Relentless (Nashville Nights)

by Cheryl Douglas

  He grabbed her shoulders, holding her at arm’s length. “You just told me there was nothing going on between you two. Does that mean something’s already happened?”

  She felt the heat crawl up her neck at a snail’s pace, and by the time it reached her hairline, she knew her face must look as though she’d fallen asleep in the glaring sun. “I don’t feel comfortable talking to you about this. Please, just back off.”

  “Like hell I will.” He reached into his pocket, extracting his keys.

  She grabbed his arm. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m gonna pay that yahoo a little visit. He needs to know that my daughter’s not gonna be anybody’s buckle bunny.”

  “Don’t you dare…” Before she could stop him, he was already halfway to the door, looking like he’d take pleasure in leveling anyone stupid enough to get in his way.

  Chapter Thirteen

  J.T. was walking up from the stables when he saw a familiar shadow darkening his doorway, Luc Spencer. Shit, he’d been expecting this visit, but he sure as hell hadn’t been looking forward to it.

  Luc turned and spotted him. Walking purposefully toward J.T., the scowl on his face spoke volumes about his intent. When the two men finally met in the middle, they took a minute to stare each other down, both waiting for the other to draw first blood.

  “Just say what you came here to say, Luc,” J.T. said finally. He’d known and respected Luc for a number of years, ever since he signed his brother to his label, but they had never been on opposing ends of an argument before. J.T. wasn’t naïve enough to think Nikki’s old man would be anything less than a formidable opponent.

  “You know exactly what I’m doing here, McCall.”

  He wasn’t a man used to hiding behind a cloak of lies and deception. He was accustomed to putting his cards on the table, fully prepared to deal with the consequences of his actions.

  “You’re pissed that I slept with your daughter,” J.T. said, expecting his bluntness to provoke Luc’s anger.

  “You son of a bitch,” Luc said, coming at him full force. He shoved him hard.

  Given the fact that Luc was similar to him in size and stature, the blow had the intended effect, causing him to stumble backward as he struggled to maintain his footing on the uneven ground. J.T. held his hands up, beckoning to Luc. “You want a piece of me? Take your best shot. It ain’t gonna change the fact that I’m in love with your daughter.”

  Luc stepped back, looking stunned. “What did you say?”

  J.T. dropped his hands, satisfied he wouldn’t need to defend himself again. “Listen, man, I understand why you’re pissed. I probably would be too, if I were you.”

  Luc swept his hands over his face, suddenly looking like he’d aged ten years in the past two minutes. “You haven’t got a clue how I feel.”

  Curious about the change in his demeanor, J.T. decided to take a chance. “You wanna go inside and talk about this, man to man?”

  Luc stared at him for what seemed like an eternity before responding. “I guess we’d better. It doesn’t look like a stiff right hook is gonna be enough to make this problem go away.”

  J.T. chuckled, leading the way into his log cabin. He had no doubt Nikki’s dad came here today fully intending to lay him out, but J.T.’s assertion obviously made him rethink his strategy. Not that he had made the statement to diffuse the situation. He hadn’t. He’d said it because he meant it, and Luc needed to know how he felt about Nikki because, in spite of what she said last night, he had no intention of giving up on her.

  Luc followed him inside. He started pacing back and forth over the worn rug in front of the stone fireplace. “Maybe you’d better tell me how the hell this happened.”

  “I met her about five years ago, at your place, in fact,” J.T. said, sitting on the edge of a distressed leather armchair.

  Luc stopped pacing long enough to glare at him. “Five years ago she was eighteen. Are you telling me you…”

  J.T. held his hands up, halting Luc’s train of thought. “No, hell no. I’d never do anything like that.”

  “She may be a grown woman now, but she’s still too goddamn young for you, McCall.”

  J.T. smirked. “Isn’t there about ten years between you and your wife, man?”

  “Don’t be a smartass,” Luc said, frowning. “We’re not talking about my wife; we’re talking about my daughter. And that’s a whole different matter, believe me.”

  “Yeah, but I know Marisa’s daddy well enough to know he couldn’t have been too happy about you sniffin’ around his little girl in the beginning. You come in here givin’ me a hard time, but you were no better, were you?” Ty told him that Luc Spencer had earned a reputation as a womanizer long before he met Marisa.

  Luc sank down on the couch, dropping his head into his hands. “That’s why I feel the need to protect her from guys like you, ‘cause I was just like you.”

  J.T. nodded. “I understand, but you changed when the right woman came along. What makes you think I couldn’t do the same?”

  Luc looked up at him, his face a mask of confusion. “You really think you’re in love with her?”

  “I can’t stop thinkin’ about her,” J.T. said, conscious of the fact that he was talking to the girl’s father. He didn’t want to give him any indication of where those thoughts had led him. If he figured that out, it may end with a brawl that left one or both of them laid up in the hospital.

  “You know your timing couldn’t be worse,” Luc said, partially covering his face with his hands. “She’s gonna be going on the road soon. That means her life is about to get a hell of a lot more complicated.”

  “I know that.” He crossed his arms, regarding Luc carefully. He looked tired, defeated, as though he was fighting an internal battle he had no hope of winning. “Listen, I want you to know that I’d never try and stop your daughter from goin’ after her dream, Luc. Hell, I’m her number one fan.”

  A ghost of a smile played across his lips. “Good to know.”

  “She told me she doesn’t want a relationship right now.”

  “But you don’t intend to heed her warning, do you?”

  “Let me ask you this, if Marisa had tried to shut you down, would you have let her?”

  Luc chuckled, shaking his head. “Hell no.”

  J.T. shrugged, satisfied he’d made his point. “Then how can you expect me to back down, just ‘cause she’s determined to make this hard for me?”

  Luc narrowed his eyes, regarding J.T. carefully. “Is that was this is about? She’s the first woman to ever turn you down, and you can’t resist the challenge?”

  J.T. could understand how he may have come across that way, but Luc’s assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. Nothing would make him happier than if he and Nikki were on the same page about where this relationship was headed. The fact that they weren’t scared the hell out of him. “Trust me. I don’t see this as a game. I care about your daughter. I want her. Hell, I feel like I need her in my life.”

  Luc leaned back, stretching one arm across the back of the leather sofa. “Why is that?”

  J.T. would give anything not to be laying it all out there for Nikki’s father, but it was important to him that he earn the man’s respect, and he knew his only hope of achieving that was with honesty. No matter that the truth may come with a hit to his pride. “Like I said, I was interested way back when, but I would never have acted on it. I knew she was too young, too inexperienced for a guy like me.”

  Luc raised an eyebrow. “And that’s what this is really all about, isn’t it? I think we both know that a guy like you has no business with a girl like Nikki, no matter the age difference.”

  Okay, now he was hitting below the belt, and J.T. wouldn’t tolerate being disrespected in his own home under any circumstances. “You sayin’ you don’t think I’m good enough for her?”

  “You’re good at what you do,” he said carefully. “The best in the world, and in my mind, that says a lot ab
out the kind of man you are. I have a lot of respect for a guy who sets goals and achieves them.” J.T. sensed he was just trying to soften the blow, so he sat back and waited for him to continue. “But that doesn’t mean I think you’re the right man for my daughter.”

  The frustration was mounting for J.T., who wasn’t accustomed to being judged and found lacking. “Who are you to decide what’s best for Nikki? Maybe you oughtta let her decide that for herself.”

  Luc smiled finally, pointing a finger at J.T. “You know why I can’t stand the thought of Nikki fallin’ for a guy like you?”

  “No, but I’m sure you’re gonna tell me, whether I wanna hear it or not.”

  “You’re damn right I am.” Luc chuckled. “You’re just like I was at your age, man. Hell bent on being the best, making a name for yourself, and enjoying the perks that come with your success.”

  “Luc, I’m not gonna apologize to you for my past. Have I been with a lot of women? Hell yeah. Would that all change if your daughter saw fit to give me a chance? Hell yeah!”

  Shooting him a sidelong glance, Luc said, “Either you’re tellin’ me the truth, or you’re one of the best liars I’ve ever come across.”

  “Which do you think it is?”

  “I know your brothers and your parents. They’re all good people. There’s no doubt that you’re the wildest of the bunch, but I suspect that has somethin’ to do with being the youngest, doesn’t it? You felt like you had something to prove?”

  He didn’t have much interest in being psychoanalyzed, so he merely shrugged. “I don’t think much about why I’ve made the choices I have. I don’t have any regrets, if that’s what you’re askin’ me.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Luc said, quietly. “Regrets are a hell of a burden to bear.”

  J.T. suspected Luc was still grappling with guilt over his daughter’s childhood and the fact that he wasn’t there for her when she was growing up. According to Ty, Luc was a stand-up guy who’d made some bad choices, but he couldn’t seem to get past the guilt and forgive himself.

  “Maybe you just need to let go of your regrets, man. Assume that whatever happened, happened for a reason. Maybe it helped Nik grow into the amazing woman she is today.”

  Luc looked up, seemingly surprised that J.T. had been able to read between the lines. “How could being abandoned by your father ever be a good thing?”

  “Might help you to become a stronger, more independent person.”

  “You think Nikki is strong?” Luc asked, looking up at him.

  “I think she’s stronger than you seem to think she is.” He drew a breath, deciding to take the risk of overstepping the unseen boundary between them. “I think she’s smarter too, smart enough to know what and who she wants.”

  “And you think she wants you?”

  “Yeah, I do. But I think she’s afraid of disappointing you, so she’s pretending, to me and herself, that her career’s the reason she doesn’t want to take a chance on me. I think we both know that’s bullshit, don’t we?”

  “When I came here today, I sure as hell didn’t expect things to end up like this.”

  J.T. smiled, confident he knew where this was going. “What were you expectin’?”

  “I thought I’d have to knock some sense into you.” Luc laughed. “Instead, you’re the one making me see reason, kid.”

  J.T. laughed. He wasn’t a kid by anyone’s standards, hadn’t been for a long time. “I’m glad we talked about this, Luc. I didn’t want to sneak around behind your back. I wanted you to know, upfront, how I felt about your daughter, and what I want.”

  Luc stood up, extending his hand. “I’ve always liked you, but now you’ve earned my respect. If you think you can make this thing work with Nikki, more power to you, buddy.”

  J.T. walked into Jimmy’s, hoping to catch a glimpse of his girl before she hit the stage. Jimmy probably had her sequestered in the back so overzealous fans wouldn’t mob her. Smart man. If anyone even thought about laying a finger on her tonight, he’d be there to intervene.

  He claimed a recently vacated stool at the crowded bar, hoping to order a beer before the show started. Jimmy spotted him and ambled over, a wide grin splitting his weathered face. Offering his gnarled hand, he said, “Good to see you, boy. It’s been too long.”

  “Yeah, I’ve been busy.” J.T. was struck by the change in Jimmy’s appearance since he had last seen him. It seemed he’d aged years in the last month. The arthritis was obviously starting to take its toll on his body. The old man was a living legend in Nashville. Not that he’d take any credit, but he was responsible for almost as many big careers in this town as Luc. J.T. knew both Trey and Ty had gotten their start at Jimmy’s, in addition to at least a dozen others who’d gone on to enjoy successful careers.

  Jimmy crooked a finger toward the back of the bar. “Why don’t we grab a table? You can tell me all about the trouble you been gettin’ yourself into out there on the road.”

  J.T. laughed. Jimmy knew him too well. He’d been a regular at the bar since the day he turned twenty-one, often raising hell with his buddies there two or three times a week. If not for Jimmy, he would have been thrown in jail a time or two for damn near wrecking the place in fights that had gotten out of hand. Instead, Jimmy had allowed him to work behind the bar until the debt was paid in full.

  Jimmy stopped to talk to a waitress as J.T. sat at one of the few empty tables in the back. It was early, but the bar was filling quickly. Apparently, country music’s newest sweetheart knew how to draw a crowd.

  Taking the seat across from him, Jimmy said, “She’ll bring us a couple of beers when she gets a minute.”

  “Sounds good,” J.T. said, leaning forward. “How you been, Jim? You feelin’ okay?”

  He shook his head, looking disgusted. “Doctors say this damn arthritis could land me in a wheelchair inside a year if I don’t slow down,” he muttered.

  “Shit,” J.T. whispered, trying to imagine a man as active as Jimmy confined to a chair for the rest of his days, dependent on his wife Edna to care for him. It would kill him. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  He shrugged. “We knew this day would come eventually. We were just hoping we’d have a little more time, ya know?”

  J.T. knew all about wishing for just a little more time. It was hard to accept that your glory days were behind you, no matter how old you were, or how many good years you’d had. “Yeah, I know what that’s like.”

  Jimmy chuckled. “Boy, you got your whole life ahead of you. You ain’t got a clue what it’s like to be a prisoner in your own body, not able to do the things you used to take for granted anymore.”

  J.T. felt like a loser for complaining about his lot in life when Jimmy was trying to come to terms with his mortality. At least J.T. had options, money in the bank, and a world of opportunity that was his for the taking. Too bad his old friend couldn’t say the same. “You decided what you’re gonna do, Jim?”

  Jimmy waited for the waitress to set two long necks down on the small circular table before he leaned forward and said, “It’s time to sell this place. We’ve got our eye on an assisted living facility out in Arizona. The docs say the climate would be good for my arthritis and if, hell, when it gets to the point I can’t walk anymore, at least Edna will have some help taking care of me.”

  “Damn. You’re really gonna sell this place, huh?”

  He shrugged. “What other choice do I have? This condition of mine ain’t gonna get any better. Hell, it’s only gonna get worse as long as I keep up this pace. I been livin’ in denial too long. It’s not fair to Edna. She’s been watchin’ me get worse, tryin’ to get me to slow down and follow doctor’s orders.” He chuckled. “But I’m a stubborn old fool. It ain’t easy for a man like me to accept that it’s over.”

  “I can understand that,” J.T. said, lifting the beer bottle to his lips.

  Frowning, Jimmy asked, “What do you mean by that?”

  “Time for me to pack it in too, Jim. My
days on the circuit are numbered.”

  Sitting back in his chair, he said, “Huh, you don’t say.”

  “Yeah, it’s time. My body’s takin’ a hell of a beatin’ over the years.” He wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up in Jimmy’s position one day, but for now, he had to worry about the immediate future, not something that may or may not happen forty years down the line.

  “You give any thought to what you’re gonna do now?”

  “Not a clue.” He took a deep swallow of the cold brew, allowing it to coat his throat, momentarily chasing away the burn of bile. Just the thought of being aimless, without a purpose or goal to strive for, made him feel sick. “That’s what I’m tryin’ to figure out.”

  “Money shouldn’t be a problem for you, what with your winnings and endorsement deals…”

  “Nah, money’s not the issue. I’ll probably buy a little place on a few hundred acres outside of town. I’m not interesting in getting into ranchin’ again, but I know I’d go crazy in the city.”

  “You’re probably right,” Jimmy said, peeling the label of his bottle. “You’re still a young man, got a long life ahead of you. What’re you gonna do with yourself?”

  J.T. chuckled, trying to pretend the question didn’t scare the hell out of him. “Therein lies the question, my friend. I know about two things, ranchin’ and ridin’. Beyond that, I ain’t got what you’d call marketable skills.”

  Jimmy leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin. “I don’t know about that. I seem to recall you were pretty good behind the bar.”

  Laughing, J.T. asked, “Are you suggestin’ I become a bartender?”

  “No, I was thinkin’ more along the lines of a proprietor.”

  Frowning, he asked, “What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

  “You could take this place off my hands.”

  J.T. gave the suggestion a minute to sink before dismissing it. “You’re crazy. I don’t know shit about runnin’ a business.” Not that he hadn’t considered the possibility. But Jimmy’s wasn’t the kind of mom-and-pop shop he had in mind. It was a thriving business, one that employed dozens of people. Not to mention the fact that his old friend had invested years of his life making it successful. He couldn’t live with the guilt if he managed to run it into the ground because he was too inept to fill Jimmy’s big shoes.