it on the paper to get it out of my head.”
He pulled her notepad to him and looked at the things she’d jotted. “You writing about me?”
“I thought so but now I’m not so sure,” she admitted.
He looked like he had more questions, but Hudson woke up and joined them. Emma was ready to chat with him, but he ducked off the bus as soon as they stopped, and she had a hard time getting any time alone with him after that. Seemed she’d decided to stop running and maybe he’d decided to start again.
Chapter Six
Jackson, Mississippi
I t was hard to be in Jackson and not think of Johnny and June Carter Cash singing about it. They’d been on tour for two weeks and so far Emma and Hudson had sort of avoided each other. She finished up in the shower and opened the door to peek out. The smell of bacon and coffee filled the air and she heard the radio playing softly.
The song she didn’t want to write had been playing softly in her mind since they’d left Nashville. She’d kept quiet about it but had jotted down lyrics whenever they struck her.
She scooted out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom that Gramps had given up for her.
“Emma, you decent?” Hudson yelled from the front of the bus.
“Sort of,” she said. Her hair was in a towel and she wore a robe that covered her from neck to knee.
“Whoo-wee, I like your definition of decent,” he said. He’d been all cordial cowboy since that night they’d talked but he’d kept his distance. He rode in his pick-up truck during the day and ate with the roadies when they stopped. According to Tasha he’d been teaching her to ride but whenever she mentioned rehearsing he was busy.
“Sure you do. I’ve never met a man who flirts like you and doesn’t back it up,” she said.
She was irritated mainly at herself but also a little at him. That night in Tennessee and the one in Virginia Beach had felt magical, like they were at the start of something but instead it had fizzled out. There’s an allegory for her life .
“I was giving you some space. I could tell the first concert you did sort of freaked you out.”
Yeah, she guessed running away to the midway after the performance and hiding amongst the crowds of fairgoers didn’t make her seem like she was okay. But she’d needed distance and some strength. She wouldn’t have minded if he’d followed her. But he hadn’t.
“Whatever. So what did you need me for?”
“We’ve got five days off after this and Alan wants me to take you to Marietta and teach you to ride.”
Marietta?
“Why?” she asked.
“Because on my ranch it’ll be easier than trying to find a place around here. We’ll meet back up with everyone else in St. Louis.”
“Um…okay, when will we leave? I assume we’re driving,” she said.
“No. We’re going to fly. We’d lose three days if we drove and you need all the time on the horse you can get.”
She nodded. “I need to talk to Gramps and then I’ll get back to you.”
“Do you think he might say something different?” Hudson asked coming closer to her.
“Not at all. Just wondering how he’ll get on without his bodyguard,” she said, smartly.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Are you sure you’re just not afraid to be alone with me?” he asked.
“You’re the one who’s been keeping your distance,” she pointed out.
He closed the gap between them and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her into his arms. “I’m not now.”
Sweet Georgia peaches! She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she’d thrown out her challenge but having him pull her into his arms hadn’t been it. He lowered his head toward hers and she lifted her hands to his shoulders and went up on tiptoe to meet him.
*
She smelled of peaches and her skin was creamy and soft where he touched her neck. She tasted of longing and minty fresh breath and he was glad she’d pushed him today. He’d been waking up early after a restless night spent listening to the sounds of her
He pulled her notepad to him and looked at the things she’d jotted. “You writing about me?”
“I thought so but now I’m not so sure,” she admitted.
He looked like he had more questions, but Hudson woke up and joined them. Emma was ready to chat with him, but he ducked off the bus as soon as they stopped, and she had a hard time getting any time alone with him after that. Seemed she’d decided to stop running and maybe he’d decided to start again.
Chapter Six
Jackson, Mississippi
I t was hard to be in Jackson and not think of Johnny and June Carter Cash singing about it. They’d been on tour for two weeks and so far Emma and Hudson had sort of avoided each other. She finished up in the shower and opened the door to peek out. The smell of bacon and coffee filled the air and she heard the radio playing softly.
The song she didn’t want to write had been playing softly in her mind since they’d left Nashville. She’d kept quiet about it but had jotted down lyrics whenever they struck her.
She scooted out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom that Gramps had given up for her.
“Emma, you decent?” Hudson yelled from the front of the bus.
“Sort of,” she said. Her hair was in a towel and she wore a robe that covered her from neck to knee.
“Whoo-wee, I like your definition of decent,” he said. He’d been all cordial cowboy since that night they’d talked but he’d kept his distance. He rode in his pick-up truck during the day and ate with the roadies when they stopped. According to Tasha he’d been teaching her to ride but whenever she mentioned rehearsing he was busy.
“Sure you do. I’ve never met a man who flirts like you and doesn’t back it up,” she said.
She was irritated mainly at herself but also a little at him. That night in Tennessee and the one in Virginia Beach had felt magical, like they were at the start of something but instead it had fizzled out. There’s an allegory for her life .
“I was giving you some space. I could tell the first concert you did sort of freaked you out.”
Yeah, she guessed running away to the midway after the performance and hiding amongst the crowds of fairgoers didn’t make her seem like she was okay. But she’d needed distance and some strength. She wouldn’t have minded if he’d followed her. But he hadn’t.
“Whatever. So what did you need me for?”
“We’ve got five days off after this and Alan wants me to take you to Marietta and teach you to ride.”
Marietta?
“Why?” she asked.
“Because on my ranch it’ll be easier than trying to find a place around here. We’ll meet back up with everyone else in St. Louis.”
“Um…okay, when will we leave? I assume we’re driving,” she said.
“No. We’re going to fly. We’d lose three days if we drove and you need all the time on the horse you can get.”
She nodded. “I need to talk to Gramps and then I’ll get back to you.”
“Do you think he might say something different?” Hudson asked coming closer to her.
“Not at all. Just wondering how he’ll get on without his bodyguard,” she said, smartly.
“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Are you sure you’re just not afraid to be alone with me?” he asked.
“You’re the one who’s been keeping your distance,” she pointed out.
He closed the gap between them and put his hands on her shoulders, pulling her into his arms. “I’m not now.”
Sweet Georgia peaches! She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when she’d thrown out her challenge but having him pull her into his arms hadn’t been it. He lowered his head toward hers and she lifted her hands to his shoulders and went up on tiptoe to meet him.
*
She smelled of peaches and her skin was creamy and soft where he touched her neck. She tasted of longing and minty fresh breath and he was glad she’d pushed him today. He’d been waking up early after a restless night spent listening to the sounds of her
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