Page 42 of The Ballad of Us
“Thank you.” I grab my keys and hoodie. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”
He laughs, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “I may have changed shirts three times.”
“Only three? I went through three complete outfits,” I admit and laugh with him.
The admission makes him smile, and suddenly, the jittery energy between us feels less overwhelming and more like shared anticipation.
His truck is a new, deep blue Ford that still has that new car smell when he opens the passenger door for me. The gesture is so automatic, so natural, that I wonder if he even realizes he’s doing it. But I catch the way his smile widens when he closes my door, like he’s pleased with himself for remembering his manners.
“New truck?” I ask as he climbs into the driver’s seat.
“Had to return the rental Andrew got me. Figured it was time to buy something of my own instead of borrowing his stuff all the time.” He starts the engine, glancing over at me. “Plus, I need something reliable for mountain roads if I’m going to be living up here.”
The casual mention of staying long-term sends a little thrill through me that I try to ignore.
“How was the rest of your day?” He drives us through the winding path of mountain roads toward the band’s cabin.
I tell him about Mrs. Patterson’s stories and Mr. Jameson’s unsolicited relationship advice, which makes Gray laugh so hard he has to wipe his eyes.
“I love that you’ve found your people here.” His tone is gentle and sincere.
“What about you? What did you do all day besides fret about tonight?” I ask, secretly hoping I wasn’t alone in not being able to play it cool all day.
“Who says I was fretting?” His expression morphs into a playful smirk that tells me he’s being facetious.
“Gray, you changed shirts three times. That’s the very definition,” I inform him, becoming the bearer of bad news.
He grins sheepishly. “Fair point. We drove down to Mae’s Diner this morning for breakfast. It’s this country diner in the village that serves portions big enough to feed a small army.”
“And?” I’m so hungry I’m practically drooling just thinking about a home-cooked meal from Mae’s.
“And Zep decided to flirt with our server. She shot him down so fast it was hard to watch – sort of like not being able to look away from a train wreck.”
I laugh, picturing Zep’s confident facade crumbling. “Poor Zep. Was he devastated?”
“He tried to play it cool, but I think he didn’t really know how to handle her frank and immediate rejection. Turns out she’s a single mom with a kid, and she told him the only way she’d consider going on a date with him is if her kid could come too.” Gray’s gleam is wicked. “You should have seen his face. Pure terror followed by what I’m pretty sure was genuine interest.”
“Wait, seriously? Zep is considering a date with a kiddo for a chaperone?” Shock registers in my tone.
“I think he’s more intrigued than terrified, which honestly surprised all of us. He spent the whole drive home asking Andrew if he thought she was serious or just trying to get rid of him.” He chuckles at his guitarist’s confusion over women.
“What do you think?” I ask to genuinely gauge how he interpreted the situation.
“I think the waitress is a smart woman who knows how to separate the men from the boys. Zep’s a great guy and a talented musician, but I don’t see him sticking around here for the small-town life any time soon.”
The thought of Zep navigating conversations about single motherhood makes me smile. Of all the guys, he’s always been the most confident with women, but also the most likely to run at the first sign of real commitment.
The cabin appears around a bend, and my stomach clenches with fresh butterflies. It’s beautiful, with all its rustic wood and stone, and warm light spilling from the windows. I can see figures moving around inside, and suddenly I’m seventeen again, about to meet my boyfriend’s family for the first time.
“You okay?” Gray asks, noticing my white knuckles where I’m gripping my hoodie.
“It’s been almost four months since I’ve seen them.” I hate feeling so anxious about people who were very much a part of my family and had my back the night I left. They not only supported me, but they also held Gray back so that I could leave.
“They missed you, Rhea. They’re probably more excited than you are.”
Before I can respond, the front door opens and five familiar figures spill onto the porch. My heart lurches with a mixture of joy and apprehension as I see Andrew, Parker, Wyatt, Zep, and Cody all trying to fit through the door, all at the same time.
Gray comes around to open my door, laughing at their silliness, and the moment my feet hit the ground, Parker is launching himself at me like a guided missile.
