Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance) (12 page)

“Where are we going?”

“Closer to the stage. I don’t like being so far away from you.”

I grab my drink from the table and down what remains in the glass. When I look over at Cooper, his mouth is open in surprise.

“Harley told me not to hold a drink near the stage or I’d be wearing it,” I explain.

“Good advice.”

He
grabs my chair and I follow him back to the stage area. I watch as he places my chair front and center, right below the stage. “Best seat in the house,” he says.

I
sit down and watch as Cooper hops back on stage. For someone who everyone seems to think is so intense, he seems extremely comfortable and relaxed on stage.

When the guys start to play the beginning of a song, I’m su
rprised that I actually like it. It’s deep, rich and soulful, nothing like what I imagine when I think of country music. Not that I have any experience with country music at all other than making fun of it with Patti.

But Cooper did mention they considered themselves altern
ative country with a little bit of bluegrass and indie folk in the mix.

They play the beginnings of a few more songs. These are a little more upbeat with the addition of a harmonica and banjo. I hear a few cheers and applause from the people sitting at the tables eating.

When I glance behind me, I can see that the place is filling up a little bit more. There are two layers of people standing at the bar waiting for drinks and groups of people seem to be steadily streaming in from the entrance.

Ba
sed on the number of hugs, handshakes and back-slaps all the newcomers get when they arrive, it doesn’t appear I’m too far off in my assumption that many of the people know each other.

Expect for a tall
blonde who looks completely and totally out of place when she hurries into the bar and looks around. She’s wearing a Michael Kors studded knit dress and Sam Edelman Clair pumps, which have been very popular this summer in New York.

As I watch her scan the crowd, I don’t know whether I should be angry at Patti for tracking me down or whether I should be trying to hide from her.

Unfortunately, I’m not quick enough and when she spots me, she practically runs towards he.

No escaping now…

“How did you find me?” I ask. And so quickly? I thought it would take her at least a few days to track me down. I was hoping it would be enough time for me to wrap up my wild weekend with Cooper and get back to New York.

“Friend Finder,” she states, as if I should know what she’s talking about.

“What’s that?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “It’s the app I had you download a few months ago. Didn’t you even look at it?”

I shake my head. “I haven’t had time.”

“I know exactly where you are at any given moment. As long as you have your phone with you.”

I try to process what she’s saying. “It sounds like you had me put a tracking device on my phone.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

I’m so angry and upset I can’t even think of a response. But it’s probably my own fault for not actually reading about the app before I downloaded it.

As Patti looks around the place, she wrinkles her nose in di
sgust. “What are we doing here?”

“I don’t know what you’re doing here. But I’m here to watch a band play.”

“What band is that?”

“Wilde Riders.”

Patti eyes me suspiciously. “What are we really doing here?”

“I told you I’m here to watch the band.”

I point up at the stage. Patti looks up at the guys and her eyes go wide as if she suddenly realizes there are performers on a stage right in front of us.

“Which one are you sleeping with?” she asks as she eyes the brothers. She doesn’t even wait for a response and says, “Def
initely not the scary looking one with the ponytail. And not the skinny kid playing the drums. Is it the sexy one with the killer smile?”

I have a feeling she means Jake but I’m not going to let her off the hook that easily. I think Cooper is just as sexy
, if not more so.

“They’re all pretty sexy,” I goad her.

She laughs. “If you like hicks from the sticks.”

Patti’s got a loud voice and I instinctively look over at the stage to make sure Cooper hasn’t heard our conversation. The Wilde brothers look like they’re engrossed in their own convers
ation. They’re all studying a piece of paper. Maybe it’s the set list?

When I turn back toward Patti she’s looking at me strangely. “You’re already sleeping with one of them, aren’t you? I can see it in your eyes. You’ve been getting laid.”

I hop up from my seat, grab Patti by the elbow and pull her far enough away from the stage that we won’t accidently be overheard.

“I know you’re getting some action,” Patti continues. “That’s the reason you’re staying in this God-forsaken town. You’re having an extended one-night stand.”

As much as I want to, I can’t lie to my best friend. “Maybe.”

“Maybe my ass. You have to tell me which one it is.”

I take in a deep breath and exhale. Time to put an end to any privacy I thought I might have. “His name is Cooper.”

Patti’s eyes drift over to the stage. “It’s pretty obvious now. Cooper’s the one with the darker hair that’s looking over here. He’s obviously trying to figure out who I am and what I’m doing in a place like this.”

“You do kind of stick out like a sore thumb.”

“Friend Finder gave me the name and location of where you were at. Unfortunately, it didn’t provide a dress code. Bars in the city are a lot different than bars in New Jersey.”

Now Patti looks like she’s inspecting my outfit. “And where did you get clothes like that? I’ve never seen you look so—I don’t know—white trash sexy.”

“Harley,” I reply. I could say more but I kind of like seeing the look of puzzlement on her face.

She doesn’t disappoint. Confusion washes over her features almost instantly. “The motorcycle?”

“A girl who’s dad apparently really likes motorcycles.”

Her forehead creases even deeper. “Are you saying some guy named his daughter Harley?”

I nod. I look around the bar and spot Harley waiting on a t
able crowded with blondes who look just like her.

“She’s over there.” I point toward Harley. “Taking an order from that table.”

Patti inspects my outfit more closely. “Yup, those do look like her clothes.”

“I’m just trying to fit in,” I state in my defense.

“I’m not sure why you want to fit in at a place like this other than you must be having fantastic sex with the guy. And, of course, I want to hear every detail. But first you have to tell me if his brother is available.”

“Which one?” I tease.

She frowns. “The only one I’d ever consider screwing.”

“I thought you had some hot dates lined up in the city.”

“You know the old saying: chicks before dicks. I had to make sure you were okay.”

I want to believe her but she’s already eyeing Jake like he’s a hot fudge
sundae and she’s in the mood for chocolate. I know somewhere deep down she cares about me but I don’t think she cares about me more than sex.

“Jake’s kind of a player,” I tell her, even though I know it won’t deter her in the least. If anything, it will make her want him even more. She can scratch the itch and not have to worry about any entanglements.

“Good,” she replies. “Just my type. He’ll get in, get us off and I can get back to the city.”

I roll my eyes. “You just said chicks before dicks,” I remind her.

She puts her arm around my shoulder. “Some dicks are just better than others. And I have a feeling that guy knows how to get the job done.”

Not that I really want to think of any of Cooper’s brothers in that way but she’s probably right about Jake. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing in bed. Although it’s pretty obvious he doesn’t actually need a bed to get the job done.

As I look around the bar I can see it’s really starting to get crowded. It’s now Standing Room Only in front of the stage and I can just about see the bar through the sea of people standing around the place.

When I look back over at Patti, she’s got a strange look on her face.

“What’s up?” I ask loud enough so she’ll hear me over the crowd.

Patti’s staring at Cooper who looks like he’s doing something to one of his guitar strings.

“I’ve seen him before,” she replies.

“Who?” She can’t be talking about Cooper. Where on Earth could she possibly have seen him before?

“Your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend. He’s my weekend fling. And just where do you think you’ve seen him?”

“The Cloak and Dagger. Only he didn’t look like that.” She motions towards the stage. “He was wearing a suit, tie and three hundred dollar dress shoes.”

She has to be mistaken. “Isn’t the C
loak and Dagger one of the hangouts for all of the Wall Street wannabes? What would Cooper be doing in a place like that? And dressed in a suit and tie?” I shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

“I may not remember names very well but I remember faces and I remember that guy. He was with
Armano.”

“Who’s
Armano?” I’m not sure why I even ask the question. It just pops out of my mouth. Obviously a guy she was trying to get into bed.

She gives me one of her classic you’ve-got-to-be-kidding looks. “Anyway, your boyfriend…”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I chime in.

“Cooper was with
Armano. I was never formally introduced but I remember thinking how intense the guy was.”

As soon as she says the word intense, I can feel a shiver run through my entire body. Nearly everyone uses the same word to describe Cooper and that word is intense. Could it be possible that Patti has seen him before? In New York? I try to dismiss the
idea as preposterous but I can’t help the nagging feeling in the back of my mind that something just isn’t right. 

A little after seven, it looks like the Wilde Riders are ready to get started. I can see Cooper scanning the crowd until his eyes land on me. When he gives me one of his genuine smiles it warms every inch of my body.

After the houselights dim and the stage lights come up, Jake grabs the mic.

“Hello
Everyone!” he yells into the crowd. They all go crazy with whistles, hollers and applause. “Many of you told me you didn’t think it would ever happen again but I’m pleased to announce that at least for tonight…” He makes a point of glancing at Cooper. “The Wilde Riders are back together again.”

Another round of shouts and applause that Jake can hardly control. Finally, Tucker puts his index finger and pinky in his mouth and lets out an ear-piecing whistle that does the trick.

Once the crowd is settled down, Jake says, “We’re going to start with a new one that you might not have heard. It’s called Summer by an up and coming artist, Dan Patrick Fulton.” 

When Cooper starts playing his guitar, a silence completely overtakes the room and the only sound in the bar come from that lone
instrument. Then Hunter and Tucker join in and when Jake adds his soulful voice to the music, it sends shivers through me. The song is amazing.

The hem of your dress swings wide and wild
Calls to me like an open field 
calls to a child
Those twirling layers swing and sway
They beckon to me without words
What do they say?

It's like a language old and rare
Something for which I'm unprepared

I find myself in warming winds
The sunlight shining in your heart
Glows from within
The season's feeling grows again
It's not been like this since I can't
Remember when

Soft reflections in your eyes
Like embers as the fire dies

Summer whispers to me
Calls me out from what I know
Do I dare go?
Summer spirits move me
Send me spinning like a wheel
It's so unreal

The hem of your dress it settles down
The night is cool and dark and still
And filled with sound
But still you linger in the air
And if I reach out in the dark
Will you be there?

Everyone in the place is completely enraptured and when the song ends, the crowd goes wild for the Wilde Riders.

They follow up their first number with a few more upbeat covers. These songs have a bluegrass flavor to them. Some of the spectators try to dance but the place is so crowded, it’s difficult.
I’m not sure what the population of Old Town is but it seems like every person in the town is here to watch the band play.

I know from personal experience that Cooper has rhythm and is good with his hands. He’s just as masterful on stage with a guitar as he is in bed with me. But as intense as he seems to be in nearly every aspect of his life, he hasn’t carried it onstage with him. Quite the opposite. On stage he seems to be carefree and relaxed, even playful. He’s a joy to watch because he’s clearly enjoying making music.