Read Online Nick Of Time (Blue Ridge Romance 2) by Allison B. Hanson - Free Book Online

flexed his fingers. He hadn’t felt the need for a drink in a while, but right now he wanted to numb the feelings and thoughts.
    “Can you give me a minute?” he asked. “I need to make a phone call.”
    He all but ran up the stairs. He locked the bedroom door before locking himself in the bathroom. He crawled inside the big tub and with shaky hands dialed Carmine Cruz, his sponsor.
    “Hey. How is it?” the older man asked. Carmine was either in his late fifties or early sixties, with a fondness for brightly printed shirts and fedoras. He always answered the phone in the same way. Tucker wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe life? Sobriety?
    “I’m having a moment of clarity. Not the good kind.”
    “Okay. Talk me through it.”
    “It’s a girl.”
    “It always is, pana .”
    “I’ve known her since I was seven. Always had a thing for her, but she was a total bitch, so I also hated her.”
    “Hmm” was all he said in response.
    “Anyway, we hooked up last night and, well, again this morning.” How many times wasn’t important. He waved his hands to erase the extra information. “We were having the after-talk, you know, and she totally brushed it off, as if I’m not good enough to see again because she wants someone steady.”
    “You want to see her again?” Carmine sounded doubtful.
    “Yeah. I mean, it was great.”
    “Physically?” he asked.
    “Right.”
    He sighed. “Let her go.”
    “What?” Tucker’s voice rose, not expecting this answer.
    “She wants something you can’t give her. You’re thinking about it because she let you off the hook and you think everything in life should be a challenge or a struggle. It isn’t. A nice girl gave you a good time and now she’s letting you off the hook because you’re not what she’s looking for. She’s right. You’re not. Let it go.”
    “That’s it?”
    “Don’t make life harder than it already is.”
    “Okay. Thanks.”
    “You steady now?” Carmine asked.
    “Yeah. I guess I just got stuck in my head for a second.”
    “Don’t do that.” He made it sound so simple.
    “Right. Thanks a million.”
    “Any time.”
    They hung up and he crawled out of the tub to go face reality.
    Reality was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Vette with a big grin on her face.
     
    She couldn’t believe he actually let her drive the whole way back to Roanoke. She was certain he’d come up with some excuse to take over, but he just sat there in the passenger seat with a smile on his face.
    Occasionally, he would hum.
    “You got any more words for our song?” he asked.
    “I don’t know. I think the way it works is you say something and then something stupid flies out of my mouth. Then you write that down like it doesn’t suck.”
    He chuckled and reached in the back for his notebook.
    “Let’s test the theory.” He flipped through the pages. “What if I said, ‘You’re everything I need’?”
    “Really? No food or water?” she joked, earning her a wet finger in the ear which caused her to scream. “Don’t do that while I’m driving a forty-thousand-dollar car!”
    “Try fifty-three thousand.”
    “Shit! Are you kidding?”
    “No.”
    She slowed down a little and held the wheel tighter. Then she took a deep, even breath.
    “I would say, ‘my world is in your arms, take me there. Don’t ever let me go.’”
    “Damn, Nic. You should ditch this doctor gig and become a songwriter.”
    “Does it pay well?”
    “Let’s see. I could’ve bought two of these cars from the royalties on the last song I sold, and that was for a commercial for an insurance company. I just used the word ‘trust’ a few times and gave it a powerful beat. Cha-ching!”
    “I’m happy you found something you enjoy.”
    He nodded but didn’t say anything.
    “What is it? You don’t like it?”
    “I do. I love writing songs and making music. It’s just that I had my dream come true and I totally blew it.”
    “What happened?”
    “I got sucked into the