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

Concerned, Furby licked her nose.

  “Ugh, Furb.” She patted his furry head and sighed. Slowly, her heart began to slow down. She glanced at the alarm clock by the bed. 5:30 a.m. If she left now, she could take a run down the beach and watch the sunrise.

  She kicked off the blankets. “So much for sleeping in.”

  She donned running shoes and leashed Furby. She left as quietly as she could. She didn’t want to wake up Joey and Carly—they’d all been out late celebrating her homecoming.

  When she got to the beach, she unleashed Furby and let the energetic dog have his freedom. After a few quick stretches, Grace took off. Grace loved running. She loved the feel of her feet hitting the sand, feeling the power in her legs, the wind in her hair. She felt alive when she ran. In New Orleans, she ran near Jax Brewery and around the Quarter. Running free like this, with no traffic and no people, was heaven.

  Grace watched the surf play against the beach, the water coming in, foaming up, then heading back out to sea. The water would be warm now, it being late September. She would probably find herself back on this beach enjoying the cool water along with the tourists and fishermen.

  Grace waved to Noah. He was running toward her with his two dogs. Sadie, the German Shepherd, was his. Oscar, the ugly black-and-white dog with the pointy ears, was Emily’s.

  Noah slowed as he approached her. “Hi, Grace!” He laughed and held out a hand. “I’d hug ya, but, well…”

  “I understand.”

  “Come over to the house for breakfast if you want when you finish. Emily should be up and cooking.”

  “Does she ever get tired of cooking?” Grace asked.

  “Nope, and I never get tired of eating.” Noah laughed, patting his stomach. “That’s why I have to run.”

  Grace looked him over. Noah did not have an inch of fat on his body. He had, however, filled out since a couple of years ago, after he’d gotten back from Iraq. He had lost that almost too skinny look. He looked very happy, and very content.

  “Well, I’m not going to keep you. I know you just started your run. But, seriously, stop in and eat. Em would love to see you.”

  “Got coffee?”

  Noah laughed. “Of course we do.”

  “Let me finish my run and go shower. And I’ll stop by if I can.”

  He placed his hand on her forearm and gave a quick squeeze, and Grace resisted the urge to flinch. What was wrong with her? She’d known Noah for years. Nerves, she thought. Something a few days at home should cure.

  Noah whistled for his brood of dogs and continued down the beach toward his and Emily’s home. Their house had been Emily’s grandmother and grandfather’s, then she and Noah had restored it after it was damaged by Hurricane Katrina.

  Grace continued running. She passed by Aunt Glinda’s Redbird Inn, a collection of camps and rooms rented out during the summer season. Aunt Glinda wasn’t really Grace’s aunt, but that was what everyone called her. Glinda would be busy this morning, making breakfast for the fishermen and families staying there. She would close up after Labor Day. Glinda said retirement wasn’t any fun unless you took the time to enjoy it. After Labor Day, she would travel, read, visit, and do just whatever she pleased.

  Her grandson, Gabe, had apparently made it in from Austin the night before, as he was standing on the beach, casting a line into the water for some early morning fishing.

  “Hey, Gabe!” she said as she approached.

  He reeled the line in and turned to her. His full smile was punctuated by a small silver lip ring. He was what you called a beautiful man. His new look had only made him more appealing. His bright, green eyes no longer hid behind a mop of brown curly hair. Now, you could see the sharp angles of his face. The same tattoos he’d had, mostly musical, adorned muscles that popped out from under his t-shirt sleeve.

  Damn, Grace thought as he enveloped her in a hug. He, too, had filled out in the last year.

  Gabe secured the line on his fishing pole and set it down.

  “Grace!” he said. “How have you been?”

  “I’ve been all right. And you? God, you look great!”

  “Thank you,” he said. He shrugged. “Our manager said I needed a tougher look, so I went with it.”

  “Well, it looks great. I bet you have the ladies falling all over you.”

  He looked down then, his smile disappearing. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “Well, maybe we can play a few tunes together while you’re here. Just like old times.”

  “Of course,” Gabe said. “Grandma should be about finished with breakfast by now, you want to come up? Glinda would love to see you.”

  “I would, but I just saw Noah, promised him I’d come for breakfast already. In fact, I should head back to shower.”

  “Okay. Some other time, then.”

  “Of course. I need to stop in and visit with Glinda anyway.”

  “Good. Well, I’ll see you at Snapper’s later?” he asked.

  “Yes, you will.”

  “Grace?” He paused for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was deeper than normal. “It’s really good to see you again.”

  Puzzled, she looked into his eyes. The way he was looking at her was different. He looked at her intently, his gaze darker.

  Suddenly nervous, Grace looked away from him and down the beach for a moment. When she looked back, the look was gone. Maybe it had been her imagination.

  “It was good to see you too,” she said, then whistled for Furby, who was running around in the surf. She shook her head. That dog was going to need a good bath after getting dirt and sand in his long, white hair. He ran up to her, paws soaking wet, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth, and did a dance on his two back paws.

  Grace laughed and patted his head. “C’mon boy. We’re going to have to hurry if I’m going to make it in time for some of Emily’s breakfast.”

  ***

  Gabe

  Gabe watched as Grace disappeared down the beach. He’d been crazy about Grace in high school. Had even learned how to play the guitar and ride a motorcycle in an effort to impress her. He remembered mustering up the courage in high school to ask her to the senior prom after practicing in the mirror for days.

  “Gabe! Guess what!” Seventeen-year-old Grace’s face had glowed with excitement as she ran up to him in the hallway between classes.

  “What?” Gabe asked automatically, closing his locker door with a bang and turning toward her.

  “The prom committee talked to me this morning. They want us to play for prom!”

  “You don’t want to go to the prom? It’s your senior prom.” Gabriel tried to keep the disappointment from showing on his face and in his voice.

  “Prom? Me? All that dressing up?” Grace laughed. “You’re kidding me. I’d rather play music.”

  “And what does Ben think? He may have a hot date.”

  “Ben will line up a date at the prom. You know the girls just love those dimples. He and Ryder might go alone, but they won’t leave alone. I promise. Ryder will dance with every girl in the place.”

  “What are we going to play?” Gabe asked. “I don’t think they’ll go for a night of Pearl Jam and Nirvana covers.”

  “I don’t know,” Grace said. “We need some stuff for people to slow dance to.”

  “What about some eighties covers?”

  “We could do some of those.”

  Gabe had brightened a little. It may not be a date, but learning new songs meant more practice, which meant more time with Grace. It was a win-win situation for him either way. It also meant she wasn’t going with anyone else.

  Gabe cast his fishing pole out again and smiled. He had been so awkward as a teen, all gangly and clumsy. He had only been half truthful when he said his makeover was at the request of their new manager. The other half of the truth was Grace. She was the other part of the reason.

  The last time he was home, he yearned to do what he’d wanted for years, since he was a teen. He longed to tell
her how much she meant to him. Every time he went to make his move, he chickened out, seeing that same old look in her eyes. That “just a friend” gaze had always caused him to freeze up.

  Disappointed, he went back to Austin. When he and the band signed their new deal, the manager had made the suggestion to change his look, and he went with it. Maybe a new look in him would inspire a new look from her. This time, he wanted Grace to see him.

  He cut his hair, shaved his goatee, hit the gym. If Grace responded half as well as his female fans, he would finally have that chance. When the band went on break, he jumped on his Harley and came home. For Grace. A chance at a new beginning to an old story.

  He looked down the beach again toward where Grace had disappeared. Gabriel shy? Not so much now. Quiet? He wasn’t going to be quiet this time.

  Chapter Five

  Back at the Redbird Inn, later that afternoon, Gabe slid the piano cover open and ran his fingers along the smooth, worn, black-and-white keys. He had learned how to play music here with Grams looking on and listening. He played a few notes to get a feel for the instrument again. As he played, his mind drifted back to high school when he and Grace would sit here practicing whatever song they were working on at the time.

  Automatically, his fingers started playing the old Phil Collins song “Against All Odds.”

  He sang softly as his fingers traveled over the keyboard. He had convinced her to sing the song as a duet for the prom, hoping she would see how badly he was crushing on her. But she never had. She had left for New Orleans soon after that to attend the University of New Orleans on a music scholarship. He and Bennett moved to Austin, where there were more opportunities for musicians trying to make it big.

  He sang quietly, still playing the old song, hoping Grace would take a look at him now.

  “You’re still hung up on Grace, aren’t you?” Glinda asked from the doorway.

  Gabe stopped singing, but not playing, his fingers still as restless as his mind.

  “I am.”

  She smiled and came to sit beside him on the stool. “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I saw her on the beach this morning while I was fishing.”

  “And?”

  Gabe thought of the dark circles under Grace’s eyes. “I don’t know, Grandma. Something seems different.”

  “Like what?”

  “It’s a look in her eyes. I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it.”

  “Grace is a tough girl. She’ll make it through whatever it is. She does have that soft side though.”

  He laughed. “Grace? Soft?”

  “She is, Gabe. Look at her with Ryder, or Joey, or that crazy dog of hers. She doesn’t love easily, but she loves with all her heart when she does.”

  He nodded and, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, was quiet.

  “Gabriel?” Glinda asked, patting him on the knee. “Since you’re here, how about you help me out with some repairs around the place? A little hammering and nailing might be what you need to keep that mind of yours occupied. We can give Noah a little break.”

  He smiled and mentally shook off the past. “Of course, Grams. Just let me know what you need.” He slid the piano cover shut and followed Glinda into the kitchen.

  ***

  Grace

  After breakfast with Emily and Noah, and a long nap, it was sunset as Grace walked down the beach, the purple sun mirrored on the water. A light, cool breeze blew, and the feel of the soft sand beneath her toes was comforting.

  She walked until she couldn’t see anyone else and slid down onto the sand. She set her drink beside her after pouring some more vodka into the glass to freshen it up. She pulled her knees up to her chest and turned up her iPod.

  Grace looked out at the waves as the sun dipped lower along the horizon. She had resisted going to Snapper’s tonight. She did not feel like being sociable. So, she had grabbed her iPod, ear buds, a tall glass of something cold, and wandered down the beach.

  She shuffled through to her favorite album, a mournful rock album that was mostly acoustic. The singer sang of sorrow, change, and rock and roll. The album was not cheerful, but Grace was not happy, so it fit her mood.

  Feeling her cell phone vibrate, she looked to see who it was.

  Ryder: What u doin’?

  Grace: Chillin’.

  Ryder: Where?

  Grace: Beach.

  Ryder: Meet me at Snapper’s.

  Grace: Maybe later.

  Ryder: Don’t make me come find you.

  She set the phone down and sipped her drink. The spot she had picked was perfect. The sun was casting pinks, reds, and oranges across the blue water. It seemed the water itself was on fire.

  What was she going to do?

  She had sent the band a message earlier telling them she would not be back. She had given them no reason, and ignored the ones who had asked. She now had no band, therefore no job, no income. She had some savings built up, but she would still need to pay rent. She couldn’t leave her roommate, Paul, in the lurch. She had called him earlier to tell him she would be out for a few days so he wouldn’t worry. She would need to tell him soon that he needed to look for another roommate.

  She’d talk to Carly later about some gigs. Snapper’s booked bands and artists on the weekends. She’d see if Carly could schedule her in. That would do for a little while. Maybe she’d go around to some of the other local places and see if she could get some acoustic gigs. It wouldn’t be much, but it would do. She’d been a starving artist before. Of course, here, she’d never really go hungry. You couldn’t go anywhere in south Louisiana without someone offering a meal.

  She poured more vodka in her glass and took another big drink. She grimaced a little. It was a bit too strong, but as the ice melted it would mellow. With her mood, she was half tempted to just tip the bottle and start drinking. If it had been chilled, she knew she would have.

  Grace jumped as a hand touched her shoulder.

  She looked up to see Gabe. She was again struck by the changes he had made. She pulled the earbuds out.

  “Sorry,” he said. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s okay. What’s up?”

  “Nothing. I was just leaving Grandma’s to go to my house. You okay?” His bright green eyes were soft.

  “Honestly? Nope. I’m not.”

  “I have some Southern Comfort at my house and some free time. Feel like some company?”

  She shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

  She saw him bite back a smile. “All right. I’ll be right back.”

  ***

  Gabe

  Gabe walked back up to the cabin Glinda kept for him. He had been heading to his place from Glinda’s, thinking about going to Snapper’s to find Grace, when he had seen her sitting there on the beach. Shoulders slightly bowed, she looked like she was trying to curl up into a ball. He didn’t know what was going on with her, but he knew it wasn’t good. When he saw her slight intoxication, he knew he couldn’t leave her alone. Even if that was what she wanted. He wouldn’t push though. He knew her way too well for that. When you pushed Grace, she pushed back. She was a scrapper. Always had been. But with her two best friends being Ryder and Benjamin, she kind of had to be to survive.

  He packed an ice chest and headed back to the beach. He approached slowly this time, not wanting to startle her again. He set the ice chest down between them, giving her space.

  “You need a drink?” he asked, then filled her cup when she held it out to him without saying a word.

  “Sunset is pretty tonight,” he said.

  “Yep,” she said.

  “Talked to Ryder?”

  “Yep.”

  “Want me to call him?” he asked. Maybe Ryder could break her out of this funk.

  “Don’t you dare.” She flashed a look at him and he mentally threw up his hands.

  “Okay,” he said. Gabe sipped his drink slowly. This was going to be a long night. He kept talking.
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  “You know, Carly told me today that they were moving the spaghetti cook-off for Ben’s memorial scholarship fund to Labor Day. To be the last hurrah of the season, so to speak. Maybe we can get together and do some songs.”

  “Maybe so,” Grace responded.

  She really was in a foul mood. Should he keep talking or just shut up? Knowing Grace, if she wanted him to stop talking, she would say so. So, he kept going. He made small talk about the weather. He talked about fishing. About anything he could think of.

  “So, maybe we could all plan a trip to New Orleans, wander down Bourbon?” he asked.

  She looked at him then. Her eyes cut to the side, full of rage. She stood up and walked to the surf playing on the shore. Gabriel just watched as she took the cup in her hand and threw it as far as she could out into the water.

  “Or maybe not,” he said.

  She stalked back through the sand and flopped down beside him. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

  “You want another drink?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “I’ll need to get you another cup,” he said. “You’ll be okay for a minute?”

  She nodded again.

  Gabriel went back to his cabin and grabbed another cup, a throwaway from last year’s Mardi Gras parade. Something he wouldn’t miss if she decided to play pitcher again. When he got back, he fixed a drink and handed it to her. He didn’t speak again.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning, Grace woke up with a spinning and pounding head. She groaned, opened one eye, and looked around. She was in Gabe’s room.

  She grimaced at the taste in her mouth. “What the hell did I drink?” She shook her head, then stopped when it throbbed again. Hangovers were rare for her. Living in New Orleans and keeping weird hours, Grace always liked to keep her wits about her.

  She grabbed her cell phone and checked the text messages.