Songwriters? Songwriters! They couldn’t hire fucking songwriters. No songwriter could ever match the feel of their music, the sound of it, or the purpose behind it. Had Jacob lost his fucking mind?
“This is bullshit,” Kelly said, giving voice to Owen’s jumbled thoughts. “Adam is one of us. He’s always been one of us. We can’t do this to him.”
“We don’t even know why he took off,” Owen added. “I’m sure he had a good reason.”
“More than two hours later, and he still hasn’t checked in to let us know what the fuck is going on!” Jacob yelled. “He obviously doesn’t give a shit about any of us or the fans or the music. All he cares about is himself. It’s time to cut him loose. If he wants to destroy himself, fine, but I’m not letting him take the rest of us down with him.”
“I want to hear what he has to say before I weigh in,” Gabe said. “For all we know, he’s dead in a ditch somewhere.”
Owen went light-headed. “Don’t even say that.” It was very possible that Adam was dead in a ditch somewhere. In fact, he was almost sure of it. They hadn’t heard from him for hours.
Then again, maybe he was too afraid to call them, knowing that Jacob would likely overreact.
“It would save me the trouble of telling him to fuck off,” Jacob said in a growl of a voice.
Owen couldn’t believe he would say that about a friend. A brother. Not a brother by blood, maybe, but they’d been through so much together, they had important bonds. “You’re such an asshole.”
Jacob got in Owen’s face, so close that their noses were almost touching. “I’d rather be an asshole than a spineless wuss.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Owen shoved him away. What a fucking prick. Just because Owen didn’t march around like some self-important blowhard didn’t mean he was spineless or a wuss.
“You’re a pushover, Owen. You always have been.”
“Don’t take your frustration with Adam out on Owen,” Kelly said, placing a calming hand on Owen’s thigh. “You’re the one who never bends. You’re the mighty oak, standing tall and rigid against any force that threatens your position.” He slammed his other fist against his own chest.
“Someone has to be strong.”
“Listen to what Kellen is trying to warn you about,” Gabe said. “If you never bend, you will break, Jacob. Don’t you see that? We’ll figure out what to do after we talk to Adam.”
They listened to Jacob’s solution that Kelly play lead or that they replace Adam outright with a new guitarist. Neither option was a solution as far as Owen was concerned.
“I just want Adam gone,” Jacob spat. “And not temporarily. For good.”
Owen shook his head. How could he even think that was the best solution, much less suggest it? “What’s wrong with you? I’m sure he’ll explain everything when he gets back. He deserves a second chance.”
“A second chance?”
Owen nodded, and Kelly’s hand tightened on Owen’s leg. At least he and Kelly were on the same page. He still wasn’t sure about Gabe, who’d withdrawn completely into himself.
“He’s already had a hundred second chances,” Jacob said. “Or more! He’s gone too far this time. I’m not putting up with his shit anymore. So if you won’t get rid of him, then I’m out of here.”
“What?” Gabe’s head snapped up as he stared at Jacob, looking stunned.
Best idea Jacob had had all evening as far as Owen was concerned. He was currently beyond his limit with the inconsiderate jerk. “There’s the door.” He jabbed his thumb in the direction of the exit.
Jacob’s jaw dropped, and Owen was glad to see something had derailed him. He was on a collision course with the band’s demise. This decision of his affected everyone, not just him. Not just Adam. Not even just the band members, but the crew, the fans, and even their record label.
“So Owen chooses Adam over me,” Jacob said. “What about you, Kellen? I’m sure you’ll go along with whatever Owen says since you can’t live without each other.”
“Fuck you, Jacob,” Kelly said.
Indeed, Owen thought, glad Kelly had his priorities straight.
“Don’t do this, Jacob. It isn’t worth it,” Gabe said.
Jacob’s shoulders sagged as his last possible ally chose the other side. He bit his lip and nodded. “I guess this is goodbye then. Good luck with Adam. He’s only going to drag you down with him. I guess you’ll just have to see it for yourself. I’m through being his buffer. None of you have any idea how bad he can get—you have absolutely no clue. But you’ll figure it out soon enough, and I might have already moved on.”
Jacob grabbed his overnight bag and headed to the front of the bus, where he instructed Tex to pull over.
After some argument, Tex eased the bus onto the shoulder of the road.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Gabe asked.
Owen exchanged a concerned glance with Kelly. If the band was really breaking up, that was one thing. But tossing Jacob out on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere was unquestionably wrong.
“I’m leaving,” Jacob said.
“Be reasonable, Jacob.” Gabe tried to soothe him with a hand on the shoulder, but Jacob shrugged it off. “We can work through this. Stay. Let’s talk about it.”
“Open the door,” Jacob said to Tex.
Before Owen could even rise to his feet, Jacob was off the bus. Gone. Jacob was gone.
“Great fucking plan, Jacob,” Gabe yelled out the door. “This doesn’t solve a goddamned thing. Jacob!”
“Let him go if that’s what he wants,” Kelly said. “God knows he’s a stubborn son of a bitch.”
“He might get hit by a car,” Owen said, but Jacob didn’t return. Instead, Tex pulled back onto the road, and Owen watched in disbelief as the dark figure walking up the deserted shoulder disappeared from view.
“What the fuck just happened?” Gabe asked, turning from the exit to stare at them. “What the fuck just happened?”
“Jacob just screwed us all, that’s what happened,” Kelly said.
“Did Sole Regret just break up?” Owen asked, grabbing Kelly’s arm to steady himself. “Did he actually leave? He’s coming back, though, right? After we find Adam and Jacob clears his head, he’ll be back.”
“I’m not so sure,” Kelly said. “I think we’re through.”
This could not be happening.
Chapter Seventeen
Caitlyn blinked awake, her mind scrambling to identify the sound blaring from the nightstand by her bed. She rolled over and slapped around for her phone, noting that according to her clock radio, it was after midnight. Her phone rang again and slipped out of her fumbling hand, landing on the floor with a thud. Groaning, she rolled out of bed and lay flat on her belly, reaching under her bed to find the damned thing. This had better be important.
“Hello?”
“I’m sorry,” Owen said. “I know it’s late. Were you sleeping?”
Caitlyn rolled onto her back and rubbed at her eyes. “Yeah. But I’m awake now. Please don’t tell me you woke me up just because you were thinking of me.” Which would have been a nice gesture and something totally Owen, but she was tired and had to be up early for a staff meeting.
“My band broke up.”
Caitlyn sat up and bumped her head on the corner of the nightstand. Ow! Wincing, she rubbed the smarting spot and flipped over to her knees. “What? What do you mean your band broke up?” Last she’d talked to him, Sole Regret was preparing to go on stage in New Orleans and he’d called just to make sure she was safe. Another very Owen thing to do.
“I mean Sole Regret broke up. Our guitarist took off right before the show, and we had some kid take Adam’s place onstage, and then Jacob decided he’d had enough irresponsible behavior and he left.”
“Did something happen to Adam?”
“I’m not sure. We still haven’t heard from him. But I’m used to Adam doing stupid shit. This isn’t like Jacob. He left us.”
“Maybe once he cools down—”
“You sound like Kelly,” Owen said. “I told you I had a bad feeling tonight. I should have expected something like this to happen.”
“Where are you?” she asked. “You sound like you need a hug.” And she had the sudden urge to be the one who gave him what he needed.
“We’re on our way to Jackson. Sally is trying to get this shit sorted out and figure out if we’re going to play tomorrow or if we should just cancel the show before all the fans show up and we have to turn them away.”
“Sally?”
“Our tour manager.”
“Do you want me to meet you in Jackson?”
He was silent for a long moment. “You’d do that?”
“Of course. I’d have to rearrange my schedule a little, but I’ll be there for you if you need me.”
He was quiet for another moment before he said, “I’m okay. Kelly and the guys are here with me. I just wanted to hear your voice.”
“Are you sure?” She wouldn’t have offered if she wasn’t sincere about seeing him.
“If this show doesn’t happen, we’ll fly home to Austin tomorrow. Maybe you could . . . Never mind.”
“I’ll be there,” she said. “Just be sure to give me a little warning so I can sort out my schedule and travel plans before I come running to you.”
He chuckled. “You’re so obsessed with my happiness, almost like you love me or something.”
His tone was teasing, but she knew he wanted to hear her say the words. However, she’d wait until they saw each other in person to make that kind of confession. Eventually. Her head was still telling her to slow down, even if her heart was racing in the fast lane.
“If you don’t want me to come to Austin—”
“I do. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. We won’t leave for Austin unless there’s no way to fix things before the concert.”
“Then I hope to see you in Jackson.”
“I’ll let you go back to bed,” he said. “Sorry I woke you.”
“I’m glad you called.” She felt that he needed her support, and she was happy to offer it.
When they hung up, she crawled back into bed, but couldn’t sleep. Her heart ached for him. His entire career had been turned upside down by the thoughtless actions of two people he considered friends. She could only imagine how devastating that would be. Caitlyn decided she’d be making a nuisance of herself and going to Owen no matter where he happened to be the next day. If he decided to take a trip to the moon, she’d find a way to join him.
Since sleep wasn’t happening, Caitlyn got up and fired off an email to her staff, canceling their morning meeting and vaguely citing an emergency as her excuse, and then she packed a small suitcase. She couldn’t predict where she’d be going the next day—Mississippi or Texas or the moon—but wherever Owen was, that was where she wanted to be.
~~~
Caitlyn didn’t know what she’d expected Owen’s house to look like, but as soon as she pulled into his drive, she realized the meticulously maintained blue cottage was perfect for him. She wasn’t sure if he’d made it home yet—his flight from Jackson had landed a while ago, but she wasn’t familiar with Austin’s layout or how far the airport was from his house. He had texted her when he’d landed safely, but she hadn’t heard from him since. His Jeep wasn’t in the drive, but it might be in the small garage off to the side of the house. She’d try knocking and if he wasn’t home, she’d wait for him in her car. Or maybe in that inviting porch swing that was swaying gently in the warm spring breeze.
She rang the front doorbell, and after a moment, a woman’s voice called, “Who is it?”
Her heart froze in her chest.
Lindsey? Caitlyn had forgotten the woman was her boyfriend’s temporary roommate. She shook off a spike of jealousy and said, “It’s Caitlyn. Has Owen made it home yet?”
The door swung open, and Lindsey stood framed by the small foyer behind her. She placed a hand on her pregnant belly and smiled—it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Oh, he’ll be home soon. He’s such a sweetheart, he ran to the store to get me some chocolate ice cream. You know what these pregnant cravings are like.”
Caitlyn didn’t, actually, and she wasn’t sure if Lindsey’s comment was meant to be a barb or just small talk. Lindsey wouldn’t know how much Caitlyn had longed to have a baby. Even Owen didn’t know that.
“That must be rough,” Caitlyn said, hoping she sounded nicer than she felt. “At least you aren’t craving pickles dipped in peanut butter.”
“Actually,” Lindsey said with a giggle, “that doesn’t sound half bad.” She stepped aside. “Come in. I’m sure Owen would be upset if he knew I’d kept you waiting on his doorstep.”
Lindsey showed Caitlyn around the small yet homey interior of Owen’s house as if she lived there—probably because she did. Caitlyn had left her suitcase in her trunk, but was now wishing she’d brought it inside so she could not-so-nonchalantly stow it in Owen’s room. On his bed. The one he would share with Caitlyn and not with Lindsey that night.
Caitlyn mentally rolled her eyes at herself. What was she, thirteen? She took a breath and blew it out slowly, trying to assure herself that this beautiful, young, and pregnant roommate of Owen’s wasn’t a threat.
“Caitlyn?” She hadn’t realized Owen was home until she heard him call her name.
“Upstairs!” she called back. He thundered up the stairs, and Lindsey was shuffled to the side as he pulled Caitlyn into his arms and kissed her as if it had been months rather than days since they’d last touched.
“I showed her around a little,” Lindsey said.
Owen tugged his mouth from Caitlyn’s, rolled his eyes, and then turned. “Thanks for entertaining my guest. Your ice cream is in the freezer.”
He pushed Lindsey out into the hallway and closed the door in her face.
“Any word from Adam?” Caitlyn asked.
“He’s in Dallas. His girlfriend fell off a horse.”
Caitlyn cringed. “Sounds painful. Is Jacob ready to forgive him?”
“No one can find Jacob, so I guess not.”
She touched his face, delighting in his beard stubble which was rough against her fingertips. The beard growth made him look a bit older. A bit rougher. She could easily get used to his less polished look. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.”
He kissed her again and tightened his hold, one hand sliding up her back to cradle her head and press her face closer to his neck. She inhaled his slightly musky scent and sighed in contentment. This was where she belonged. In his arms.
“Should I admit to you how excited I was to see a yellow Camaro parked in my driveway?”
“Probably not,” she teased.
“Should I tell you how much I need to see you naked in my bed right now?”
“How about you show me instead?”
He undressed her slowly, filling his strong hands with her curves, his warm mouth with her flesh. He was trying out the technique Caitlyn had used on M at the sex club when an unfamiliar voice echoed through the house.
“Owey?” the woman called. “Come down and help us pick out tile.”
Owen stopped moving, his fingers sliding out of Caitlyn’s overexcited pussy, his suction going slack on her throbbing clit.
“Just how many ladies live with you?” she asked, lifting her head to look down at him and finding his face flushed with something other than excitement.
“That’s my mom,” he whispered.
“Does she know you’re seeing me?” Caitlyn asked.
“Yeah, but just so you know, she’s pulling for Lindsey.”
Caitlyn bit her lip. Everything she knew about Owen pointed to him being a mama’s boy. She wondered how much influence his mother’s wishes held over his decisions. “And who are you pulling for?”
“You have nothing to worry about,” he said as he slid from the bed. “Get dressed. I’ll introduce you.”
Caitlyn could still feel the thickness of his fingers stretching her pussy and the tug of his mouth on her clit. In addition, the rawness of his beard stubble had scratched into the skin of her thighs, turning her on, so she didn’t much feel like meeting his mother at that exact moment. But when he collected her clothes and dropped them on the mattress beside her, she supposed she had little choice.
“Owey? Are you up there?” His mother’s voice carried up the stairwell.
“Coming, Ma!” he yelled before turning to Caitlyn. “Hurry, baby. She’s liable to come up here looking for me if we don’t go down quickly.”
Caitlyn struggled into her clothes, noting that Owen didn’t help her even though he was still fully dressed. He basically stared at the door as if the thought of her naked with his mother in the house was completely mortifying. When Caitlyn was mostly presentable—assuming his mom didn’t recognize her incriminating tousled hair for what it meant—Owen took her hand and opened the bedroom door.
“This shouldn’t be my decision,” Lindsey said, her voice drifting up from somewhere below them. “I’m just a renter.”
“Oh, please,” the other woman—his mother—said. “You’re family, Lindsey. You can help me pick out tile for your bathroom.”
“Hey, Mom,” Owen said to the woman sitting on the sofa beside Lindsey.
She looked so much like her gorgeous son that Caitlyn’s breath caught. When his mom rose to offer him a kiss, he quickly turned his head so that her peck landed on his cheek rather than on his lips. If the woman had any idea where her son’s mouth had just been, she would definitely thank him for brushing her off.
“This is my girlfriend, Caitlyn.”
Caitlyn’s palms grew damp and her mouth dry. Wow, Owen, way not to beat around the bush.
“Oh!” His mother’s eyes opened wide as they focused on Caitlyn.
“Hello,” Caitlyn said with an awkward little wave.
“This is my mom, Joan.” Owen nodded at his mom.
“Nice to meet you,” Joan said with a welcoming smile—which instantly reminded Caitlyn of Owen’s—and Caitlyn was surprised that she felt no animosity from the woman, especially if she was pulling for Lindsey.
Thrill Me (One Night with Sole Regret Book 9) Page 19
