Love's Road Home (30 page)

Trial? Tom wasn’t sure how to say this. "Are you sure you wouldn’t rather settle this out of court? I mean, you’ve already been through one traumatic experience, testifying at Eric’s trial."

He wished she would come closer. He wanted her to touch him again. And he wanted to touch her. Badly.

But she continued to sit in the chair, an odd expression on her face.

"If you don’t want to go through that again, I’m fine with it. I’ll settle this however you want, sweetheart."

That definitely got a reaction out of her. She looked at him like he had two heads, saying, "Are you nuts? This psycho attacked us, Tom! She stabbed you and tried to do the same to me! There’s no way in hell she’s getting off easy. Not if I have anything to do with it. And I will!"

God, she was magnificent in her outrage. "I always knew you were strong," he said. "You kept doubting yourself, but I knew it all along."

She didn’t respond to that, but instead pursed her lips and looked toward the window. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Anyhow, I guess her parents aren’t even in the country right now so their lawyer has been handling things." She made a sound of disgust. "What loving parents, huh? They had no clue what their daughter was up to. They’d known Casey had a crush on you, but nobody thought she’d do something like this."

Beth’s voice broke on her last words. She stared at the swath of bandages wrapped around his right arm, and her eyes welled up again.

He couldn’t stand it anymore. Stretching past the edge of the bed, he took her hand in his
unbandaged
one and gave it a kiss.

"It’s all right, Beth. It’s not as bad as it looks."

"There was so much blood," she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Believe me, it was superficial. A few stitches, some ointment, some gauze. It was really nothing."

"How many stitches?"

He looked away for a brief second. "Fifty-seven."

"Fifty-seven stitches! That’s not nothing, Tom!"

"I was anesthetized, Beth. The tetanus shot they gave me hurt more." He squeezed her hand. "I’ll probably have a
doozy
of a scar, but maybe it’ll make me look tougher," he said with a smile, trying to bring levity to the room.

She didn’t buy it. Her solemn look traveled straight to his soul. "She could have cut a tendon, and you’d never play guitar again."

He lifted her hand for another kiss. "But she didn’t, Beth. I’m all right. No long-term damage."

She pulled away and stood up, pacing to the window before turning to face him. "Why’d you risk it? Music is your whole life, and you could have lost it in an instant. Why did you risk everything?"

He didn’t have to think before answering.

"Without you, I’d have nothing." His simple statement stopped her cold.

Good. Maybe now she’d really listen to him.

"
C’mere
. Please." He held out his hand to her. When she moved forward to take it, he pulled her down on the bed next to him. Although she settled easily against him, she plucked restlessly at the bedclothes, avoiding his eyes.

"I love music. I always have, and I always will. But if I couldn’t play anymore, I’d still get by. I’d still sing, and I could always pick up another instrument. I’d find something." He lifted her chin so she had no place to look but at him. "But there is no way on earth that I could go on without you."

"But—"

"No, listen. I’ve heard enough of your excuses in the past few days. Now it’s my turn to talk."

Beth opened her mouth to comment, but then pressed her lips together and remained quiet.

Tom said a silent word of thanks and held her tighter against him.

"You told me before that you’d hated living on the road. But you also told me it wasn’t your choice." He slipped his fingers through the thick hair tumbling loose around her face. "You were a child then. Now you’re a woman—the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."

He gently pulled her closer for a brief kiss. "I’m asking you to choose that life now. With me." One more soft kiss and then Tom backed away.

Although he ached to wrap his arm around Beth, longed to feel her body against his and deepen the kiss, he knew the moment called for a cautious approach. Everything was riding on this one instant in time.

Beth stared at him, tears streaming down her face. He wanted to erase those tears more than anything. Wanted to make her happy for the rest of her life. But she had to make the decision on her own.

He waited for her answer with his heart in his throat. And, finally …

"I—"

They were both startled when the door swung open and Leo’s distinct voice boomed, "Wake up, sunshine! Time to spring you before they try to shove oatmeal down your throat."

Leo came to an abrupt halt as he caught sight of Beth in Tom’s arms, hastily wiping at her damp cheeks. "Oops. Forget I said anything. I’m gone."

"Nah, forget it. It’s time to go anyway." Tom ignored
Bethany
’s curious look as he nudged her off the bed. He tossed the light cotton blanket aside and shifted sideways. In short order, Leo grabbed Tom’s belongings from a nearby closet and helped him change back into his clothes from the night before.

"You sure you’re all right, man?" Leo asked, noticeably looking at the dried drops of blood decorating Tom’s jeans. Beth had glanced at the spots, too, before quickly turning away to pick up her purse and sweater.

He kept his eyes on her as he clumsily pulled on his footwear. "Yeah, I’m fine. Just need to get back to the hotel.
Gotta
grab a shower and take care of some other stuff."

Beth shot him a look when he mentioned ‘other stuff.’ He returned it with one of his own. That’s right, sweetheart. We’re
gonna
settle this once and for all.

They needed to have absolute privacy for this discussion because he intended to employ any means necessary to get what he wanted. And there was only one answer he’d be willing to accept from her.

Yes.

Chapter Sixteen

Beth’s heart thudded loudly in her chest as she followed Tom down the hotel hallway to his room.

Their room.

She had helped Leo transfer all of their belongings to this new room early this morning.

Since Roadhouse’s tour had officially ended last night, the buses and equipment had to be returned to
Georgia
as soon as possible. Most of the band and crew members, including her father, had grudgingly headed out in the midnight hours—and only after making sure both she and Tom would be okay.

Leo, being Tom’s best friend, had volunteered to remain in
Albany
so that Dylan and Sam’s holiday plans wouldn’t be disrupted.

But now Leo was gone. He’d abandoned them in favor of staying with Dylan at his family’s nearby home. Beth figured Tom must’ve done some heavy persuading to get Leo to take off.

But then again, today had been exhausting for all of them, and Leo probably just wanted to unwind.

Forget coming back to the hotel early—circumstances had prevented it. They’d had to wait close to an hour for someone to bring Tom’s discharge papers. Then they’d gone to a nearby pharmacy to pick up first-aid supplies and fill Tom’s prescriptions for antibiotics and pain medicine. Computer problems caused a delay there as well.

Hunger drove them to a local pizza place around noon, and when they’d finished eating, Leo called Dylan to pick them up.

She and Tom declined Dylan’s invitation to join the festivities at his parents’ house, but he had insisted on dropping them at their next destination.

The police station.

With Tom being injured the night before, there’d been no time to fill out reports and give statements. Beth had assured the officers who’d showed up at the Theatre that they would come to the station today to take care of things.

So after spending yet another long afternoon in a police station answering questions and filling out paperwork, Beth should’ve been feeling drained. She’d barely slept last night, too worried about Tom to doze more than a couple hours at his bedside.

But right now, as she watched him insert the hotel key card and push the door open, all she felt was eager and energized. Which didn’t mean a thing because she knew she had to be feeling a lot better than Tom.

She wasn’t the one who’d had his arm sliced open. She wasn’t the one who, judging by the lines creasing his forehead, was in severe pain. She— "
Aagh
!" Beth found herself yanked into the room and pressed back against the closed door.

It was just like what had happened in the
Baltimore
dressing room what felt like a lifetime ago.

He took her breath away.

Tom held her in place with his lean body, threading the fingers of his left hand through her hair, fanning kisses over her face, then dipping down to nuzzle her neck.

Beth’s purse slid down her arm and dropped to the floor with a clunk. She couldn’t move. He was single-handedly overpowering her.

Oh, who was she kidding. She was putty without him even laying a finger on her. The mere thought of him did her in.

In between hot kisses and sweet caresses, Tom murmured, "I thought I lost you. I was so scared. You can’t ever leave me again, understand?"

"Yes."

That stopped him immediately. He dropped his hand and stepped away, a questioning look on his impossibly handsome face. "What exactly are you saying yes to?"

She wanted nothing more than for him to keep doing what he’d been doing—touching her, arousing her. Loving her. But she supposed it was better to get everything said. Talk first, then make love. It was a good plan.

"I’m saying yes to everything," Beth said. "I love you, Tom, and I want to marry you." She hesitated. "If you still want me, that is."

He tenderly stroked her cheek. "I’ll want you forever. But are you sure?"

She hated that he had to ask that. "I wasn’t sure before, about myself. I didn’t know if I could handle having a real relationship with you, where I’d have to relive my childhood on the road. But now I’m okay with it."

"What changed your mind? Because I hope you’re not reacting to the stress of the attack."

"It’s not what happened to me, it’s what happened to you." He opened his mouth to counter her words, so she hurriedly corrected herself. "I mean, what almost happened to you."

Beth reached out to spread her palm over his chest. She felt the heat of him—the heart of him—beneath his cotton shirt. And she wanted it all.

Her gaze locked with Tom’s. "You could have been seriously hurt. When it first happened I didn’t know the extent of your injuries, and I wanted to die. I could have lost you because of what Casey did. Then, when I found out you’d be all right, I felt even worse. And angry at myself. Because I’d been willing to throw it all away—throw us away—without even giving it a chance."

Beth leaned forward to press her trembling lips to Tom’s neck. "And I have to give it a chance," she whispered.

He crushed her in his embrace, still strong despite his wound. He ravaged her mouth, and she ravaged his.

Never again would she be so idiotic. The best thing in her life was in her arms, and she had almost tossed him away like garbage.

Tom pulled back enough to say, "I have to shower before this goes any further." He gently nibbled her bottom lip. "Care to join me?"