Empty Net (33 page)

“Tell me that my boyfriend just signed an amazing deal and he is making billions while never leaving me?”

Tate chuckled. “Seven million a year for seven years.”

“Yehaw! Get it, babe! That’s awesome, I’m so proud of you!” Audrey gushed.

Tate smiled, leaning against the wall by the elevator. “Thank you, I am really excited.”

“You should be! When are you coming home? I think this calls for a kiss!”

“I was thinking of more than a kiss, love.”

“Mmm,” she cooed over the phone, “please describe what it calls for, in detail.”

Tate chuckled, shaking his head. “You are going to kill me, you know?”

“Why’s that?” she asked innocently. Even though she wasn’t in front of him, he could see her twirling a strand of her hair around her finger, with her eyes wide while biting on her bottom lip. She drove him mad and he couldn’t wait to see her.

“You know why,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t show you when I get there. I’ll be there soon.”

“Fine, rush me off the phone!” she teased.

Shaking his head, he said, “ ’Bye, love.”

“ ’Bye,” she sang as they ended the call.

Audrey had been so excited to see Tate, it was a long week without him, but she’d also been worried about Piper. When her friend called, she scolded her, saying, “Hey you, I’ve been trying to call you all week!”

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I need you,” Piper said. She sounded distraught, and it scared Audrey because Piper was always calm, cool, and collected.

“Where?”

“Reese’s studio, Allison has dance.”

“Harper still isn’t feeling well?”

“Not really.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in a few.”

Audrey rushed out of the house and into her car, then drove north to Reese’s studio. After pulling in beside Piper’s car, she got out and sent a quick text to Tate.

She told him she would be back at the house soon. He replied that he was going to take a shower and couldn’t wait to see her. Audrey felt like her heart was going to explode. It was crazy how much Tate meant to her in such a short amount of time. He was funny, sweet, and everything she could want in a man. She had wanted a person who would make her forget her past, and boy, had she found him. Even with Levi still sending texts, she could only think of one person, and that was Tate.

For once, she was happy.

Audrey walked up to the door of Reese Allen’s dance studio, pulled it open, and entered. With its yellow walls, black vintage accents, and awesome lighting, Reese had put together one hell of a studio. From what Piper had told her, Reese was already surpassing a lot of the already established studios in Nashville. She had brought a lot of business from New York, and was attracting students from all around the world. It was crazy, because Audrey thought Reese was a bitch and had no clue why anyone would want to take dance lessons from her.

Audrey went to the front desk to ask where Allison’s dance room was. As she made her way there she took in the décor. The walls were filled with pictures of Reese, in costume, dancing various roles she had performed. Audrey had always wondered why Reese decided to open a studio instead of staying with the dance company she’d been with in New York. She was obviously good; maybe something had happened to bring her home.

She spotted Piper standing in front of a large window and went over to her. Piper smiled and hugged her.

When they separated, Audrey asked, “What’s wrong?”

Piper shrugged, said, “I’m a mess.”

“Why?”

Her eyes pooled with tears. “Erik said he didn’t want to be with me.”

“What?” Audrey said, surprised. “But I thought everything was okay. You were happy and all that jazz.”

“I thought so too, but when he was gone, he never called or texted me back, and when he came home, I went over to see him and he told me that he had made a mistake, that he should never have gone home with me, that he doesn’t like me that way. He apologized and said he didn’t mean to hurt me. But Audrey, I love him, and I don’t understand what I did wrong.”

Audrey wrapped her arms around Piper as her friend started to cry. She had never heard Piper cry, and it upset her to hear it now. “Oh, Pipe.”

“I don’t understand. He looked me in the eyes and told me how gorgeous I was while we were in bed. So why doesn’t he want me now?”

Audrey shook her head. “I don’t know, hon. I have no clue what to say. I’m so sorry.”

“Do you think I did something wrong?” her friend asked.

“Never, Piper, you are amazing, it has to be him. Maybe he just doesn’t want a relationship right now?”

“Then why did he lead me on? Why wasn’t I good enough?”

“Oh, Piper, don’t do this to yourself. You will find that person. Erik just wasn’t the one.”

Piper nodded as she wiped her face as Audrey looked at little girls wearing cute little pink tutus running around the room. Piper turned to her and said, “Thanks for rushing down here. I guess it was kind of pointless, huh?”

“No, I would do it again if you needed me. Just keep your chin up; everything is going to
work out.”

Piper eyed her a moment and then smiled. “You’ve been getting laid.”

Audrey rolled her eyes. “Jeez, really?”

“Oh yes you have! You are all sunshine and roses!”

Audrey laughed. “If you’d answer your phone you’d know.”

“Oh please tell me something good. At least if I know you’re happy, maybe it will cheer me up.”

Audrey smiled, wanting to burst with the news. It had been so long since she had been excited about a relationship. She hadn’t told anyone because she wasn’t sure if Tate wanted to tell people. If he didn’t, well, she still needed to tell Piper.

“But if it starts and ends with Levi,” Piper added, “please walk away now, because I don’t want to hear it.”

Audrey, smiling, shook her head. “It has nothing to do with him and everything to do with Tate Ooooodder.”

Piper did a little hop before bouncing up and down. “Yes! That is fantastic news. I am so happy for you.”

“Oh, Pipe, it is. He is fantastic, amazing, so freaking hot, and Lord, I’ve never been this happy. It’s only been a week, I know, but it feels like months. He makes me feel so good, and I just like him a lot.”

Piper looked pained but still smiled. “Good, I’m glad he does,” she said. “You deserve it.”

“Thanks, but now I feel bad because I want you to be happy too,” Audrey said sadly.

Piper shrugged her shoulders. “Like you said, he’ll come. I just gotta dust my shoulders off and try again. You did and you’re happy now. Mine will come. I just can’t give up.”

“That’s right. Don’t give up.”

It might have taken a hundred jerks, Audrey thought, but she had finally found a good guy. One who rocked her world and was waiting for her at that very moment. But she couldn’t leave Piper yet. Even if her friend seemed a little better than when she’d arrived, she knew that Piper still needed her.

“Wanna go for dinner?”

“Didn’t Tate just get home? I know Jakob did. That’s why I have Allison, so Harper and Jakob can enjoy each other for a moment.”

“Yeah, but he’s taking a shower and stuff,” Audrey said with a wave of her hand. Tate would understand; she would text him and tell him she would be late.

As Audrey knew she would, Piper nodded. “Thanks, that would be great.”

Spending time with Allison and Piper probably wasn’t her best idea, Audrey reflected, because when she was around little kids, she yearned to have her own. It was something about their little faces, hands, and toes that got her every time. She wondered what it would be like to feel a baby move inside her, to see it come into the world and then help it grow. As she drove home and tears sprang to her eyes, she shook her head, hoping to shake the thought away. There was no reason to think about things she couldn’t change, not when there was a man at home who was waiting for her.

When she pulled into her driveway, it was already dark, but she could see Tate sitting on the porch with a mug in his hand. Her face felt like it was going to break, she was smiling so wide as she rushed to get out of the car and into his arms. He was already making his way toward
her, and then she was out of the car and in his arms, his lips on hers. Lifting her from the ground, Tate deepened the kiss, his beard tickling her chin. She had missed him so much. When they separated and he smiled down at her, his grin was so wide it made her breathless.

“I have missed you,” he declared, then pressed his forehead to hers.

“And I’ve missed you,” she said back, stroking her fingers along his jaw, “so much.”

“I have something special for you in the house,” he whispered against her nose. “I hope you don’t have plans tonight because I have a date set up for us.”

Audrey smiled. “My whole night is yours.”

“Good. I like these pants,” he said, running his hands down her butt and squeezing. She had loved the gray wool pants when she saw them too. Pairing them with a yellow sweater and Kate Spade heels, she hoped that he would like it. Smiling, she tightened her arms around his neck.

“I got sexy, just for you.”

“You are always sexy, love,” he whispered before kissing her nose. Audrey knew she couldn’t have wiped the stupid grin off her face if she tried. This man drove her wild, and she couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have found him.

Or really, since he found her and made her see that he was the one for her.

Tate set her down on her feet and then took her hand in his. “Come on,” he said leading her toward his truck.

“Oh, we’re leaving?” she asked, pointing back to her car. “Let me get my purse.”

“No, we aren’t leaving,” he said, bringing her around to the back of his truck.

When he let down the tailgate, Audrey saw a pile of blankets and pillows, along with two mugs and a canister in the back. She looked over at Tate, and he smiled.

“You said you liked to star-gaze in the summer but I can’t wait that long, so I thought we could tonight.”

Audrey couldn’t breathe as she looked up at her gorgeous giant of a boyfriend. She shot him a grin before climbing up into the bed of the truck. He followed behind her as she sat down, pulling the blankets over her legs since it was the beginning of December. When her heel got caught in the blanket, she let out a curse, slipping her shoes off as Tate handed her a balled up pair of socks, and she knew from that moment on that she was going to love this man forever. “I figured you wouldn’t want to wear your heels with the blankets on you,” he said.

“You are pretty awesome, Mr. Ooooodder.”

Tate flashed her a grin, showing his gap. “I think you are too, Ms. Parker.”

She laid her head on his chest, looking up at the sky as his arms snaked around her, holding her close. Nothing was said as they enjoyed the night and each other. Then Tate interrupted the peaceful silence.

“Hey, you haven’t told Fallon about us?”

Audrey shook her head. “No, I didn’t know if we were official.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t we be official? I don’t understand.”

She smiled. “Well, we kinda just started sleeping together and you declared me as your woman, but you never really asked. I guess we both just assumed.”

A grin tugged at Tate’s mouth. “So I have to ask you for this to be official?”

“It would be nice,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “But I mean if you are cool with me hollerin’ at other guys, we can go on the way we’ve been.”

Taking a deep breath, Tate shook his head. “You drive me mad, you know that?”

Audrey smiled as she nodded. “And you still like me, apparently.”

He laughed. “I do, so say it.”

“Say what?” Audrey asked, confused.

“Say you are my woman, that you are my girlfriend.”

She smiled as she rolled her eyes. “I guess I am.”

He laughed, taking her closer in his arms as he kissed the stuffing out of her. Then they both lay back against the plush pillows and looked up into the sky. Blissfully happy, Audrey cuddled against Tate’s side, taking in his profile. He glanced down at her, caught her staring at him, smiled and kissed her temple. Pulling back, she looked up at him. He laughed and said, “What?”