She's the One (Lowcountry Lovers Series Book 2) (10 page)

“Of the Boston Sinclairs?”

“Yes. Do you know her?”

“I met her once, up on The Cape at a party. Years ago. Her college roommate was dating one of my best friends at the time. From what I remember, Savannah’s a charming girl. Beautiful.”

“Exactly. She’s not looking to fall in love with the first guy she’s dates, and you’re certainly not looking to get involved.” Although if they clicked, Melissa had to admit, they would be well suited for each other. Similar backgrounds. Shared friends. This was looking better and better by the minute. “So, I was thinking, something simple. Just drinks at Vickery’s tonight. You can watch the sunset and if you enjoy her company, y’all can stay and hear the blues band I’m playing in. Sound good?”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing Savannah again. Sure. Text me her number and I’ll call her. See you tonight.”

“Thanks, Parker, you’re the best.” And his tone said he might be more than interested in Savannah.

Melissa ended the call. Since it was a little early for that stiff drink, she opened the door to her tiny pantry and raided the shoe rack. Yeah, that sounded weird. She owned several of those six-foot-long plastic shoe racks that hung on the back of a door, and while the others
were
filled with shoes, the one in the kitchen was filled with chocolate.

Her finger trailed over the plastic pockets. Big decision. Toblerone? She’d bought a dozen of the fourteen-ounce bars last fall. For a good cause, to support the island pee wee football league. There was only one left and she was saving it for a special occasion. Also, so she didn’t have to admit to herself she’d eaten almost ten pounds of primo Swiss chocolate in six months.

She eyed the rest of the stash—Lindt, Ghirardelli, Godiva, and vintage Cadbury that she bought after an Easter sale, sometime in the last few years. Who ate Cadbury when they could have the good stuff? She plucked a dark chocolate and salted caramel Lindt bar out of a pocket. Yes, if there was a major disaster, she could survive a month on her stash, maybe more.

Content she’d found a date for Savannah, and with her drug of choice in hand, it was time to dress for work. That first bite, melted onto her tongue, drawing a sigh out of her. She might be confused about her love life, but chocolate really was the answer to whatever the hell the question was.

“Y
ou’re looking mighty fine, Bo.” Melissa really didn’t need an intercom system with Pearl’s booming voice. “Haven’t seen you around in a long time. What brings you into the office today?”

“Hey, beautiful. Henry sure is a lucky man, hope he knows that.”

Pearl laughed. “He’d better. Are you wanting Melissa to show you some property, honey? We’re about to close, and I think she’s got a date tonight.”

“She does. With me.”

Melissa cringed, not wanting to see the
WTF
look she knew was coming. She hadn’t told Pearl she was sort of seeing Bo, because she knew Pearl was Team Shane all the way.

“Really? Now there’s a surprise. How long—”

“Hi, Bo,” Melissa interrupted, afraid to look at Pearl.

But she could feel Pearl staring her down and knew if she didn’t say something fast, Pearl would demand some explanation and probably say a lot of things about Melissa and Shane that Melissa really didn’t want to share with Bo.

“Pearl.” Melissa had no idea anyone’s eyebrows could raise that high. “I’m leaving a little early. I’m sitting in with Bo’s band while his bass player has exams.”

“Yeah, Pearl, you and Henry should come out to Vickery’s tonight.”

“Well, this
is
a surprise, yes sir, a
big
surprise. Maybe me and Henry will come see the two of y’all.
Together
.”

Yes, she was definitely Team Shane.

“It’s such short notice, Pearl. And we’re just playing for a couple of hours. I’m sure it’s not even worth y’all coming out.” The last thing she wanted was Pearl sitting in the audience giving her the stink-eye all night long.

“Melissa Bliss, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

A
nd apparently Shane felt the same way. He shared a table with Pearl and Henry, and didn’t take his eyes off of Melissa all night. Normally she was comfortable with a guitar in her hands, but, tonight, she felt like her bass was the only thing she was wearing. Not cool in front of a crowd of people, many of whom she knew. Bo, tried to get her to relax the way she normally did when they played together, but it was impossible, with Shane watching her.

So, Bo tried to make Shane leave with a bunch of songs the band and Melissa knew but hadn’t rehearsed. He belted out the blues, sending messages to Shane. The last definitive one before the break, ‘Leave My Girl Alone’, brought the crowd to their feet when Bo dug into the lyrics. Melissa glanced up to see Shane looking like he was going to kill Bo.

Finally the song ended. “Thanks y’all. We’re gonna take a little break, but we’ll be back,” Bo said.

Bo kissed the back of her hand and nodded toward the deck that overlooked the marsh. “Wanna get some air, baby?”

“No thanks. I want to say hi to Savannah and Parker, and if I don’t speak to Pearl and Henry, I’ll never hear the end of it.” She’d hoped he’d take the hint and give her a moment.

“I’ll come with you.”

Great.

“Hi, Parker.” Melissa kissed him on the cheek and introduced Bo.

“It’s been years since I’ve seen you play, Melissa. I’d forgotten how good you are,” Parker said. “And thanks for inviting us.”

“You were amazing. Again.” Savannah hugged her; she looked gorgeous in a coral-colored sundress and a pair of shoes Melissa would kill for. She could see Savannah and Parker were having a good time, but also knew without asking they had not clicked like Melissa had hoped they would. “Nice to see you again, Bo.”

Bo hugged Savannah and shook Parker’s hand. “Hope y’all are staying for the second set.”

“I see Pearl and Henry over there.” Shane was with them, looking gorgeous and beyond pissed. “Talk to you tomorrow, Savannah.”

As mad as Pearl looked every time Bo got within two feet of her on the stage, she shocked Melissa with one of her patented bear hugs. “You were so good, honey. Your daddy would’ve been so proud of you.”

“Hi, Pearl.” Bo started to hug her but she stopped him, jutting her hand toward him. Instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of it. “Better hang onto this one, Henry. She’s one of a kind.”

“She sure as hell is a sassy thing,” Henry chuckled, “but she’s my sassy thing.”

“My sassy thing. Sounds like the start of a good song.” He grinned at Melissa.

Shane stood up suddenly and, instead of coldcocking Bo like Melissa was sure he would, he threaded his hands in her hair and kissed her lightly on the lips, lingering just long enough for her to feel that damn current that always zinged between the two of them. “
You
were amazing.”

“Yeah.” Melissa was sandwiched between them; Bo grabbed her hand and held it up for Shane to see. “We’re good together.”

“Oh, Henry, this is way better than watching some old baseball game. Uh huh.”

Melissa shot Pearl a look to shut her up.

“Excuse me.” She pulled away from both men and sprinted to the bathroom.

This was a nightmare. She took a couple of deep breaths and then washed her hands while studying her reflection in the mirror. What was wrong with her? She wasn’t a two-man-kind-of-woman; she wasn’t even a one-man-kind-of-woman. She’d thought playing with Bo would be fun, and it was, until he went all caveman on her, and Shane wasn’t much better.

Melissa threw open the bathroom door to find Shane waiting on her.

“Hey,” she said.

“I’m not stalking you.” He laughed, and then he wasn’t smiling. “I don’t want to leave you here with him, but I can see it’s making you crazy with both of us ready to fight over you.”

“You think?”

He pulled her into him and tipped her chin up so that she’d have to close her eyes not to look at him. “I know you love the music, Melissa. But this. What I feel. What I know you feel, too? I don’t think you have that with him.” She melted into his kiss, her heart beating out of her chest, making her forget to breathe.

When they pulled away she was panting for air. This was so damn confusing.

He took her breath away with another long, wet kiss. “The next time you’re in my arms, I don’t want there to be any doubts.”

B
o and the guys started packing the van. They waved off Melissa’s offer to help, but she jumped in anyway until they were done.

“We still going to Shelter?” Brody asked, the band’s usual hangout whenever they played Mt. Pleasant.

“Y’all go ahead,” Bo put his arms around Melissa and pulled her close.

They gave him a smirk that said he was getting laid and then got into the van.

“You were smoking hot tonight, baby. The way you look, the way you played. Hell, the band’s never sounded better.”

“We were a little rough on some of those songs we didn’t rehearse, but yeah, it was good.” Bo feigned disappointment, making her laugh. “It felt really good.”

All night long, Melissa knew he’d wanted to kiss her, but he knew she wasn’t into that onstage. He made up for it, nearly taking her breath away.

“Let me take you out,” he whispered against her lips.

He tasted like Southern Comfort and something sweeter, or maybe that was just her peach lip gloss.

“I have work tomorrow.”

“One drink.” He kissed her again.

“A beer at my house is the best I can do.”

“You drive a hard bargain.” He opened the car door for her.

The Etta James disk he’d made for her was still queued up as they headed back to the Isle of Palms with the windows rolled down. Melissa closed her eyes and drank in the Lowcountry night, head laid back, breathing in the marsh air, as they crossed the turning bridge between Mt. Pleasant and Sullivans Island.

It was almost 1:00 a.m. by the time they pulled into her driveway. Before he could open the car door for her, she was out of the car and headed inside. Melissa knew he wanted her to slow down, to stay in the same rhythm they’d been in on stage. She opened the fridge and poked around.

“I haven’t been to the grocery store in forever, so I only have two beers. Palmetto Moon or Westbrook IPA?”

“You pick, I’m good with either one.” She opened the beers and handed him the Westbrook. He sat down on the couch and pulled her down beside him, throwing his leg across her thighs. “Best part of tonight? Right here.”

“I don’t know, ‘Black Snake Moan’ sounded pretty awesome,” She took a long draw off of her beer. “‘I Can’t Be Satisfied’ was great, too.”

“Man, I love the look on your face when you’re into the music and your smile when you talk about how good the band sounds. We’re good together, Melissa, and you look so at home playing with me. You look happy.”

“I love to play.” Whenever she was playing and closed her eyes, part of her felt like she was a kid again, jamming with her dad and his buddies, and part of her felt the complete seduction of the Bo and his music.

After seeing him at the Windjammer last summer, she’d met up with him at the Daytona Jazz Festival. She’d had a good time hanging out with him and the band. They’d had dinner and talked almost all night about music, his life, hers. She saw him again a couple of months later at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, before the band took off on a three-month cross country tour. Melissa and Bo had had such a good time, and then he was gone.