First she’d led me on a merry chase. Then she’d challenged me, made me question my motives and desires. And finally she’d let me in. She had been more than worth the wait.
I snorted.
Let me in? Hell, she’d demanded I take her to bed.
She'd given me the most incredible night of my life. We’d made love three times in rapid succession. Each time had been more intense than the last. And just like that, poof, she was gone.
Well I wasn't going to stand for it. No way. Not at all.
Especially not after I’d given in to my father after all these years. I’d been beside myself as the old man gasped for breath. I’d begged my father to reconsider the terms of his will.
Leave the place to them! I don't want it. but I don't want to deprive them of it either!
What do you want son?
I want peace. And I want her.
The girl they found you in bed with?
Yes.
If she's the right girl for you, she'd want you to stay put. Don’t you want to provide for her?
I had hung my head, knowing my father was right. Elle was fiery, beautiful, and incredibly talented. She was also practical and loyal to a fault. She'd tell me to stay if I asked her opinion. Besides, if I stayed put I had a better chance of hooking her for good.
Keeping her.
Alright father. You win. I'll stay.
My father had breathed easier after that. I had finally left him to rest and gone back to find an empty bed. I was scared out of my mind. I was more frantic than I’d ever been in my life. Elle wasn't answering her phone and didn't seem to be at home.
I sighed. I had no choice now and I knew it. It was time for the last resort. I left my brothers and went to the one place I thought I’d never set foot in again.
The God Damn Country Club.
It wasn’t long before I tracked down the waitress that Elle roomed with. The one whose brother was in the band with her. I just hoped that she'd tell me where Elle was without having to beg. But I was mentally preparing to get on my knees, just in case.
"Hey Shirl."
The girl gave me one look and sighed. I didn’t have to beg, it turned out. I just had to listen. And the news was not good.
"She's gone."
"Where?"
"You aren't going to like it, Jake."
"Doesn't matter. I have nothing left to lose."
Chapter Twenty
Elle
I scooted toward the window, trying to get comfortable. The plane was being held and had been for the past two hours. Why, nobody knew. The passengers were starting to get mighty cranky about it too.
The plane from Nashville to New York City was packed and stuffy. And this was just the first leg of my epic journey. Never mind the discomfort and expense. Never mind the shame of running home with my tail tucked neatly between my legs.
But none of that mattered. Not a whit.
All I could think about was the ache in my heart.
I’d run out on Jake. There was no nice way to put it. I’d shafted him. Even if he was the sort to toss women aside after a tumble, I should have given him a chance. He did seem awfully taken with me after all. And I knew now without a doubt that I’d lost my heart to him.
And on the night he lost his father too… the shame of it was making my stomach twist and turn. I should have stayed. But instead, I’d run off like a coward.
The band would go on without me. Maybe they would even be glad to see me go now that I’d botched things with the biggest club owner in Nashville. Not that I blamed myself for his disgusting behavior. But it didn’t matter who was to blame. That chapter was closed. It was too bad, but the heartbreak of it was nothing compared to what I was feeling over Mr. Blue Eyes.
I looked up to see a stewardess standing over my seat.
"Miss Gavin? Your seat has been changed."
"What? Why?"
"Please come with me now,” she said firmly. I glanced around and then shrugged. What difference did it make where I sat? I was fighting off tears anyway.
I stood up, grumbling to myself. I was already starting to doubt my decision to run off. Now the shameful trip homeward was turning into a nightmare. And it had barely just begun.
Serves you right, Eleanor, I heard my mother’s voice inside me. You took the cowards way. I didn’t raise my girl to cut and run!
Maybe my credit card had been declined and they were kicking me off the plane. That wouldn't be a shocker after everything else that had happened now would it? But maybe it would be a blessing in disguise. I could go back… I could try to explain...