Later that night, while Ibby and Milly slept, I thought about what Garrett and the guys had said about Jimmy. I made a mental note to get Bobby over to the house and install an alarm before we moved in. Something wasn’t sitting right with me and hadn’t been ever since we’d been back. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I wasn’t willing to take any chances. One way or the other, my girls would be safe. I would make sure of it.
Chapter Eleven
Isabella
‡
Last night was intense. Actually, yesterday in its entirety was intense. Dillon’s friends were off the charts awesome. Everyone was more than welcoming. The girls were beyond beautiful and the guys…Wow…the guys were hands down some of the best looking men I had ever seen. Next to all of them, I felt dowdy and plain. Ellie and Piper were worried about Max’s sister, Sarah, showing up out of the blue. Evidently she was supposed to be in Scotland finishing out the year and decided at the last minute to take the last few courses in the States instead. She seemed fine to me. In fact, she seemed almost too good to be true. When she offered to change Amelia’s diaper and, in conversation, mentioned needing a job, I almost jumped for joy. Max and Ellie had regular help, so I felt no guilt in snapping up Sarah’s offer to babysit.
All the girls swam, drank and got to know each other while the guys talked shop. I was feeling both comfortable and accepted, which were two things I was not used to feeling. Then I overheard Joss and Piper talking in the pool house and my great day took a serious nose dive. It wasn’t as if I meant to eavesdrop or anything. I just happened to be using the bathroom when they came in to change clothes. At first I thought they were talking about Ellie cheating on Max. I really liked those two together. They seemed so in love and, well… solid. When Dillon’s name came up, I couldn’t help but press my ear to the door.
“Do you think Isabella knows about Dillon and Ellie?” Joss asked.
“If Dillon is smart, he will never admit they had a thing,” Piper replied.
My lungs seized. What does she mean they had a thing?
“Or that he was having a thing with Dana at the same time,” Joss added with a snort. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Max hadn’t returned? Do you think Ellie and Dillon would have ended up together?”
“Not if Dana had anything to say about it,” Piper responded. “That girl is stuck so far up D’s ass, it isn’t even funny. I love Dillon and all, but I was so happy that Ellie got the hell out of dodge the second she caught on that he was double dipping. From what I can tell, Isabella is the real deal. If anyone can flush Dana from his system, it will be her.”
“I sure as hell hope so. I hate that fucking bitch.” Joss replied. Their voices faded as they shut the door on the way out and left me in a state of complete shock. Dillon and Ellie? How did I not know this?
All I could think about through dinner was Dillon doing the things he did to me…with her. I knew he had other lovers and all, but it didn’t mean I wanted to hang out with them. Ellie was crazy beautiful. Any guy would be proud to call her his. I watched for signs of unrequited love, but she and Dillon barely looked at each other. Like Dillon, Ellie’s husband Max was a beautiful man. He kind of sort of scared me, though. Every time he caught me looking over at her, he raised an eyebrow as if to ask, “What the hell are you looking at, bitch?” When Amelia threw a fit, Dillon suggested we leave and I almost cheered. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Dillon could tell something was up. He was just nice enough not to ask what my problem was in front of his friends. I waited until the car ride home to confront him and he explained everything. However, I was an emotional mess by that point and burst into tears. Of course, as usual, we ended up naked.
This morning, not wanting to wake Dillon, I snuck to the kitchen to make him breakfast in bed and discovered we were in dire need of ingredients.
I was still playing last night in my head when Sally walked in. “What happened with you and Dillon last night?” she inquired, as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
Pausing in the middle of mixing pancake batter, I flinched. “Was it that obvious?”
“No, but I know you, and I know when something is bugging you,” she replied.
I told her what I had overheard and how much it upset me.
“Dillon loves you, Izz. Everyone can see that,” she pacified. “I’m not so sure about Max and Ellie, though. Things got tense after you left. I saw her crying in the driveway right as Bobby and I were about to leave.”
“Did you ask Bobby about it?”
She rolled her eyes at my question. “Of course I did. He just shrugged and told me to mind my own business.”
“That’s sad. I like them together. Uh…you don’t think Dillon still has a thing for her, do you?”
“No, and if you’re honest with yourself, neither do you.”
She’s right. Dillon wants me. He told me so just last night. It’s time to believe it, Isabella. When you’d been burned as many times as I had, trust is hard to come by.
Shrugging off the negative thoughts, I changed the subject. “Oh! I almost forgot, will you watch Amelia for a second, while I run to the store? I need to grab bacon and orange juice.”
“Sure, I’ve got her.”
Quickly, I grabbed my purse and keys and shot out the door. I was hoping to have breakfast ready before Dillon woke up, so I could surprise him in bed.
Halfway to the store, my car started acting up. This surprised me, as Dillon had just had it in with Max last week and it had been running better than ever. The gauge was registering a full tank of gas and no lights were on, so what could be the problem? Suddenly, it made a loud pinging noise and then out and out died on me.
“Crap,” I muttered, as I pulled it off to the side of the road. I dug for my phone in the bottom of my purse and called Sally, who went to wake up Dillon.
Fifteen minutes later, Dillon pulled up in his jeep. He looked worried. Hopping out, he pulled me into his arms.
“You okay?”
“No. I wanted to surprise you with breakfast in bed,” I murmured into his chest. Instead of breakfast in bed, Dillon called Max, who sent one of his tow trucks to get my car. Then he took me to Trace Café for breakfast.
* * *
Nine Days Later
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you tomorrow?”
We had just stepped out of the shower and were getting ready for work. Tonight I would perform for a second time at Dragonfly and couldn’t wait. Sarah was due to arrive at any moment to watch Amelia. Since it was her first time babysitting, I was a basket case. I had only left Amelia with Sally and Dillon, up to this point and the thought of leaving her with someone I barely knew made me nervous.
“It’s not that I don’t want you to go. I always want you with me,” Dillon explained. “I think with you starting to wean Milly, it would be stressful for you both. Plus, I don’t want to worry about you being in the same city as Jimmy,” he further explained. I had completely forgotten about Jimmy.
“I suppose,” I sighed. “How long has it been since you’ve seen your brother?”
“Two years. I can’t wait for you to meet him and for him to see Mills. While I’m there, I’ll get him on board for a July visit.”
Two days ago, Dillon closed on the house in Charlotte. Tomorrow, he would head to Charleston for a few days. His brother was arriving tonight from Afghanistan and Dillon was dying to see him. While there, he would go through the rest of his aunt’s things and make sure everything from my place was on the moving truck before heading back to Charlotte. I hated the thought of being away from him. The doorbell rang and forced us to table the conversation until later.
After settling Sarah in with Amelia, we took off for Dragonfly. Sally had opened up with Kurt and was already there. Butterflies pinged back and forth inside my belly. I had worked on a major surprise all week and was worried I might not be able to pull it off. For the occasion, I decided to wear a gold and black for
m fitting button down top and black skirt that fell right above my knees. It was full so when I danced around it would move with me instead of sticking to my legs. I paired it with a gold belt and black cowboy boots. I could tell by the way Dillon couldn’t keep his hands off me, he liked it a lot.
The last time I played, I made over three-hundred dollars. Due to Dillon’s insistence on paying for everything, I hadn’t spent a dime since being in Charlotte. This was good because, until the renters moved in to the house in Charleston next month, I still had to pay half of the mortgage and utilities. I had enough savings for the next three months, but barely.
“You look hot, baby,” Dillon said, taking my hand. We were sitting in the jeep behind Dragonfly. “Are you nervous?”
“I’m always nervous before taking the stage,” I told him.
“You gonna sing me a song tonight?” He ran his tongue across my knuckles and I shivered.
“You gonna jump me after?” I asked.
“Fuck yeah,” he answered with a smile.
“Then I might just have a song or two up my sleeve for you.”
He placed his hand on my knee and started sliding it up my leg. “Don’t you mean ‘up your skirt’?” I playfully slapped his hand away and laughed. As I opened the door and hopped out, he grabbed my guitar and my hand and we headed inside.
Thirty minutes later, I was on stage and singing Sheryl Crow’s, Everyday Is A Winding Road. It was a catchy tune that had the crowd on their feet and dancing. I followed it with Fly Away. If I didn’t know better, Lenny Kravitz wrote this song with Jimmy in mind. If Jimmy had truly known me, he would have never have tried to cage me. But he did. And in doing so, he lost me. You can’t force someone to stay. You can only hope they’ll choose to. Jimmy never understood this. Dillon does. Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car was next on my list. The chords to this song were easy to play, so I tweaked it a little and added my own twist to it. I had to admit, it sounded pretty damn good.
I took a fifteen minute break after the first set and hung out with Piper, Gage and some crazy guy named Harry who kept spouting off about Polly’s breasts. Joss was at home resting while Kurt worked the bar with Sally and Dillon. According to Piper, Max and Ellie were supposed to show up, but hadn’t. I wondered if they were okay.
Before taking the stage again, I gave Piper a conspiratorial wink. A few days ago, she had called and asked if I would mind singing a song to Gage for her. It just so happened, the song she wanted me to sing was one I sang at The Shot Glass, so I was happy to oblige.
The crowd cheered as I made my way back on stage. I picked up the mic and held up my hand to quiet the roar. “Gee, you guys make me feel special.” The crowd loudly cheered. Again and I laughed. “A good friend of mine asked me to sing this next song. It’s about a girl who goes the extra mile to be with her man and, from what I’ve heard, this girl went to hell and back for her guy. Gage, this is for you.” Harry patted Gage on the back and some guys in the crowd gave him obscene catcalls, to which he held up his middle finger. I started playing the opening chords of Brandi Carlile’s The Story, and smiled when Gage pulled Piper in and gave her a big kiss.
I played a few more upbeat songs before nodding my head to Polly and Lena. “Excuse us while we rearrange things for a second.” I put down the microphone and helped Polly move the stool over. Then, I grabbed the lamp while Lena moved the table. Both girls helped me push the piano onto the stage. According to Kurt, the piano had always been there, but had yet to be used. Mid-week, I called a guy to come and tune it. Twice, I made excuses to get out of the apartment. Both times, I came to Dragonfly and practiced. It had been years since I’d played the piano, but was pleased it came back to me so easily. I placed the lamp on the piano, grabbed the mic and snapped it into the stand before sitting on the bench. Looking out into the crowd, I spotted Dillon standing with Piper and Gage directly in front of the stage. Here goes nothing.
“I haven’t been honest with my guy this past week,” I announced. I looked at Dillon and smiled. He returned the smile and my heart danced. “Baby, I didn’t get a pedicure, I came to practice. Oh, and I didn’t go to Piper’s either.” I laughed along with the crowd. When they calmed back down, I pointed to Dillon. “That man right there came into my life and turned it upside down in the best possible way.” The crowd ooo’d and awww’d. “Christine McVie put into words exactly how I feel about my guy and I’d like to share it with you tonight. This is Songbird and it’s for you, Dillon.”
Like a breeze I made it through verse one. As I sang the beginning of verse two, “To you, I’ll give the world,” I started to tear up. Don’t cry now, Isabella. I barely managed to pull it together and finish it out.
The second I took my hands off the piano keys, Dillon was on the stage and I was in his arms. “Fuck, I love you,” he said and gave me a big, wet kiss in front of everyone. Never in my life had I felt so loved.
That night he took me home and kept me up until the wee hours making love to me. The next morning, with a kiss for me and Amelia, he left for Charleston.
* * *
Three days later…
I knew immediately when Dillon walked through the door from Charleston, something had changed. On the surface he looked the same but something was definitely different. For one, when I hugged him his body stiffened. As I pulled back to see what was wrong, he wouldn’t look me in the eye. Then, when I asked him about the trip, he only said “We got things settled.” I questioned what that meant, but he gave a deep irritated sounding sigh. This was something I’d seen him do time and time again when Sally got on his nerves. Finally, he gave me something when he told me everything was due to arrive tomorrow morning, before saying he had to take a shower and get ready for work.
What did he mean work? He promised to take the night off!
For three days I packed boxes and waited for Dillon to call…something he failed to do. I deserved an explanation, didn’t I? I counted to thirty before following him back to the bedroom, where I discovered he had locked the door. He locked me out of our bedroom. What in the world happened in Charleston? I wasn’t scheduled to work because I was supposed to be home celebrating the fact that Dillon and I were moving into our new home together tomorrow. I was sorely tempted to call Sarah and see if she could sit, but decided to give Dillon the space he obviously needed. After his shower he mumbled something about not waiting up on him and bolted out the door.
Around midnight, I took a book out to the living room where I made a nest on the sofa and waited for Dillon to come home. Sally rolled in around one and said she’d left Dillon at Dragonfly drinking with a bunch of people. My heart sank. He’s not coming home. Sally wanted to talk about it. I, however, did not. I wanted to know what in the hell happened to my guy in Charleston. I made my way back to the bedroom and must have fallen asleep because when I woke the sun was up and the pillow beside me was empty. My eyes instantly filled. If he didn’t come home last night, where did he go?
Amelia whined from her Pack ‘n Play and, with a heavy heart, I lifted her out and nursed her. Today we were moving to our new house. This was supposed to be a happy time in our lives. What am I doing? A vision of Jimmy banging Carly flashed through my head, only it wasn’t Jimmy’s face I saw. It was Dillon’s.
Noise from the other side of the apartment caught my attention. I got up and threw on a pair of ratty old jeans and a T-shirt and dressed Amelia in a cute little sundress. Then I went to see what the racket was about.
Dillon and Sally were standing in the living room directing the movers as to which boxes to load first. Dillon looked as if he hadn’t slept in days and my heart went out to him.
“Anyone want coffee?” I asked.
They both said yes. I kept myself busy by making a fresh pot. I did not, however, miss the fact that Dillon barely even looked my way.
“Baby, can you take Amelia, so I can pour us all a cup?” I nicely asked him.
“Sally can get her. I’m going to help the movers,” he repl
ied and walked out the door. I stared down at the coffee pot and tried not to cry. Whatever this was, it was bad… really, really bad.
“You okay?” Sally asked, shuffling up next to me.
Shaking my head, I cleared the tears from my throat and handed her Amelia. “No. Dillon didn’t come home last night, Sal. What is going on? Something happened in Charleston. I don’t know what to think.”
“Shhhh,” she said, patting my back. “He did come home. He just slept on the sofa. Look, it’s obvious he’s upset about something. Give him time and I’m sure he’ll come around.”
Relief washed over me. “You really think so?”
“I do. Now, drink your coffee and let’s head over to the house and meet the trucks. You can talk to him about it after he’s had some time to chill out.”
Against my better judgment, I grabbed Amelia’s diaper bag and followed Sally out the door. Without a sideways look at Dillon, I snapped Amelia in and drove away. When I no longer had his apartment in my sights, I broke down and finally let the tears come.
Dillon and I moved into our new place together and I couldn’t have felt more alone. Yes, Sally lived there too, but I barely saw her the first week. I knew she was trying to give Dillon and I alone time together. A lot of good that did. If Dillon wasn’t working, he was at MMG. I only saw him when he came home to shower and barely even then. He wouldn’t speak to me unless I addressed him first and he barely even looked at Amelia. This killed me. He wouldn’t even stay home long enough to discover I’d finally weaned our little girl.
The fourth night we’d been in the new place, I was scheduled to work. At the last minute something came up and Sarah had to cancel. I was terribly upset by this because I needed to see Dillon. I needed to put on my big girl panties and confront whatever was bothering him head on. I had given him more than enough time to get over it and he hadn’t. It was way past time to talk. The other three nights, I had chickened out at the last minute and gone to bed. That wasn’t going to happen tonight. Tonight, I was going to camp out on the sofa with my book and wait for him.
One More Time (MMG Series Book 3) Page 14
