After they did six songs, Jennifer told the audience, “This next song is a hit song by a good friend of mine, Jessica Carpenter. We agreed that each time we did a concert I would do this song and she would do one of my songs. The song is called Come By My Window.”
Jake started the beat with the drums and the rest of the band chimed in as Jennifer sang the song.
The band took a twenty minute break. They retreated to the private band quarters provided just for entertainment members with a fully stocked bar. “Wow, the crowd is on fire tonight!” Vincent said when they all arrived at the band’s quarters.
“Yeah, I don’t remember them ever being this wild in the alcoves. Jennifer, you really know how to get the crowd rolling! How do you like singing back here again?” Bruce asked.
“I love it. I think it’s great!” she said as she walked over to the water cooler and got a drink of water.
Jake smiled for a few minutes then asked the group, “Are there any adjustments we need to make?”
“I think we sounded great,” Jennifer said, and everyone agreed. “Let’s do it again!”
They went back on stage. The crowd continued to roar and clap for Jennifer. She paused to introduce the band. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to introduce to you, Vincent Carter, on bass.”
Vincent bowed and the crowd clapped and roared.
“Calvin Hathaway on keyboards.”
She looked over at Calvin as he put on a face mask that had a big nose, glasses, eyes and a mustache. The crowd continued to clap and roar.
“Jonathan Mueller on steel guitar.”
She spread her hand out toward him and he bowed.
“Bruce Spinner on flute.”
She walked over toward him and he gave everyone a wave.
She turned toward Jake. “On drums is Jake Ackerson.”
Jake gave a ta dum on the drums as the crowd continued to clap and roar.
Jake and Jennifer did the duet Baby, I Love Your Way – Freebird Medley as the crowd cheered and entered the dance floor. They danced as much as they could on the small dance floor where there was row after row of people.
Toward the end of the performance, they finally got into the song I Love You Always, Forever. The crowd swayed even more and held up their hands, waving, clapping, and dancing to the rhythm of the music. Jennifer danced softly on the stage, and at the end of the song, the crowd went wild. Jennifer then went into her best-selling song, Maybe Later.
When the band exited the stage, the crowd started chanting for them to do an encore. When they realized the band wasn’t coming back on stage, they eventually dispersed and went about playing the games in the casino.
The band went back to the private band quarters and settled down to relax with a few drinks while security stood by all the instruments. Jake went off to talk to a senior tribe member while the band members talked about the performance. They were elated at the crowd and the response they’d received.
“Jenn, you were fantastic!” Jon said.
“Yeah, you were great!” Bruce added.
Jennifer smiled. “You guys were just as great with your performance tonight as well. Don’t lay it all on me.”
Jake came back to the table and sat down next to Jennifer. He had a smile on his face. “Granddad said that the people on the second and third floors all came down and filled up the first floor in the casino to listen to us. He told me we would be performing in the White Eagle Entertainment Center stage next week, instead of the alcoves, in order to handle the crowds. I guess security here had a hard time trying to keep things under control. They called more men in.” He looked into Jennifer’s eyes. “That was quite a performance. The people really love you.”
Jennifer dropped her gaze and felt a little flush at the compliment. I wish you really loved me, Jake.
“Too bad we couldn’t have the White Eagle Entertainment Center tomorrow and Sunday, Jake.” Vincent exhaled audibly.
“Yeah, it could really get crazy around here tomorrow. The Bosley Boys are performing to a sold-out crowd at the Center and we’ll be going on here at the main alcove. There’s another band also playing at one of the smaller alcoves. We’ll be hiring a lot of extra security.” Jake took a drink of his beer.
Jennifer watched him as he drank. It seemed to her that he was doing a lot of drinking. Does he do this all the time?
After the band sat around talking for a while, everyone got up to go dismantle their instruments and put them in the truck. Jennifer got ready to leave and Jake came up to her. “How did your date go last night?” he asked quietly.
“Fine. Do you remember anything about last night?” Jennifer asked. She noticed that he had been quiet all evening.
“Not really.”
“You were incredibly drunk and you drove over to my place,” Jennifer said.
He stared at her silently. Jennifer couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she turned and walked to her car. Jake followed her. She wondered if he thought he was protecting her from the dangers that lurk in the night.
“Well, good night, Jake,” she said as she opened the door to her Corvette.
Jake gently touched her arm. His fingers were cool and smooth, and it felt like sparks were flying from his hand to her arm. She turned to see what he wanted and he bent down and kissed her on the lips, his mouth covering hers hungrily. He came up for a minute, and then kissed her again. This time his lips felt so sensual, but she pulled away from him. She looked up at him questioningly, her mouth burning with fire.
She turned and got into the car and drove off while he stood and watched her leave. She felt those kisses right down to her toes. And more than anything she wanted to be with Jake tonight. She remembered what Kaitlin had said and wondered how he could kiss her like that, yet belong to someone else. This was a side of Jake she never knew.
Chapter 9
Word got out quickly that Jennifer was singing with the band White Sands. Saturday and Sunday’s performances proved to be pretty spectacular. While there was a sold-out crowd in the White Eagle Entertainment Center, there was an equally large crowd in the main alcove. And for a Saturday night, it was unusual that more than a few of the gaming machines were empty on the main floor.
Before the band started, the lead singer from the Bosley Boys asked, and arranged for, Jennifer to come on stage to sing a duet with them. Jennifer had sung with the group once before, and she gladly agreed to do it again. During White Sands intermission, Jennifer quickly walked over to the White Eagle Entertainment Center. She stood behind the curtains waiting for the introduction. The crowd was huge and loud. John Bosley, the lead singer, waited for them to quiet down a little before he introduced Jennifer.
“Check this out, ladies and gentlemen, Jennifer Summers is in this same building, singing with the band White Sands, and she has agreed to do a duet with us. Please welcome Jennifer Summers!”
The crowd roared as Jennifer walked onto the stage. Jake came up to the side of the stage where she had stood. He watch her and John perform. They did a duet to the song We Got Tonight. They stood next to each other and held hands as they sang the song. Jake pressed his lips together as he watched them. When the song came to an end, he turned and walked away.
* * * *
When Jennifer arrived for rehearsal on Monday, Jake mentioned to everyone that the band would be playing in the White Eagle Entertainment Center next weekend instead of the alcove. Everyone let out a hooray! They were glad because they would have extra room on the stage, and that meant they could bring additional instruments for a more wholesome sound.
Joe walked in and went up to Jennifer and smiled.
“Hello, Joe. How are you doing?” Jennifer asked.
“I’m doing fine. I heard your performance over the weekend was quite spectacular. I had to hire more men to work overtime directing the traffic.”
“Yes, we were pleased with the turnout.” Jennifer smiled at him.
“Are you busy tonight?” Joe asked quie
tly, so that the band didn’t hear.
“No, I’m not.”
“Would you like to go out for dinner again?” Joe asked.
“I’d love to,” Jennifer agreed happily.
“Okay. Why don’t I pick you up at your place about eight o’clock?”
“That would be fine. I’ll see you then.”
Joe smiled and saluted the guys and left.
Jake had a sudden mood change after Joe left. Jake started snapping at everyone. “Damn it, Jon, get that guitar tuned right!” Jake snarled angrily.
Jennifer was going over the sheet music with Bruce and looked up at Jake when he snapped at Jon.
“Oh boy. Here we go again,” Bruce whispered.
Jennifer glanced at Bruce and quietly asked, “Is he always moody like this?”
“No. He’s been real moody since you came back,” Bruce whispered under his breath.
Finally, after several hours of rehearsing, and Jake snapping and yelling at everyone, Jennifer said, “Jake, chill out! We’re all working as hard as we can to get the music right. We don’t need you yelling all the time.”
Jake quieted down and they got through the rest of the rehearsal.
As Jennifer got ready to leave, Jake came up to her and asked, “Are you going out tonight?”
“Yes, Joe and I are going out to dinner.” Although she was smiling, she could see Jake’s face stiffen like a statue.
“He has a lot of nerve coming here during our work session to ask you out,” he hissed through gritted teeth.
“He was only here for a few minutes. And what does it matter to you who I go out with?”
He shrugged and walked out with her to her car. “So where are you going?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet.” She looked up at him.
“Do you think you might consider going out with me sometime?” Jake asked, one eyebrow raised.
“No, Jake. You’re involved with Kaitlin.”
“Kaitlin and I are just friends,” he said defensively.
“Kaitlin says you’re more than friends.”
“She did?”
Jennifer thought it kind of strange that Jake questioned what Kaitlin said, but she didn’t say anything more about it. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jennifer turned to get into the car.
Jake again touched her arm, and she turned her head to see what he wanted. He came down and claimed her lips. The kiss was sensual, yet demanding, and it sent chills and sparks all through her body.
She pulled back from the kiss and looked into Jake’s smoldering eyes. “Goodbye, Jake.” She got into the car.
He slowly turned and walked up to the house.
Great, I’m going out on a date with Joe and I have Jake’s kiss on my lips, Jennifer thought.
* * * *
When Joe arrived at Jennifer’s house she invited him inside while she went to get her jacket. When she came back to the living room, he commented, “Jennifer, this house looks very nice. Did your parents do the decorating, or did you?”
“Oh, my parents did it. I haven’t had time to redecorate. I haven’t really decided if I’m going to keep the house or sell it.”
“Were your parents wealthy as well?”
“Yes. My father owned an oil company. My mother didn’t work, but she enjoyed her social life. They were very good parents, and I miss them all the time,” she said as she slipped on her jacket.
Joe took Jennifer to Barb’s Star Restaurant and Bar outside Jarillo, going into Hobbs. They sat down at a table and ordered their drinks. Joe ordered a beer and Jennifer ordered ice tea. As they looked over the menu, Joe told her, “The best meal here is the ribs. They have fabulous paprika smoked ribs. Of course, you can order whatever you want, but I thought you might like to know about the ribs.”
“Okay.”
As they waited for their orders, Joe asked Jennifer what her life was like growing up.
“As far back as I can remember, Mom and Dad always had homes in Nantucket, Miami, Jarillo, and in the suburbs of Los Angeles. We traveled all through those particular states. When I was a child, we moved around a lot, but we settled down for a while in Jarillo when I was in middle and high school. I was closest to my dad, and was always daddy’s little girl. He spent lavishly on me, and I had the best of everything.”
“And yet you’re so down-to-earth and a very nice, friendly person to be with.” Joe’s smile was warm.
“Thanks. I think my touring days and the work I did at the World Hunger Organization played a role in me becoming friendlier and less reserved. I’ve never seen such hunger and pain in all my life. I never knew what it was like to go without food and clothing. And the pain! I felt so bad. I wanted to give those people all my money to help them out of the conditions they were in. And the death...there was so much death. It was awful.”
“The World Hunger Organization is a great organization. I think it’s wonderful that you and others like you spend time helping those who need it,” Joe said soberly.
A few fans came up to the table and asked for Jennifer’s autograph, which she obliged.
“Last week at the casino, you were soo cool,” one of the girls said to her.
“Thank you.” Jennifer smiled.
After the girls left, Joe said, “You are so gracious, Jennifer. Do you always respond to your fans this way?”
“Oh, this is nothing compared to what I used to get. I used to not be able to go anywhere at all due to the fans. But since I’ve come back, it’s been manageable and I’m able to go around town without fans following me or hounding me.”
They talked idly for a few minutes more and then dinner was brought out. Jennifer took a bite of her ribs and remarked, “Mmm, this is delicious!”
“I thought you’d like them. They smoke these ribs overnight in a special sauce.”
“So tell me about yourself, Joe. What did you do before you became the sheriff?”
“I grew up on a farm in West Virginia. Although I must confess, I hate doing farm work. I had an average childhood, and when I turned eighteen I joined the Army and became a Green Beret. I did a tour in Afghanistan, then returned home to study law and become a sheriff’s deputy. As I’ve already told you, I came here about four years ago to visit relatives and they suggested that I apply for a deputy position. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, I ran for sheriff. I know a lot of good folks around here, and most of them seem happy to have me as the sheriff.”
“Have you ever been married?”
“No. I was engaged once, but it didn’t work out. How about you? Have you been married or committed to anyone?”
“Back before I left Jarillo and became a star, I was involved with someone. However, when I got the recording contract, he said he wouldn’t leave with me and he didn’t want a committed relationship, so we broke up. I haven’t been involved with anyone since. I have a few male friends that I go out with from time to time, like what we’re doing here, but never anything serious.” Jennifer’s smile was sad as she thought about Jake.
“So, this relationship was with someone here in Jarillo? Is this person still here?”
“Oh yeah, he’s still here.” Jennifer let out a sigh and took a drink of her ice tea.
“Have you run into him since you’ve been back?”
“Yes.” She let out another sigh.
“Do I know him?” Joe asked between bites of his ribs.
“Yes, you know him. In fact, you’re friends with him.”
“Well, I’m stumped. Who is he? Or do you not want to tell?”
“It’s Jake,” Jennifer confessed.
Joe shut his mouth then opened it again. He sat speechless for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, Jennifer. I didn’t know. How come you’re back working with the band then, if this is the case?”
“Anna managed to talk me into going to rehearsal. Then the band members all said they wanted me to sing with them, so I think Jake felt compelled to agree.”
“Does this make things bet
ween you two kind of awkward?” Joe asked.
“Not really. I mean, we are adults,” Jennifer said.
Chapter 10
Jake sat at the bar and ordered a beer as he looked over the menu. He didn’t realize until it was too late that Joe and Jennifer were there. They sat at the other end of the bar but couldn’t see him very clearly. Jake could hardly contain the discomfort he felt in his stomach as he watched the couple. He ordered a hamburger and fries and spied on them.
The country and western band was getting set up and ready to play. Jake had just downed his fourth beer, watching Joe and Jennifer very closely. It looked like they were in a deep conversation, but he could see no affection or tenderness between them. The food he ate did nothing to alleviate his upset stomach.
The band started playing, and Jake watched as Joe and Jennifer got up and went to the dance floor. The tiny dance floor got a little bit crowded when others began joining them. They danced to a couple of songs before returning to their table. Jake moved away from the bar and headed straight over to them.
Joe saw Jake first and gave a surprised greeting. “Hello, Jake.”
Jennifer looked up and saw him standing next to her.
“Hi, Joe, Jennifer. Could I have this dance with Jenn?” Jake asked.
“It’s up to her.” Joe looked at Jennifer with his eyebrows raised.
Jennifer hesitated and then responded, “All right.”
She got up and walked with him to the dance floor. The band played a slow song and he gently drew her into his grasp. He put both his arms around her and joined his hands at her back. She wrapped one arm around his waist and rested the other against his chest. She leaned her head partly on his chest and partly on his shoulder. He could smell the scent of honey in her hair. Then he brought his head down and nibbled at her ear.
“Please don’t, Jake.”
Jake stopped nibbling. “You used to like it when I played with your ears,” he whispered huskily.
“Jake, I’m here with another man, and you’ve got a girlfriend.”
Love Songs Page 5
