Moonlighting with the British Rock Star: A Georgia Moon Romance Read online

  Slowing her pace, Josie stretched her neck to see if the shop was selling fudge or just handing out free samples. It looked like they were doing both, but she knew it wouldn’t last long. Hopefully, the crowd would dwindle so she could make her purchase. She had a feeling she would need the chocolate once she was back at the house.

  “Do you want to buy something from the candy booth?” Colin asked.

  Josie smiled at him, appreciating his observation skills. “Was I drooling?” she asked wryly.

  “Perhaps a little,” he said with a chuckle.

  Since Bethany was on a mission to get in the face painting line, Josie shook her head. “I’ll try later,” she said. “Hopefully, they won’t be sold out.”

  Colin’s brow furrowed as they took their place behind a long line of children waiting for their turn. “We may be here for a while.” He nodded in the direction of the candy booth. “How about I go buy some for you?”

  Josie didn’t want to bother him, but she really wanted some of the fudge. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.” He let go of her hand. “Any particular flavor you want?”

  “The white chocolate with cherries,” she said. “Or their regular fudge if the white chocolate is sold out.”

  “Brilliant,” he said, giving her a crooked smile. “Be right back.” He surprised her by brushing a quick kiss across her mouth before he jogged away.

  Touching the tips of her fingers to her tingling lips, Josie watched him until he disappeared into the throng. It was still surreal that Colin Wilde was here with her. Even though she was flustered around him, she also felt complete in a way that didn’t make sense. Being with him made coming home to Mitchel Creek feel like home, and it hadn’t felt like home for a very long time.

  Sighing, Josie turned back and saw Bethany had already made a friend with the little girl standing in front of them and showing off her new shoes that lit up when she moved them. The child’s mother stood next to the girls, studying Josie closely.

  “I’m Lynette,” she said, placing a hand on her daughter’s head. “And this little chatterbox is Macey.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Josie said after giving Lynette her name. “My sidekick is Bethany.”

  “Your husband looks so familiar,” Lynette said through narrowed eyes. “I just can’t place him.”

  Before Josie had a chance to clarify her relationship with Colin, Bethany came back over to stand by her. “Where did Mr. Colin go?” she asked

  “Mr. Colin?” Lynette asked. “I thought he was Bethany’s daddy. The two look so much alike.”

  They did? Josie studied the little girl, noting she had similar coloring to Colin, but that was where the resemblance ended. “No, ma’am. He’s not her father.”

  “My daddy left Mama and me for a big-boobed bimbo,” Bethany said.

  Josie snort-laughed and then covered her mouth with her hand. She didn’t mean to laugh out loud, but that was the last thing she expected a seven-year-old to say. Clearly, Bethany had been privy to a few conversations a child her age shouldn’t have heard.

  “Oh my goodness,” Lynette said, placing a hand over her heart. “What a thing for a child to say.”

  “Mama, what’s a big-boobed bimbo?” Macey asked in a loud voice.

  Lynette’s gasp covered the bark of laughter coming from a dark-haired man standing in front of them.

  “I think it means tramp,” Bethany answered innocently.

  “That is enough, young lady,” Lynette said, shaking her finger in Bethany’s face. Before Josie could defend the little girl, Lynette turned her wrath toward her. “And you should be ashamed of yourself for talking like that in front of your daughter.” She grabbed Macey’s hand. “Come here, sweetheart,” she said, pulling her out of the line. “Let’s go decorate cookies, and then we can come back when the line isn’t so long.”

  “I want to stay with my new friend,” Macey said as her mother dragged her out of the line.

  “That child is not your friend,” she snapped, cutting a scathing glare at Josie before whirling around and disappearing into the crowd.

  Bethany’s lower lip trembled as tears welled in her eyes. “Why is she mad at me?”

  “Come here, sweetie,” Josie said, holding out her arms. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “I didn’t mean to say big-boobed bimbo,” Bethany said with a sniff.

  The guy in front dipped his chin down, and his shoulders shook as he tried to contain his laughter. Josie didn’t blame him. She was just grateful he didn’t call her out and haul his two little boys away.

  “It’s okay, honey.” Josie pulled Bethany in for a hug. “Macey’s mama isn’t mad at you.”

  “Is she mad at you?”

  “I suppose so, but it doesn’t matter to me.” She smoothed her hand over the child’s dark hair. “Some people are just plain grumpy.”

  “Like Aunt Monica?”

  “Yes,” Josie said with a smile. “Just like Aunt Monica.”

  Bethany considered her for a moment and then wrinkled her button nose. “Miss Josie? What exactly is a big-boobed bimbo, anyway?”

  The guy in front lost it and laughed out loud. Josie ignored him and answered Bethany’s question with something a kid could understand. “Someone who is permanently on Santa’s naughty list.”

  That seemed to satisfy Bethany, and she introduced herself to the twin boys that were just ahead of them. Their father was no longer laughing, but the twinkle in his dark eyes said he was still highly amused.

  “Hey there, Miss Bethany,” the guy said. “This is Hudson.” He indicated the child holding his left hand. “And this is Logan.”

  “Are they twins?” Bethany asked.

  “Nah,” the man said. “Hudson here is Logan’s stunt double.”

  Josie giggled and held out her hand. “Hey, I’m Josie Sinclair.”

  “Jackson McCall,” he said, giving her hand a brief but firm handshake. “Sorry about laughing.” His lips twisted into a wry grin. “I really tried not to.”

  “Yeah, me too.” She glanced at Bethany, who was showing off her light-up shoes again. “How old are your twins?” she asked Jackson.

  “They just turned four.”

  “They’re adorable.”

  “Thanks, but I can’t take too much credit. They get their looks from my gorgeous wife, Sydney.”

  Josie felt her cheeks turn pink when he mentioned his wife. Did he think she was hitting on him? She opened her mouth to clear up any potential misunderstandings when she caught sight of Colin heading toward them. Looking fierce and possibly a little angry, he held a bag of fudge in each hand as he squeezed through a group of teenagers and had to wait for another group to pass by. She hoped he wasn’t angry about having to buy her the fudge.

  “Your boyfriend doesn’t look very happy about you talkin’ to another man,” Jackson said with a chuckle.

  “You think that’s why he looks so irritated?” Josie squinted, trying to get a better view of Colin’s face. Could he really be jealous? As he drew closer, she got a better look at his chiseled face. He did, indeed, appear to be very unhappy right now, but somehow the surly look worked for him, making him even sexier.

  “Let me handle this,” Jackson said in a low voice. “What’s his name?”

  “Colin,” Josie said with a sigh. “Colin Wilde.”

  “Colin Wilde?” Jackson asked sharply. “Like the Colin Wilde from Wild Card?”

  Shoot. Josie hadn’t been thinking straight. Now she’d blown Colin’s cover. “Um, are you a fan?” Josie asked.

  “Me?” Jackson said. “The guy’s talented and all, but I’m country music through and through. My wife…well, let’s just say meeting Colin Wilde would help her forgive me for letting the twins talk me into bringing home a new puppy last week.”

  Josie snickered and focused back on her fast-approaching, pretend fiancé. Colin’s hazel eyes glittered with a possessive intensity that made the butterflies in her s
tomach feel like they were caught in the vortex of an F-5 twister.

  “Please don’t say his name out loud,” Josie said. “He’s trying to fly under the radar.”

  “Got it,” Jackson said just as Colin reached their side. The song Start a Band by Brad Paisley and Keith Urban filled the air, and Jackson pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the screen. “Chase has the worst timing,” he mumbled as he tapped on the icon to accept the call. “Excuse me, y’all,” he said as he put the cell to his ear and turned his back to them. “Nichols, where are you, bro?”

  Josie put the two names together and sucked in a breath. Was he talking to Chase Nichols? She wasn’t usually so lucky, but maybe this was Colin’s lucky day. That is as long as he didn’t do something stupid like punching Mr. McCall in the face.

  Chapter 16

  Colin

  Colin hadn’t felt this kind of jealousy ever. It was a little crazy how much he wanted to throat punch the man talking to Josie. Not that he actually knew how to go about throat-punching a person.

  Finally making it through the throng of kids, he stared into Josie’s blue eyes. “Who is your new friend?” He nodded toward the dark-haired guy whispering into his phone and casting furtive glances at Colin.

  “A guy you want to meet.” Her eyes flickered to the man and then back to Colin. “His name is Jackson McCall, and I think he’s talkin’ to Chase Nichols.”

  “The Chase Nichols?” Colin asked, grateful he hadn’t acted on impulse.

  “I think so.” She leaned in close enough for him to catch the flowery scent of her perfume. “I kind of told him your name, and he said his wife’s a big fan of yours and would love to meet you.”

  Colin’s heart skipped a few beats as he considered what this might mean. Meeting Chase through a mutual friend was a far better choice than trying to go through Scarlet and her mother. He couldn’t believe how everything was lining up. Josie was some kind of good luck charm. Good things kept happening to him ever since hearing her name.

  “This is incredible. Thank you.” Colin handed her the clear bags containing both the white chocolate fudge as well as the milk chocolate variety.

  “Thank you,” Josie said, sniffing at the bags before placing them into her purse. “I’ll be sure to share with you.” She slipped the straps of her purse back over her shoulders. “It’s Bethany you really need to thank.” She nodded toward the little girl and the two identical looking boys she was entertaining. “She makes friends very easily.”

  Bethany lifted her face and grinned when she saw Colin. Her smile melted another part of his heart that he’d kept in a deep freeze for as long as he could remember. He’d made a decision a long time ago that he’d never have children. They were innocent, and he didn’t want to be responsible for messing up a kid’s life. But what if he was wrong? What if he could give a kid a better childhood than he’d had because of his past experiences?

  Returning the smile, he lifted a hand and waved at her. One of the little boys playing with her jumped up and ran over to his father, hugging him around the legs and asking him a question. Jackson McCall was still on the phone, but instead of being annoyed by his son’s interruption, he bent down and picked up the little boy, kissing him on the cheek.

  Colin’s father would’ve pushed him away and then smacked him on his backside for disrupting his conversation.

  “Hey, Mr. Colin,” Bethany said. “Come meet my new friend, Hudson.”

  Aware that the child’s father was watching him closely, Colin crouched down beside the children and smiled. “Hello, mate,” he said to the little boy. “I’m Colin.”

  “Your daddy talks funny,” Hudson said to Bethany.

  “He’s not my daddy.” She scrunched up her face. “My daddy ran off with a big-boo—”

  The rest of her sentence was cut off when Josie quickly silenced Bethany with a gentle finger across her lips. “Remember, we’re not going to say that anymore, sweetie?” she said in a soft but firm voice.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Bethany said when Josie moved her finger. “Can I say naughty tramp?”

  Colin choked on a laugh as he got to his feet. He had no idea what had been discussed during his brief absence, but he couldn’t wait to find out.

  Josie exhaled heavily. “Your mama is gonna tan my hide.” Colin lifted a questioning eyebrow when Josie looked at him. “Don’t ask.” She bit her bottom. “At least not right now.”

  “I can hardly wait,” he said with a wink.

  She nudged him in the shoulder. “For the record, I only mentioned Santa’s naughty list.”

  He didn’t get a chance for further inquiry. Mr. McCall was off the phone and stood in front of him with his hand outstretched. “Hey, I’m Jackson McCall.”

  “Colin Wilde,” he said, reaching out to give the man a handshake. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

  “My wife is going to kill me when she finds out she missed meeting you,” Jackson said. His little boy squirmed to get down, and Colin desperately tried to figure out a way to bring up Chase Nichols before it was too late. The line was going fast, now that they had added another artist.

  “I’m sorry I missed meeting her,” Colin said.

  “Not as sorry as I’ll be if I don’t try and do something.” Jackson smirked as he scratched his beard. “Hey, if y’all don’t have plans tomorrow night, there’s a fundraiser for Gold Star families at Gracie’s Haven.” His gaze flickered to Josie. “Do you know the place? It’s just south of Sunnyside Boulevard?”

  “Yeah, I’ve been there a few times,” Josie said. “The last time I was home, Chase Nichols was doing a show.”

  Surprise flickered across Jackson’s face. “You saw Chase perform there?”

  Josie nodded her head and smiled. “Yeah, he’s amazing.” She glanced at Colin, her expressive eyes telling him this was his opening. He wanted to jump in, but his throat felt thick with emotion. She was doing this for him. Not for money or for herself. For him.

  “Do you know Chase Nichols?” Josie asked when Colin still didn’t say anything.

  The skin around Jackson’s eyes crinkled. “Yeah, I know Chase.” His smile widened. “He and I used to be in a band we started in high school.”

  Josie’s eyes widened. “Chasing Dreams?” she asked. “Y’all were legendary at Mitchel Creek high school.”

  That made Jackson laugh. “Go Wild Cats,” he said, holding up his knuckles for a fist bump from Josie.

  A twinge of envy shot through Colin at their camaraderie. Harvey had robbed Colin of more than just his money. He’d robbed him of his youth by throwing him into a vicious world without a safety net.

  “Wow, so is Chase performing at Gracie’s?” Josie asked, moving close enough to Colin that their arms touched. A tingling sensation rippled across his skin, making it even more difficult to concentrate. “Colin and I are really big fans.”

  “Yeah?” Jackson asked, looking directly at Colin. The guy probably thought he was slightly addled, but Colin didn’t trust his voice. Not only was Josie’s nearness messing with his ability to think clearly, but also the prospect of meeting Chase Nichols was almost too good to be true. Especially without involving his tenuous connection with Scarlet Graham.

  “He’s brilliant,” Colin finally said when Josie gently nudged his arm.

  Jackson considered him for a long moment, and Colin hoped he would issue an invitation to see Chase perform since the event most likely required tickets. Before he spoke, one of the face-painting volunteers called out for the next child in line.

  “Daddy, it’s our turn,” one of Jackson’s twins said, tugging on the man’s hand. “Can I go first?” the kid’s lookalike said with an adorable Southern accent.

  “Let’s talk in a minute,” Jackson said to Colin as if he thought he might leave. Colin had to force himself to not lose his head and follow the man, begging him for a chance to meet his former bandmate.

  “Your turn, Miss Bethany,” another volunteer called out. Colin relucta
ntly followed Josie and Bethany to the face-painting station.

  “Thank you for what you did,” Colin said to Josie while Bethany chose a design for her face. “You’re like my good luck charm.”

  “Is that really a thing?” she asked with a sweet smile.

  “Aye, lass,” he said with an Irish brogue. “I carry a lucky shamrock my Gran gave me everywhere I go.” Colin slipped his hand into his pocket and rubbed his thumb across the ridges of the shamrock on the back of his sobriety coin. It was true Gran had given it to him, but she didn’t believe in luck. Only blessings. He was tempted to show Josie the coin but hesitated opening up that part of his life for discussion. No need to delve too deeply into his past. Not when he was focusing on his future.

  “That’s sweet,” Josie said. “I’d like to meet your Gran someday.” Her eyes widened, and color flooded her cheeks. “Not that I’ll probably ever meet her,” she said, not quite looking at him directly. “She just sounds like an amazing woman.”

  Mixed emotions inundated Colin, leaving him speechless once more. He had never brought a girl home to meet Gran. First, because he hadn’t ever met a girl he wanted to introduce to his grandmother. Second, because he never planned on getting married.

  He twisted the coin over in his pocket as Josie shifted uncomfortably on her feet. She licked her lips and focused on Bethany, the awkward silence stretching between them. Colin needed to say something but wasn’t sure if it was wise. His feelings for Josie deepened with every passing second he spent with her.

  Truthfully, being with her was an entirely new experience for him. While there was undeniable chemistry, there was also a deeper connection that filled in all the empty spaces inside him. He felt whole. And that scared him. What would happen to him when they parted ways? He knew what it was like to be broken. Somehow Colin knew if he let himself really fall for her, then his heart would be more than broken. It would be shattered.

  Swallowing hard, he let go of the coin to reach out and touch her shoulder. Josie startled, her body rigid as her eyes flickered over to look at him. Their gazes locked, and Colin’s chest tightened when he saw something familiar reflected in Josie’s eyes. She was broken too.