Bluestone Song Read online

  “Remember when we used to try to figure out how to get away from the family when we had things like this? We’d even volunteer to wash dishes if it meant we were alone together.”

  She wouldn’t meet his gaze, and her whole body was tense with a need to escape him, a sensation that put a knot in his stomach. Why couldn’t she relax around him? He flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder and she looked up at him as his touch trailed across the side of her throat. Her eyes were darker than usual, her lips parted—

  And Quinn walked in the front door. “I knocked three times. You aren’t having that good of a time in here, are you?” He set a case of beer on the other side of the island, as Maddox swung around to pick up the plate of fish and Beth pivoted toward the counter. “Ah.”

  “Ah, nothing. Put the beer in the cooler on the patio.”

  Quinn pulled one out of the carton first. “Want one?”

  “Nope. I got a pop around here somewhere.” Though, Jesus, maybe a beer would calm the shaking in his hands. No, the only thing that would do that was another kiss from Beth, which would only leave him wanting her in his bed.

  Why the hell had he invited all these people?

  Maddox stepped out on the deck behind Quinn. Lily leaned on the rail overlooking the lake and Adam stood close. Something he said made her laugh, and Quinn tensed as he jammed beer bottles into the ice. Linda sulked in one of the padded chairs, holding Jonas, which Maddox had rarely seen her do. Okay, wow, great party.

  He headed down the steps to the grill on the lawn and Quinn joined him. Maddox turned the foil-wrapped cobs, and set the cast iron pan on the flames.

  “So what’s going on there?” Maddox asked, with a nod toward the rail.

  Quinn didn’t bother looking in that direction. “I think they went to school together or something.”

  Right. That was what had Quinn so uptight. “Did they date?”

  “Hell if I know.”

  “Want me to ask Beth?”

  “No. Jesus, you’re like an old lady, Maddox.” But Quinn’s attention remained on the interaction above them, even as he inspected the filets. “You cook much?”

  “Never. We used to do this over the campfire, though.”

  “Turn it, already. Or did you even bring a spatula?”

  He hadn’t, and tried to use the tongs, which just made the fish flake off. Swearing, Quinn, shoved him aside and with an expert toss of his wrist, had the filets flopping to the other side, just like they were still alive. The top sides of the fish were golden brown, perfect.

  Beth came down with the second pan. Maddox needed every ounce of self-control not to watch those gorgeous legs. Did she know how crazy she was making him? Probably not—she was too skittish to be doing this on purpose.

  “He may be able to sing, but he sure as hell can’t cook,” Quinn muttered when she got closer.

  “Did Lily and Adam go to school together?” Maddox countered, narrowing his eyes at his friend.

  “He was a couple years behind her, I think.” She passed the skillet to Quinn, who’d clearly taken over.

  “So they didn’t date?” Maddox pressed when Quinn scowled.

  “No. And he’s not going to be around long enough this time.”

  “But he’s staying in one of her cabins, isn’t he?”

  Quinn’s jaw got tighter, and Beth sent Maddox a warning look.

  “Why don’t you go get a plate that we can put this corn on?” she said, nudging him toward the steps.

  “Why don’t you both get the hell out of my way?” Quinn muttered. “I got this.”

  “Touchy,” Maddox said with a grin, and escorted Beth back up the steps and into the kitchen. “So has he even made a move?” he asked when they were alone in the kitchen.

  She shook her head. “And he won’t. Lily was involved with his best friend, the one he bought the bar with. When Gerry was killed, Quinn came back here, but his heart wasn’t in it. He’s been trying to sell the place and move away. It, and Lily, are reminders of Gerry.”

  Maddox sobered. “I saw the tattoo he has on his arm but I had no idea. But he loves her.”

  Beth shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe it’s too hard to love her.”

  Was she talking about Quinn and Lily, or about her and him?

  Dinner wasn’t exactly what Beth had hoped. Even though they were at Maddox Bradley’s lake house, Linda sulked. Adam flirted shamelessly with Lily, completely oblivious of Quinn’s growing sullenness. Only Jonas was well-behaved, and Beth and Maddox worked to keep conversation flowing.

  The food was good, and the view was beautiful, but it wasn’t like the old days. She’d been foolish to think she could go back to those simpler times. Still, Maddox tried so hard, she had to admire him. He sent Lily, Adam and Linda down to the grill with marshmallows and skewers, while Quinn said an early good-night and Beth joined Maddox in the kitchen to do dishes. She was too aware of his earlier words, how they’d maneuvered to get alone when they were young. She hoped he didn’t think that was what she was doing now.

  “Why don’t you go roast marshmallows?” he suggested as he scraped scraps into the trash.

  She made a face and plunged her hands in the soapy hot water. “No, thanks. Let Adam deal with Linda’s attitude for a bit.”

  “Maybe it’s not too late to give her up for adoption.”

  She froze mid-swipe. “She told you about that.”

  He placed the stack of dishes behind her and didn’t flinch from her question. “She mentioned it.”

  “Which means she’s thinking about it.”

  “She may be.” His voice was soft, somehow soothing.

  Beth braced her hands against the counter and lowered her head. “I wish I knew where I’d gone wrong with her. How can she think about doing that after holding him in her arms?”

  “Because raising him is harder than she thought it would be. Maybe she sees how hard it is for you, how much stress it’s causing you.”

  Beth blew out a breath. “She doesn’t think of anyone but herself. If she’d been thinking of me, she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant in the first place.”

  “I told her it would break your heart to part with that little boy.”

  “It would. It’s not easy, but no one promised that, did they?” She pulled herself together and straightened. “If she wants to give him up, I’ll just have to step aside and let her.” Maybe it would be best for Jonas, to not have a teenaged mother, to not live hand-to-mouth. Maybe it would be better for Linda. Beth was tired of making all the decisions, and this one was out of her hands anyway.

  “This wasn’t such a good plan, was it?” he asked, gesturing toward the patio doors, a chagrined smile canting his lips.

  “Maybe not.”

  “It was better when it was just us. Why don’t you come down to Quinn’s and listen to some music, and I’ll walk you home afterwards?”

  She shook her head and wiped her hands on the towel after loading the last plate into the dishwasher. The temptation was great—spend some time on her own, being a grown-up, even for a few hours. But being with Maddox would make her want things she had no business wanting, things that would be snatched away when he left town again, in just a few short weeks. Better to keep going the way she’d been.

  “I’d better get them home. It will be nice to get in bed before midnight for a change.” Before dark, even. Then, because she could only deny herself so much, she grabbed his arm, kissed his cheek, and fled to the deck to gather her family.

  Adam stayed in Bluestone longer than she expected him to, and spent a lot of time at the docks with Lily. His continued presence made Beth’s story about needing to give two weeks’ notice stretch thin, but she couldn’t tell him the truth, that she needed more cash.

  Beth had sent the two thousand dollars to her father, along with another four hundred that she had saved. She was more than half-way to her goal, but missing so much on the way. No Friday night movies or Saturday concerts, no listening to Maddox play. S
he hadn’t even realized how active she was in Bluestone until she was watching from afar.

  She worried about Linda. She watched her sister with Jonas, looking for any clue that Linda may be thinking of giving him up. Every time Linda was late from school or from Quinn’s, every time Jonas cried too long, every time Linda sighed and heaved herself off the couch to take care of him, Beth held her breath. Every time Linda lost her temper, Beth waited to hear, “I’m just going to give him up.” Her stomach knotted with the fear, especially knowing there was nothing she could do about it. Her instinct was to make everything as easy as she could for her sister, but she knew that wasn’t the right choice, even if she had time. So she worried.

  And she missed Maddox. He took her at her word when she said she didn’t need him to come to the casino anymore, so she hadn’t seen him since the cook-out. She hadn’t realized how she looked forward to seeing him every night, sitting at the bar, drinking his pop. She’d felt safe when he was there. No one bothered her now, thank goodness, but she still missed knowing someone—not just someone, but Maddox—was looking out for her. It had been so long since someone had cared. More than once she slowed near the turn of his house and considered turning in, but that was ridiculous. It was late, and that would just be stupid. But she missed his touch, the way he looked at her, and that kiss…

  On her night off, she was restless. Ridiculous. Jonas gurgled and kicked in his bouncy chair on the couch beside her. She was in socks instead of heels, she had the TV to herself since Adam was off with Lily and Linda was working at Quinn’s.

  Quinn’s. She missed the place. Missed the noise and the people. Missed hearing Maddox play. The place was too loud to take a baby, she argued with herself, even as she lifted Jonas out of his bouncy seat. She’d only stay for a little bit. She wasn’t working, after all.

  To assure herself that she wasn’t going for Maddox, she didn’t put on make-up, dragged on a T-shirt and laced up her athletic shoes. See, not out to impress anyone. She changed Jonas into a clean diaper and outfit, took a bottle from the fridge, tucked it into her purse, hitched the baby on her hip and walked out the door.

  Quinn’s was busy enough on Tuesday night that she had to park on the street. She could hear the music as she got Jonas out of his car seat. She stood beside her car and looked up at the bar. She should leave. Instead, her feet carried her forward across the gravel, up the stairs and into the bar.

  After weeks of working at the casino, Quinn’s was bright, cheerful, loud. She expected Jonas to protest, but she’d forgotten he spent time here every evening, with Trinity and Leo. Maddox’s voice washed over her, and she saw why the music carried so far—he had a band backing him. She thought she recognized Dale’s nurse Jodi on keyboards before Quinn shouted a greeting. She tightened her grip on Jonas. Now it was too late to duck out.

  She smiled and walked toward the bar, where Trinity and Leo sat in their usual spots. Beth wondered how long into Trinity’s pregnancy they’d continue to hang out here, or if they’d continue after the baby was born. Automatically, Trinity took Jonas from Beth and Quinn set a glass of pop in front of her.

  “Surprised to see you here,” Quinn said. “Did Linda screw up again?”

  “No, it’s my night off. The house was too quiet.” She glanced about for her sister before taking a sip of pop. She set it on the counter as her gaze drifted to the stage, where Maddox sat on a stool and leaned forward to croon into the microphone. Had he noticed her yet?

  “Ah.” The one word burst from Quinn. “Too quiet.”

  She bristled and tore her attention away from Maddox. “Clearly I’m not used to having the house to myself.”

  Everything in her screamed for her to bolt before the whole town figured out why she was here, but Trinity had the baby, and honestly, if she ran, they’d just reason it out all the faster. So she’d resist watching Maddox as he sang, and visit with Quinn and Trinity.

  “Does he sing the same songs every night? He can’t have that many.”

  “He does a lot of covers and some of his songs every night,” Trinity said. “Though I was surprised by how many songs he does have. I guess he’s been around longer than I thought.”

  Okay, that was it. She couldn’t keep her attention from him. His voice washed over her, got under her skin, and she was defenseless. When had she let those walls crumble? She shifted just slightly on the stool and met his gaze as he sang. A glint of triumph was in his eyes, as if he knew just what his voice was doing to her nerve endings. As if he knew she’d come here to see him.

  His next song was a classic by George Strait that matched his voice perfectly. The way the band swung into the tune made her wonder when and where they practiced, and how they felt backing up Maddox Bradley.

  “I’m going to take a little break,” he said into the microphone. “I’ll be back in about fifteen.”

  Beth’s first instinct was to grab Jonas to use as a shield against Maddox. He took his sweet time crossing the floor to her, stopping at different tables to greet customers, before sidling up beside her—too close—and asking Quinn for a pop.

  “Didn’t expect to see you here on your night off,” he said without looking at her.

  “I came to listen to some music,” she retorted.

  “Radio broken?”

  Her shoulders tightened. Before she could think of anything to say, he stepped back from the bar. “Come on. I want to show you something.”

  “How can you show her something if you didn’t know she was going to be here?” Leo asked. He quickly looked away and Beth turned to Maddox, to see if he’d sent some kind of signal, but his expression was cool.

  “What is it?” she asked suspiciously, but pushed away from the bar.

  “Come see.”

  Her entire body was tight as they walked toward the door. He didn’t touch her, and she didn’t know if that would have made it better or worse. What did he possibly have to show her? At first she’d thought maybe a new guitar or something, but he was taking her outside.

  He didn’t say anything as they walked down the stairs. Instead of walking toward the parking lot, toward the lake, he caught her hand and drew her toward the baseball field.

  “What-?” she asked, just as he pulled her beneath the wooden stairs.

  Before she could protest, he’d pulled her close, one hand against the small of her back, the other buried in her hair, loosening it from its ponytail, and covered her mouth with his.

  She sank into the kiss, parting her lips, welcoming his tongue, his hunger, his heat, matching it. Mindless of anyone walking by, she curled her fingers into his shirt, over those strong shoulders and pulled herself closer to him.

  He felt so good, so hard, so male. His stubble rasped her cheek, and his breath blew hot against her skin as he devoured her, like he couldn’t get enough. Arousal shot through her, at once alien and familiar. He was the only one to ever make her lose her head like this.

  Which made him dangerous.

  She broke the kiss and tried to back away, but he held her firm.

  “I’ve missed you,” he murmured.

  She didn’t know if he meant the past few days or the past fourteen years, and she couldn’t make herself look at him to see if his expression held any clues.

  “Beth.” He tucked his crooked finger under her chin and lifted her face. “This is the part where you tell me you’ve missed me, too. No sense lying—you wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

  “Maybe I missed being at Quinn’s,” she said, because she couldn’t give him that power, though of course he had to know why she was here.

  Just when she thought he couldn’t pull her any closer, he did, his hips against her stomach so she could feel the evidence of his arousal.

  “Did you?” he asked.

  Without waiting for an answer, he claimed her mouth again, his hands massaging her hips, his thumbs circling on her waist as his lips caressed hers. His tongue moved along hers, drawing her own response. God, she hadn’t fe
lt like this—every nerve ending sparking, everything female in her awake and alive—in so long.

  “Come home with me tonight,” he said against her mouth before coursing his lips down her jaw to the spot below her ear. “I have a nice big bed. No more back seats.”

  Her first instinct was to push him away and go inside. He was leaving soon—it was almost July. She wouldn’t see him again. And she shouldn’t leave Linda alone. The girl may take it as an excuse to have her own party. But her body craved him, and she’d been alone so long. She nodded against his shoulder.

  Her response must have surprised him because he drew back quickly to look into her face, his hands on her arms as if he was afraid she might escape.

  “I have one more set, then.” He lowered his eyebrows. “Don’t change your mind.”

  That he knew her so well after so long apart shouldn’t surprise her. Doubts already swirled in her mind. What would she tell Linda? Did he have birth control? Would it hurt after so long?

  He swept his thumb over her lower lip and she looked into his eyes.

  “I have to get back. Don’t change your mind.”

  She didn’t say anything as they walked out from their hiding place and up the stairs. Only when he was about to open the door did she remember her ponytail was loose. Quickly, she straightened it as he watched, a half-smile canting his lips.

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”

  “You look like you’ve been kissed.”

  Damn him, he was enjoying this. She pressed her hand to her lips, but had a feeling that wasn’t the only evidence. She straightened her clothes and reached past him to open the door.

  He didn’t accompany her to the bar, but went back to the stage, leaving her to face her friends alone. Even if they realized she and Maddox had been kissing, they wouldn’t know her decision about tonight. That was what mattered. She crossed the floor and closed her hands around her now-warm pop, keeping her gaze focused on it, avoiding any speculative looks from Trinity or Quinn.