Running On Empty (Fleur de Lis Book 2) Read online

  “It’s not that easy!”

  He sighed. “It’s not easy because you’re making it more complicated than it is. Use what you know and go from there. You can figure out the rest.”

  “I’m going to call him back. Tell him I changed my mind.”

  “Don’t you dare,” he said. “Don’t be stupid.”

  “Fine.”

  “Now, come on back here. Let’s have a drink to celebrate.”

  “I don’t want to celebrate.”

  “Get your ass over to Snapper’s tonight. I’ll be there after I get home from work. Call Gabe and have him come meet you.”

  “Fine.”

  Ryder hung up, and Grace sat there on the side of the road staring at the phone, wondering what the hell she had gotten herself into.

  “I guess I’ll find out,” she said, putting the car into drive and heading back to Bon Chance.

  ***

  Gabe

  Restless, Gabe was already at Snapper’s. He had gotten a text from Grace earlier telling him about the job, asking him to meet her at Snapper’s. Like he’d be anywhere else. He’d sip his drink. Then look at the door. Then sip his drink. Then, Grace walked in.

  His body reacted when he saw her. His heartbeat sped up. His hands itched to touch her.

  She smiled when she saw him, and his pulse kicked up a notch. He resisted the urge to rub his palms against his jeans like a nervous teenager. He smiled back and pulled out the barstool next to him. Carly was there already, placing a shot and a drink down on the bar in front of where Grace would sit.

  Gabe inhaled the clean, citrusy scent of her shampoo as she hugged him before she sat. She looked gorgeous in her simple jeans and t-shirt, minimal makeup, and ponytail. She still had those smudges under her eyes, but maybe soon those would fade away.

  Carly brought a round of shots. “Congrats on the job!”

  “Thanks, I guess,” Grace said after they all set the shot glasses down on the bar. “I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do, but, oh well”

  “I sent Allison a text. She’s going to come in later, so we can ask her,” Carly said.

  “That would be awesome,” Grace said, then proceeded to fill them in on the interview and that disaster of a classroom.

  “It really looked that bad?” Gabe asked.

  “I should have pulled out my phone and taken a picture,” Grace said. “I think I was too shocked.”

  “Well, they’ll get it all together for you. And it’s not like you have to dive in tomorrow. You have some time.”

  “That’s true,” Grace said.

  “So, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the night?” Gabe asked.

  “Ryder’s coming in a little while. He’s at home changing. So is Joey. I guess I’ll be hanging out here, unless something changes.”

  “We could do a bar crawl,” Carly said. “Head over to the Wahoo or 31. See what’s going on.”

  Grace’s stomach revolted at the thought of going to 31, where the Pointe Shade police made regular appearances. After the cook-off, she hoped to never see any Mouton again.

  “Or not,” Carly said, seeing her reaction. “We can stay here. Less trouble.”

  “Yeah,” Gabe agreed. “We can just hang out here, play some jukebox. Some pool. Just chill.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Grace said. “I need some chill in my life right now.”

  Carly left to tend to some customers, and Grace turned to Gabe. “I thought about writing some music this morning.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yeah, I was at Noah’s, looking out at the water, and some lines, some music, came to me.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Yeah, it felt good,” she said, smiling.

  “We’ll just have to get our guitars out and see what we can come up with,” Gabe said. “You know, Grace, if you wanted, you could come play with us in Austin.”

  Her smile disappeared. “I can’t.”

  Damnit, Gabe thought. He’d messed that up, hadn’t he? What to do now? And why had she been at Noah’s anyway? So many questions with Grace. He just wished she trusted him enough to give him some answers.

  “Well, how about we play some music later on the jukebox? May get some inspiration.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Ryder made his appearance then, stepping up on the ledge of the bar to lean over and kiss Carly. He grabbed his beer from her, then hugged Grace. Gabe noticed that he held her out at arm’s length for a moment to look her over. He tipped his head in a slight nod before pulling out a stool and sitting down with them. He leaned back, resting his boot on the bottom rung of Grace’s barstool. He lit a cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke.

  “Play some pool?” he asked Gabe.

  “Sure. Set ’em up.”

  “I will after this beer. Work made me thirsty.” He grinned. Then he turned to Grace. “How you doing? Dance later?”

  “I think you could talk me into it,” she said.

  “Good.” He downed the rest of the beer. “Let’s get this party started.” He took off his cowboy hat and shoved it on Grace’s head. “For our Grace.”

  Soon, the party was joined by Noah, Joey, Kevin, and finally, Allison. Carly’s shift ended, and she switched sides of the bar. Everyone was there but Emily, who had a catering gig that evening. As the evening progressed, Gabe was glad to see Grace relax, laugh, and be her old self. He pulled out a five dollar bill and went to the jukebox to play some music. He played a few songs he knew she liked, some songs they had played that night on his porch, and a couple of other songs just because.

  He smiled when she sat beside him and sang along as Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic” played. If anyone had a “gypsy soul,” it was Grace. It felt good to sit there with her and sing a few songs. It felt like home. He hoped he could get her to perform with him again, even come to Austin.

  “Oh my god!” Grace exclaimed when “Against All Odds” started playing. “We sang this for the prom!”

  “Yes, we did,” he said, nodding.

  “Oh my gosh! I love this song! Joey, come dance with me!” Carly said, grabbing Joey and dragging him to the dance floor. Gabe shook his head, almost feeling sorry for him. Almost. Knowing how Joey felt about Carly, Gabe suspected he enjoyed the moments he got to be close to her. Speaking of being close…

  “Grace, you feel like a dance?” Gabe asked. She had danced with Ryder a few times already, but it was the complicated Cajun dancing they always did together. Nothing slow.

  Indecision showed on her face, and Gabe thought for a moment she was going to say no. She took a deep breath, looked him in the eye, and surprised him by saying, “Sure.”

  He led her onto the dance floor, his hand on her arm, not too tight. He knew how jumpy she’d been lately, and he didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. He took her into his arms, close but not too close. Close enough that he could smell her light, citrusy perfume.

  She was a little stiff at first, even missing a step once, but as the song played, she relaxed. So did Gabe, who hadn’t even realized how nervous he was over this simple dance. He resisted the urge to bend down and kiss the top of her head. Baby steps, he thought. Baby steps.

  The song was over much too soon, and they resumed their spots at the bar. He didn’t ask her to dance again. He wanted to, but didn’t want to press her. He still didn’t know what was going on with her, but he did know one thing—he wasn’t giving up.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Grace

  The sun was rising above the water when Grace took a seat in the rocking chair on Noah’s boat. The morning was quiet, the only sound the slap of water hitting the sides of the houseboat. Her writing journal sat open on her lap, but she hadn’t written anything yet. For now, she was content to just sit and enjoy the early morning.

  She stretched, feeling better than she had in days after a night of sleep without nightmares. Looking down at the journal again, she thought of Gabriel. It had felt good t
o dance with him. It had been awkward at first, but he was so easy to be with. It had felt almost natural to relax and sway along to the music with him. Almost. It wasn’t like dancing with Ryder. Gabriel wanted more from her than just a dance. She could see the attraction in his eyes. He was Gabriel, a strange mixture of the known and unknown. Had that attraction always been there? Had she missed it?

  She heard Noah walk up. He would make some coffee, then come out. She closed the journal and placed it on the table between the two rocking chairs.

  It wasn’t long before he came out with two mugs in hand. He had the Semper Fi mug and handed Grace the Life’s a Beach mug. She took a sip as he settled into the chair next to her.

  Like the day before, he rocked silently, taking in the view before speaking. Grace wondered if he was thinking of what to say, or if he was just taking his own moment to enjoy the quiet and the view.

  “How’d you sleep last night?” he asked after a few sips of coffee.

  “No nightmares,” she said.

  “Good.” He nodded. “I didn’t have any either. I think that’s a good thing. How are you feeling about the new job?”

  “Nervous.”

  “Something new is always unnerving. You can do this though. Remember—breathe in, breathe out.”

  “I can do that.”

  “I know you can.”

  Noah got up once to refill their cups. Time clicked by as they rocked in their chairs and watched the sun finish rising.

  ***

  Later, Grace walked down the beach with Furby. It was warm, the sun bright in the almost cloudless sky. A great day for a bike ride, she thought. If only her gas gauge was working right. She longed to feel the freedom of the open road. Feeling the wind, smelling fresh cut grass, nothing between her and the scenery.

  As she passed by the Redbird Inn, she saw Gabe fishing, out enjoying the sunshine as well.

  “What’s up?” she asked as she approached.

  “Nothing much,” he said. “Killing time with some fishing. I’m not used to all this free time.”

  “Me either,” she agreed. “I was thinking that it would be a great day for a motorcycle trip.”

  He looked up and nodded. “I agree. Don’t you have a bike?”

  “I do, but it needs some work done. It left me on the side of the road on my way here.”

  “It could be an easy fix. Want me to take a look at it?”

  “It’s just a gas gauge. You wouldn’t mind?” she asked.

  “Not a bit. Help me put this stuff away and I’ll walk over with you to Joey’s and we can see what’s going on with it.”

  “That would be great.”

  “But it will cost ya.”

  “Oh yeah? What will that be?’

  “You have to take me on that trip.”

  Gabe and her on a motorcycle? Obviously, he would drive. Still, he would be right there. There was no personal space on a bike. Not if you wanted to ride comfortably. She said nothing at first.

  “How about this?” Gabe conceded. “We’ll work on it this afternoon. We can take a little spin. If it works, then we can take a longer trip. You never know, I might drive like a maniac, and you may not want to hurtle down the highway with me.”

  She grinned. “I may like that.”

  He laughed. “Come on, help me carry this stuff up to the cabin and we’ll get started.”

  She grabbed the tackle box and followed him.

  ***

  Hours later, after a trip to the parts store, some wrench turning, and a lot of cursing, Gabriel was sitting on her motorcycle, revving the motor.

  “I’m going to take it for a test spin,” he said over the rumble. “I’ll put some gas in it and come back. If you want, you can hop on and we’ll take it for a drive.”

  As Grace watched him drive away, her anxiety intensified. She paced the driveway, waiting for him to come back. Could she be that close to him? What was she thinking? This was Gabe. Gabe who had been nothing but caring and gentle. She could do this. She would be damned if she’d let Brent ruin this for her like he’d ruined her singing career. She loved to ride. She would not let Brent win. Not this time.

  She was still pacing when Gabe pulled up in the driveway. He smiled and held out his hand. “Come on, cher.”

  Grace smiled, took a deep breath, and hopped on.

  Sitting on the back of her own bike was weird at first. She couldn’t remember the last time she had ridden as a passenger. The experience of not being in control of the bike was unnerving.

  Gabriel was a great rider, though, taking it nice and slow. Grace leaned in and out of the curves as they coasted along the highway that led through Bon Chance. The beach lay on one side, the businesses and homes along the other. Freedom dead ahead. A sweet moment of peace as her head cleared and all worries and stresses drifted away. Grace closed her eyes as the wind rushed through her hair, lifting and blowing it behind her.

  Gabe took them to the tip of the peninsula and pulled to a stop at a scenic outlook. “Wanna take a look around before we go back?”

  “Sure.” She slid off the bike and waited for him to do the same. Grace bent to take off her shoes and secured them in a saddlebag, as did Gabe.

  The evening sun was setting, and the sky was an array of pastel blues, pinks, and yellows. A lone fishing boat was bobbing in the distance.

  The sand was cool underneath her bare feet as she walked along the beach with Gabe. They were silent for a while, the only sound the soft splash of the water as it hit the shore and receded back to the bay.

  “Wanna sit?” Gabe asked as they approached a secluded spot that overlooked a fishing pier.

  “Sure.”

  They sat down on the sand, close, but not too close. Grace leaned back and rested on her elbows and looked up at the sky. The sun was even lower on the horizon and the first stars now peeked out.

  Gabe stretched out beside her. “Quiet, isn’t it?”

  “It is. I like it. So different from New Orleans. From the Quarter.”

  “Same here. Austin’s pretty busy too.”

  “Do you miss Austin?”

  “I do, actually. There’s no place like it. Not even New Orleans. New Orleans is rough, gritty, old. Austin is trendy, new, eccentric. And I miss playing music.”

  Grace had to ask. “When do you go back?”

  “October. We are playing the South by Southwest Festival.”

  October? It was September now.

  Grace reached out and grabbed his hand. “Already? You’re leaving so soon?”

  Gabe’s fingers interlaced with hers. “I am. I have to. You should come, Grace. Like I said, we’re looking for a female vocalist. This could be our shot. Your shot.”

  Grace looked down at their entwined hands. For a moment, she thought of pulling back. She knew Gabe was interested in being more than friends. She also knew what a mess her head was right now.

  “What if I can’t?” Grace gave voice to the nagging fear that plagued her.

  He squeezed her hand as he raised it to his lips. “You will, Grace. You will sing again. You have to find that faith in yourself again. The faith that I have. That all of us have in you.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes and she looked out at the waves. God, she hoped he was right.

  Hand in hand, they finished watching the sunset in silence. When darkness finally fell, they returned to the motorcycle. As they rode, Grace wrapped her arms around Gabe’s waist and rested her head on his back. She smiled the whole ride home.

  ***

  “Seems to be working fine now,” Gabe said as Grace hopped off the motorcycle.

  “Thank you so much.”

  “So, how about that trip? I think I could use a little getaway myself.”

  “I would love to,” Grace said, much to Gabe’s surprise. “What do you have in mind?”

  “We can think of something. How about we leave early and watch the sun rise as we ride, wherever we decide to go?”

  “That sounds amazi
ng,” Grace said. “I’m looking forward to it already.”

  “Me too,” he said. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. He looked at her before giving her an awkward one-armed hug.

  Grace wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for just a moment. “Thanks, Gabe.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said. When she let him go, he leaned down and lightly kissed her cheek. Progress. Gabe walked a few feet away then stopped and turned. He was smiling, and Grace couldn’t help herself. She smiled back.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “First day teaching today?” Noah asked, handing her a mug of coffee then sitting down.

  Grace took a sip of coffee before responding, “Yes.”

  If she could hear the indecision in her voice, she knew Noah’s perceptive ass would pick up on it.

  She had woken up before the alarm that morning, after a mostly sleepless night of tossing and turning. She had been so restless that even Furby had abandoned her and slept on a pillow on the floor.

  The thought of standing in front of those kids filled her with panic. She had no clue what she was doing. More than once, she had considered calling Mr. Comeaux and telling him she had changed her mind. She was still debating as she sat on the houseboat with Noah. The cell phone laid on the table by her mug of coffee. All she would have to do is pick it up, dial, and say the words.

  She was still staring at the phone when Noah began speaking. “When I retired from the Marines, I accepted a job with an oilfield company. The money was good, and the thought of fourteen days on and fourteen days off was appealing. As the day came closer for me to leave for work, I started having panic attacks every time I thought about being cooped up in those living quarters. I ended up turning it down.”

  He looked down at the mug he rolled back and forth in his palms. “After that, I took a job with a firm in New Orleans. Just routine security. That lasted all of a week, I think. New Orleans was too much for me. Too many people. Too much noise. So, I gave up on the job search. There’s not a lot here to choose from. I had my retirement from the military. My houseboat and truck were paid for so I didn’t really need to work. But I found myself feeling adrift, just floating through life. And that didn’t go over well with me, not after the structure of the military.”