What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 9)

by Kristine Cayne

  He nodded, then focused on the menu. That gave her a chance to look at the menu in front of her. A new song played on the radio. Something about finding yourself. Blaine listened to the words carefully as tears stung her eyes. Damn, did this ever fit her.

  “I hope you’re enjoying the job.” Randy didn’t look up from the menu.

  Blaine was about to answer, but he continued.

  “It’s great! I love seeing your hunky face every day! I can’t concentrate on anything when you stare at your computer blankly.” He used a high pitched tone, trying to imitate her voice.

  She practically snorted out a laugh.

  “I’m really staring over my computer screen. I watch you walk all day. I’m hypnotized by the movement of your legs.” He went back to his normal voice. Randy finally looked up from the menu with a huge grin. His eyes danced with amusement.

  Blaine grabbed her stomach, continuing to laugh. He really was having a two sided conversation. Why did he have to be so damn wonderful?

  “Is that so?” Back to the high pitch voice.

  Blaine couldn’t breathe. She gasped, the tears streaming down her face. “Okay, okay! You can stop before my abdomen bursts! I’ll talk to you! Oh God, your impersonation of my voice was terrible!”

  He feigned hurt. “That’s mean! Here I am trying to talk to you and I get insulted!”

  “You’re talking to your version of me. Of course I’m going to insult you.” Blaine shot back with a grin. “Thank you for tonight. The dinner. The conversation. Making me laugh.” For being amazing.

  “I missed you this week. I miss the banter. Most of all, I miss holding you while we can’t stop telling each other things.” Randy reached across the table and covered her hands with his. “If you’re upset with me for last weekend, I’m not sorry. At least, I’m not sorry for pushing you to go.”

  “I-” She was never really upset with him. The whole situation sucked, and she’d gone in her own world.

  “What I am sorry about is that you had to live through that private hell on your own. I’m sorry you tried to find a dream and ended up with a nightmare.” He ran his thumb across her fingers, up toward her wrist. His touch was gentle, loving.

  “How sweet. You two sitting here all cozy.” A voice Blaine didn’t recognize sneered. She and Randy both turned to face the new person. A man with a bald head glared at them. His face was turning red.

  “Who the hell are you?” Randy asked, his voice filled with a hard edge.

  “A concerned citizen. This is a family restaurant. The likes of you shouldn’t be in here. We don’t need to watch two murder suspects cozying up with each other.”

  Blaine gasped. The nerve!

  “Have you no shame, young lady? You were brought up much better than that. What, you couldn’t live with yourself over those videos and so you tried to cover it up, making it look like an iconic dance choreographer is in the wrong?”

  She had no words. Her heart pounded loudly and she tried to come up with a response. Yell, scream. Something!

  “That is enough!” Randy roared, jumping out of his seat. He was face to face with the man. “How dare you! Should you really be coming over here like this? I mean, come on. I’m being questioned for a murder attempt. Doesn’t that scare you?”

  “Randy, don’t,” Blaine pleaded, her voice coming out weak and hoarse.

  “Threatening me? Don’t you have enough trouble on your plate?” The man was baiting Randy.

  “What is going on in here?” Serena stood behind them, drinks in hand. She stared coldly at the man.

  Blaine grabbed her purse, feeling the stares of every single person in here. She couldn’t take it. Keeping her head low, she brushed past everyone and bolted. The last thing she heard was Randy saying, “Here’s what I owe you for the drinks. I think we’re going to skip dinner tonight.”

  She ran past the buildings in the downtown square. Her shoes pounded against the pavement.

  “Blaine! Wait!” Randy called.

  She wouldn’t have, but the light to cross the street turned red. No matter how much she wanted to run and not look back, she wasn’t about to be reckless. Fighting to breathe, she kept her back to Randy. When he touched her shoulder, she whirled on him, smacking him in the chest with her purse. “What the hell were you thinking? How could you say something like that to him? Being a possible suspect for a murder attempt is not something to throw around lightly!” Fury consumed her.

  He caught her hands, pulled her in his arms and wrapped her in a tight hug. She debated on fighting him, but being held by him was a comfort. “He pissed me off! He came out of nowhere while we were minding our business and he-” Randy pressed kisses in her hair. “I’m sorry. All I wanted was to have dinner with you and make sure you were okay. The way he badgered you, I couldn’t hold it in.”

  The light turned green. Blaine didn’t care. She stood on that street corner in Randy’s arms. “The whole town looks at me like I don’t belong. I hear people whisper about the girl gone Hollywood who doesn’t have a place here any more. I’m bringing a bad name to Harmony’s Echo.”

  “Stop it, Blaine! Who cares what they say? They’re going to talk and point fingers because you’re front and center in the news right now. But you have to remember that it’s not your fault. You didn’t ask for any of this. Before Hollywood, you didn’t care what people thought.”

  Oh yes she did, but she had been much better about hiding it. When you were constantly being scrutinized, especially by a man that was supposed to love you, the worry of what people thought rose to the surface. She needed to stop wearing her heart and emotions on her sleeve. But when she stopped that, her defensive wall went up. Was there such a thing as a middle ground for her?

  Chapter Nineteen

  “This place is amazing!” Melody said with enthusiasm.

  Blaine, Avery and Melody had just come back from hour long full body massages. The tension that once again found it’s way to her body had been relieved. She had to admit that despite the racing thoughts in her mind, she was relaxed. She’d barely slept last night after that whole thing with the guy in the restaurant. Randy wanted to take her home and make her dinner or get takeout. She turned him down. The hurt expression on his face still haunted her.

  “We might have to do this every couple months.” Avery wrapped her white robe around her body and swept her hair up in a loose, messy bun. “I think we could all use it.”

  “I wouldn’t object,” Blaine mused. Both women turned to her, their expressions full of wonder and concern.

  “How are you? I mean, really?” Avery asked. “I heard about last night.”

  “It sucks!” Blaine blurted, letting out a little of the frustration.

  “Why don’t we hit the hot tub and talk a bit? Are you up for that?”

  Blaine loved Avery. She was always there, but never was one to push. “Okay.”

  Ten minutes later, the three were neck deep in a hot tub, bubbles swirling around their bodies. Blaine leaned her head back, taking in the comfort of the jets and the hot water. No one said anything for a while. She wasn’t sure if Avery and Melody were waiting for her to talk, or if they were in their own little worlds. “I look back at the last ten years or so of my life and wonder what’s wrong with me.”

  Two pairs of eyes stared at her.

  “I always thought I was a fairly smart woman. I knew who was bad for me and even if I didn’t, I learned right away. Frederic had some decent moments, but really the more I look and think back, the more I realize he wasn’t good to me often. So my question I keep asking myself is why did I stay? Okay, so I worked with him. It was supposed to be a dream come true. But when I fell into his trap, his long hours, his belittling … what the hell was I thinking when I got involved and married him?”

  It was something she couldn’t figure out. Why had she held on for so long?

  Avery closed her eyes for a second, then took a deep breath. “Do you consider me a smart woman?”


  Just where was she going with this? “Of course I do!”

  Avery shifted, sitting up a little. “Do you remember the summer of my junior year? I dated a guy who no one could understand why I was with.”

  Blaine thought back, drawing a blank at first. “Seth!” She snapped her fingers as the name and face came to her mind. That guy was a jerk!

  “Yes, Seth. How many times did he do some stupid crap to me? You, Laura and Jameson all tried to tell me time after time about him. No matter what he did, I tried to find the good in him. And I stayed.”

  “Hell, I forgot about him until now. The last few weeks of your relationship were the worst.”

  “I’d say so. Getting me drunk and then ditching me when I got sick. I felt so stupid that night!”

  Blaine nodded, remembering. “Jameson and I took you to our house and made sure you were okay before we let you go back home.”

  “I guess we all make mistakes,” Melody said.

  “Yeah, but here’s the thing. You got away from Anthony once you found out about him, Melody. And Avery, you might have taken months to come to your senses about Seth, but you didn’t marry him.”

  Avery sighed. “Sometimes the mind works in weird ways. Why you did what you did might not make sense, but it happened. All you can do now is move on from there. Yes, I do know that’s kind of hard when Frederic is lying in a hospital bed with an uncertain fate. I know it scares you because they think you and Randy had something to do with it. And the rest of that news bull crap, well … don’t get me started. I’ve had enough of the media in the last year.”

  “Harmony’s Echo has been on the map a lot lately, and not in a good way,” Melody muttered, moving to sit at the edge of the hot tub.

  “Tell me about it.” Blaine felt guilty about adding her trouble to the mix.

  “You know, you aren’t the only one the town looks at like they don’t belong,” Avery said.

  Blaine slid a confused gaze at her friend. “What do you mean?”

  “Ever since the world discovered I’m Belinda Wainscott’s daughter, I get strange looks all the time. If I’m at the store picking up food for Emily, I hear the whispers. They all want to know why I’m still in this town, since I have such a famous mother. Everyone seems to think I’m too good for Harmony’s Echo now. You don’t know how many times I want to turn around and snap at them, but it won’t do any good. They’re going to think what they want. I guess because my birth mother is famous, I should be living the life. I should be making it to the top in Nashville because my mother can get me there.” Avery shook her head. “Small town gossip. You can’t get away from it.”

  “Damn. I never even thought of that. Are you serious? People actually think you’re too good to live here now?” Blaine shook her head.

  “Not everyone, but many. Don’t even get me started on the complaints about the media because of my fame by association. It drives Luke nuts.”

  “I’m still having a hard time being accepted around here,” Melody said. “I mean, you guys do, but I still feel like an outsider sometimes. They still think I’m trouble. I know I caused a stir rolling into town with secrets and then being so desperate I attempted to steal a pregnant woman’s truck.”

  “What?” Blaine stared at Melody. “I knew you ran from someone, but whose truck did you try to steal?”

  Melody grimaced.

  Avery cleared her throat. “Mine.”

  “Oh shit. Seriously?”

  They both nodded.

  “Oh yeah. I screwed up. I was so scared. Jameson, Avery and Lucas were being helpful and nice, but I still felt like I needed to run. After I came back with Jameson from the New Years show to live, it was awkward explaining to everyone that I wasn’t Mary.” Melody’s voice choked up. “But I had to own up to my mistakes and keep my chin up. It was the only way I would get past it. Sometimes I still think I get the weird looks. I love small towns, especially this one, but people sure know how to talk. And not always in a good way.”

  “If you want, we can walk down the street and intimidate the town.” Avery laughed, then her face turned serious. “Let them talk, Blaine. You’re still a good person. You don’t have to explain yourself to anyone. If anyone knows you at all, they’ll realize you weren’t in to that kind of crap. I know it sucks to be that exposed, but it’s gong to pass.”

  Blaine felt just a bit better. “Thank you both. It’s going to be one of those easier said than done things, but I get it.”

  “Okay, subject change. No more bad talk. So…” Avery’s eyes glittered. “You and Randy. What’s the scoop?”

  Blaine knew eventually that would come up. “Umm…” Oh yeah, she knew she was probably turning red. Her heart did a weird little flip flop just thinking of him. Damn, she had it bad. It had to show.

  Melody giggled. “You like him, don’t you?”

  “Why Melody, are you putting Blaine on the spot?” Avery grinned.

  Blaine scowled. “Why do I get the feeling you’re acting like I did last year when we picked on you about Jameson?”

  Melody batted her eyelashes, pretending to be innocent.

  “You suck.” She laughed. They all did. “Okay, really. I do have feelings for him. I just don’t know if this is the right time.”

  “There’s never a wrong or right time,” Avery said quietly. “It just happens.”

  Melody nodded in agreement.

  If anyone knew that, it would be Avery and Melody. Neither were looking for love when it happened. Heaving a sigh, Blaine sunk in the water just a little deeper. “He’s been so good to me. I can’t stop thinking about him. I miss him when we aren’t together. My heart beats a little faster when he holds me. It’s weird, though. I’ve known him forever and never thought of him that way until recently. Oh, and he makes me laugh.”

  “He’s been in love with you since he was a teenager.” Avery flicked a handful of bubbles into the middle of the hot tub.

  “So he said. Or at least, tried to tell me. I keep avoiding that conversation. But why would he not tell me for so many years? How did you know?”

  “Jameson told me that Randy told him. Randy felt awkward and invisible as a teenager. It wasn’t until music that he started to really open up and be less shy. Think about it. You’re two years older. It’s not a big deal now, but for a shy fifteen year old, it’s a huge thing.”

  She thought about what he’d told her, about how he wanted to get kissing tips in case he ever got a chance to kiss her. She remembered his shy days. Even when Randy hung around them, he’d been that way. It took a long time for him to open up and talk more. She couldn’t imagine that. Despite her wall, Blaine had always spoken her mind, many times saying things that were probably better left unsaid.

  “You should just let it happen. If you feel something, see where it goes.” Avery broke the silence. “Randy’s a good man. There’s no doubt he loves you and would do anything for you. If there’s one thing you deserve, it’s real happiness.”

  “Thanks, Avery.” Blaine let her friend’s works soak in. She definitely felt more for Randy than she ever imagined, and she did want to see where things went even though they’d been caught up in a firestorm of gossip because of the recent events.

  She just might have to tell him later how much she missed him.

  Just wanted to say I miss you.

  Randy stared at the text from Blaine as he had been for the past five minutes. Last night didn’t end well, so this text was the last thing he expected.

  I miss you more, he typed back, wondering what she’d say next. Then he sent a new one. I hope you’re having a good time. Are you relaxing? There. Something casual to say as well.

  “If you aren’t up for going out, we can do something here,” Jameson said to Randy. He’d come over earlier and they’d worked on some music for a while before debating on dinner and taking the night to do something.

  “No. I’m not letting stupid people get the better of me. I didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m n
ot going to hide,” Randy snapped. He ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry man. Shouldn’t have jumped all over you.” His phone buzzed again.

  Jameson stared at it. “Someone harassing you?”

  “Not in the least. It’s your sister.”

  For a split second, Jameson looked uncomfortable. It faded fast. “I hope they’re all having a good time. All three of them need it.”

  Randy took a peek at the latest text, hoping for the answer.

  Almost as relaxing as your backrubs. Almost ;)

  He chuckled and typed back.

  You know how to drive me crazy, woman. Why do you have to be so confusing?

  “I don’t think I even want to know what you two are texting to each other.” Jameson laughed. “So, are we gonna shoot some pool or do I really have to sit here and watch you text Blaine all night?”

  “Sorry!” Randy felt the heat rush to his face. He stuffed the phone in his pocket and shot Jameson a sheepish grin. His friend just laughed and shook his head.

  “I still don’t know how I missed it all these years. The first time I realized something might have been up with you two was last year. You guys spent a lot of time together when Blaine came home.”

  Randy shrugged. “Told you, I hid it well. I didn’t want anyone to know unless I was ready to tell Blaine, which never happened. I was pretty surprised when we spent so much time together last year. Something clicked, but she still never figured out how I felt. Hell, seeing her again made me realize I still had some sort of feelings for her. And this is weird as hell telling you this. I half expect you to punch me or something since I’m talking about your sister.”

  Jameson put his guitar back on it’s stand. “If it were anyone else in this town, I might. I’ve known you a long time, but I never saw this coming. Thinking about it, I like the idea of you and Blaine. If you had said something all those years ago, I probably would’ve felt different. Who knows. I hope you two do end up together.”

  So did Randy. Once all the craziness was over, maybe they stood a good chance. He knew Blaine was confused right now and her back and forth pushing and pulling was due to the chaos in their lives. It was still frustrating. After all they’d been through, she didn’t have to build that wall. Then at random times like these, she’d break it down. No telling how fast she’d put it back up again.