Cowboy Country (70 page)

Rebecca laughed and shook her head. “No. I raise and show horses.”

Dwayne stood back, a shocked look on his face. “Get out! Rural meets urban! How in the world did you get tangled up with Luke Grayson?”

She laughed and told the story, consciously leaving out how she and Luke ended up sleeping together.

“Oh my God! It’s just like the movie,
Pretty Woman
! I mean, without you being a prostitute and all.” he exclaimed excitedly.

“I know!” she agreed, laughing. “That’s what my best friend, Megan, and I thought.”

Tonya came back with her drink and raised a questioning brow at Dwayne. Dwayne dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “I’ve got it. You go make sure Luke doesn’t need anything. Rebecca and I are having some fun.”

Tonya shot a glance at Rebecca as she set the tea down and Rebecca didn’t miss the scowl on Tonya’s face as she left. Dwayne also caught the look and shook his head. “She is
so
jealous! I love it! Believe me, if I thought there was any chance that Luke was bi,
I
would have the same look. Luke is
so
hot but he’s also
so
straight.” he laughed.

Feeling uncomfortable, Rebecca tried to laugh with him but took a sip of tea instead. “So she and Luke never dated?”

Dwayne went back to applying her make-up. “Oh, no, honey. Luke has never mixed business with pleasure. He’s made that perfectly clear. He takes his job very seriously. The only girls he’s dated have been in another field, like actresses and models.” He saw the look of intimidation spread across her face and patted her hand. “They have nothing on you so just put that worry right out of your mind. You have the shape of a goddess and you’re so nice. Not fake like those
other
girls.”

She smiled up at him gratefully. “Thank you. I just don’t know what to think of all this, it’s so…unreal.”

“Welcome to the glamorous life. I’m done with your hair and make-up, ready to see my work?”

She nodded and took a deep breath as he turned her in the chair to face the mirror. She almost didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her. The dark, smoky grays that lined her eyes made her blue eyes look like brilliant jewels. The subtle coloring along her cheeks gave the impression that she had high, sculpted cheek bones. The ruby coloring on her lips matched her blouse and made her lips full and pouty. Her hair was pulled up away from her face and held at the crown of her head in a jewel-encrusted clip, while the length was curled into soft tendrils that flowed down her back and over her shoulders. She looked like a model.

Dwayne laughed in delight at her reaction and kissed the top of her head. “See, honey? Those models don’t have anything on you!”

“Oh, Dwayne! You’re a miracle worker.”

“You’re sweet and yes, I’ve heard that before. You made it easy; you gave me a beautiful palate to work on. It’s all you, Rebecca.”

“Luke’s about to go on, we need to get Rebecca over to…” Tonya came bursting into the room, trailing off as her eyes fell on Rebecca. “Oh wow, Dwayne, you’ve done your magic again.”

Neither Rebecca nor Dwayne missed the tone of jealously in her voice and Dwayne shook his head. “No, didn’t have much to do. Rebecca is a natural beauty. She has just never been shown her potential. She’s model material, wouldn’t you agree, Tonya?”

Tonya flushed but nodded, a forced smile flitted across her face. “Yes, she’s definitely beautiful but it takes more than pretty looks to make it. Can I take you to your seat?”

“Sure.” Rebecca stood up and Dwayne kissed her on both cheeks.

“Go out and knock him dead, Cinderella, this fairy godmother doesn’t have a time limit. Enjoy your night.”

She hugged him and nodded before following Tonya out the door.

They made their way down a darkened corridor and she saw the opening to the stage. Tonya showed her a chair that was placed just off the stage in the shadows. She was able to see the entire stage and the audience and she was amazed at the thousands of people screaming and whooping, waiting for Luke to come on stage.

She looked around before sitting and saw Luke standing behind the higher stage that held the drum set and keyboards. He was being wired for his microphone. Tonya had raced over to make sure his hair was still styled but Rebecca saw that his eyes were on her, devouring her with his gaze. She felt a warm flush spread through her body and felt powerful. She smiled and couldn’t help the wink that she gave him. He smiled and nodded, shaking his hand from side to side, indicating that she was hot.

She heard a man’s voice ask if the audience was ready for a musical delight and the crowd went wild. She had to cover her ears to buffer the crescendo and as the lights went out, the screams got louder. She watched Luke rush onto the stage and take his place as the music began and a soft, blue light came up on him. He began to sing the fast-paced song she’d heard him sing in the studio back in L.A. She clapped her hands to the beat and watched as he performed his magic on stage, racing from one end of the stage to the other, working his fans into a hyper-frenzy. When he finished the song and transitioned into a softer song, the crowd went wild. She recognized this song from the radio and sang along as he soulfully serenaded the audience about a love that was lost but not forgotten.

Enjoying the music, Rebecca began to wonder about the woman he sang about. She knew he wrote most of his own songs and she felt a pang of pain as she imagined Luke going through the painful break-up that birthed the song.

When the song ended, the lights went down and a melody she knew by heart started playing and she heard Luke’s voice float over the speakers, above the roar of the crowed. “This song is dedicated to a friend who helped me find my way one night when I felt lost. This song is for you, Rebecca.”

She felt a tear slip from her eye as he began singing
Love Everlasting
, the song that had brought them together. She sang along and was enjoying the performance when Tonya walked over.

“Well, that was touching. You really must be the flavor of the month.”

Rebecca glared at her. “Excuse me?”

Tonya held up her hands. “Hey, no offense. Just saying, Luke keeps his girlfriends around for a couple of months before he gets bored and moves on. He’s not the settle down and have a family type, so enjoy it while you can. Just don’t be surprised when he trades you in for a younger model.”

Rebecca felt her jaw drop as she watched the spiteful brunette walk away. She tried to go back to enjoying the concert, the band changing over into another fast beat tempo but she found herself watching how Luke reacted to his fans, who were mostly women. She saw a few of the women trying to get up on stage, while others held signs proclaiming their love for him. As the concert continued, she was almost completely focused on the audience and less on Luke. She felt nauseous and appalled. Women were throwing their undergarments up on stage and Luke was picking some of them up, nodding in the women’s direction before throwing the garb back onto the upper stage that held his drummer and keyboardist.

Tonya’s words came back into her head and she realized she didn’t belong here. She was a small town woman with the dream of showing her horses. She didn’t belong in this kind of limelight, didn’t
want
to have that kind of attention and she wanted a relationship where she didn’t have to wonder, or worry. She didn’t like how Kip treated her but she liked the idea of marriage. Someone to come home to, to share her day with and he with her. She didn’t want to have to worry about if there was another woman in the shadows to take her place.

She gazed at Luke, seeing his enjoyment and excitement as he sang and she knew it wouldn’t be fair to impose her desires and needs onto him. He was a free spirit who was living his dream and she couldn’t see how she would ever feel comfortable living in it. She quietly got up and made her way back down the hallway she’d come earlier that night, forcing back the tears. She didn’t run into anyone she knew until she hit the outside doors where she blindly ran into a broad chest.

“Rebecca, is everything alright?” Henry asked.

She tried to smile but felt the tears threaten her eyes. Blinking them back, she nodded. “Yes, Henry, thank you. I’m fine. Just had some news at home and I need to leave immediately. Is there a taxi anywhere?”

“I’ll get your driver. He’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

He called on his radio and soon the man who had driven her appeared. She climbed into the car and let her tears fall. She noticed the clock read eleven-thirty and she couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped her. Cinderella at least had until midnight. When they made it back to the hotel, the driver insisted on waiting while she packed her stuff so he could take her to the airport. Because she hadn’t unpacked much, it only took her minutes to pack and get back downstairs and get into the car. When she made it to the airport, she refused Luke’s private jet and booked the next commercial flight back to Colorado.

She placed a call to Megan, tearfully asking her to meet her at the Sweetwater airport to give her a ride home, letting her know what time her flight would land. She refused to give Megan any details and assured her she was alright. She ended the call and turned her phone off before putting it in her purse. She didn’t want to have to talk with Luke, not until she was home and had a clear head. She was doing
both
of them a favor. She sat back in her seat and waited to get to Colorado.

CHAPTER TEN

It had been six days since she’d come home. The first two were spent recovering from jet lag and crying over what had happened. Megan had consoled her but gently pointed out that maybe Rebecca had overreacted. Frustrated, Rebecca lashed out at Megan, telling her that she hadn’t been there and didn’t understand. Two days later she mailed back the blouse, bracelet, the hairclip Dwayne had put in her hair and a letter to Luke. She’d thanked him for letting her borrow them and asked if he would thank Dwayne for her fairytale night. She hoped they would both understand.

Luke had left several messages; the first couple had been frantic asking what had happened. The last two had been devoid of emotion, asking her to call him so that they could talk. She’d picked up the phone so many times to tell him she was sorry, that she had made a mistake but Tonya’s words would creep back into her head and the images of women throwing themselves on stage stopped her from doing so.

On the eighth day, she received a certified letter from Luke’s managers. Confused, she tore it open and broke into sobs as she read it.

It was a signed contract, giving her exclusive rights to his song,
Love Everlasting
. Once again, she picked up her phone to call him but ended the call before it went through. She had to keep their relationship professional. It was better for both of them.

She tried to get back into the routine she’d always been so comfortable with but found it almost impossible with having to hear his voice over the stereo as she and Othello practiced their routine. She was distracted and it showed as she missed cues and became frustrated, taking it out on Othello. When he threw his head up and snorted in defiance, she realized she wasn’t being fair to him either.

“Sorry, big guy. It’s not you, it’s me, getting caught up in stupid, human stuff. Seems I’m hurting all the men in my life, or were in my life. Let’s forget practice today and just go for a ride.”

She rode him out of the arena and headed for the mountain trails that took them through her five hundred acres. Summer flowers were in bloom and the trees, aspens mixed with mountain pines, whispered in the evening breeze. She took in the scent of the mountain air blending with the smell of her horse and felt a happiness flow through her. This is what she lived for, this was her life.

They made their way on the trails that wound their way around rocks and trees. As it opened up into a meadow in full bloom, she felt Othello shudder in anticipation. She patted his neck and leaned closer to his ears. “You got it, boy. Go ahead and run.”

She eased up on the reins and let him take over. She closed her eyes as he broke into a run across the meadow, relishing the feel of the air rushing across her face and the power of the animal under her. When they made it back to the barn, they were both breathing heavy, enjoying the change in routine. She took pleasure in walking Othello to cool him down and after brushing him and putting him away, surprised herself when she caught herself whistling. She fed the horses and as she walked out of the barn, she turned to look back. She smiled, feeling happy and content as she gazed at what she had created. She’d done this, no one else. She could be content with that.

***

As the day grew closer to the world grand champion show, her thoughts were focused on the trip. She’d made amends with Megan and though Megan often told her she was being ridiculous and overreacting, they both agreed that her main focus should be on the show. Megan didn’t bring up Luke other than the occasional question as to whether or not he’d called or she had called him. Rebecca admitted that he’d called several times but she hadn’t heard from him since she had received the contract for
Love Everlasting
. She’d heard through various media networks that his concert tour was successful and he had performed at sold out shows throughout the U.S. He was scheduled to take a six-week hiatus before continuing his tour overseas. She was sincerely happy to hear of his success but also felt a pang of pain. She would see him on news clips and feel the desire fill her body as strongly as when she’d been in L.A. and New York.

Her mind told her she was doing the right thing, that she was behaving logically, but her body was telling her otherwise. He now haunted her dreams and she was being awakened in the middle of the night, her body hot and tingling from the images. Intellectually she knew they couldn’t make their relationship successful but her heart kept creating scenarios that showed they could. Each morning after she had those dreams, she spent more time in the barn, trying to convince herself it couldn’t. Unfortunately her mind was turning traitor, showing her ways it could work. She tried to work harder, to push those thoughts to the back of her mind but her frustration was affecting her riding skills and she had to work doubly hard to push them away.