Shaking my head, I let out an exhale and take a step toward them. “I do enjoy those things, but I’ve worked my ass off for them, too. The thing is, I would be fine if they went away, though, you can’t say the same.”
Clearing my throat, I glance down to them, looking from one man to the other and then back again. “If I ever see either of you snakes slithering around me or anyone I know, I’ll have you arrested for harassment. If you ever send Andi to do your dirty work again, I’ll do the same. So, I would suggest you just stay the fuck away from me and everyone that I know.”
Pulling my bag behind me, I walk away from them. I hear some crashing around and by the time I arrive at the car that I called while I was packing my shit, Brian and Daniel are both outside and their shouting voices cause me to pause.
Turning to face them, I watch as they stop in their tracks, both men focused on me and the anger inside of them practically boils out of their bodies.
“You’ll be sorry, Beaumont. You’ll never work again. I’ll make sure of that.”
I shrug a shoulder. “I know plenty of honky-tonks that would be happy to have me.”
“Honky-tonks in hillbilly, Texas are the only places you’ll be able to get a gig by the time I’m through with you,” Daniel screams.
I don’t respond to his idle threat. He can say what he wants, think what he wants, but I know that won’t be the case. Even if it was, I know that I would be fine with that anyway. Hell, I’m sure I could get a job with Wyatt and Rylan working on powerlines. I’d probably enjoy it a hell of a lot too.
Right now, none of that matters though. Nothing does, nothing except getting back to Texas to my woman.
Chapter Thirty-Six
BEAUMONT
The plane lands and I immediately power on my phone. Luckily, I was able to catch a direct flight from Portland, which I wasn’t too far from. It’s been four hours since I’ve been able to check my phone, to see if Louis has updated me on what’s been going on at home.
I still have about an hour drive back to my house, then I have to try and find Hutton. Fuck, this whole situation is a goddamn clusterfuck, but hopefully tonight I’ll be falling into bed next to the woman that I love.
I’m done allowing other people to run my shit. My career, my sobriety, my life, my heart—it’s mine to control now. I’m done with allowing anyone else to have any kind of say over any aspect of my life.
After I’ve rented a car, I dial Louis’ number since I don’t have any voicemails from him.
“Brother,” he says softly.
“Update me,” I demand.
“Where you been?” he asks.
I think about not telling him, but I don’t want him to think that I was avoiding anything. I haven’t been. I never would. Not something this important, not Hutton.
“Caught a plane. I’m just leaving Austin, heading out your way, should be there by the time the sun rises.”
“That bitch you fucked for far too long was asked to leave town,” he chuckles. “Hernandez also told her that you’d be filing charges against her for trespassing if she ever showed her face on your property again. It was fucking epic, she almost shit her pants.”
I guffaw, unable to control myself. “Shit, wish I were there,” I admit.
“It was pretty epic, but brother, I haven’t seen Hutton. Was thinking about going over to Laurie’s and seeing if she could get ahold of her this morning. Just want to make sure she’s okay, you know?”
Humming, I continue driving toward my hometown, the place where I’m most comfortable, the place where I met and fell in love with the girl of my dreams.
“She went to her PawPaw’s, I already know. Don’t know where he lives, but she has work today, so she’ll be at the salon. She wouldn’t cancel on her clients, if I know her at all, I know that much.”
“You got it all figured out,” he murmurs.
“Not yet,” I admit. “Quit the tour, fired my manager and my backup guitarist and collaborator.”
Louis whistles. “You don’t fuck around, do you?” he asks.
“Never.”
“Hit me up if you need me, this has been the most exciting time I’ve had since the drama with Wyatt and Rylan’s women,” he murmurs.
“You ever gonna talk about Tulip?” I ask.
There’s a moment of silence, then he repeats the word that I said just a moment ago back to me.
“Never.”
“That bad?”
He clears his throat, and the emotion that’s in his voice is new to me. I’ve never heard Louis like that before, not this raw at least.
“She’s engaged, Beau. So, it don’t matter anymore.”
Frowning, I wonder how that can be. I heard they hit it off extremely well. I feel for him, because I understand how it feels. How being in the limelight can make you the target for social climbers and gold diggers.
Having someone down to earth, someone like Hutton, Channing, or Exeter can make you feel at peace. I thought that Tulip was going to be that for him, hell, I think we all did.
“What’s meant to be will be, brother,” I say, unsure if I even feel those words down to my core.
I’m not sure, but maybe they’re true. Because here I am, ten years after walking out and turning my back on her, and I’m going to ask her to be mine—forever. So, maybe we were always destined to be, maybe I just needed to pull my head out of my ass, to forgive the woman who wronged me all those years ago and just let that shit be in the past.
“Right,” he clips.
Clearing my throat, I decide to let sleeping dogs lie. “Okay.” I nod as though he can see me. “I’ll call you when I get into town, when all this is settled.”
“Sounds good.”
Louis ends the call and I can’t help but feel that I fucked up somehow. Glancing at my clock, I notice that it’s nine in the morning. This has been the longest fucking twenty-four hours of my life, but if it gets Andi gone and done and out, Hutton at ease, that’s all I care about.
Deciding not to let Daniel and Brian get ahead of me, I find my attorney’s number and press call. I’m going to get everything drawn up for the split with Daniel and Brian. Then, I’m going to have a publicist that my lawyer recommends start damage control on the canceled concerts and in the media.
I may not care if I’m famous or not, but I can’t deny that I love writing songs. I love going out on stage. I’ve worked my ass off for a decade, to make the things that I love my career. I’ll give it up if I have to, but I’m not going to do it lying down.
HUTTON
Gripping my steering wheel tightly, I grind my teeth together as I stare at the windows of Baker’s Square Salon. I have spent my entire adult life building this business all on my own. I didn’t get any help from my parents, not even my grandparents. I did this, all on my own, and some rich entitled skinny, for lack of a better word, bitch, vandalized it.
The evidence from the day before is all gone, but I can see it all crystal clear. My body on display for the entire town with less than flattering words splattered all over it. All because she wants to have her cake, eat it and not gain an ounce from it.