Read Online In My Father's Shadow by Jl Paul - Free Book Online

back and closed her eyes, trying desperately to
count to ten as she slowly released a breath. She needed to get her
emotions in check. “Can I have your keys? I think I’ll hit the mall
and do a little shopping.”
    He sighed and shut off the TV. “I’ll come with you.
They have a sporting goods store in town and I need some new
cleats.”
    ***
    Cole never thought Ally would be able to avoid him
for the entire day but she’d somehow managed. His heart twinged in
guilt as he recalled Jamie’s desperate phone call, informing him
that he was at the mall with a furious Ally and that he’d try to
calm her down and return to the hotel. Cole knew she was mad at
him, for some unknown reason, and he hated that Jamie was taking
the brunt of that anger. Still, he couldn’t help but be a little
relieved, too.
    So he hung out in RJ’s room, discussing the gig and
anything else they could think of and ordering room service from
the menu near the phone. All and all, the weekend wasn’t looking as
promising as he’d originally thought – he surely hadn’t counted on
sitting in the room all day.
    Finally, when they were preparing to go downstairs
and hang out before the gig, a knock sounded on the door. Parker
opened it and allowed Jamie entrance.
    “Where’s Ally?” Parker asked, frowning when the girl
wasn’t trailing behind Jamie.
    Jamie grimaced and pointed an accusing finger at
Cole. “You so owe me, man,” he said. “I spent most of the day with
a very, very angry Ally and I let her drag me around the mall.” He
stopped to shake his head. “You did something to totally piss her
off.”
    Cole lit a cigarette and threw the pack at Jamie. “I
have no clue, man. I tried to ask her earlier but she damn near
spit in my face before running out of the room.”
    Parker laughed with the others. “She is a spitfire,
isn’t she?”
    “You don’t know the half of it,” Cole complained,
taking a long drag off his cigarette.
    Parker grinned and released a light chuckle. “Jamie,
man, I know she’s your cousin but she is hot.”
    Jamie and RJ shared a grin as Cole’s face darkened
before he turned away.
    Someone pounded on the door, causing them all to
start. Parker shrugged and ran to open it.
    Ally stormed inside the room, long black hair
streaming behind her, and studiously ignored Cole once again. She
stood in the middle of the room, eyes blazing. “You do know that
you’re on in about an hour and none of your equipment is set up
yet?”
    Cole slowly got to his feet and crushed his cigarette
out in the ashtray. He approached her, dark look still on his face.
“We’re on it, princess. Anything else?”
    She clenched her fists and took several deep breaths.
“Yeah. Don’t be such a jerk,” she said and sailed right back out of
the room.
    Cole smirked and turned back to the other guys,
shrugging, his hands out, palms up. “It must be a gift.”
    Jamie clapped him on the back. “I’ve never seen her
that mad. I don’t know what you did, man, but you’re in for a hell
of a ride.”
    “Maybe I should room with you guys,” he said as he
followed them out the door. “She’s liable to kill me in my
sleep.”
    ***
    She sat at the table, a bit passive, and watched as
they played, hardly hearing a note. Her mind was in a slump, not
able to produce a single answer to any of the questions plaguing
her. Especially the one asking why she cared so much if he spent
the entire evening with some strange, older woman. It wasn’t her
business in the least. He had let her know that he wanted no part
of any sort of relationship with her and she just needed to accept
his decision and move on with her life. Maybe she would eventually
see him as just her best friend again.
    But she seriously doubted it.
    “Did he hurt you?” Jamie blurted. “Hit you or
anything?”
    “What?” she asked, not sure she heard him right over
the noise. She turned to him and was shocked at the concern
lingering in his eyes.
    Jamie scooted his