Grace’s lips twitched at the pun she knew Joey was unaware he’d made.
Carly walked over to Ryder and talked to him for a moment. He shoved his black cowboy hat onto her head. Apparently, she needed a cowboy hat to ride the bull. Ryder shook his head and lit a cigarette. Grace ordered a beer and another drink and joined him at the railing. Carly paid the five dollars for the ride and walked over to the guy in charge. Grace watched as he gave her some pointers and helped her onto the bull.
Carly smiled and winked at the crowd that gathered around her. She tucked one wrist under the roping and put one hand on Ryder’s cowboy hat.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a rider!” the DJ said, and more people gathered around to watch.
The bull started moving, slowly at first, and Carly held her own, moving in time with the computerized animal. It didn’t last long though. The operator toggled the controls and the bull moved faster. Grace saw Carly’s eyes widen as the bull moved faster and faster. Grace looked at Joey, whose face was a stony mask. Grace believed he would’ve turned away if he could, but he had to see. Had to be sure Carly wasn’t hurt.
The bull moved up and down faster, and Grace could see Carly was having a hard time holding on. Grace grabbed Ryder’s arm.
He looked down at her and laughed. “She’s going to fall and it will hurt. But it’s going to hurt her pride worse than anything.”
And seconds later, Carly was thrown from the bull onto the black cushioned floor.
“At least she has cushions,” Ryder said. “I fall on the ground, that shit hurts.” Ryder downed the rest of his beer and dropped it down onto the bar. “I’ll get her. Joey may kill her.”
Grace joined her brother at the bar, who had turned his back on the bull riding, probably after seeing Ryder go take care of Carly. Grace put her hand on Joey’s back.
“She’s okay, yeah.”
“She’s an idiot,” he said.
“Carly is Carly,” Grace said.
“She’s still an idiot.”
“Sometimes, yes,” Grace said, “but aren’t we all sometimes?”
Joey turned his brown eyes on her. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. You are one of the biggest sometimes.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
He looked away.
“Keep looking away,” Grace said. “A wise friend of mine said you can’t keep running away from the truth.”
Joey took a long sip of his beer but still didn’t look at her. “I’m not running from anything.”
Grace blew out an exasperated sigh. “Fine then, brother. Keep believing that.”
“You’re one to talk, you know? You’re letting Gabe walk away.”
“Don’t turn this on me, no. I’m leaving with Gabe.”
He looked at her then, smiling. “Is that right?”
“Yep.”
“Does he know?”
“Nope.”
He laughed. “Well, you’ll have to keep me posted.”
“Only if you promise me to make your own move.”
His face clouded over. “What if I lose her?”
“What if you don’t?”
He reached over and ruffled her hair, and she frowned. “I’m not twelve anymore, you know.”
“I see that.”
“Okay, then. How about we head on down to Cat’s Meow? I’m in the mood for some karaoke.”
Joey’s eyes widened again. “You’re singing again?”
She smiled. “I am.”
He hugged her close to his side, and got Em and Noah’s attention. He leaned in close so they could hear him over the noise and talked for a moment. Em smiled at her, and Noah winked. Ryder joined them then with a limping Carly. Joey said a quick word to Ryder, and Ryder smiled, and together they all left the bar, Gabe and Kevin leading the way.
Grace stopped when she heard the ’80s music blaring. Brent and the band were playing. She heard his voice blasting out “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” It was a song she used to sing. She waited for the nausea to hit. She smiled when it didn’t. She nodded to the rest, and motioned them to the door. Ryder’s face clouded when he saw where they were going, but she raised an eyebrow and smiled. They ordered drinks and turned to watch the band. Brent was definitely working it tonight. His blond hair was long and hanging down his Pink Floyd t-shirt. He had handkerchiefs streaming down his microphone pole. He leaned down with the pole into the crowd.
Grace shook her head. That band would never be more than they were right then. Always playing other people’s songs in a tourist trap where people paid seven dollars for a three dollar beer. She was done with it. Done with it all.
Brent noticed her then. He straightened, jutted his pelvis forward, and smiled.
What a joke. Grace threw back her head and laughed. Then laughed again when his eyes widened, then narrowed. Grace downed the rest of her drink, and nodded her head toward the stage. It was a challenge she knew he couldn’t resist.
He wrapped up the Def Leppard song and turned to speak with the band for a moment. The older members of the band, friends of hers who she hadn’t talked to since she left, smiled when they saw her in the audience.
“Well, folks,” Brent said to the crowd, “looks like we have a visitor tonight. New Orleans, give a warm welcome to one of our former bandmates, Grace Delchamp.”
Grace hopped on the stage and took a mic from the bassist. She turned to the band to give them a song title. They played the opening chords. Grace palmed the mic and gave the audience one of her signature smiles. In the light, she could see Gabe wink, and she nodded.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it feels good to be back up here on stage. And to have all my friends here with me.”
She pointed them out. “Give these peeps a round of applause. They are truly some awesome people. In fact, I’m dedicating this song to them. It’s about bad days, friends, and sticking together. You may have heard it, it goes like this.”
“Here’s to us,” Grace sang, beaming when Carly raised her glass.
Grace worked the crowd just like old times, and soon she had the crowd singing along and raising their own glasses.
She leaned down once to take the shot Carly brought her. Still singing, she looked Brent in the eye. “If they do you wrong, tell ’em to go to hell.”
She downed the shot and threw the plastic cup out into the crowd.
The crowd went wild. Grace finished the song and handed the mic to Brent.
“Touché,” he said. “You know, you could stay and finish out the set.”
“Go to hell,” she said, and walked to meet Gabe, who was still smiling and clapping when she reached him.
He opened his arms and she threw herself into his embrace. He leaned down and gave her a kiss that rivaled the high she got from performing.
He leaned back. “You looked good up there.”
“I felt good. You ready to get outta here?”
“You betcha.”
He threw an arm over her shoulder and said, “Let’s go kick some karaoke ass at the Cat’s Meow.”
***
Grace and Gabe strolled down the boulevard, hand in hand. The sun was rising over the city’s skyline. The rest of the group had retired to their rooms earlier. Grace and Gabe had chosen to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at one of the many diners still open.
Gabe pulled her into the lobby of a hotel.
“What are you doing?” Grace asked.
“I want you all to myself right now. And I shared a room with Joey and Ryder. Do you really want them around? You okay with this?”
Grace nodded.
Gabe paid for the room, and took her hand, leading her toward the elevator. As the doors swished closed, he pulled her into his arms, and lowered his lips to hers. “Tonight, it’s just about you and me.”
She smiled. “You mean today?”
He laughed. “I guess you’re right.”<
br />
The elevator swished open again, and he led them to their room. He keyed it open. Grace crossed to the window and opened the curtain that revealed a view of the New Orleans skyline. She smiled as Gabe came up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, his lips nuzzling her neck.
“I’m tired of running. I’m tired of running from the truth.” She looked up into his eyes. “I’m tired of running from you. This isn’t going to be easy, you know. I still have issues to work out.”
“I’m here for you, Grace. I told you already. It’s not just you. It’s we. We’ll work this out.”
He reached out a hand and cupped her cheek, his eyes piercing hers again. He leaned in closer, and placed a soft kiss on her lips. His hand came up to cradle her neck. Grace’s arms reached around his waist, an open invitation.
An invitation he took as he led them to the bed.
Epilogue
New Year’s Eve
Grace and Gabe walked into Snapper’s. Carly’s eyes lit up as she saw the two come in. She hurried from behind the bar to envelop them in hugs.
“Glinda told me you guys were coming in today! I’m so excited! Have a seat. I’ll get you some drinks started! Have you eaten? Joey’s back there cooking if you want something? Joey! Grace and Gabe are here!”
Joey came in the bar through the swinging wooden doors that separated the bar from the kitchen area. “Grace!” He, too, came around from behind the bar to shake Gabe’s hand, then he hugged Grace close. He left his hands on her arms so he could take a good look at her. Seeing her happy, the anger in her face gone, he smiled and hugged her close again.
“Austin’s been good to you,” Carly said.
Grace smiled and looked at Gabe. “Yes, yes, it has.”
“Did you text Ryder? What about Em and Noah?”
“They’re all coming. We stopped in at Glinda’s already to freshen up. We texted them right before we ate. So, no, we aren’t hungry,” Grace said.
Emily and Noah were the first to arrive. Then Ryder. Soon they were all gathered around the corner of the bar. The guys were playing pool, and Carly, who had ended her day shift, had taken charge of playing the jukebox. It was all like old times.
Cheech, as they all called him, approached the girls who sat in the corner, surrounded by whichever guys weren’t playing pool at the moment. Always the protective barrier.
“Hey, ladies,” he said. “Wanna hear some music?”
“Would love to,” Carly said, “but I have an idea. Why don’t we get Gabe and Grace to play a few? Would you guys do that? We’d love to hear y’all play.”
Gabe glanced at Grace, who nodded.
“I’ll go get the guitars,” said Gabe.
“I’ll hook up the sound system,” said Grace.
“I have a request,” Emily said.
“What’s that?” Grace said.
She smiled at Cheech and at Noah. “How about “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”?
Noah laughed. “At least it’s closer to Christmas this time.”
“Sure thing,” Grace said.
Gabe stepped out to get the guitars and gear. Ryder set down his pool cue and came over to her.
“You look good, Grace,” he said.
“I feel good,” she said.
He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He took his black cowboy hat off and shoved it on her head. “Good.”
She leaned in and rested her head on his chest for a moment. Then looked up at him. “Thank you,” she said.
“No thanks necessary. Now, get that ass up there and sing. We’ve missed that voice.”
Grace and Gabe made quick work of the equipment and soon were sitting on the makeshift stage of Snapper’s.
“First up, we’re going to play an original song that Gabe and I have been working on. You guys are going to be the first to hear it,” Grace said into the mic. She motioned to Gabe, and he began to play.
After a few chords from Gabe’s guitar, Grace began to sing, “Deepest are the wounds without a scar at all.”
It was a slow song. Emily grabbed Noah and they headed to the area in front of the band that was used as a dance floor. Carly grabbed Joey. And Ryder, not to be left out, found Allison.
Grace’s eyes met Gabe’s, and she smiled.
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Acknowledgements
First of all, special thanks goes to some of my favorite local musicians. Thank you, Neil and Baret for providing the songs and lyrics in this book. Neil, Baret, Nick, and Joey, thanks for all the great music and memories. Many more to come!
Thanks to Gillian, Dennis, Christy, and Steve for the editing jobs you guys do.
Also, I have to give nods to my “Boonies.” Ruby, Melinda, Tammy, Val, Denise, Sandy, Stacey, and Elizabeth, thank you for all of your support throughout the writing and publishing process.
Much love and many thanks to you all. You guys rock!
About the Author
A.L. Vincent is a teacher/writer who lives in the heart of Cajun Country. Born in Oklahoma, A.L. became fascinated with South Louisiana after reading Interview With the Vampire. Finally, she became a Cajun transplant in 2001. When not getting lost in a story line, A.L. can be found cooking or enjoying live local music. A.L. has one son, and a furball of a dog aptly named Furby.
Facebook:
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https://twitter.com/soonergirl1975
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Running On Empty (Fleur de Lis Book 2) Page 18
