empty, and as peaceful as always. But the other day when I took Emma to the park to meet Carly for a picnic lunch, it happened again. Oh, never mind, I’m just being stupid.”

Brady pulled her closer. “Listen, we have instincts for a reason. I learned that a long time ago. Remember that time—the blizzard…?” His voice trailed off.

“When you saved that little boy.” Madison nodded. “How could I forget?”

“Well, I never told anyone, but I had a feeling that day. I can’t explain it. I just knew I had to stay up there, keep looking for him. I knew he was out there, that he was close and I was going to find him. After that, I’ve always tried to remember to listen to my instincts. You should, too—you need to be careful, Madison. I think you should mention this to your grandfather.”

“And worry him for nothing? No way.” She shook her head, intensely aware of how close they were standing. She could feel the warmth of Brady’s strapping body and it made her shiver as the wind blew down the mountainside. Despite her sweatshirt, she felt chilled and wanted to snuggle closer to him for warmth. But that was crazy. There had never been anything like that between them—and Brady didn’t want there to be.

She had wanted it, but Brady hadn’t seen that, and he never would.
Down, girl,
she told herself and forced her gaze from Brady’s eyes so she could concentrate on what she was saying.

“If I see anything strange, I’ll be sure to tell Gramps,” she added. “But it’s probably nothing.”

The words hung there for a moment between them.

She sounds uneasy
, Brady thought. He suddenly became aware that his hands were still wrapped around her waist. Reluctantly, he let them drop to his sides and took a deliberate step back. He dragged his gaze from her upturned face, and his mind away from the direction it kept going in.

Why did he keep wondering what it would be like to kiss Madison in the bed of his truck, to strip her out of those dull, shapeless clothes, to taste her lips, brush his mouth down along her throat…to kiss each of her breasts and taste her with his tongue…

“Sorry, I’ve bent your ear long enough.” Her soft words broke into the heat of his thoughts. “’Night, Brady, see you at the auction.”

“Yeah, sure. See you.”

It came out sounding gruff. He frowned as she turned away, springing up behind the wheel of her truck before he could even give her a steadying hand. As he watched the battered old Silverado rattle away down the mountain, an empty feeling came over him.

Brady had kissed lots of girls in Lonesome Way, but he’d never kissed Madison. He’d never even thought about it, not once, until now. Now that they were on their way to getting along again after all these years, it definitely wasn’t a good time to start changing things up.