In My Father's Shadow (21 page)

“I know you did, Mom,” Ally answered, confused,
wondering what her mother was leading up to.

“Ally, I was very much in love with your dad when I
was barely older than you,” she said, studying her feet. “I don’t
know that you and Cole are at that point yet, but I don’t think it
will be long.”

“I don’t think we’ve gotten there, yet,” Ally said,
her head spinning. “What’s up, Mom?”

“Well, what I’m trying to say is that I know what
it’s like to be totally in love with someone and willing to express
that love,” Liz said with a slight blush. “But, honey, we waited. I
had this thing about waiting until I was married to have sex and
your dad loved me enough to agree.”

Ally’s cheeks filled with blood as she turned her
head, not able to look at her mother. “Mom, we are not having
sex.”

“I didn’t think you were,” Liz clarified. “I’m just
saying that I’m not so old that I don’t remember what it’s like to
be in love and how easy it is for things to get out of hand.” She
paused to take a deep breath. “You and I have talked about this, I
know, but you didn’t have a boyfriend then.”

Ally swallowed back her embarrassment and hugged her
mother. “I know, Mom, and I remember everything you said.”

“I just want to…you know… warn you to be careful,”
Liz said. “I’m not saying it’s okay for you and Cole to, you know,
have sex, but you’re old enough to make your own decisions. And I
trust you to make the right ones. But if you do decide that you
want to take that step, you need to take precautions, and I’m not
just talking protection. You need to make sure that you are both
ready. Sex is a big responsibility, believe it or not.”

“I don’t think I’m ready,” Ally confessed. “I just
don’t think…it’s just not the right time.”

Liz smiled and stroked Ally’s hair. “Well, I’m glad
you’re adult enough to realize that.”

“I think I love him, Mom,” Ally blurted out, darkness
overtaking her face.

Liz hugged her daughter and brushed the hair out of
her face. “Honey, I know you do.”

“You do?” Ally asked. Liz nodded, still smiling. “So
what do I do?”

Liz laughed gently. “Nothing. Just keep going out
with him, spending time together. Get to know each other in the
romantic sense. When the time is right, you’ll tell him.”

“How did you tell Daddy?” she asked.

Iz’s smile softened as memories took over her mind
and made her face morph into a young girl again. She seemed lost
down memory lane and Ally had to remind her that they were in the
middle of a conversation.

“Mom,” Ally asked. “How did you tell Dad?”

Liz blushed and cleared her throat. “I just told
him.”

Ally smirked. “Uh huh. Thanks, I don’t need any
details.”

Iz’s cheeks pinked. “You’re such a bad girl, Allyson!
And no, I didn’t tell him in any way you might be thinking.”

“I’m so glad you did,” Ally said with a huge
smile.

“Me, too,” Liz agreed, hugging her daughter
close.

***

Out of Control had a gig that Friday night at a local
club they frequently played during the summer. Since it was a
twenty-one and under club, everyone planned to attend - even the
younger kids.

Ally stood in front of her closet and fretted. Jeana
and her family left that morning to head up to Michigan to spend
time with Caroline’s side of the family and Ally really wished they
hadn’t. She needed Jeana’s expertise desperately.

She sighed and decided on a denim skirt and a thin,
blue sweater. She knew she wouldn’t be dancing but she suspected
that with all the bodies pressed together, it would be warm. She
left her hair down and just finished applying a touch of makeup,
like Jeana had showed her, when her dad yelled for her. She grabbed
her crutches and made her way down the stairs.

When they arrived at the club, she looked everywhere
for Cole. She desperately wanted to talk to him as she hadn’t
spoken to him in a couple of days. They were all supposed to get
together Saturday night and she was hoping her dad would put a stop
to all the rumors then. She wanted to speak to Cole and find out
how he thought they should proceed. But she couldn’t find him
anywhere. All their equipment had been set up but Cole and the
other guys were strangely absent.

“Are you sitting with us, princess?” Jay asked,
pulling out a chair. The huge table was nearly full as Richie,
Callie, and RJ and Ren’s younger brothers, Ray and Ricky, took up
one half.

“I’m going sit with Jamie if he ever gets here,” she
responded, a little morose.

“There’s a table,” Alec said, pointing out one of the
few vacant tables left. Running up to claim it, he imitated his
father by pulling a chair out for her.

She thanked him and sat down, propping her crutches
nearby. “Have you seen any of the guys?” she asked.

“Nope. Not even Nate and Stacy or Aunt Gretchen and
Uncle Mark,” he responded.

A few minutes later, Jamie plopped down next to her
while his thirteen year-old brother, Trevor, took the chair next to
Alec. “Hey, cuz, where the hell are they?”

The house lights dimmed as Nate, Stacy, and Stephanie
scurried to the tables. Jamie smiled and motioned for Stephanie to
join them causing a tiny, jealous knife to jab at Ally’s heart. But
as soon as Out of Control was introduced and they started playing,
Ally became lost in the music. She couldn’t keep her eyes off Cole,
drinking in every inch of him. She recalled the talk she’d had with
her mother the night before and felt a blush start at her toes and
work its way up to her head.

As people started crowding the dance floor, Ally was
filled with despair because she could not join them. She watched
them enviously, wishing she could be out there laughing and moving
her body. She silently cursed the clumsy cast on her leg and wished
her father would use the hack saw in his garage to saw the stupid
thing off and give her freedom.

“Hey, do you want to dance?” Jamie yelled over the
music.

Ally threw her best menacing glare at him, tempted to
pick up a crutch and crash it into his face. “I will punch
you.”

He smirked and tousled her hair. “I was talking to
Stephanie, you idiot!”

“Oh,” Ally said, flustered. She was grateful for the
darkness to hide the blush sprawling across her cheeks.

Stephanie agreed. Ally was forced to sit back and
watch as they found a spot and started dancing. She ignored the
feeling creeping up her throat and told herself Jamie was just
being polite – Stephanie was Cole’s new stepsister, after all. It
didn’t matter that Ally always had to come up with some kind of
plot to get him on the dance floor. Jamie was only doing it because
Cole was one of his best friends.

She swallowed and smiled at her brother and
Trevor.

“They get better each time I hear them,” Trevor
exclaimed. Alec agreed and the two of them put their heads together
as RJ’s brother, Ray, scurried to the table to join them.

“I’ll be right back,” she shouted to the boys.
“Bathroom.”

Cole’s heart wrenched as Ally gazed longingly at the
dance floor through the first couple of songs. He wished he could
do something but he couldn’t very well stop playing just to dance
with her, even if her leg wasn’t broken.

She did look good tonight, he thought and when she
got up, presumably to go to the bathroom, he noticed the skirt she
was wearing and nearly missed a beat. He hoped Jamie wouldn’t be
too distracted by Stephanie that he’d forget to keep an eye on
Ally. He didn’t want anyone hitting on her just because she was
sitting with a bunch of young teens.

They finished up the song and he checked the set list
at his feet. They’d already completed a few cover songs and were
about to jump into the original stuff he’d written with RJ months
ago. He was a little nervous - his dad and the other guys from the
band were out there listening - but he was pretty confident in his
writing skills.

They’d started in on a slow number they’d just taught
Parker when Ally hobbled back to the table. He watched as other
couples made their way to the dance floor and Ally sat at her table
with her brother, her cousin, and RJ’s little brother.

When they finished their first set, Cole jumped off
the stage; gratefully taking the towel RJ threw at him, and headed
to the back. His dad, as well as the other guys, congratulated the
boys enthusiastically. He listened to their praise for a few
minutes as he guzzled a bottle of water then moved away and dropped
into the chair next to Ally.

He draped his arm around the back of her chair and
kissed her cheek. “What’d ya think?”

“Not bad,” she shrugged. “I think you missed a beat a
couple times.”

He rolled his eyes, a smirk toying with his lips. “I
doubt that, princess.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t call me that.”

His smirk encompassed his face as he moved closer.
“You look so hot when you get all mad.”

She pulled back and blinked a couple times.
“Huh?”

He winked at her and dropped a kiss on the top of her
head. “I’m going to go get some water. Want some?” He got up and
ran off to the bar.

“Please tell me you two aren’t fighting again,” Jamie
whined as he took the chair Cole had just vacated.

“I don’t know what we are,” Ally sighed. “He totally
infuriates me sometimes.”

Jamie laughed. “You think you don’t infuriate
him?”

Cole placed a water bottle on the table in front of
her before she could answer. He bent over and kissed her cheek.
“Got to go, princess. See ya after the show.”

They played on and Jamie pretty much kept her company
for the rest of the evening. Stephanie sat with them most of the
time when she wasn’t dragging Jamie out to dance. Ally tolerated it
only because she didn’t want to cause a scene and upset Nate or
Cole, but it was a struggle.

When their last set ended, a mass of girls flocked
the stage, hounding them all for autographs and phone numbers.
Finally, they managed to push their way through the crowd to join
their families at the back of the club. Ally remained in her chair,
not wanting to struggle through all the people. She cursed her cast
for the hundredth time that night and waited patiently for things
to settle down.

A DJ started playing and the guys hurried to take
down their equipment. Ally watched once more as Stephanie jumped up
to help Cole take apart his drum kit. Deep down she knew Stephanie
was just being nice, but it still got to her that she was treading
on Ally’s ground. How many times had Ally hopped up on that stage
and helped Cole with his drums or the other guys with the sound
equipment?

“You okay, princess?” Jay asked her, watching her
intently.

She nodded and smiled. “Yeah, Dad, why?”

“You look a little ill,” he said with a smile.

“Nope, I’m fine,” she reassured him with a fake smile
plastered on her face. “Just hate having to use these stupid
crutches.”

“They’ll be gone by Christmas,” he said, kissing the
top of her head. “Besides, you need to baby that ankle for awhile
if you want it to be strong enough to make the State Softball team.
You coming home with your mom and me or staying with the guys?”

Startled, Ally looked around and tried to locate one
of the boys, but once again, they were absent. “I guess I’m staying
here,” she said. “Is Alec staying?”

“He left with Trevor, Mark, and Gretchen. He’s
spending the night there.” Jay kissed her cheek. “Be careful,
princess. I’ll see you later.”

RJ, Ren, and Parker reappeared, laughing as they
helped themselves to the cold water bottles a waitress offered.
Cole was nowhere to be found.

She hobbled over to RJ and Parker. “Where is
everyone?”

Parker smiled at her. “They just took the last load
of stuff out to the truck. They’ll be back.” He pointed at an empty
chair. “Have a seat.

She sat down and waited for Cole. She fiddled with
her warm water bottle as she listened to RJ and Parker discuss
their performance. Finally, Cole reappeared with Jamie and
Stephanie.

“Hey,” Cole said, looking surprised, as he sat next
to her. “I thought you left with your parents.”

She shook her head, confused. “Why would you think
that?”

He shrugged. “Well, since you can’t dance, I didn’t
think you’d want to stay.”

“Do you plan on dancing?” she asked, a little more
bitterness in her words than she’d intended. Her confusion exploded
and she wondered what would make him think she’d leave. How many
times had they played at this club and she’d stuck around? Did he
not remember those times?

“No,” he said slowly, taken back by the tone of her
voice. “Probably not. Don’t be mad, Al. All I said was that I
didn’t think you were staying.”

“Did you think to ask me?” she asked, chest
tightening as she realized how much his easy dismissal of her hurt.
She sucked in a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. She hated
being a crybaby but it seemed as if it didn’t take much to start
the waterworks.

He ran a hand through his hair and draped his other
arm over the back of her chair. “No, I didn’t. Damn. I told you I’m
lousy at this stuff, Al.”

Before she could respond, Stephanie grabbed Cole’s
arm excitedly. “I love this song! Come on! You have to dance!”

The fiery pot of anger in Ally’s stomach boiled over
and she bit her lip to keep from lashing out at the other girl.

Cole smiled at Stephanie and shook his head. “Sorry,
no. There’s a reason why I play in a band – I don’t dance.”

Ally watched Stephanie’s smile fall and gloried in
the twinge of satisfaction in her heart. A touch of guilt hit her
but she didn’t dwell on it.

“Oh, I didn’t mean to interrupt,” Stephanie said,
glancing briefly at Ally.

“You didn’t,” Ally said, grabbing at her nearly empty
water bottle.