Covering the Carolinas (26 page)

As we enter the house, the aroma of Sundrop Pound
Cake hits my nostrils. Mama is doing what she does best. Cooking. I
can’t wait to have a piece with a glass of milk.

“
Hey, Mama. We’re here!” I
yell as I close the door behind us. She comes to greet us in the
foyer, and Beau is in the living room. He doesn’t get up; he just
gives a wave and goes back to watching his hunting
show.
You’d think that he’d notice
I’m home. Oh, well.

“
Hey, Beau! Don’t get up or anything,” I say
just a little bit on the sarcastic side.

“
Belle, I’ll have something sweet for ya in a
few minutes. Why don’t you take Jake to the guest room so he can
get settled?”

“
Yes, ma’am.”

Jake and I make our way upstairs
and down the hall. He stops to look at the family photos on the
wall and asks me questions about all of them.
Please don’t ask about the one where my hair is half-brushed,
and I look like I have rotten teeth because I didn’t pull a loose
tooth. Whew! Made
it past it!
I give him a brief tour as we make our way to the guest
room.

“
Here ya go, Jake,” I say as
I open the guest room. “Mine’s right next door if ya need
anything.”
Stupid
, Belle. Stupid
comment.
“I’m gonna go get settled. I’ll
be right back,” I tell him.

I walk into my room and close my eyes as my back
brushes the back of the door. What the hell was I thinking bringing
home the country music god? He’s perfect in every single way. His
eyes, hair, perfectly sun-kissed skin, impeccable ass in a pair of
jeans, and a personality to go with it, but the fact that he likes
me for me is the biggest turn-on ever.

I walk to my dresser and look in
the mirror. Touching up my makeup, I decide that it’s time to show
Jake what it’s like in
Lattimore. I send Chase and
Lyndsay a text.

Group Text:

Me: Martin’s tonight? Time to show Mr. Country Music
God how we do it in Lattimore. Y’all in?

Chase: Sure, Beau coming 2?

Me: Prob

Lyndsay: Damn right! I’ll spread the word.

Me: Don’t you dare! Let’s just see who’s out
tonight. Meet us there at 8.

As I place my phone
down, there’s a light knock at my door.

“
Come in.” Turning around, I see him. “You
ready for the best cake you’ve ever eaten? Then, I think you need a
tour of the farm.”

“
I’m game.”

We make our way into the kitchen and take a seat.
Mama has the cake, butter, and glasses of milk waiting. Beau has
beaten us to the table already. I should have known. We each grab a
piece, slather it with butter, and take a bite.

“
Wow.” Is the only word that
Jake says with a mouthful of cake.
Lawd knows what I’d love him to have a mouthful
of!

As we eat our cake, I tell Beau
and Jake the plans for tonight. Beau gives me a questioning glance,
and I give him a go to hell look. He says that he will be bringing
his girlfriend, Sarah, and will just meet us there.
That’s odd. I swear I’ve got to tell him my
thoughts about making it big before I leave.

Once we finish eating, I excuse
Jake and myself. It is a beautiful Carolina summer day, and it’s
time to show
Jake why there’s no place like
Carolina.

As we approach the barn, I give him the choice
of Gator or four-wheeler. He chooses four-
wheeler. This is going to be a blast.

We take off from the barn and go
toward the edge of the property. I point out all the farm animals,
the different barns, and then head toward my grandparents. We park
the four-wheelers and then make our way inside my grandparents’
quaint, old farmhouse
that has been there since this
farm was established.

“
Mawmaw! Pawpaw!” I yell as we enter the side
entrance of their house.

“
Belle, is that you?” Mawmaw calls from her
sewing room.

“
Yes, ma’am!”

Before we are halfway to the room, Mawmaw is
hurrying to meet me, but she stops abruptly when she realizes I’m
not alone.

‘
Well, Belle, who do we have here?”

“
Mawmaw, I’d like you to meet the country
music god himself, Jake Bryant.”

Jake’s face turns red
as a beet. It has to be the cutest thing I’ve ever
seen.

“
Nice to finally meet the guy who stole our
little girl away. Do you know we saw her every day of her life
until she went on the road with you?”

“
No, ma’am. I didn’t. I do apologize for that,
but have you heard her sing? It’d be a shame not to share that
voice with the world.”

“
That, Mr. Bryant, better not be some line you
feed to a pond of fish because I’ve heard her sing since before she
could talk.”

“
No, ma’am. It’s not a line, but I’m pretty
sure the fish are bitin’ hook, line, and sinker when she’s on
stage.”

Mawmaw looks at me, puts her hand on her hip, and
says, “I like him! Never thought I’d say that one, but Mr. Country
Music God just might be a keeper.” And with that comment, she makes
her way to the kitchen, and we follow after I pick myself up from
the floor from embarrassment. We spend the next hour talking to her
and Pawpaw about what it’s like on the road. Jake talks about
growing up in a military family, and of course, she tries to feed
us.

It’s early afternoon, and the sun is high in the
sky. “Hey, Jake. I’ve got an idea. Come on.”

We rev up the four-wheelers, and I put mine in high
gear as we make our way to the creek. I haven’t been out here in
six months, and it is one of my favorite places on Earth… other
than the stage.

Jake struggles to keep up with me. I stop when we
reach the bank, and he almost plows into me.

“
Easy there! Had a hard time keepin’ up I
see.”

“
Damn, I didn’t know where the hell you were
planning on going. I’m new here, remember?”

“
Come on. Make sure you leave your phone up
here.”

Jake looks at me like he knows I’m up to no good. I
take him by the hand, and he follows me to my own slice of heaven
in the middle of nowhere.

We climb over the rocks to get to the other side of
the creek and then walk for about a hundred yards before reaching
the water hole.

“
Belle, what
are we about to do?” Jake asks unsurely.

“
We are about to enjoy this beautiful summer
Carolina day the best way I know how.”

“
And how’s that?”

“
In the water, duh?” Kicking off my shoes, I
grab the rope swing and run straight for the water, screaming the
entire way down.

Once I surface, Jake is standing there with his arms
crossed.

“
Are you comin’ or what?” I ask.

Before I have time to process it,
Jake is removing his T-shirt in one single motion.
Hot-oh-mighty
. With all
the time we’ve been together, I can honestly say this is the first
time I’ve seen him shirtless. God sure knew what He was doing when
He created that boy. But, Jake doesn’t stop there; next, he removes
his boots and then his damn jeans. Jake Bryant is standing there in
nothing but a pair of plaid boxers. I definitely didn’t think this
part through. He grabs the rope swing and jumps straight for me. I
duck under the water to avoid the splash.

When we both surface, it’s very
evident that this has just crossed a line. Jake moves closer, wraps
his arm around me, and pulls me to his body. My heart begins to
beat out of my chest as he peers
into my
eyes.

“
You promise me that there’s nothing going on
with you and Chase?”

“
I promise.”

That’s all the reassurance that Jake needs as his
lips get within inches of mine.

“
You know this will change things. Don’t you,
Jake?”

“
I’m ready for a change, Belle,” he says as
his lips crash into mine.

Jake pulls me closer to the bank
without letting our lips lose contact. Once we are at the bank, his
hands move all over my body with a hunger that I’ve never felt
before. Everything inside me is saying this is a great idea, but my
head is screaming for us to stop. Screw it; I’ll clean up
this mess later.

I let my hands run through his short brown hair and
lose myself in him. We get lost in each other for what feels like
an eternity.

As Jake begins to remove my tank top, I pull away
slowly. It’s my reality check.

“
Um, Jake. I think we need to slow down. I
mean, I don’t know. This is happening so fast, and I don’t want you
to think that this is all I want.”

Jake takes my hair and places it
behind my ear as he gazes into my eyes. He smiles and moves in to
graze my lips
again.

“
Belle, this was bound to happen. I’m just
glad it happened here instead of out on the road. This place feels
real, just like you.”

“
But you know this isn’t a good
idea.”

“
I’m willing to pay the price if you’re
willing to go along for the ride.”

I’ve never been one to live in the moment. I always
weigh all my options, but there’s a first time for everything.

“
Jake Bryant, you better not hurt me. Do you
understand?”

He doesn’t answer; he just attacks my lips again to
seal the deal.

We make our way out of the water, and Jake slides
his clothes back on as I drip dry. Once we are back at the
four-wheelers, I stop him.

“
I just told everyone last night that we are
strictly professional. You know this is gonna make me look like I’m
a liar.”

“
Then, let’s not tell them.”

“
Jake, I don’t know if you’ve realized it, but
I’m pretty much an open book around my family. The moment I stop
talkin’ is the moment they know I’m full of shit.”

“
Well, don’t stop talkin’, and we can just try
to keep this to ourselves until we are back on the
road.”

“
You’re gonna get me in so much trouble,” I
say as I close our distance and leave him with a kiss that will
have him wanting more. I back away, crank up the four-wheeler, and
take off. He knows my game this time and catches up
quickly.

Once we get back, things feel a
little awkward as we try to deny what just happened. We make our
way back inside the house and upstairs to take showers and get
ready for a night out in Lattimore. I know this is gonna be
one
for the history books.

As soon as I’m in my room, I turn on Pandora, start
my shower, remove my wet clothes, and wrap a towel around me as I
pick out something to wear tonight. There is a light knock at the
door again. I assume it’s Mama and tell her to come in. I quickly
realize it’s Jake.

As he opens the door and catches me in a towel, his
mouth falls to the floor. “I’m sorry, Belle. I just didn’t know
where the towels were.” I think about handing him mine, but realize
that is a bad idea. My mama, brother, and daddy are downstairs.

“
Oh, hold on. As I turn
around to go to my bathroom to get him one, I’m stopped by the
country music god within
inches of my
body.

“
We could share you know.”

Biting my lip, I reply, “I know,
but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I mean, we
just
crossed this line,
and you think I’m gonna get naked with you?”

“
Belle, we’ve been tryin’ not to cross this
line since the day you started on tour, but I’ll let you off the
hook this time.”

“
Okay. Thanks, Jake,” I say as I drop my towel
and step into the shower. I can’t help but giggle as I hear him
exhale a deep breath.

“
Belle, you better not laugh any more, or I’m
coming in there.”

With every ounce of my being, I try my best not to
giggle, but the faintest sound comes out of my mouth. I attempt to
cover my mouth, but it’s too late. The shower curtain opens, and
Jake enters clothes and all. He grabs the back of my neck, and his
lips meet mine. The fire within them continues to get hotter and
hotter as he backs me against the shower wall as the shampoo falls
into the tub, and a moan escapes my mouth. Then, as if a light
switch has been cut off, he pulls away, steps out, closes the
curtain, and shuts the bathroom door.

It takes me a few minutes to wrap
my mind around what just happened, but if I think this through, I
know that I just lost at my own game. The ball is definitely in his
court right now. He left me wanting nothing more than to give him
every ounce of my being right there in the shower with
my parents only feet away.

Chapter 3

Ohmygosh! Did that really just
happen?
I replay the events that occurred
in this bathroom and shower.
Yes, it did!
Hot-oh-mighty!
Cheesing like a schoolgirl,
I give myself a pep talk.
It’s just Jake
Bryant. OMG! Jake Bryant!!! Get it together, Belle! He’s just
another guy.
Standing in the shower, I
don’t move until the temperature turns cold. Once I turn off the
water, I step out and try to process how in the hell I’m gonna walk
out of the room with a straight face when all I really want to do
is jump into Jake’s arms.