Vanishing Dreams: Vanishing Dreams (Devil's Bend #2) (2 page)

Two months
later

Katie Clarren was walking on a cloud, the big, puffy white kind that
dotted a brilliant blue sky on a beautiful summer day. Or at least that’s what
it felt like as she floated across the rustic, hardwood floors in what had
become her favorite bar, taking drink orders and chatting it up with the
customers. They were unusually busy tonight, but she knew who to thank for
that.

Unlike her mood, the weather outside was dreary, the sky a dull gray,
and the dark, heavy clouds were threatening to open up at any time. But that
hadn’t stopped anyone from coming out to The Rusty Nail, even on a Monday
night. They were here to see
him
, and she certainly couldn’t blame them.

Up on stage, Dalton Calhoun was gearing up to play for the small
gathering, laughing with a group crowded by the edge of the stage while he set
up, his wondrous smile making him that much more attractive. And that was
saying something. The way he moved reflected his excitement and stirred the
energy in the room, and yes, even Katie was infused with it. Yeah, the guy
certainly loved to entertain a crowd, which was a good thing considering he was
so freaking good at it.

Dalton was exactly as he appeared on television and in magazines, his
picture probably hanging on the walls of teenage girls’ rooms everywhere.
Having gotten to know him on another level, Katie had learned early on that
there wasn’t anything fake about him. He was a country music phenom, one who
had garnered the attention of women of every age. From his sexy dark hair
usually hidden by his signature black Stetson to his drool-worthy ass, there
was no question as to why everyone loved him. Including her.

However, Katie’s love was a little deeper than theirs was. Or at least
she liked to think so.

Not only was she drawn to all six foot two inches of him and his
intense, dark brown eyes, Katie had managed to establish a friendship with the
man known for his quick smile and charming drawl. Aside from a few make-out
sessions, it hadn’t gone much further than that. Yet.

And each night that she watched him up on that stage was a little
different from the last time Katie had watched him play. He was more at ease
with every performance, befriending the locals and becoming an integrated part
of the town. However, she still recalled the first night she’d seen him walk
into The Rusty Nail. Not to sound like a bad cliché, but that night had been
the night that had changed her life.

Well, maybe not entirely, but from the moment she’d been introduced to
Dalton by an incredibly enthusiastic Izzy, Katie had been pretty certain the
world had taken on an entirely different hue, a little brighter than before
he’d arrived in their small town.

As though Cooper Krenshaw hadn’t ratcheted up the pulse of their tiny
little town enough, they’d gone and added Dalton Calhoun to the mix, and
Devil’s Bend was now at risk for high blood pressure.

The testosterone had hit astronomical levels that first night, and
Katie was pretty sure it had only intensified ever since. Dalton was sex
personified, all wrapped up in an extremely attractive, good ol’ boy package.
And when he was up on that stage, all eyes went to him.

Including hers.

Not that she wanted him to know that, which was why she tried to play
it cool. Katie would admit that she was good at quite a few things, but remaining
calm and collected around Dalton wasn’t one of them. She hoped she was
succeeding somewhat, because having to turn him down time and again for dates
was getting a little troublesome. Mostly because she didn’t
want
to turn
him down.

If Katie had her way, she would’ve long ago pursued something with
Dalton. Perhaps a relationship, even something exclusive. If she hadn’t misread
Dalton’s intentions, then it was safe to say that was the direction he’d been
leading them for the last couple of months.

Unfortunately, her current life wasn’t at the appropriate stage for a
relationship with the likes of Dalton Calhoun, or anyone, for that matter. She
had too much going on to entertain the idea of having a man in her life, no
matter how much she enjoyed Dalton’s company.

And that was why she had pushed back on him so much, limiting their
time together as often as she could. Sure, they’d gone out a few times, but
she’d insisted that they kept things on a more platonic level. Not that she’d
succeeded, because when Dalton kissed her, all good intentions took a flying
leap. The only way she managed to keep her distance was by insisting she was
too busy to date. Which wasn’t exactly untrue. Between school and two part-time
jobs, along with all of her personal responsibilities, Katie rarely found time
to sleep, much less date.

Not that she was convincing Dalton of that.

Most of the time, he managed to corner her at closing time, inviting
her to breakfast, sometimes alone, other times with Tessa and Cooper. Katie
found that she enjoyed her time with him, but she knew that it wasn’t going to
last. It couldn’t. However, if she wasn’t careful, she’d find herself actually
dating the man, and that wasn’t in her plan. Not at the moment anyway.

It was the nights he waited for her
after
the bar closed that
were the hardest times to try to wrangle out of a commitment, because he was
offering to take her to breakfast, and by that time of the morning, she was
usually starving. Dalton was rather persuasive, and she found it difficult to
refuse the man, especially when he turned those sexy chocolate-brown eyes on
her.

It sure beat going home to her tiny apartment and tiptoeing around to
keep from making any noise so that she didn’t wake her roommate, who was a
shockingly light sleeper. In order to do that, she usually had to avoid food
altogether.

“Howdy, y’all! How’s it hangin’?” Dalton’s smile-laced voice echoed
through the speakers in the ceiling, riling up the crowd, who was still filing
in through the front door, bringing with them the chilly evening air.

A round of whistles and cheers erupted, making Katie smile in response
to his obvious good mood. She had to admit, the enthusiasm that Dalton inspired
in the people he came into contact with was quite heady. Then again, being female
and all, Katie couldn’t deny her intense attraction to the dark-haired,
dark-eyed cowboy. When he smiled, there was a small dimple that formed in his
left cheek, giving his ruggedly handsome face a somewhat boyish look. But his
smile… His smile was potent enough to make her limbs turn to jelly.

“What’re y’all doin’ tonight?” Dalton asked casually. “Like now, I
mean. Not later. We’ll talk about that in a minute.”

Katie tried to listen to the crowd’s fervent response. Not that any of
the answers were distinguishable, because it was as though everyone in the bar
spoke up at the same time, vying for an opportunity to chat with the handsome
superstar.

Dalton’s sexy, rough chuckle vibrated through the speakers.

“Alrighty then,” Dalton crooned. “How ’bout we get this party started?
What d’ya say? Then we’ll chat s’more.”

Another ruckus burst within the thin walls of The Rusty Nail as Katie
eased her way back to the bar. Within seconds, Dalton’s lyrical voice was
resonating through the place, the steady strum of his guitar competing with the
thunderous boom of his silky drawl.

“Whatcha got for me?” Eric asked when Katie approached the far side of
the bar.

She pulled out her note pad and listed off the orders. “Two Buds, a
shot of Cuervo, and a glass of white wine.”

Eric’s nose scrunched at the mention of wine, as usual, or maybe it was
the mention of tequila, she didn’t know. Either way, he started working with
the skill and precision of an experienced bartender as he moved about getting
the order ready. While she waited, Katie took a moment to sneak a peek at
Dalton up on stage.

Damn.

That’s the only word that came to mind as she watched him move around
that stage, leaning forward and then back, nodding and grinning at the crowd
gathered on the small dance floor. He was energy and light, never sitting still
and, most important, always smiling.

What it came down to was the fact that she loved watching him.

Sometimes she wondered whether it was that air of celebrity that made
her knees weak, but other times Katie got the sense it was something much more
than that. It was the whole package. It was hard to describe the way he made
her feel just by being in the same room. Kind of like trying to wrangle the
moon — an impossible feat, but one that still seemed attainable.

Of course, there was that glimmer of heat she noticed in his eyes every
time he looked at her, and that only made her want to accomplish the impossible
at every turn. Sometimes she thought it was surreal to have that sort of
intensity turned on her, but for the life of her, she couldn’t find it in
herself to dislike the feeling.

When the song came to an end, the crowd went crazy, hooting and
hollering their approval. Katie offered a round of applause as she watched
Dalton, secretly wishing he’d send a glance her way.

Yeah, well, okay. Holy crap.

Dalton looked right at her from across the room, and the wink he
offered made her breath hitch in her chest.

“See that pretty little thang over there?” Dalton asked the crowd, and
Katie’s face felt like it was on fire as several heads turned in her direction,
the same direction Dalton was looking.

“Yeah, her. That’s my girl. Did y’all know that?”

His girl?

Instinctively, Katie shook her head. She wasn’t his girl. No way.

No one seemed to be paying her any attention, or they weren’t accepting
her denial, anyway. Applause and whistles made her head roar. Or maybe that was
her blood pressure, skyrocketing thanks to Dalton’s acknowledgement.

“See, I kinda need y’all’s help,” Dalton continued, his eyes locked
with hers. “I’ve been tryin’ to get another date with her, but she keeps
turnin’ me down.”

The crowd clearly didn’t approve of that if their boos and hisses were
anything to go by.

Katie was tempted to run upstairs to the office and hide out for the
rest of the night. One, because she didn’t care to have the attention of so
many of these people on her, and two, because she might’ve needed time to
comprehend just what Dalton was saying.

“Hold up,” Dalton said sternly, addressing the crowd. “It ain’t like
that. You know how it is. We’re all busy, right? Well, she is, too, but I have
to say, I’m dyin’ to get her to go out with me again. That’s where y’all come
in. This next song, I’m dedicatin’ it to her, and I could sure use your help.
If you know the words, sing along.”

Dalton shot her another wink, and the amount of oxygen in the room
decreased by at least half. Was he really doing this? And to think, just a
moment ago, she’d been caught up in his enthusiasm. Now she just wanted to…

Holy hell. She didn’t know what she wanted to do.

The room erupted in a chorus of song with Dalton leading the pack. Some
folks were still focused on her, others were back to watching him. She wished
they’d all turn around and look at him, but since she didn’t have any
superpowers, Katie tried to pretend that this man — the one who had called her
his
girl
— was not serenading her with an entire bar full of people helping
him.

What she figured was a four-minute song seemed to go on forever. At
least that’s what it felt like, but finally it was over, and only then did
Katie retrieve the drinks that Eric had set in front of her. Grabbing the tray,
she scurried off to deliver them, doing her best to ignore all of the good wishes
from the people around her. Seriously, what were they congratulating her for?
Nothing had happened.

“Make sure you tip your waitresses tonight,” she heard Dalton say as
she squeezed between the bodies packed on the crowded floor. “And if y’all
don’t mind, I’m gonna take a short break so I can go hang out with my favorite
waitress.”

Yes, Katie blushed, even as she kept her eyes down and her focus on not
dropping her tray of drinks. She couldn’t help herself. Not only had Dalton
just laid on the charm but he had also directed it at her. Of course, the
curious folks in the bar were once again looking in her direction, which made
her even more uncomfortable. Not that she had long to think about it before
Dalton made his way to her side, smiling down at her.

“Hey, beautiful,” he greeted. “Care to have breakfast with me when this
is over?”

And just like that, all of her mortification took a backseat to this
man’s incredible smile. Katie couldn’t speak. As she stared up — way up,
considering there was an entire foot difference in their heights — into
Dalton’s glimmering brown eyes, she thought of all of the things she wanted to
do to him, and having breakfast with him was the least of her concerns at the
moment.

“Okay,” she agreed, and the smile that gleamed back at her confirmed
what she feared. It’d been a long, long time since she’d had any sort of
reaction to a man, and certainly never anything of this magnitude. But the more
time she spent with Dalton, the more she realized she was headed for a heartache.