Fight Song (Rocky River Fighters 3)

Jax added another line to the last verse, and then strummed his guitar again. He should really be working on something to send to his agent, but this song was weighing on him. It was one he’d been writing for almost eight years now, and no one but him would ever hear it. He told himself a thousand times to throw it away, but he hadn’t been able to make himself do it.

A soft knock reached his ears, and he looked up to see Shelby peeking in. “Is that a new song? Could you play it for me? It sounds pretty.”

Waving Ian’s daughter in, he tried to think of something to say to distract her. He never played this song for anyone, ever. But he didn’t want to turn her away or tell her no. Shelby was just starting to come out of her shell with the fighters, and it was taking her even longer to come around to him, probably because he didn’t talk much. This was the first time she’d approached him, and he wanted to make her comfortable.

Shelby lived with her mother’s tribe until earlier this year, when Ian got custody of her. And she wasn’t treated well in the past, insulted and made to feel less than others her whole life. The tigers were prideful bastards who prized beauty, and Shelby had a birthmark down the side of her face. She’d been mocked and ridiculed since birth, and it made her shy and wary of people around her.

“How are you doing, short stuff?”

Shooting him a look, he caught a glimpse of her bright blue eyes through her curtain of light brown hair. “I’m not short.”

“You are compared to me.”

“Because you’re a grownup,” she told him seriously. “I’m just a kid. I’m still growing.”

“I understand now. Thank you for explaining it to me,” he replied, as seriously as she had.

“So can I hear the song? It sounded really nice.”

Squirming, he looked down for a moment in thought. But what the hell, why not? Someone should hear it at some point. Nodding to her, he started strumming the chords and opened his mouth to sing the words he’d lifted straight from his heart.

“When I saw you for the first time…“ he sang, closing his eyes to imagine Piper’s face as he let the words flow from his lips.

When he was finished, his fingers stilled as he said, “It’s not completely finished yet, but there you have it.”

“Oh, Jax. That was beautiful,” she told him, eyes wide and voice soft. “Have you played it for your mate yet?”

Jerking his head toward her, his mouth opened and closed a few times before he found his voice. “How did you know I have a mate?”

“I know lots of things. Everyone always forgets I’m in the room, probably because I’m small and quiet, and they talk. Her name is Piper, right? I know she’s back in town. You should play her the song. If she knew you felt those things, she wouldn’t be able to resist you anymore.”

“I don’t think she cares much about what’s in this song, Shelby.”

“I think you’re wrong. But don’t give up. If you give up, she’ll think you don’t want her, and every girl wants to know she’s wanted. And once she really starts to pay attention, play her that song. That would clinch the deal.”

Patting his hand, Shelby got up and walked out of the room. Jax watched her go with his mouth open, wondering how the hell so much grown up wisdom fit in that small, eight-year-old body.

Setting the guitar back in the stand, he reached in the container by the bed and grabbed the last of the cookies Piper made yesterday. Munching thoughtfully, he decided Shelby was right. Not about the song. He wasn’t going to play that for Piper. But he couldn’t slow up his pursuit, or she would talk herself out of whatever feelings she was developing for him again.

Standing up, he grabbed the container and jogged down the stairs, heading for the kitchen. He was sad that he’d eaten them already, but returning the container gave him an excuse to go back to her house. Quickly washing and drying it, he headed to his truck and drove to Piper’s. Relief filled him when he spotted her car, but he frowned when his knock went unanswered. Hearing music, he followed the noise around the house.

The side door was open, and he looked in to see Piper dancing around the kitchen to the music as she cleaned. Lips quirking as he watched her, he waited a few moments before knocking on the screen door, not speaking until she whirled around to see him.

“Are you still listening to this shit, Piper?”

Scowling, she put her hands on her hips as she watched him walk in. “It’s good music, St. James.”

“Nickelback is not music. Did I teach you nothing when we were younger?”

“Is, too. It’s not only music, but it’s good music, fuck you very much. Maybe it’s not what you write or enjoy, but that doesn’t mean it automatically sucks.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “You been following my career?”

“What—I—no,” she sputtered, cheeks turning pink. “I heard a song once on the radio that sounded like you, is all.”

Shifters could hear lies, and that was a complete and total falsehood, but he wasn’t going to call her on it. Just knowing she followed his career and knew his music was enough for him. “I hear you. At least turn that shit down a little. You’re gonna make everyone on this street want to move if they have to listen to it more than once a year.”

Shooting him a dirty look, she turned the volume down some. “What are you doing here anyway? You’re not exactly welcome at this house.”