Wilde Riders (Old Town Country Romance) (13 page)

The first set goes by quickly. The band plays a total of eight songs before Jake says, “We’ll be taking a fifteen- minute break. Don’t forget about getting a drink at the bar. That’s how we pay the bills around here.”

After he removes his guitar and places it on a stand, Cooper hops down from the stage and makes his way over to me. I think about introducing him to Patti and trying to get to the bottom of whatever is going on
, but she’s already made her way over to the stage where a bevy of young blondes are vying for Jake’s attention. I have no doubt she’ll push them all out of the way so she can have access to his full attention. I guess I’ll have to wait for answers.

Cooper scoops me into his arms and gives me a kiss. He’s sweaty but I don’t care. I missed the contact with him.

“So?” He looks at me expectantly.

“So what?” I tease.

“What did you think?”

“You’re all really good. Jake’s voice is amazing. You sounded like a professional band.”

“And what did you think about the guitar player?”

“The guitar player is the sexiest one in the group.” I lay a
nother kiss on Cooper lips and he returns the gesture with an even deeper and more needful kiss.

“And what about his guitar playing?” Cooper asks when we break for air.

“That’s sexy too,” I tease.

He raises an eyebrow. “Just one thing on your mind, huh?”  

“I guess country music turns me on.”

“Good thing I’m in a country band then.”

He leans down and whispers in my ear. “If we had a little more time, I’d take you into the back room and show you how much you turn me on.”

When I scan the stage area I notice that both Jake and Patti are nowhere to be seen.

“Just call it a hunch but I think maybe Jake is already using the back room.”

“You’re probably right,” Cooper replies.

When Tucker approaches, he clears his throat like he’s trying to get Cooper’s attention.

“What’s up?” Cooper asks when he notices his brother.

“Chaos at the bar. The twins and Harley can’t keep up. Will you give me a hand so we can get everyone served before the band’s next set?”

“Yeah, sure,” Cooper says. Then
he turns to me. “Will you be okay?”

“Absolutely,” I reply. “Go help. I’ll be fine.”

He places a kiss on my cheek then heads over to the bar with Tucker. Hunter is already behind the bar with the twins and they look like they’re serving drinks as fast as they can but the crowd is huge and they all look thirsty.

I wonder if I should help but I realize no one asked me to. Do they think I wouldn’t be able to handle it? Not that I’ve ever worked in a bar before. Or that I’ve ever done any customer service work. The only job I ever had before I started in fraud investigation at the bank was working as a day camp counselor during the summers when I was in college. 

Maybe they were right not to ask me to serve drinks to the rowdy crowd.

After a moment I notice Harley walking my way with a drink in her hand.

When she hands me the beverage she says, “Cooper wanted me to give you this.”

“Thanks,” I reply as I take the drink from her.

I take a sip and of course, it’s a Jack and Coke.

I think Harley will head straight back to the bar but instead she says, “You really hit the Jackpot, didn’t you?”

The statement strikes me as very odd. “What do you mean?” I ask.

She
folds her arms across her chest. “I mean you got the one Wilde boy who got out of this shithole town and actually made something of his life.”

I frown. I have no idea what she’s talking about but I feel compelled to find out. Maybe it’s somehow connected to what Patti said earlier about thinking she saw him at the Cloak
and Dagger. 

Harley searches my eyes like she’s trying to figure out why I’m not getting the gist of what she’s saying. Then awareness seems to creep over her face.

“Don’t tell me that you think you’ve been hooking up with some local guy who lives in this hick town.”

For some reason I don’t want to tell her that’s exactly what I think. If Cooper isn’t the local guy like he led me to believe then who have I been sleeping with?

She actually laughs at me, which completely pisses me off. I know I’m turning red with embarrassment and anger because she knows more about the guy I’ve been sleeping with than I do. But I don’t want to piss her off because I need for her to tell me what she knows.

“So Cooper didn’t mention that he left town as soon as he graduated high school and never looked back?”

“No,” I admit. “He didn’t mention that.”

She gives me a smile like the cat that ate the canary. I just want to make sure she keeps talking. I want her to tell me everything that Cooper obviously hasn’t.

“Cooper moved to New York and went to Columbia. After he graduated, he got some fancy job on Wall Street. I think the only reason he’s here is to help Jake with whatever financial mess he’s got himself into.”

That explains why Patti thought she saw him. She probably did! I’m so angry I’m surprised steam isn’t coming out of my ears. I feel like everything I thought I knew about Cooper was a complete and total lie. And I feel sick to my stomach that I slept with someone I thought I knew but was a complete and total fabrication.

I can’t believe I’m in the middle of Nowhere New Jersey and I ended up sleeping with a Wall Street wannabe anyway. How does that happen?

“I’m surprised Cooper didn’t take you for a ride in his BMW convertible,” Harley says as if she can sense she’s rubbing salt in the wound. “He loves showing that thing off. It’s parked right out front.”

I told Cooper I thought that car was fantastic and he never mentioned it was his. That’s the last and final straw. He’s worse than every other Wall Street wannabe I’ve ever dated because he completely lied about it.

Before Harley can say anymore, I cut her off. “I really need to go.”

Her smile grows wider when she realizes that she’s drawn blood. “That’s too bad.”

I look around the bar until I spot Patti. As I suspected, I can see her sneaking out of the back room trying to piece
herself back together. And Jake, who’s also a still a little undone, is following not very far behind her. 

Without bothering to say anything else to Harley, I make my way over to Patti and grab her elbow.

“What’s up?” she asks as she looks down at where I’m grabbing her. “You’re holding me a little tight there.”

“Take me back to the city,” I demand. “Now.”

Her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline. “Now? But what about Cooper? His band hasn’t even started their second set yet.”

“He lied to me.” I try to hold back all of the emotions I’m feeling because I don’t want to start yelling or crying.

“So? How is that different than any other guy on the planet?”

“That’s just it. I thought he was different. But he lied about everything. I don’t even know who he really is. Apparently he went to Columbia. And he works on Wall Street. And lives in Manhattan. And drives a BMW.”

“So basically, he’s you with a dick.”

“Will you take me back to the city or do I need to call a cab?”

She grabs my shoulders and looks me in the eye. “You can’t just call a cab to take you all the way back to New York. Okay? It’s completely ridiculous. I’ll take you back to the city but only because you’re my best friend.”

“I’m your only friend,” I remind her.

“That, too,” she admits. “Are you at least going to say goodbye?”

I shake my head.

She raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

When I glance over at the bar where Cooper and his brothers are serving drinks, I can feel my heart breaking into a million little pieces
, as I turn away.

“I just need to get out of here and get back to the asphalt. All of the fresh air and trees are doing weird things to my head. I can’t think straight.”

“I think falling for Cooper Wilde is what’s doing weird things to your head.”

“Will you take me back to the city or not?” I now have my hands placed firmly on my hips.

“Look, I’m not one to give advice on men, but I really think you should talk to him.”

“Thank you for your advice. Now can we go?”

She nods. “Yeah, sure. We can go. But I want it noted for the record that I think you’re making a mistake.”

“So noted,” I say as I head out of the bar as fast as my legs will take me.

Eleven

Cooper

I watch as Riley marches out the door. A good-looking blonde is on her heels and even though the blonde is a lot taller and has longer lags than Riley, she’s struggling to keep up with her. Riley looks upset and I wonder what’s wrong. I want to hop right over the bar and follow her but there are too many people still crowded around who still want drinks.

When Harley joins me behind the bar I ask if she gave Riley the drink.

“I sure did,” she says in a way that hints there’s more to it than that. A lot more.

“Did she say anything to you? She just rushed out. Or maybe you said something to her?”

I wouldn’t put it past Harley to say something that would upset Riley.

She
turns to me with her eyes narrowed. “Just what kind of game are you playing?”

“What do you mean?” I can feel
my stomach sink as I think about all the things Harley could have said to her, the worst of which is that I’m a so-called Wall Street wannabe.

“Why didn’t your little girlfriend know that you live in New York and that you work on Wall Street and that you’re probably neighbors? And I was starting to think she meant more to you than just a weekend fling. I guess I was worried for nothing.”

When she gives me a sexy little smile, I realize that she probably thinks that I’m available now to have a fling with her. I have absolutely no interest in that.

But what’s worse is that I realize that maybe Riley thinks the reason I didn’t tell her the truth is because all I wanted was a little weekend fling and that I don’t care if I ever see her again.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Shit,” I exclaim more loudly than I anticipate
, and it feels like everyone in the bar is now staring at me.

All I want to do is get out of there so I can talk to Riley but the band is about to go on stage in a few minutes and there are still thirsty patrons to attend to.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. “What’s wrong?” Jake asks. He looks concerned, which isn’t something he expresses very often.

“I messed up,” I admit.

“Riley?”

I nod. “Big time.”

“I saw her leave with Patti.”

When I glance at my brother he’s grinning. “And who is Pa
tti?”

“Her beautiful
, blonde best friend.”

That must have
been the woman who was chasing after her out of the bar.

“And just how well do you know Patti?” Harley chimes in.

I’m so distracted thinking about Riley, I forget Harley’s standing right next to me. She’s now giving Jake an evil death stare.

“Pretty damn well,” Jake says with a laugh.

I can see hurt cross Harley’s face and just as quickly it’s gone. Jake doesn’t seem to notice it at all, which doesn’t surprise me. He’s too concerned about pleasing Jake to worry about anyone or anything else. I feel sorry for Harley because I can see she cares about him even if he doesn’t reciprocate the feeling.

And I’m supposed to be the insensitive numbers guy.  May
be I was but that was before I met Riley. Even though I’ve only known her a few days, she’s already starting to have an impact on me. She’s opened me up in ways I never expected.

And now I’m afraid I’ve probably lost her forever.

The sad part is that I was going to tell her the truth. Tonight, right after the concert. I hoped she’d see me perform and fall for me so hard that it won’t matter that I hadn’t told her everything about myself…yet.

Now I may never get the chance.

“You’re going to have to worry about it later,” Jake says. “Right now, you’ve got to perform.”

He’s right. I promised the guys I’d play with them tonight. As much as I want to say “Screw it” and chase after Riley, I can’t let my brothers down.

I inhale a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready to play.”

And I do my best to mean it.

***

The second we’re done with the final set I feel like I’ve got to find Riley. The only problem is that I have no idea where she lives. It’s not like she ever gave me her address. I know she works for H & C Bank, which is right down the block from the inves
tment firm I work for, but there’s no way I can wait until Monday to talk with her.

I feel like I’ll go crazy or die if I don’t get to talk with her right away. I need the chance to explain. Although, the more I try to explain the lie of omission to myself the more stupid it sounds.

Girls are already crowding the stage but most of them are standing around Jake. My eyes drift around the bar and I catch sight of Harley wiping down some of the tables. Her hands are definitely working but her eyes are firmly planted on Jake. I can tell by the scowl on her face she’s not very happy with him. Or maybe it’s the bevvy of blondes all throwing themselves at him that she’s not happy about.

I’m surprised to see that even Hunter has a few girls standing around him
, but I’m even more surprised that he’s actually talking with them and making eye contact. Maybe he will score one of these days after all.

A few girls are waving and trying to get my attention. I try to ignore them but they’re persistent.

Tucker is the only one of the Wilde Boys who doesn’t have an entourage of female fans waiting for him. He’s staring at Hunter and the girls gathered around him and he looks lost. When I grab his arm he flinches, and it scares me because for a moment I think he might hit me but then just as quickly he relaxes.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” I say.

“Just a reflex.” He tries to brush it off but I can see by the sadness in his eyes that it bothers him.

“There are some girls down there who want to meet you.” I motion towards the girls who are waving now waving at both of us.

Tucker lets out a single cold laugh. “Those girls aren’t waiting for me. They’ve been waiting for you. I just happen to be standing next to you.”

“Not true,” I lie. “And I’m taken so it doesn’t matter.”

He scans the bar then asks, “Where is Riley?”

“I’m not sure.” It’s half true. I know she’s gone but I don’t know where she went.

Tucker eyes me and his gaze is so intense, I feel like he’s looking right through me. “What happened?”

I let out a deep sigh. “Harley told her everything about me going to Colombia and working on Wall Street before I had a chance to tell her. I’m sure she’s mad. And hurt. I’m sure she thinks I lied to her because I don’t care about her but it’s not true. I lied because I do care about her. I lied because I wanted her to like me. Maybe I even wanted her to fall in love with me. And I didn’t think she would if she knew the truth.”

“For being so smart, sometimes you’re really stupid.”

“I know I was stupid. I just need to know how to fix it.”

When Tucker looks at me, he face is even more serious than it usually is. It sends a small chill right through me. “What if you can’t fix it?”

I shake my head. “
That’s not an option. I have to fix it.”

“Not everything can be fixed.”

I’m not sure if Tucker is talking about my situation or himself. I have a feeling it’s both. 

“I have to at least try,” I say. “And you do too.”

“What do you mean by that?” he snarls.

I motion toward the girls again. They’re still waving in our direction.

“Fine.” Tucker waves his hand dismissively. “But when they figure out you’re not interested and I scare them away, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I lead
him over to the small group of girls and they’re still all smiles.

“Did you enjoy the show?” I try my best to plaster a smile on my face for Tucker’s benefit. I decide to be the bait and try to reel them in so he can catch one.

“We loved it,” one of the girls replies and gives me a big smile. She looks a little older than the rest of her posse, maybe late twenties, and I notice that the rest of her face doesn’t move when she grins. The wonders of Botox.

“I’ve still got a lot of work to do,” I say to the group. A few of them whine in response. “I’m also doing the accounting for the bar and I’ve got to reconcile the books.”

Furrowed brows all around like the girls can’t believe I want to deal with numbers and paperwork with them waiting to show me a good time.

“Sorry,” I add. “But my brother, Tucker, is available.”

The girls’ eyes all drift towards Tucker and then they all glance at one another. It takes a few moments before some of the girls shake their heads and take off. My heart sinks because my brother seems to be right. The girls don’t seem to be very taken with him. But part of it is his fault. He could do more to clean up his appearance. He looks a lot better than he did when I first arrived in town but he still has a ways to go.

Finally I notice that all the girls have taken off but one. She’s not as outwardly attractive as the other girls were. She seems more reserved. She’s got long brown hair pulled back into a
ponytail and she’s not wearing any makeup. And she’s definitely not showing as much cleavage as any of the other females in the place. As a matter of fact, she’s not showing any cleavage at all. She’s wearing a baggy T-shirt and loose fitting black jeans. And she has a fanny-pack, which is a little odd for someone in her early twenties. It’s something my mom started using after she turned fifty.  

She gives Tucker a warm smile and I wait to see if he’ll smile back. He gives her a small half smile in return.

At least it’s a start.

Now that my brothers seem to be settled for the evening, it’s time to work on solving my problems. While I wasn’t lying about the accounting ahead of me, I know I won’t be able to deal with it until I figure out what I’m going to do about Riley.

I take a seat inside the small, cramped office and look at the stack of receipts sitting there. I know I have to do something to automate the accounting system. Jake should have invested in that before building a new stage area. I’m sure he didn’t think about it because he knows nothing about accounting.

And I have to admit
that playing on the new stage was phenomenal. I actually felt like a real performer instead of a member of an amateur band at the local pub.

I pull my cell phone from my pocket and stare at it. I’m glad Riley gave me her number. It’s the one way I have to find her.

It takes me a few minutes to gather enough nerve to phone her.  And when I do finally have the nerve and make the call she doesn’t answer.

I’m still not quite sure exactly what to say so I don’t leave a voicemail. It’s too difficult to explain everything in a short message anyway. I guess I could start with an apology.

I phone back again and when I get the option to leave a voice mail, I say, “I’m so sorry, Riley. I truly am. I hope you give me the opportunity to explain. Please.”

When I hang up I rethink every word I left on the voicemail about a thousand times as I wait for her to call me back. Did it sound too wimpy? Not sincere enough? Should I not have ended with please?

After a few hours go by and she still hasn’t returned my call, I decide to go back to my parents’ house and go to bed. Playing with the Wilde Riders again drained me physically and I’m mentally exhausted from everything that went on with Riley.

It doesn’t take long for me to fall asleep but I’m
restless all night. When I wake up, none of the pillows or covers is actually still on the bed.

But I did have an epiphany. Riley left her car at Shane’s shop. Surely, he’ll have her contact information including her address in New York. I just have to make sure he gives it to me.

***

“No can do,” Shane says as he shuts the passenger door of the Ford F-150 Raptor he’s working on.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids. You know me, Shane. You know I won’t do anything inappropriate.”

He throws the rag he’s holding over his shoulder and eyes me. “Look, I don’t know what you did and I don’t want to know. It’s none of my business. But I don’t want to get into the middle of it, okay?”

I’m not sure what he’s talking about but when I scan the yard and the interior of the garage and don’t see Riley’s car anywhere, I can feel my heart begin to race and I’m finding it difficult to take a full breath. I’ve never been the nervous type but I assume from what I’ve heard that this is what people mean when they say they’re starting to panic.

“Where’s Riley’s car?” I ask.

“She had it towed back to the city early this morning. She paid for services rendered and she gave me very specific instructions not to release any of her personal information to anyone. She even threatened me with a lawsuit if I did.”

She
’s a lot angrier than I ever imagined. I don’t know whether to cry or scream. I may be doing both very shortly. I don’t want Shane to get in trouble but I feel desperate. He has something I need and he won’t give it to me.

“Maybe you could just accidently leave her file open and I could just happen to walk by it,” I suggest.

When he shakes his head, my heart sinks. “I’m sorry. I really am. I wish I could help you. I can see she means a lot to you but you’re going to have to find another way. I just can’t put my business at risk. I know you understand.”