Read Online Long Way Home by Neve Cottrell - Free Book Online

Caspian had checked her out. Of course, Caspian checked out anything with breasts over an A cup, but he was justified in giving Alexis the once-over. She was breathtaking.
    “Are you sure you’re not trying to recruit me into your groupie set?” she eyed him suspiciously.
    “I don’t have groupies,” he insisted.
    “What about them?” asked Alexis, gesturing toward a trio of young women in the far corner of the room. She’d noticed them during the show, singing along to the lyrics. One of the women had her gaze fixed on them now. She quickly glanced away when Alexis caught her eye.
    “Oh, you noticed them, huh?” Tyler said sheepishly. “They may turn up for a gig or two.”
    “Have you dated any of them?” Alexis asked out of curiosity. She hoped he didn’t take it the wrong way. She didn’t want him to think she was interested.
    “Nope,” Tyler replied firmly. “Too young for me.”
    Alexis coughed. “Too young? I didn’t realize that was an option for men.”
    Tyler took her reaction in stride. “I like a woman with a mind of her own. Girls like that don’t have enough life experience and I’m not interested in having a lapdog.”
    “Well, now I know why you never became a rock star,” she quipped.
    “Isn’t it past your curfew?” Tyler teased. “Wouldn’t want your parents to send out a search party.”
    Alexis tried to ignore the push and pull of her emotions. Although she felt drawn to Ty, she didn’t want to admit it, not to herself and certainly not to him. She wanted to use this trip to focus on mending fences as well as herself. Forge a new path. She did not want her new path to lead to a new man. She wasn’t ready. Eighteen months wasn’t enough time.
    “Now that you mention it,” Alexis said, “it probably is time to go.”
    Tyler fervently wished he could take back his last comment. “No, I’m kidding. It’s early still.”
    “Is that why the bar is slowly hemorrhaging customers?”
    He glanced around and realized that she was right. It was later than he thought. Only Caspian remained at the bar, charming the skirts off two dark-haired women while a few other people lingered over tables in the seating area. Even the groupies were heading out. One of them, Natasha, waved to Tyler as they left. He nodded politely but didn’t return the gesture. He didn’t want Alexis to think that he’d lied. Although he never actually dated any of them, he’d had a few sexual encounters with Natasha in the past. He wasn’t interested in dating her, though, and that seemed fine with Natasha. Although she was pretty, she wasn’t his type. His type was seated across from him and she was one-of-a-kind.
    “Would you object if I walk you home?” he asked.
    “It’s not like it’s a date,” she said, a little too quickly.
    “Of course not,” he said. He knew he should ask more probing questions, but he didn’t want to scare her away. Maybe his own feelings were clouding his judgment, but he sensed that she was attracted to him. Something was clearly holding her back, though.
    “Anyway, I drove my mom’s cart,” she said, “so you don’t need to walk me.”
    “So you’ll come to another show?” he asked, trying not to sound too eager. “I tend to play more this time of year and in the summer. Mangrove Island is becoming quite the hot holiday destination.”
    “Good to know I’m on trend,” Alexis said with a wry smile. “You can text me with details of your Mangrove Island holiday tour.” She gave him her number and he deftly programmed it into his phone. She guessed hers wasn’t the first number to be typed into his phone at a bar since he seemed to have no shortage of admirers.
    He walked her outside to her lone cart. Everyone else had left or intended to walk home. It was a clear night and the stars shone brightly, drawing Alexis’s eyes skyward.
    “God, I forgot how pretty it could be,” she breathed.
    “I haven’t,” Tyler said. When she glanced at him, she