Gypsy Hearts (6 page)

When the set was over and he'd stepped off the stage
amidst a roaring crowd and headed to the bar for something to drink, the interest in Will Harlen's face was
unmistakable. Will had bought him the drink that night
and said, "Kid, I'm going to make you a star."

Normally Brock would have just shrugged it off. He
lived in the real world where stars were in the sky and
people were just people. But he'd been riding the high
of that show, still feeling the adulation of the crowd and
his own satisfaction. When Will said the words they'd
sounded like music to his ears and like a kid wanting to
believe in Santa, Brock wanted to believe him.

He sighed, bringing his thoughts back to the present.
Twenty-three cities in twenty-five days.

"He's not the only eye you caught," Josie said, burrowing into his thoughts.

"We've got a short time to shape you all into a tight
band," Will was saying as he poured over some paperwork. Pulling his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, he
punched a number in with his thumb. "Twenty-three
cities in twenty-five days is the best way to do that. The
first few shows will be small. You're already getting the
feel of each other like newly weds. Three weeks from
now-"

His call must have connected because Will was now
totally focused on the conversation he was having with the person on the other end of the line. Brock had no
doubt Will was making sure things happened.

He was going to be a star, Josie thought as she
stroked Dexter's back. There was no doubt in her mind.
He'd caught her eye as fast and sharp as Will's, but for
a different reason.

Brock stood apart from the rest of the boys on the bus.
She stood apart from all of them. But Brock was definitely something to look at. He shined like a new copper
penny.

It wasn't glitz and glamour. Sure, he was handsome
with his angular jaw and the authentic cowboy look. He
cleaned up better than most men she'd ever met in her
life. But it was more than that. There was nothing
phony about Brock Gentry. He wasn't hotheaded or
impulsive. He thought before he spoke, and truly meant
the things he said. And everybody listened to him.

Brock pulled himself up from the seat beside hers
and moved toward the front where he stood in the aisle,
listening to whatever Will was saying to the other person on the phone, taking it all in. He seemed oblivious
to how the other band members saw him.

He was different all right. And he definitely was not
wearing a blue suit.

Josie sighed as she glanced out at the passing scenery,
seeing but not really taking it all in. Dex seemed comfortable on her lap, warming her with his body and his
companionship. The world would be an easier place if a
woman only felt the need to fall in love with her cat, not
a man.

Startled by the thought she jerked her head back to Brock. The heat of a blush crept up her cheeks, burning
them. As easy as it would be, she wouldn't fall in love
with Brock Gentry. He had a way of making a girl feel
starstruck with a single glance, a mere hint of a smile.
Just having him sit here beside her had made her heart
feel all girlish and giddy in a way she'd sworn she'd
grown out of back in high school.

And yet, his way was so comfortable that he put her
right at ease. There was no pretense, no competition.

She must have tensed because suddenly the cat
leaped from her lap and ran to the back of the bus,
climbing onto one of the bunks. Josie had sworn that
even though she insisted Dexter come with them on the
tour, she wouldn't let her cat intrude on anyone else's
space. It was only fair. Dex was her security, like a
warm blanket and an old friend, no one else's.

Holding on to the wall, she made her way to the back
of the bus where the bunks were. She found Dex on a
top bunk, settling in at the foot of the newly made bed.

"Not here, Dex," she said, lifting the cat off the comforter, his body growing long as he hung from her arm.
"This is where we're sleeping for the next month."

She placed the cat in her bunk and moved the crate
to her pillow. "Space is sparse, so don't go taking more
than what's yours," she whispered.

"If that cat starts talking back to you, I'm out of
here," Brock said from behind, his voice deep.

Josie swung around and found him right next to her.
He held the cabinet above to keep himself steady as the
bus merged into the next lane and just looked at her. He
had magnificent blond hair. Even the crease marks left
by his cowboy hat were appealing to Josie and had her fingers itching to comb through them to make them
smooth again. And she had no doubt his hair was soft
as silk to the touch.

She was in trouble.

"Blue suit," she muttered with a sigh, turning away
and moving toward the back of the bus. She needed the
space from Brock and on this bus that was going to be
hard to manage. As she moved down the aisle past the
other bunks, she spied the bathroom and realized that
was the only place to which she could retreat.

By the sound of his boots hitting the floor, she knew
Brock had followed her. She was trapped.

"I can wait if you need to go first," she said, turning
around and gazing up at him.

The engine noise was louder in the back of the bus,
although it may simply be that the talk and music playing in the front drowned out the sound.

"Is that why you really came back here?" he said, his
voice low and thick.

She almost laughed. Not because they were standing
there on a bus rolling down the interstate, making small
talk about who should go to the bathroom first, but
because she'd clearly given herself away.

But she held her composure in check. Josie was good
at that. She could easily hold her distaste for someone
else's music out of kindness as well as she could hold
her emotions in check. Grant had accused her of staying too reserved. But stroking someone's ego just for
the benefit of building oneself up wasn't her style. Had
never been. Somehow, though, she'd slipped and Brock
must have seen the thoughts that had been rolling
around in her mind.

Someone in the front of the bus laughed loudly, making Brock turn around for a second. Josie used that
moment to collect her thoughts.

"Hey, if you've got a better reason than using the
bathroom, go for it. I just figured I'd be polite."

"What does 'blue suit' mean?" he asked, ignoring
her lame attempt at changing the subject.

Darn! She knew she'd grimaced when Brock's lips
went askew in a knowing expression.

"Blue suit?"

"Don't play dumb with me. The first time you said it
in the studio, I figured I was hearing you wrong and you
must have been talking to yourself about something.
But this is the third time I've heard you say that. Blue
suit. And always right before you turn on your heels and
hightail it in the other direction. I figure I must be doing
something to cause this. I just don't know what it
means."

Closing her eyes, Josie leaned against the back wall
and considered lying. It would be easy. But this was
going to be a long road trip if the lies started here.
They'd only get bigger and longer and harder to manage, not to mention leave a bitter taste in her mouth for
doing it. All just to keep the man from knowing what he
already suspected-that she was wildly attracted to him.

"That's what I'm going to marry." Opening her eyes,
she stuck out her chin and looked up at Brock. His
expression was blank.

"You're going to marry a blue suit?"

She forced a smile. She knew it sounded ridiculous,
even to her own ears. But it was a decision she'd made
long ago, a planned path she'd managed to derail from when Grant Davies had entered her life. One she was
determined to stay on now no matter how attracted she
was to Brock Gentry.

"It's just a figure of speech. I don't want a man who is
never around. I want to marry someone with a normal
job and a normal life. Someone who gets up every morning and comes home to me and me alone every night."

His eyebrows creased. "Most people look for a person they can love, not the clothes they wear."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," she said, standing up straighter. "People look at the outer package all
the time. You can't say that these ads with stick-thin
super models are meant for us to see their inner beauty
No, it's the package. The inner stuff comes later."

"How are you ever going to get to the inner stuff if
all you're doing is looking at a man's job?"

Brock had a full-blown smile now. One that showed
how completely adorable that lone dimple on his right
cheek could make him. He was making fun of her and
because she knew she sounded crazy, she couldn't help
the heat that seared her cheeks.

"Okay, I know it sounds nuts. I'll admit that. But you
don't have to agree with my ways."

He chuckled low and put his arm against the wall as
she started toward him, preventing her from passing.
"It's not a matter of agreeing. I just don't see how it's
possible."

"How do you figure that? I'm pretty determined
when I put my mind to something."

"I have no doubt about that. But I doubt very much
that that heart of yours is looking for a boring man in a
blue suit."

She straightened her spine and laughed hotly. "Who
said anything about boring?"

"If all you're looking at is a man's occupation, how
can it not be?"

"Lots of women hope to marry lawyers and doctors.
I don't care what the man does so long as it's a
job that's not going to take him on the road away from me."

Feeling the walls close in, Josie took another step
forward, but Brock remained in place. One more step
and she'd be on top of him. And with that thought, her
imagination started to reel. He smelled too good, not
just the light hint of cologne, but also the smell of clean
soap and fresh air. She didn't want to look up at him,
knowing her thoughts would betray her.

She'd made a colossal mistake in coming on this
road trip. There was absolutely no way she could spend
all her time in close quarters with Brock Gentry and not
have him know how attracted to him she was. And if he
could see it, then it was a safe bet the rest of the band
could see it too. She didn't relish the idea of being the
butt of every joke, hearing the snickers at her back or
whispers when she entered the room.

"So what does that mean? No traveling salesmen?"
He reached up and brushed his finger down her cheek
and her head spun. "No musicians?"

"Please let me pass," she said, her voice failing her
and coming out in a breathless plea.

"Why?" he said, tilting her chin up with his fingers.
"So you can find your boring blue suit man? I don't
think so."

"And why not?"

His eyes were magnificent and Josie could only imagine how easy it would be to drown in them forever and not care about anything else. But she did care.

"You need a man who's not going to tie you down,
Josie."

"And you think you're so sure you know what I
need?"

He bent his head and brushed his lips against hers in
a kiss that was light as the breeze. His hot breath teased
her skin and made her head float. She closed her eyes
and against her better judgment, she fell against his
chest and into the kiss he offered. He wasn't demanding, not at first anyway, and for that brief moment, Josie
forgot about all the reasons why she shouldn't be kissing Brock and focused on all the reasons why she
should.

He pulled away and through her dazed eyes, she saw
he was smiling down at her, his lips full and moist from
their kiss.

"You're kidding yourself big time. You've got a
gypsy heart, lady. No blue suit man is going to change
that."

on't do that again," she said, her eyes flaring in
a way Brock had never seen before. The little flecks of
gold in her eyes sparked to life and seem to glow like
burning embers. Brock was tempted to test her, see how
far he could push her until the slow burning embers
came to a roaring flame. Not one to push a woman
beyond her comfort zone, however, he held himself
back and followed her lead.