A Captivating Conundrum (16 page)

Walking back down the hall, Bobby headed out to the car and drove down the gravel drive.

It was too intriguing…I had to check it out. The room was so like its owner—corners, window seats, tiny angles offering shadows that could be hiding just about any treasure imaginable. The center of the room was completely open, with a staircase that ran up the far wall leading to a second floor filled to the polished wood ceiling with books and papers.

Walking toward the fancy record player, I smiled. Beth had the ultimate vinyl collection. Apparently technology was not her thing; she liked the way those old records sounded. Pawing through the stack, I saw that amazing cover art that depicted everything from Swayze having the time of his life as he dirty danced into people's hearts, to a pair of vibrant theatre masks that called out to fans to come home with the Crue.

Past the cabinets I wandered, taking a gander through the glass. There was a beautiful photo of Beth in the arms of an older man wearing a big, kind smile and a cowboy hat. The man looked to be about seventy and held his beer in the air, as Beth kissed him on the cheek, reminding me of a grandfather and granddaughter who were celebrating the fact that they'd been born into the same great family. 

Beside it was a pic of Nicole, and I almost laughed out loud. The petite Commandant was dressed in a short red skirt and top and smiling from ear to ear. She was holding a copy of the
Times
high in the air and pointing to a headline—a bold headline that showed Lily Stone's advancement into the number one slot on the bestseller list. A personal message had been written on the picture in big, bold handwriting: "You owe ME $500!" 

Moving forward, I stared at the myriad of books. Some were truly old, sporting antique gold lettering on the worn leather spines. Some titles were written in Latin, others Italian, and huge books of colored photos and maps were spread out across the large mahogany desk in the center of the room. The intricate carvings of Irish sprites on the legs of the desk were absolutely stunning, and alluded to the fact that her very talented grandfather had also created this piece once upon a time. Polished to a high shine, I smiled at the person it portrayed to a 'T.'

One side was neat as a pin, allowing room for the mammoth computer screen and small photos of other strangers who looked at Beth with friendship and love. One even showed Bobby in cap and gown, as Beth looked up at him with pride. The other side of the desk was, if you believed the theory, the home of a genius. Books were piled one on top of the other, papers stuck out from each of them; bookmarks were strewn everywhere and the hundreds of notepads and pens were piled high. I stared down at the lovely script, seeing everything from notes on archaeological sites to long conversations between her characters.

Every nook and cranny held a new item that spoke to how much this woman knew and her passion to know more. Her screensavers flashed by—some were sports teams. Most I agreed with while some were squat, but it was always good to have debates on game day.

Raising my gaze to the second floor, I walked up the staircase to get closer to the truly beautiful posters that'd been mounted and hung on the wall. They were the covers of Beth's books. The one everyone was talking about stared back at me. The girl was lovely, but the nicks and scratches in her face and neck made her look like she'd gone through a war, wearing the brutal scars given to her by real life.

I nodded. I never got to read as much as I'd like, considering work was always at the doorstep, but I had read this. I remembered the characters, and the intense battle they'd gone through had been amazing to read. 

I moved to the next in line. Apparently it was the 'Book Two' that everyone was waiting for, but this time a young man was on the cover wearing his nicks and scratches. This was the angel's partner, and his name was Matthew. 

Moving on down the line, I was enthralled by the fact that a Western actually stood its ground among the supernatural and adventure. A book of a legend. Earp? The Kid? I made a mental note to find out whose history Beth had delved into, and then my gaze locked on the powerful eyes that'd been airbrushed on the top of the cover. Chocolate brown eyes stared out at the viewer, as if the author watched over the shadowed gunslinger below. Such beautiful eyes…

The familiar yin/yang symbol came next. Big and bold, the black and white was plain and simple, yet as the top opened up a light shone out that'd made readers scramble for this one as well. I knew this was the famous adventure series that'd begun in Beth's favorite library in the entire world.

The last one rested in the small alcove at the end of the balcony. This poster was small, offering the viewer a lone man sitting on a chair staring into the light above. There was one word,
Father
. It was a simple picture, but the look on the man's face was so poignant, so incredibly happy and full of hope, that I knew Beth had to have instructed the artist down to the very last detail in order to make sure they captured the emotions she felt in her heart.

I sighed, turning around and leaning on the balcony. This room definitely spoke volumes about Beth. She was not an easy mix, and this library mirrored that. Around every corner, buried in every shadow, was a new surprise just waiting to be discovered.

"I wondered why the door was open."

Her appearance made me jump so high I could picture myself going over the balcony. I looked down and immediately panicked. "Bobby let me in here. He
told
me to look around."

Her deep laugh rose up the staircase. "Don't worry. There's nothing in here you can't see." 

Setting her bags on the emerald sofa, Beth stared up at me and nodded at the pictures. "I see you found my vanity wall. Total ego."

I laughed, knowing I had one at home just like it. "I love it. I love the whole place, in fact." 

She stared at the ceiling and studied the walls that I knew she'd studied hundreds of times. "Yeah…it's relaxing in here. My world, I suppose."

"It's a nice world to have." I walked back along the balcony, as she picked up her bags and headed up the staircase toward me. 

"I do need to be a little less scattered, however," she said, nodding at the notepads and paper strewn across one side of the desk. 

"We're all guilty," I replied, thinking about the notepads strategically placed around my house and by my bed for any thoughts or ideas 'gifted' to me in the night for my songs.

She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. Not ready for the surprise, I raised my eyebrow. "What's that for?"

Staring at what seemed like every line on my face before coming back to my eyes, Beth smiled. "Chris told me how you two met. So I guess that's for being a good guy."

I leaned in and touched her soft cheek with my lips, lingering a bit to breathe in the lavender scent before pulling away. "Bobby told me how you two met. So…right back at ya."

I glanced into one of the pink and black bags and caught sight of something green and silky. My imagination exploded. "What'd you get?"

"Perv." Beth punched me playfully in the gut.

"What?" I asked, attempting to register a look of shocked innocence. "So…entertain much?"

She sent a quick chuckle my way. "Girls like beautiful things."

"That's not what I asked." I tried to keep the lust from my voice even though my brain and body were not helping out. 

Turning away from me, Beth walked to the polished wood door. "Bobby and I are headed for the bar, you both are certainly welcome to join us," she said, completely ignoring the moment. "I'm gonna shower and change."

I leaned back against the wall. "Huh. They were wrong."

"What?"

I looked through the crack of the door and spied the huge bed against the far wall. "I always heard they were gates."

Completely confused, Beth peered into the room. "What are gates?"

I smirked. "Heaven. You know? To get in you have to go through gates." I reached out and tapped on the solid wood. "Turns out it's actually a door."

The beautiful brown eyes rolled skyward. "Now
that
was a bad line."

Patting her on the shoulder, forcing myself back down the stairs and away from her as fast as possible, I laughed. "Well, us L.A. guys don't have much in our repertoire."

As the door closed, I took a deep breath. If I didn't learn how to exhale around Beth soon, I would see Heaven way sooner than I wanted to.

Twelve

~ His ~

The bar was cool.

Spending most of my time in New York and L.A.—home to all the busy and loud 'hot spots' which I tried never to visit—the small town atmosphere was a nice scene. The building was large and a long bar was the place of congregation for the milieu of locals shooting the shit. 

The stage was set up for a band, and people of all ages were milling around the dance floor to the sound of piped-in music. Beer bottles were clanking against one another, and I could smell the very delicious scent of real barbecue being created somewhere behind the big, white doors behind the bar.

I thought we would look like a strange crowd, but as Bobby and Chris took the lead, the friendly greetings were immediate. Bobby's name rang out from more than a few people and I laughed. "Seems he's a popular fellow."

Beth smiled. "Oh, yeah. Bobby is the resident dreamboat."

I raised an eyebrow.

"No, seriously. He's gay, so he's safe as far as the men are concerned because they don't have to worry about him getting their girls. And the girls love him because he's a romantic dream to fantasize about, but he can also talk to them about men, fashion, and music while he's talking to their significant others about sports. He kind of fits every type. Chris will probably be bored, though."

"Why's that?"

"Because many, many people try to monopolize Bobby's time," she said, with a grin.

Walking through the open doors behind them, I stared at the couple who'd already trapped Bobby. Introducing Chris, who was smiling at his side, they all went to the tables together. "Something tells me Bobby will make sure he's included."

Beth smiled so sweetly I could actually see the happiness for her friend beaming in those stunning eyes. "I do believe you're right."

Without thinking, I placed my hand on her back and led the lady toward the bar. Voices shouted 'Beth' from every corner, and it was as if the Queen had just arrived.

~ Hers ~

Christie ran into my arms so fast I almost tumbled into Matt who was standing behind me. His arm tightened around my waist so I wouldn't fall, and I suddenly felt bad for the guy. It seemed like every five minutes I was landing against him or falling into his lap. He must be sick to death of me by now.

"Beth, thank god. I hoped you'd be here tonight."

I looked closer at Christie and saw the red lines around her eyes. She'd obviously been here for a while. "What's the matter?"

Tears burst from her as fast as the coffee had exploded from Matt's mouth. "I know he's cheating on me."

I sighed deeply. Christie had one of those relationships that all bad country songs were written about. But loving her to death, I led her across the floor to the bar, shouting out my greetings at friends passing by.

Halfway across the dance floor, I stopped and turned in Matt's arms, pointing to the nook that Bobby had selected where he and Chris had already set up shop for the night. I leaned into his chest and whispered in his ear. "Do you want a beer?"

The hot breath tickled my ear. "Yes, please."

Stepping back, I looked into the smiling face. "You got it."