Page 78 of Color of Love

Chapter 23

The last thing Justine felt like doing was going to the Rusty Bucket Inn on a Saturday night.

She just wanted to stay at home, re-alphabetize her DVDs since Taylor had at some point messed up her system again, eat ice cream and wallow in self-pity.

Fun times.

But Taylor had called her and begged her to come in, she had accidentally booked Justine to sing again and now there was a huge crowd expecting to see her. Justine didn’t understand how it had happened, but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do, other than the wallowing thing, that is. Her only solace was that there would be no chance of running into Blake if it was as crowded as Taylor said it was.

She showered, for the first time in days, she was still too depressed to stay clean. She wasn’t bothered if she repelled men, she only wanted one. The one she couldn’t have. The ache hadn’t dulled, if anything it had grown over time, especially after seeing him the other night. She braided her wet hair, swiped some make-up across her face and stepped into her favorite burnt orange jumpsuit. She added some jewelry, grabbed her guitar and drove to the bar. The parking lot was rammed. What the hell’s going on?

She pushed the door open and immediately the noise level assaulted her. The place was packed. The whole town must have turned out for tonight, including some people from the next town over. She weaved her way through the sweaty crowds to find Taylor at the bar.

“What the hell happened, Taylor?” she shouted over the hubbub. Taylor’s eyes gleamed at her across the bar, her energy off the charts.

“I know, it’s crazy right?” she shouted back and only then did Justine notice that not only were Taylor and Kayleigh serving customers, but so were Beau and Dean, while Christy acted as bouncer, shouting at customers who were too amped up. She may be tiny, but she was fierce; no one messed with her.

Justine stared around and spluttered. “Are all these people here to listen to me sing?”

“Not exactly,” Taylor hedged.

“What?”

“Don’t hate me, okay?” Taylor shouted back and her eyes flicked over Justine’s shoulder. Justine felt heat at her back and then she caught that sinful scent that turned her inside out.

“They’re here to listen to me sing.”

His voice rasped right in her ear. She gasped and spun around and found herself staring into those beautiful eyes. His mouth quirked at her.

“I do love it when you make that sound.” His eyes roving over her had heat flaring throughout her body, pooling between her legs at the blatant arousal etched on his face. Someone bumped into her, and she was crushed against his solid chest, her palms pushed back, his muscles flexing under her touch. Awareness sizzled between them.

“Blake, what are you doing around all these people, we need to get you out of here!” She started panicking, she didn’t want him to have an attack from being in a crowd this size. Her eyes darted around the bar, trying to find the nearest exit.

“Why would I leave when everyone came to see me?” He cocked his head, smiling down at her and again her stomach clenched at the sight. Damn he’s beautiful. But how was he managing to be around this many people?

“I don’t understand?”

“You will soon,” he replied, and brushed a kiss across her cheek.

She wanted to pull back, but she had missed him too damn much, so instead she leaned into his touch. He cupped her cheek, brushing his thumb across her jaw and the world melted away as they looked at each other, his eyes shining down at her with…no, she knew he didn’t love her.

“Blake, showtime!” Taylor shouted.

The spell was broken, the crowd roared back into focus and Blake was no longer in front of her, he was lost in the throng. Panic consumed her as she worried about him.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to another epic night at the Rusty Bucket Inn!” Taylor’s voice boomed out around the room. “We’ve got a very special guest this evening which I know is why you’re all here and eager to watch the show.”

Justine forced Blake out of her mind, she needed to get up to the stage quickly. She tried to push through the crowd, but it was so thick that she barely made her way to the front of the stage before Taylor was announcing her.

“Now, give it up for our very own Citrus Pines Deputy Sheriff, Blaaake Miller!”

The cheers were deafening. What the hell is going on? Justine looked around the bar, so confused. Music filled the bar and then that deep voice echoed around the room. Her eyes flew to the stage and there he was.

“I’d like to dedicate this song, and all the eighties love songs, to my very own love, Justine.”

His love? Her? Was this some kind of joke? The tender note in his voice suggested it wasn’t. The look in his eye as he stared down at her, had her heart filling with hope. He couldn’t love her because he didn’t love her, he didn’t love anyone, did he? The song built in the background, and he began to sing, his voice soulful, deep and surprisingly pleasant. When he sang the first line of the song, she realized what it was.

“Oh!” she cried, her hand flying to cover her mouth as her eyes filled with tears. It was the song she had told him about on their stakeout, Waiting For A Girl Like You. The one she had always wanted someone to sing to her, wishing she was special enough. Was she finally special enough? He smiled down at her and winked, then continued to sing about how he had been waiting for a girl like her to come into his life.

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