Rumor Going ‘Round

by Lind, Samantha

  “How many days are you off after your three on this week?” I ask, mentally rolling through my own work scheduled to see if we’ve got any aligning days off.

  “Three,” she says as we make it to her car.

  “Did you have anything inside that you brought and need?” I ask, realizing she doesn’t have much with her.

  “Nope. The dishes I brought were in tossable containers.”

  “What did you bring?” I ask, realizing that I don’t even know if I had whatever it was.

  “Apple pie and those little bacon wrapped smokies with brown sugar on top.”

  “Damn. I think both were gone before I got to the food. Damn operating the grill.”

  “Sorry. Maybe if you’re nice, I’ll bring you a pie to have all to yourself.”

  “Don’t tease me, woman. You might have just unlocked the way to my heart.” I wink at her, the light from the front porch bright enough to light up the driveway so that we can see one another.

  “Good night, Tucker, thanks for inviting me. I had a great time,” Lindsay says before she moves to open her car door. I step aside, grabbing it for her and holding it open while she slides in behind the wheel. I should have fucking kissed her when I had the chance, rolls through my mind as I watch as she drops her keys into the cup holder, and presses the start button.

  “Night, Linds, text me and let me know that you made it home okay, please,” I ask, adding the please onto the end.

  “I’m a big girl, Tuck,” she says, rolling her eyes at me, but I know she’s not mad about my request, if the smile on her face tells me anything. “But, I’ll appease you and send you a text when I make it home.”

  “Thanks, I’ll sleep better knowing that you made it home in one piece.”

  “Night,” she says, reaching for her door. I push it closed for her, then step back from the car so that she can pull out. I stand and watch until I can no longer see her taillights in the dark. I turn around, realizing that, at some point, Lee and Allison left, as well.

  I know that I’ve got about ten minutes until Lindsay makes it home, so I head to the backyard, pulling the hose with me to spray on the coals that are still going. With those properly extinguished, I pick up as much as I can see and fit in my hands on my way back to the deck. I’ll get the rest tomorrow when I can clean up in the daylight.

  After locking up, I make my way into my room. I’m just pulling my shirt off when my phone buzzes in my pocket. I slide it out and see a message from Lindsay.

  Lindsay: Made it home in one piece. {winky face} Thanks again for the amazing night.

  Tucker: Anytime. I’m glad you had a good time. Sleep tight.

  Lindsay: Night.

  I set my phone in the charging cradle on my end table so it can charge for the night. I head for the bathroom, and ten minutes later, after a quick shower, I’m sliding between the sheets with only one woman on my mind. Lindsay.

  6

  Lindsay

  “So, what’s going on with you and Tucker?” Allison asks as we walk around the lake. The fall weather hasn’t really shown up yet here in Georgia, even if we are inching closer and closer to Halloween.

  “I don’t know,” I groan, looking up to the sky, hoping for some answers myself. “I don’t know what to make of him, if I’m being honest. It all started that night we went to Joe’s for ladies' night. He came over and danced with me, and it was just different. He held me like I was his, if that makes sense?” I say, almost as a question.

  “Oh yeah, he had all kinds of mine vibes going on that night,” she confirms.

  “After you left with Lee, he walked me out to my car and then followed me home to make sure I made it okay. Then the football game and bonfire the other night. You should have seen him during the game. I still can’t get over the feeling of him holding me for almost the entire game. At first, he just tried to play it off as there not being enough seats, and there weren’t, so I’ll give him that. But, Allison, he was so damn sweet and attentive to me. And you saw him when we were out around the fire.”

  “I did, and I’d say that man has it bad for you. About time he realized it,” she says, bumping her shoulder against my own as we continue walking. “Have you heard anything from him since?”

  “Nope, but I think he’s working, or maybe he’s got Paisley and is busy, or maybe I’m just reading into things too much,” I ramble.

  “Definitely not reading into things. That man wants you and bad. Mark my words.”

  “Maybe.”

  “But the bigger question is, do you want him?”

  “He makes me feel...” I pause, thinking about just what I feel when I’m around Tucker. “He makes me feel alive, like I’m beautiful and important. Even in a room full of people, he made me feel like I was the most important person there. It was almost like he was in tune with me and knew what I wanted or needed before I could even voice it. Like he was connected to my soul somehow. Thinking back on it, you could almost find it creepy how in sync we were without even trying.”

  “That’s almost some soul mate-level kind of stuff going on,” Allison points out.

  “I guess only time will tell if anything happens between us.”

  “Maybe you should call him or shoot him a text?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “We’ve got the next three days off, maybe he’ll have time off, and y’all could go out on a date? Or better yet, invite him over and cook for him. Wear something sexy, have some music going… Tempt that man right out of his clothes and into a heap of orgasms,” she muses as we approach the parking lot where my car is. “I bet that man knows how to work the pole, if you know what I mean.” She winks at me as she bursts out, laughing at her pun.

  “You’re incorrigible.” I laugh right along with her.

  * * *

  My conversation earlier with Allison has played on repeat all day. Should I just bite the bullet and text him? Have I just been trying to see more than was really there the last few times we’ve hung out?

  I turn my attention back to the movie I turned on earlier, Forever My Girl. I fell in love with this story from the book and was ecstatic when it was made into a movie. With my focus on the TV, I stop stressing over the whole Tucker thing, at least for a little bit.

  Once the movie ends, I grab my cell and realize I missed a text from my cousin Reese, earlier. Rather than texting her back, I just tap her name and call her. I’ve missed her so damn much, but she’s out there kicking ass as one of the biggest names in Country music. Between her moving full-time to Indianapolis, where her husband plays professional hockey, and her tour schedules, I hardly ever see her anymore.

  “Hey!” Reese's sweet voice fills my ear as she answers her phone.

  “Hey, yourself. How’s life?”

  “It’s great!” she says, laughing. “Stop it,” I hear her say, almost as if the phone has been pulled away from her face. “Sorry about that; Austin was pestering me.”

  “No problem, how’s married life treating you?”

  “It’s really great, well, at least it is when your spouse isn’t pestering you,” she says, punctuating those last few words as if she’s trying to get her point across to her husband. I can’t help but laugh right along with her.

  “Let me talk to my cousin for a few minutes, and then I promise to give her back to you,” I call out, hoping that Austin can hear me.

  “I put you on speaker, so he heard all of that,” she says before I vaguely hear him grumble something in the background. “Okay, he just left the room for a few minutes, so you’ve got my full attention, so tell me everything!”

  “Not a ton to tell. I work, come home, sleep, wash, rinse, repeat,” I tell her. “You’re the one with the interesting and ever-changing life. How’s Nicole doing?”

  “She’s doing great, getting so big. I really need to find some time to make it home. How’s Nana?”

  “Feisty as always.”

  “I’m sure she is. Maybe we can come home
for Thanksgiving. Austin will have to leave early, if he can come at all. They’ve got a road trip right after the holiday. I think they leave on Friday for, like, four nights, but Nicole and I could come for ten days or so, will you be around?”

  “Don’t have anywhere else to go, and if you’re coming home, you damn well know that I’ll be here. I could even take a few days off to spend with y’all. Lord knows I’ve got the time off saved up, and need a good reason to use it.”

  “You know you could always come out here for a few days if you want to get away,” she offers. “We have more than enough room in this big house, and I’d love to have you here. I could take you to one of Austin's games, maybe introduce you to one of the single guys,” she muses.

  “A game sounds fun, but I’m not so sure about one of the guys, even if they do look pretty hot in all that gear.”

  “Girlll...” she says, drawing out the word. “I don’t know how I’m not already pregnant again. I swear, my husband comes home, and I just want to jump him.”

  “You go, girl. If I had a husband as hot as yours, and that was as sweet as him, I’d probably be jumping him every chance I got.”

  “God, we’re bad.” She laughs.

  “That we are,” I agree with Reese.

  “So, any prospects on the horizon?” she questions.

  “Has Allison been texting you?” I ask her, almost wondering if my best friend has been conspiring with my cousin.

  “Nope, why? Does that mean that there is someone?” Reese perks up.

  “Maybe,” I tell her, sucking in a breath, not really knowing where to start. “You remember Tucker?” I ask, sucking my bottom lip in and biting it.

  “Tucker Wild?” she asks.

  “The one and only,” I confirm.

  “Yeah, what about him? Wait, didn’t you crush on him hard all throughout high school?”

  “I wouldn’t say all of high school, but some of it.”

  “Anyway, go on about Tucker,” she instructs.

  “We’ve had a few encounters? Moments? I don’t know how the hell to describe them,” I tell her honestly, and then go on to lay out the details of each of our last few encounters. She listens intently as I tell her everything.

  “Okay, so that’s a lot to unpack, but I agree that it sounds like something is brewing. What’s your gut telling you?” she asks.

  “To let it unfold and see what happens. I know some of that is I want that perfect romantic experience. The movie-worthy swoony moment of being swept off my feet, falling in love with my soulmate kind of love. I want what you and Austin have.”

  “And you deserve every one of those moments, and if Tucker is your soul mate, then I have faith that he’ll deliver all of them.”

  “How can you be so sure?” I ask.

  “Love is…” she trails off for a moment. “Love is a funny thing. It will leave you hurting and confused one moment and so over the moon the next that you’ll feel like you’re floating and won’t come down to earth again. It’s definitely a rollercoaster on the emotions. Austin and I had a lot of obstacles in our way when we first met, the distance being the biggest. We were forced to become friends and get to know one another long before we were ever able to connect on any other levels, thanks to my tour schedule back then. I know you don’t have any obstacles like that in your way, and you and Tucker already know one another, probably pretty well since we all grew up together. But I’m sure that there are still lots for the two of you to learn about one another. Hell, I’m still learning things about Austin, and we’ve been married for a few years and have a kid.”

  “Thanks for the advice. I think I’m going to just let things develop if they’re going to develop, and if they don’t, then it wasn’t meant to be.”

  “Maybe give him a nudge or two?” she suggests.

  “I’m not sure I’m that outgoing,” I tell her. “What if I’ve just read everything wrong and he doesn’t have those kinds of feelings toward me. Then I’ve gone and made a fool of myself.”

  “Lindsay, if that man held you in his lap for an entire football game, he’s got feelings for you, or at least one hell of an attraction going on.”

  “We’ll see,” I say. “Okay, now tell me, when am I going to get new music from you? Have you been working on anything new?”

  “I have! I’m actually dropping a surprise single in just a few weeks! I’ll send you a copy of it to listen to. It’s so fun, and I can’t wait for it to hit the radio. I think this next album is going to be my best yet! I’ve had so much fun helping with the writing of these songs the last few months and can’t wait to channel that energy into the studio and then out on the road with a tour.”

  “Will you do another full tour?” I ask. I know since Nicole was born that she’s only done some shorter jaunts, playing maybe ten shows over a month or six weeks rather than a show every night or two, going city to city for months at a time.

  “Possibly. I know my record label wants me to, but that’s a lot of logistics to take a baby on tour, and a husband on the road with a completely different schedule. Makes for lots of feathers in the air, but I’ll probably have one, and we’ll just have to hire a nanny to travel with me. I can’t expect any of the grandparents to go on the road for months at a time, and Austin can only commit to the off-season dates, so it’s something that we’ll have to get used to at some point, at least until he’s ready to retire, but that’s a long way down the road, Lord willing.”

  “If I didn’t love my job so much, I’d say you could take me with you, but I don’t know how well that’d work out long-term.”

  “I’d so take you up on that offer, but I understand.”

  By the time we’re ready to hang up, hours have passed, and it was just what I needed to feel ready to tackle life, and whatever is going on between Tucker and me.

  “I’ll shoot you that song and let you know ASAP if we’ll be heading that way for Thanksgiving.”

  “Sounds good. Give my love to Nicole and Austin,” I tell Reese before we disconnect.

  I plug my phone in on the end table by the couch and make my way into the kitchen, looking for something to eat for dinner. I don’t find anything appealing, so I grab my keys and phone and head out to my car. I don’t really know what I want but find myself pulling into a local BBQ place in town. I head inside, and place and pay for an order to-go, then take a seat on one of the benches in the waiting area. They usually don’t take long to box up to-go orders, so I just scroll through my Instagram feed while I wait.

  “I’m here to pick up the order for House 57,” I hear a male’s voice say. I look up and see someone dressed in a Station 57 dark blue T-shirt and uniform pants. Upon closer inspection, I see that it's Lee. Once the hostess turns to go check on his order, he turns my way, seeing me sitting here.

  “Hey,” he greets me, closing the space between the two of us.

  “Hey, Lee,” I greet him. “How’s it going?” I ask.

  “Good,” he says, a cocky grin tugging at his lips. “How are you?”

  “I’m good, just grabbing some dinner and then heading back home. How’s your shift?”

  “Good, been pretty laid back so far. Hopefully, the rest of the night will be the same way,” he says just as the hostess comes back out with multiple bags in her hands.

  “Lindsay, I’ve got your order here, and Lee, I’ve got part of yours; it will just be another minute or so on the rest,” she says to both of us.

  “No problem, I’ll just run this out to the truck and be back to get the rest,” he tells her, flashing her a quick wink.

  “Tucker’s out in the rig,” he says as he backs against the door, pushing it open as he does, and allows me to step through it. I see the fire truck parked along the far side of the parking lot, a few guys all loaded inside of it. They have to travel together just in case they get called out when away from the firehouse.

  “I see that,” I tell him watching Tucker as he jumps down from the fire truck. He’s dressed in
the same uniform as Lee, the firehouse T-shirt pulling tight across his sinewy muscles. Even from across the parking lot, I can tell that it’s tight. I see the moment that he realizes that I’m next to Lee, as his face lights up in the sexiest smile that has my knees going week and a jolt of need that makes me want to rub my thighs together to relieve it.

  “Hey, Linds. What are you doing here?” Tucker asks as he closes the distance between the truck and where Lee and I have made it to in the parking lot.

  “Just picking up some dinner. Didn’t have anything that sounded appealing at home, so take out it is for me tonight,” I ramble.

  “Same for us. No one wanted to cook, so BBQ it is. How was your week at work?” he asks as Lee continues on to the truck, handing the bags of food over before he turns to head back inside for the rest of their order.

  “It was good, kind of a quiet week.”

  “That’s good. Hey, you up to having dinner together tonight? You can meet us over at the firehouse, and we can take ours out to the picnic table out back.”

  “Um,” I stall, biting my bottom lip as I think over his invite.

  “Come on, give me a little break from these guys,” he says, practically begging, and doing his best to give me the saddest puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen a grown man use.

  “Okay.” I crack up, laughing at his antics. “But only if you promise to never do that again,” I say, circling my finger around whatever it is that his face has contorted into.

  “Yes!” He pumps his fist into the air like he’s just won a prize. “And no more of that,” he assures me, a smirk back on his face.

  “Why don’t I believe you one bit?” I ask, rolling my eyes at him.

  “Scouts honor,” he says, holding up three fingers next to his shoulder.

  “Let's go, Wild!” one of the guys calls out from the truck. When I look over, I realize that Lee is already back in the truck, and all the guys are staring our way. “Food’s getting cold,” the guy, who I don’t recognize, calls out.