In My Father's Shadow Read online

  In My Father’s Shadow

  by JL Paul

  Copyright © 2011 JL Paul

  Smashwords Edition

  Chapter One

  Cole Crawford cursed as, both hands full with luggage, the strap of another bag slipped off his shoulder. He dropped them all in a haphazard pile near the door to his dorm room and dug out the keycard from his back pocket. Sticking it in the slot, he opened the door, holding it so his roommate, and best friend, RJ Shaw could pass.

  RJ dropped his bags and guitar case near a bed with a huge sigh while Cole stood, still holding the door open. “Hey, how about a hand, huh?”

  “Sorry, bro,” RJ said as he rushed to help Cole heave his bags into the room.

  Cole dumped his stuff before falling on his bed. “Hey, are Jamie and Ally here yet?”

  Cole lifted a shoulder and closed his eyes, stifling a yawn. He hadn’t had the best night sleep the night before and it was beginning to catch up to him. He’d had so much on his mind and more than just going away to his boarding school for his senior year. “Not sure. I talked to Jamie last night and he said he hadn’t heard from Ally yet. He was waiting for her to get back from camp to see if she needed a ride.”

  “She was at camp a long time, wasn’t she?” RJ said as he sat in the desk chair, immediately swiveling it back and forth.

  “Yeah, well, the princess is serious about softball – you know that,” Cole said, pinching the bridge of his nose and fighting a wave of fatigue.

  “Don’t let her hear you call her that – she packs a mean punch,” RJ said with an affectionate grin. “I missed her, man.”

  “Yeah, I did, too,” Cole admitted around a yawn.

  “I bet,” RJ said as he bounced from the chair, an endless ball of energy, and landed on the edge of Cole’s bed. “Poor little Cole, missed his bestest friend!”

  “Bite me, man,” Cole laughed, shoving RJ off his bed. He slid his own feet over the side and hoisted his body to an upright position. “Let’s go to the Student Center and see if we can find James or Ally.”

  “Okay and hey, maybe we can put up a notice on the Student Center board for a bassist,” RJ suggested as he kicked a duffel bag out of his way.

  “Sure,” Cole said as he patted his pockets, looking for his keycard. “But let’s give it a week or two first and see if we can find someone on our own. You know all the freaks that will be bugging us to audition.”

  “Good point,” RJ said as he yanked the door open and gestured grandly for Cole to exit.

  They crossed the grounds, both pulling sweatshirts over their heads as the early fall evening air nipped at them, hinting around that colder temperatures were on the way. Plenty of people crowded the walkways hauling luggage, shouting out to acquaintances, or hurrying between the buildings. Several greeted RJ and Cole but none of them were the two they were seeking. When they finally made it to the overcrowded Student Center, they paused near the door to survey the mob.

  “Hey,” RJ said, bumping Cole. He nodded toward a line of vending machines as a mischievous smile slipped across his face.

  Cole grinned as he spotted the sandy brown head of another of his best friends, Jamie Winston, leaning against a soft drink machine, chatting with a pretty blonde. Cole grabbed RJ’s arm and towed him quietly toward Jamie, pressing a finger to his lips when the girl noticed him.

  “Didn’t take him long, did it?” Cole complained good-naturedly.

  “Give it up, jock, she’ll never give you the time of day,” RJ said, startling Jamie.

  Jamie turned, his hazel eyes wide, his handsome face frozen in a smile, and offered a fist to RJ and Cole. “Hey, what’s up?”

  “When did you get here?” Cole demanded.

  “About an hour ago,” Jamie said. “I had to help Ally get her stuff to her room.” He rolled his eyes as a smile lingered on his lips. “She packed enough crap for ten girls, I think.”

  “She is a princess,” Cole muttered, drawing a chuckle from his friends.

  “Are you going to the bonfire?” RJ asked, eyeing the snack selections in the vending machine, his hand absently rubbing his stomach.

  “Yeah, Jamie,” the blonde said, tugging on his sleeve. “Are you?”

  He turned back to the girl and chucked her chin. “I’ll be down there.”

  Blushing, she scurried away to a group of girls huddling near a sofa.

  “Where’s Ally?” RJ asked as he shoved some change into the vending machine and selected a candy bar. “I haven’t seen her in ages.”

  Scoffing, Jamie leaned against the soft drink machine, folding his arms across his chest. “She was unpacking and catching up with Jeana – all that girly stuff.”

  Cole nodded, imagining Ally jabbering away to her other cousin, Jeana Andersen. Ally and Jeana didn’t have as close a cousinly relationship as Ally and Jamie. In fact, Ally oftentimes complained about Jeana and her attempts to sway Ally away from the boys she’d grown up with and turn her into a “girly-girl”.

  “She’ll be mad and irritated later, watch,” Cole said with an amused smirk. “I don’t know why the two room together.”

  “Aunt Liz’s idea,” Jamie said. “Do you guys want to head down to the bonfire now?”

  “Sure,” RJ said, shoving the remains of his candy bar in his mouth. He crumpled the wrapper and shot it at a trash can as they headed out the door.

  They chatted quietly, talking about the plans for Out of Control, Cole and RJ’s band, as they made their way to the football field. Jamie tossed out a few suggestions as to who could take Steve Runyin's place, their old bass player who’d graduated the previous year and gone off to college.

  “I don’t know, man,” Cole said as he plopped on the bleachers and watched his classmates congregate around the roaring fire. “I hate messing with auditions but if we want to get serious about this band, we need someone good – someone willing to work as hard as we do.”

  “Amen,” RJ concurred as he dug another candy bar out of his hoodie pocket. “Too bad you’re such a jock, James.”

  Laughing, Jamie settled on the bleachers next to Cole. “Hey, my dad taught me to play but I just suck at it. I guess Ally and I are the black sheep – no musical talent.”

  Cole laughed as his eyes searched the crowd, looking for signs of their missing friend – the final piece of their foursome. He spotted the cute blonde Jamie had been talking to and nudged his friend. “There’s that chick, bro. Aren’t you supposed to hook up with her or something?”

  Jamie shrugged. “I’ll talk to her later. RJ, where’s your brother?”

  “I don’t know – he’s a big boy now and I don’t have to watch him anymore,” RJ said. He released a low groan. “Cole, watch out, man, Jennifer Mansfeld has got you in her sites.”

  “I thought you broke up with her last year?” Jamie said.

  “Yeah,” Cole snorted, a smug smirk on his lips. “But she just can’t resist my charm.”

  “Like hell you’re charming, Cole Crawford,” a voice said.

  Cole snapped his head around and his smirk deepened as his eyes fell on a dark-haired beauty with glimmering ice blue eyes. “Jealous?”

  “Ha!” she said crossing her arms firmly over her chest, fighting a smile. “Of what?”

  “Jeez, you two,” RJ said as he pulled the girl into a warm embrace. “How are you, Ally? Softball camp okay?”

  She edged back to kiss RJ’s cheek and beam at him. “It was great. How are you? And your family? You hardly emailed me at all, you know.”

  “Yeah, well,” he said, abashed. A touch of red painted his cheeks. “You know I’m not good at the whole corresponding thing.”

  “He was busy fighting off all the girls,” Cole said, standing to tousle RJ’s dark, cur
ly hair. He snatched Ally’s hand and jerked her to his chest, wrapping his arms around her. His heart twittered as the scent of her strawberry shampoo reached his nose. “How are you, Al?”

  “Good,” she whispered, melting into him.

  Images of the incident that had happened the weekend before she’d left for camp flashed before his eyes but he pushed them away. He drew back to smile and study her face. Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks, brought on from the sun, no doubt, but her hair was still dark and her eyes still a stunning blue – both inherited from her father. Her mother had gifted her with a petite figure and soft features. She’d always been pretty but it seemed as if softball camp had filled her with a new sort of feminine confidence she hadn’t had before. “You look good, Al,” he said, the corners of his lips turning up in a teasing smile.

  “Yeah, well, you’re still as ugly as ever,” she said, her eyes dancing in amusement. “How was your summer? Horrible because you were pining for your best friend?”

  “Sure, princess, whatever. Tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night,” he said.

  She extricated herself from his arms and smiled at her friends. “So, what’s up tonight?”

  Cole shrugged as he resumed his position on the bleachers. “I know of a party off campus.”

  “I’m game,” RJ said.

  “Yeah, me, too,” Jamie added.

  “Jamie,” Ally warned, her eyes blazing. “If you get caught drinking they’ll kick you off the football team.”

  “Jeez, Ally,” Jamie said, blushing. “I’m not stupid.”

  “Yeah, princess,” Cole chided, slapping Jamie playfully on the back. “He’s not an idiot.”

  Seething with fury, she bent to glare into Cole’s face. “Do not call me that.”

  He grinned and stood, towering over her. “Sure, whatever.” He turned to the guys. “Are you ready? I’ll drive.”

  Ally snagged his sleeve, fisting the material of his sweatshirt. “I’m going with you guys. Someone needs to babysit.”

  He wrenched his arm free. “Fine, but we’re all grown here so you don’t need to nag, got it?”

  She narrowed her eyes, grinding her teeth. “Got it.”

  His heart did the weird little flutter thing again as her unwavering gaze burned into his eyes. “Let’s go,” he said, intending to sound hard but sounding a little hoarse instead.

  He drove them off campus and through the tiny town to a slightly isolated house with a large front yard full of cars. It was hard to make out the models and who the vehicles belonged to in the dark but Cole already had a basic idea as to who would be attending. As RJ and Jamie jumped out of the car, Cole grabbed Ally’s arm.

  “What?” she demanded, startled by his actions.

  “There are a lot of older guys here, Al. Stick close to me,” he said.

  “I can take care of myself,” she said.

  “I know,” he said with a hint of pride. “But just the same, stay close, huh?”

  She opened and closed her mouth then nodded. “Sure, but only because I need to keep an eye on you.”

  He released her with a laugh and got out of the car. He slowed his stride so she could keep up and chuckled inside at her need to look after herself and not depend on her overprotective male friends. But he already knew she was self-sufficient. She had to be, growing up the only girl in a group of boys. The band their fathers belonged to was sort of like an extended family – a close-knit group of friends who often gathered to celebrate birthdays, holidays or just their friendship. Although Ally and Jamie were the only ones related to each other, it oftentimes felt like they were all cousins or siblings. Until recently.

  Cole once again shoved those forbidden thoughts from his head. Ally was his friend – his best friend – and he didn’t want to think of her any other way. He couldn’t. Not only would it possibly ruin their friendship but he just didn’t want the stress and strain of a relationship when he had a band he was trying to get up and running and off the ground. He did not want to depend on his father or his father’s friends to get them the fame and notoriety that he so badly craved. He wanted to do things the same way his father had – lots of hard work, sweat and talent.

  The party was in full swing by the time they walked through the doors. RJ and Jamie had already disappeared, probably in search of food and girls, though not in that order. Cole grabbed hold of Ally’s hand and pushed his way through the crowd, looking for Randy, the host of the party.

  Loud, thumping rap music reverberated through the living room and they both winced as sweaty, grinding bodies impeded their progress. Cole managed to find and path and eventually made it to the massive kitchen.

  Meat and cheese trays along with veggie trays were sprawled out on the table and counters, already picked over and wilting in the warm air. Three large tubs were on the floor, full of ice and many varieties of beer, soda, and water. Cole dug through them and produced a couple of soft drinks, handing one to Ally. He wrinkled his nose at the food and glanced around the kitchen, not recognizing any of the people. Maybe it was a mistake to come.

  “I don’t know anyone here, Cole,” Ally said, sidling up to him, pressing against his arm. “I thought maybe a few of them had gone to Woodsedge Academy last year or something but I don’t think so.”

  He draped a casual arm around her shoulders and placed his lips near her ear. He grinned when he felt her body shudder beneath him. “I’m sure the people here from Woodsedge Academy are ones you don’t recognize because they aren’t the type of people you would hang out with, princess.”

  She punched him weakly in the stomach and fought a smile. “Great. What kind of party did you drag me to?”

  “Hey, you’re the one who insisted on coming,” he pointed out, sipping from his can. He sighed. “We won’t stay long.”

  “Where did Jamie and RJ run off to?” she asked, a touch of worry in her eyes.

  “They’re fine, you know that. They won’t get up to anything they shouldn’t.”

  “I know,” she said, wrapping an arm around his waist.

  “Cole! There you are!” Randy Roman announced, his eyes a little bloodshot. He slapped Cole on the back and grinned at Ally. “And who is this?”

  Cole tugged Ally closer to his side. “Ally Jones.” He left it at that, hoping Randy would get the point and stop leering at her.

  “Do you want a beer?” Randy asked.

  Cole shook his head. “Nah, man. We can’t stay long. Curfew and all that you know.”

  “Sure, sure,” Randy said. “Well, help yourself to anything you want. I need to go mingle.”

  “Thanks,” Cole said, holding tight to Ally’s shoulders.

  They stuck around, mingling with some of the guests but when a couple of boys who’d had far too much to drink starting arguing and pushing and shoving, Cole deemed it time to go.

  “Where are Jamie and RJ,” Ally said, her concerned eyes sweeping the room.

  “We’ll find them,” Cole said, latching onto her hand and leading her through a set of sliding glass doors. He winked at her when they heard RJ’s raucous laugh riding the light wind. Cole quickly gathered his friends and they piled into Cole’s car and headed back to school.

  That night, as Cole lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, he pondered the conflicting feelings swirling inside of him. He couldn’t lose control of them – he needed to keep them neatly filed away and locked up. He couldn’t allow them freedom. He had too much to worry about – too much work to do to engage in any sort of romantic relationship with the girl he considered his best friend. There was too much at stake.

  He flopped on his side and squeezed his eyes shut. He would concentrate only on school and his band - that was all.

  Chapter Two

  Cole was digging into his scrambled eggs and RJ and Jamie were engaged in an animated discussion when Ally dropped her tray on the table. Jumping, they gawked at her, equal looks of surprise on each face.

  “Morning, boys,” she said a
s she slid into her customary seat next to Jamie, her favorite cousin. She lifted a fork and paused as they each continued to gawk at her. “What?”

  “You sound awfully peppy for being a self proclaimed Monday hater,” Cole said, smiling at her from across the table as he scooped up a forkful of eggs.

  She stuck her tongue out at him while her heart performed a series of gymnastic moves. She sent a strong verbal warning to her heart, telling it to knock off the idiocy – it was only Cole. “The first day of school doesn’t suck.”

  “Just the second. And the third. And the fourth,” RJ said. Cole, who was sitting next to him, bumped RJ’s shoulder with a laugh.

  “I won’t argue that,” Ally said as she nibbled on her toast.

  “Look at this schedule, Ally,” Alec, Ally’s younger brother, complained as he slid his tray on the other side of Jamie. He was a freshman and starting his first year at Woodsedge Academy. “They have me running all over the place.”

  Ally reached across Jamie and took Alec’s schedule. She sighed and rolled her eyes. “All the buildings are close together. You have it made.”

  “Are you in any of my classes this year?” Jamie asked her, digging his schedule out of his backpack.

  “I don’t know but if I am, that doesn’t mean I’m doing your homework for you,” she said in a haughty tone.

  “Maybe he’s offering to do yours for you,” RJ said flashing a brilliant smile.

  She threw her crust at him. “Whatever.”

  “Ally,” Jeana called, stopping briefly at their table, tray in her hands. “You don’t always have to sit with these guys. Come sit with us.”

  Ally looked over at the table Jeana pointed out and shook her head. Most of the girls Jeana sat with were huge gossip mongers and Ally had no desire to listen to it. Besides, a couple of those girls had only tried to befriend Ally her freshman year when they found out her father was Jay Jones, lead singer for Tight Control. “Nah, I’m fine. Besides, these guys are more feminine than you think.” Cole grunted as the others threw various pieces of food at her. She laughed, ducking and swatting, then slung her backpack over her shoulder and grabbed her tray. “I am out of here. See you guys later.”