Running On Empty (Fleur de Lis Book 2)

by A. L. Vincent

  “I had hoped she might have said something to you. She’s been spending so much time with you.”

  “She hasn’t really said anything.”

  Joey sighed. “There’s something going on with her. I just know it. It has to be something with Brent. Things seemed weird with them when we saw her in New Orleans a few weeks ago. She hasn’t even spoken his name since she’s been here. Asshole. I didn’t like him in high school. I should probably just drive up there and whip his ass.”

  “You and me both. And don’t forget Ryder.”

  “That’s probably why she’s not saying anything. Maybe she’ll tell Carly. You know how Carly can be. We’ll see if she can find out.”

  “That sounds good to me. Carly can be relentless at getting people to talk. I just hope she doesn’t push too much. Grace may just clam up.”

  “True.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt though.”

  “True.”

  They looked at each other, shrugged, and sipped their drinks.

  ***

  Grace

  Grace returned to her seat, endorphins pumping from the exertion on the dance floor. One Cajun dance should equal, like, three miles ran. All those spins and fast steps.

  She took a big gulp of the glass Carly had set in front of her earlier and closed her eyes, thirsty after that dance.

  Ryder, who was now standing behind her, put his hands on her shoulder blades. Slowly, he began to knead the tension out.

  “Damn, woman, you’re tense,” he said.

  “I know,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going on with me. Probably just the lack of a job thing.”

  “Maybe,” he said.

  “Any particular songs you want to sing tonight?” Grace asked Gabriel, changing the subject.

  “How about I pick a few and we just go with the flow?”

  “Sounds good to me.” She and Gabe had done this many times before. She knew she could trust his song selections.

  “Cool. Looks like he’s about finished setting up now, so I’ll just go write a few down.”

  “Awesome,” she said.

  Grace finished off her drink, and the bartender brought her a new one. Carly came in like the whirlwind she was, laughing, hugging everyone, teasing a friend here and there. With Carly’s arrival came the first round of shots. If you were going to hang out with Carly, you were going to drink.

  Gabe returned, and Ryder circled around after his pool game, and they grabbed their glasses and cheered to Grace and Gabe’s return.

  “It’s going to be a good little crowd tonight,” Carly said, nodding her blonde ponytail at the people beginning to gather in the small bar. “And Emily and Noah are coming as well. We should do a shot for that,” Carly said, and ordered another round.

  Grace inwardly groaned. This was not going to be pretty.

  Carly downed another shot and reached for another karaoke song book. “I’m in an eighties mood tonight,” she said, flipping through the pages.

  “You’re always in an eighties mood,” Joey said.

  Carly stuck her tongue out at him. “Are you singing?” she asked him.

  “Hell no,” he said.

  “Then don’t complain. It’s like voting. If you don’t sing, you can’t complain,” she said. “Grace, what are you thinking about singing tonight? You and Gabe doing a duet?” Carly smiled and nodded to Gabe.

  Grace narrowed her eyes at Carly, knowing what was going on in the wannabe matchmaker’s head. “Yes, and no. Yes, we’re singing a duet. No, we’re not doing a duet.”

  Carly smiled and raised her eyebrows. “Is that what they’re calling it these days?”

  Grace swatted a hand toward the karaoke book. “Oh, go pick something,” she grumbled, to which Carly only laughed.

  “I will. I always start off karaoke night, gets the crowd going. But what to sing tonight?” Carly went back to the selection book, and for that, Grace was grateful. She did not need Carly taking an interest in her love life.

  “Total Eclipse of the Heart?” Carly read aloud. “No, that’s too hard to sing, and I can’t sing. Grace? You could sing that.”

  “I am not singing that cheesy crap.” Grace laughed.

  Joey high-fived her. “Thank you.”

  Carly glared at the both of them. “Fine. I’ll keep looking. Oh, “Shadows of the Night,” Pat Benatar.”

  “I could do some Pat Benatar. I don’t know about that one though,” Grace said.

  “I got it!” Carly said, grinning and scribbling on the slip of paper. She hopped up just as the DJ finished setting up his equipment. The DJ smiled, pulled up the song, and handed the mic to Carly.

  Grace shook her head as Blondie’s “One Way or Another” began to play. A perfect song for Carly—fun, bubbly, and not too hard to sing.

  Carly began, and as she sang, started working the audience. She flirted and smiled. Winked a little. Grace smiled; she had chosen a song to get the party started and set the tone. Grace only hoped there would be no drunken versions of sad love songs later. That would be a definite buzz kill.

  Carly teased her way through the song and had the crowd going. When the song ended, the small bar erupted in catcalls and applause. She grinned, did a full, deep bow, and handed the mic back to the DJ.

  “Well, that’s going to be a tough act to follow,” Gabe said, laughing. “She’s got those men all worked up. I’m almost scared to go now.”

  Grace laughed. “Right?”

  Luckily, Gabe wasn’t next. It was Allison, one of the regulars, and a teacher at a local high school. To the crowd’s amusement, she began doing a rendition of Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher.”

  “Well, I guess I can’t let these ladies show me up,” Grace said, writing down her song, then taking it to the karaoke table. When she came back, Emily and Noah had joined their group. They all greeted each other with hugs, then settled in, taking their familiar places around the bar.

  Allison finished her song. Then it was Grace’s turn. She had chosen Pat Benatar, but not “Shadows of the Night.” She chose Benatar’s other fan favorite, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”

  Not to be outdone, Grace worked the crowd just as she would have on Bourbon Street. Having performed this song many times, she didn’t need to depend on the TV screen, so she walked through the crowd. She held the mic out to groups of single ladies and let them sing along.

  She crossed over to the pool table where Ryder was standing with Gabe. She sang, and ran her hand across Ryder’s chest.

  Playing along, he grabbed her and they did a little dance during the bridge of the song. When the lyrics continued, she walked back through the bar and to the stage area where she finished the song.

  She belted out the last notes and the song ended. She also gave a little bow before she left the stage, feeling the glow of performing.

  As she walked back to the group, she was greeted with high fives, and Carly had brought them yet another round of shots.

  “To Grace!” Carly said, raising her glass.

  “To Grace!” the rest of them replied, and they all downed their shots.

  “Okay, Grace, we’re up next,” Gabe said.

  She followed Gabe to the small stage area set up. Grace grabbed the microphone Gabe offered her, and the familiar strains of a song they had sang many times together drifted through the bar. The last time she’d performed this song, she’d been with the band.

  Brent.

  “Bye sweetheart, it’s been fun.” His voice echoed in her mind.

  Her insides froze, and she missed the next line. Gabe cut wide eyes at her and she just shook her head, shrugged at him, then kept singing. She forced herself to finish the song.

  When it was finished, she handed the mic to Gabe, turned, walked outside, and threw up.

  ***

  Gabe

  Gabe gave the two mics to Carly as the three watched a pale Grace walk out the door.

  “Was it the shots?” Carly asked.

  “I do
n’t know,” Gabe said.

  Ryder, Joey, and Gabe looked at each other in confusion.

  “I’ll go check on her,” Gabe said.

  Outside, he found her leaning against Ryder’s truck. Her head was tilted back, her eyes closed. In the moonlight, he could see tears on her cheeks. Grace didn’t cry, but that was the second time in as many days he had seen tears.

  “Grace?” he asked softly. He reached out for her arm.

  “Don’t touch me.” She jerked away.

  What the hell? He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Okay.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Get Ryder.”

  “Okay.”

  “Please.”

  Gabe re-entered the bar and glanced at Ryder, nodding his head to the door. Ryder sat his beer down and crossed over.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. She just told me to get you,” Gabe said.

  “Let me go see. Wait here. She won’t want everyone out there making a fuss over her. That’ll just piss her off,” he said, and went outside.

  ***

  Grace

  “Ryder,” Grace said, seeing him come outside. She walked straight into arms that wrapped around her. He rested his chin on the top of her head.

  “Take me home,” she said.

  Ryder leaned back and tipped her chin up to look her in the eye. “Now why would you want me to do that?”

  She couldn’t tell him why.

  “If you want me to take you home, you’re going to have to tell me why.”

  She would not tell him. She stuck her head in his chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt in her fists, unwilling to look up. She took a few deep breaths, a few inhales of his familiar cologne, his smell, and felt her panic disappear with each breath. He was her rock, and had been since her first teenage broken heart, and later when Ben died. He said nothing while they stood there, just held her close.

  When her pulse slowed and her breathing regulated, she said, “Okay. Give me a sec and I’ll come back in.”

  “You’d better. If you take off and walk home, I will drive down there and find you, and it won’t be pretty.” He smiled at her.

  “I won’t.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Whatever it is, Grace, it will be okay. You will be okay.”

  “Promise?” she asked him.

  “I promise.” He gave her one more small squeeze and she stood there in the moonlight and watched him walk away.

  ***

  Gabe

  Ryder came back into the bar minus Grace.

  “What’s going on?” Gabe, Joey, and Carly asked at the same time.

  “I don’t know. She won’t tell me,” Ryder said. “It’s the weirdest thing. She has told me everything since we were twelve. Hell, some of the shit she told me I didn’t even want to know and she told me anyway.” He shook his head. “You got me. It’s your turn, Carly.”

  Noah interjected, “I wouldn’t. She’s not going to tell you.”

  Gabe looked at the war veteran, whose expression had taken the blank look that it sometimes did when he was battling the past.

  “Noah’s right,” Carly said. “I’m not going to press her. We’ll figure it out.”

  The side door opened and Grace walked in and made a beeline for the bathroom. The group turned and acted like they hadn’t been watching the door. Ryder went back to the pool table. Gabe turned to order a drink. He would not be going back to the karaoke table unless it was to sing a song by himself. Joey turned to talk to Carly about something.

  “You okay?” Gabe asked when Grace returned to her seat. He noted the visible difference in her demeanor from earlier. She was not the twirling, smiling Grace on the dance floor. She sure wasn’t the flirty performer. She was pale, hollow-eyed, withdrawn. Sad. He wanted to comfort her, to hold her, but was scared she would only push him away like she had outside.

  “I think so,” she said. “Must be stress or something.”

  “Maybe so,” Gabe said.

  “Gabe?” Grace asked. “Tell me all about Austin. I’ve never been there.”

  Gabe smiled, and began to tell her about all the local sights, the lights, the gorgeous lake just outside of town. “Gorgeous for a bike ride,” he told her. “You should see it sometime.”

  “Maybe I will.”

  She was unusually quiet for the rest of the evening, even refusing to dance with Ryder, which had the cowboy frowning. Gabe sat there with her and just talked. He told her all about his roommates, Bennett and Nate, and Nate’s damned snake that Gabe hated. The others settled into their routines, and Grace visibly relaxed when their attention was focused elsewhere. Gabe kept going, and he talked until Joey took her home.

  Chapter Nine

  Grace

  The rain beat a rhythm on the metal roof that was both comforting and depressing. When Grace woke up, she looked down to see Furby lying on his back, one white, furry leg in the air like he was at a rock concert. If he could, he would probably have his index and pinky raised in the classic sign for “rock on.”

  Grace smiled slightly. He would not be happy when she went on a run without him, but he’d get over it. She patted him on the head and donned running clothes. She wished she had all of her clothes from her apartment so she could properly attire herself, but she would go with Ryder this week. She grabbed one of Joey’s hats on the way out to keep her hair as dry as possible. Then she was off and running down the beach.

  The air was wet and cold. The sun would finish rising, and soon the air would be almost unbearable with humidity. She would need to get out later and try to find some more gigs, or something to do. Grace did not do well with time off. She needed to be doing something. As Glinda would say, “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings.”

  Grace smiled as she passed the Redbird. The lights were on, and Grace knew Glinda would be busy in the kitchen cooking breakfast. She’d pick something comforting this morning, like pain perdu, French toast, with different kinds of sauces and jellies to pour on top of the sweet, gooey goodness. Grace thought of that fabulous strawberry sauce Glinda made from strawberries she grew and preserved herself. Maybe she’d pass by on her way back down the beach.

  She continued running, taking in the dreary morning that reflected her mood. Never had she had a bubbly personality. In fact, generally, she sneered at those who were permanently perky. There was just something wrong with those people, Grace thought. Grace had never been one to be the clichéd depressed and angst-ridden musician either. She was just Grace. She got up every morning, faced the day, and tried to smile as often as she could.

  She checked the distance on her running app and, satisfied she had run enough, she turned around. She was definitely going to stop by Glinda’s later for breakfast. First, she would need to shower and change. Glinda wouldn’t mind if she came in sweaty, but would get the wooden spoon out if Grace dripped water on those well-polished wood floors.

  ***

  Gabe

  Grace walked into the dining room of the inn. He had seen her running from his kitchen window when sipping his morning coffee. He didn’t know how she did it. He barely functioned in the morning. The only things that got him out of bed that early in the morning were fishing and work. He tried to do as much of one as he did the other when he was home.

  “Good morning,” she said, hugging Glinda.

  “Good morning, girl. How are you? You hungry? Go fix yourself a plate. So good to see you again.”

  “Morning,” she said, sitting down next to Gabe after getting some food. “Good morning, Daniel.”

  “Good morning, pretty lady,” he said. “You’re becoming a welcome regular around our breakfast table.”

  She smiled. “It seems that way. What’s new in the news this morning?”

  “Well, there’s an investigation going on in the St. Andrew Parish Sheriff’s Department. Two of their deputies are under investigation after a traffic stop over the weekend. A young woman was
taking a friend to work early in the morning. They pulled her over and made her do a field sobriety test. She was still in her pajamas, and she claims the officers made lewd and harassing comments.”

  “Ugh. Remind me not to drive through there any time soon,” Grace said. “I’d probably be arrested. Jackasses.”

  “Yes. Seems to be getting worse with Mouton in charge. He’s inept, and his officers know it. He turns a blind eye to their misbehavior so they think they can get away with anything.”

  “Well, luckily, there’s no real reason to drive through that parish. Unless you’re going to Biloxi, and most people just take the interstate for that,” Gabe said.

  “True,” Grace said.

  “Maybe someone decent will run against him in the next election,” Daniel said.

  “If they can win. You know most of that parish is related to Jacque Mouton,” Glinda replied. “But surely people are getting sick and tired of all the corruption. I mean, come on. That poor girl.”

  “I guess we’ll see,” Daniel said.

  Gabe sipped his coffee. He was more concerned about Grace than St. Andrew Parish politics. She still looked worn out, as if sleep was something constantly eluding her.

  “Speaking of St. Andrew Parish, have you thought about that teaching job?” Daniel asked Grace.

  “I don’t want to teach,” Grace replied.

  Gabe looked at Grace. Her eyes were downcast. She was needlessly stirring her cup of coffee.

  “I think Grace may be like me right now, just happy to be home.” He knew it wasn’t quite the truth, she was far from happy. A change of subject was what was needed.

  Glinda smiled. “It’s good to have both of you home. You’ll be here for the cook-off next weekend. Carly told me she’s changing it to a BBQ cook-off this year. You going to cook, Gabe?”

  “I think I will. I do like to fire up a pit every now and then.”

  “You should. It’s a good cause. I went to the scholarship presentation with Carly last year, and it was awesome to see.”