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  It was him who reported things to the label that had nothing to do with music. He was vindictive and cold, like the time I went to a basketball game talking to a fellow singer the industry wished to pit me against. Mitchell had called a meeting to discuss the positive outpour an orchestrated beef between us had caused.

  When I pressed him on the issue of why I would feed into a lie, Mitchell had admitted that it was him who had planted the story, feeling the need for a push to keep me in the blogs. He was evil and desperate in that way, and I should have fired him then.

  With Sadie at my side, I turned to Billie to apologize. Before I could speak a word, my sister shocked me yet again.

  Chapter 39

  SADIE

  “SADIE,” BILLIE BEGAN. “I’m so sorry for the way that I treated you. I would blame it on the hormones, but that wouldn’t be completely true.” Billie’s tear-stained cheeks were enough to make my eyes water. It was clear she meant every word she spoke, and my heart instantly forgave her without hearing her full explanation.

  “It’s just… I’m very protective of Wyatt. I’ve always wanted him to find someone who showed him that there was more to life than this studio. I’ve wanted him to find happiness outside of music for as long as I can remember. And to be honest, I just thought that was impossible with you.”

  Her words stung, like a dagger to the heart. Why did she think Wyatt couldn’t find happiness with me? I wanted his sister to like me, but I could feel that possibility slipping through my fingers.

  “You see, you’re just like him.” She giggled, and I felt a small sigh of relief pressed past my lips. “You’re so talented and focused. I thought you two might hook up, but never really open yourselves to the idea of there being more. Wyatt is a great guy; I don’t want anyone to hurt him, and he loves you.” She turned to look at her brother. “Wow. I’ve never said those words before.”

  Turning back to me, Billie continued. “My brother loves you! Enough to take the first vacation in years, and to meet your parents, and chase you when you run. He really loves you, and has realized there is more to life than professional success. And for showing him that, you and me will always be sisters, if you’ll have me.”

  Words escaped me, so I showed her how I felt, reaching with both arms as we hugged. It was always what I’d wanted – to be respected and appreciated by Billie. After years of admiring her, it was devastating when she didn’t accept me on our first meeting. Now, to hear why, I understood and respected how well she had read me.

  She was right. I was just like Wyatt – more concerned with my career than anything else. I made no room for a personal life, and even tried to put her brother in a box. It was my decision to hide our feelings for each other. I wanted to keep working at whatever cost, including ignoring my feelings for him.

  The loud sound of the studio door flying open demanded my attention, and I turned to see Brad dominating the doorway. His eyes landed on Billie as she pulled away from me to go to him.

  “Sweetheart, are you okay?” he asked, holding her like a delicate doll that might break.

  “Mitchell is such an asshole, but my brother defended the family honor,” Billie told him with a smile.

  Brad looked at Wyatt with a small smirk. “If he tries to sue, I’ll take care of it.”

  The two men nodded, coming to some sort of agreement in silence. Billie came over to hug her brother, as they both rushed to apologize to each other once more before hugging again. She even gave me another short hug, and then she and Brad left to attend a doctor’s appointment.

  Left alone with Wyatt, I felt an intense rush of emotions after the way he defended me and his sister. I had worried in the past about his commitment to standing up for me, especially when it came to Mitchell, who had already been rude to me.

  He was the one who had walked in on me and Wyatt making out in the studio, going as far as calling me a groupie while Wyatt said little to nothing. Later, during our vacation in Miami, Wyatt explained that he was merely delayed, pulling his clothing together after coming so close to losing control in the studio.

  “You’re so hot!” I rushed to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as I pressed my lips to his with a passion that set our embrace on fire.

  “Tell me what you needed to talk about,” Wyatt said, carefully pulling my arms down to end the kiss.

  “It’s not a big deal,” I lied.

  I’d forgotten all about the reason I was at the studio after the drama unfolded. Seeing Mitchell and Wyatt in a scuffle had helped me forget about my best friend coming to my job with an opportunity I thought I should turn down.

  “It was enough of a deal for you to tell me about it and leave me guessing all day,” he teased, peppering soft kisses along my jawline.

  I laughed, biting my bottom lip to stop the giggles threatening to overflow. The touch of Wyatt’s lips with the tickling of his nose towards my ear was enough to make my hips press into his pelvis. I wanted him badly, but it wasn’t the time or the place.

  “Gayle came to the diner with this crazy idea,” I started, taking a deep breath as I tried to decide the best way to explain the situation to him. “My band was always twice its necessary size. There were technically nine bandmates, but only five of us were real musicians, like full time.”

  Wyatt nodded, still kissing, but this time on the other side of my face. “Okay,” he hummed.

  “Well, Gayle is trying to get the five core members back together to do this festival tour next month.”

  Wyatt looked at me blankly. I couldn’t tell if he was confused, or if he too thought the idea of not seeing each other for long spurts of time was unbearable. As much as I wanted to go on a festival tour, performing for huge crowds of fans looking for their next band to love, I couldn’t risk leaving what we had.

  It was special and just the beginning. Everything with Wyatt was new, and I didn’t want to miss such a special time in my life to chase work. I didn’t see why I couldn’t find work in the city so we could spend some time together regularly.

  “I realized what Billie just talked about,” I said. “It has always been about my career for me. I wanted to become a working musician so badly, I was willing to put anyone and everyone on the back burner to make it happen. I didn’t care about anything as much as I did succeeding in this industry.”

  Wyatt stayed mute, looking deeply into my eyes, as if my words were the most important he’d ever heard. His attention was mine, and so I chose to confess all that had changed since meeting him.

  “But it’s not that way anymore,” I continued. “I realized that when she told me about the details. We’d be on the road for six weeks, traveling from here to New York and back. It was something I always wanted to do, but now all I could think about as she spoke was not seeing you for six weeks. I can’t do that, because being with you is the most important part of my life.”

  “Well,” Wyatt started, but I cut him off.

  “Before you start, I don’t want to hear about us being able to talk on the phone, or take flights to spend a couple of hours with each other. That could never be enough for me. Not after I’ve had full days with you. Waking up with you, spending the day together, and then falling asleep in your arms – that’s my new dream. Playing festivals is a great opportunity, but I just don’t look at it as a once-in-a-lifetime thing. What we have, that’s rare. And I’m prioritizing it over everything else.”

  He looked into my eyes and took a deep breath. “If you think that phone calls and flights every few days is what I was going to propose, you’re crazy. I could never imagine not seeing you for days on end.”

  His admission left me breathless. Something about knowing I wasn’t alone in this, but instead with someone who replicated my feelings, left me feeling stronger.

  “And I guess Gayle knew that we’d feel that way,” he continued. “I guess that’s why she asked us both to go on the tour, so we can be together,” he smirked.

  “What? You would go on t
he tour too?” I asked, shaking my head as though I’d misheard him.

  “Gayle negotiated a deal for your band to open up for me on a string of tours. She had to get my approval first, but she asked if she could be the one to ask you.”

  I paused, unable to process the change in events. My dream job didn’t mean I had to leave Wyatt, but that I had to spend every day with him. I couldn’t believe my luck.

  “So, Sadie, would you like to spend your days entertaining crowds of fans, and then spend your nights creating with me before entertaining each other?”

  I could barely breathe, so excited as I imagined us together on the road. Wyatt was so good at what he did, and I was going to get to learn so much from him. Again, I couldn’t find the right words to express myself.

  This time, my actions were bolder, rushing into his arms as I leaned up to kiss him deeply, desperate to show him how happy he made me. I was going to get to live out one of my dreams with the love of my life. If that wasn’t success, I didn’t know what was.

  “Baby, you’re going to make me take you right here in this studio if you keep teasing me.” Wyatt’s voice was too weak to be a threat. It was a question, a plea to live out a fantasy I’d been having in my mind. The two of us together in the studio.

  “You can’t take what’s already yours,” I whispered on his lips, watching his eyes light up as he comprehended my message. I wanted him as badly as he wanted me. We were both lost to each other, finding new depths to life as we redefined what was important unapologetically. Wyatt was the missing piece to my puzzle, and thankfully, he didn’t want me to let him go. Because I doubted I could even if I wanted to. He was mine, forever, the unique love story I’d moved to Nashville to find.

  Epilogue

  SADIE

  – THREE MONTHS LATER –

  THIS IS NEW, for me for sure.

  I never knew of something so pure.

  You’re the start to everything.

  You came along and captured me.

  Now, everything’s different, staring from you.

  What happened before, just doesn’t feel true.

  No one knows me like you know me.

  No one cares like you care.

  This is the start of something perfect.

  I’ll give it all up, ‘cause baby you’re worth it.

  My heart beats for you.

  My heart beats for you.

  It’s you and me. Me and you, baby.

  I want you forever. Baby, you drive me crazy.

  Standing on the side of the stage beside Gayle, I watched as Wyatt performed for the crowd singing his new hit song, the one he’d written about me and how our love changed him. It was now my regular routine during his encore, which he did solo, watching him as he masterfully entertained and controlled the crowd.

  After six weeks of rehearsing and planning and then six more on the road, we had reached our final show. It had been a whirlwind, and the best time of my life. Every day, Wyatt and I were together, brainstorming new ideas and trying out new sounds. In that short time frame, we’d finished Wyatt’s new album, a return to his solo career after giving Billie time to enjoy her new normal.

  In addition to Wyatt’s album, I’d recorded a demo tape to present to labels, something Wyatt said he could help me with. Everything was coming together. Glancing away from Wyatt for a second, I scanned the VIP section held high in the rafters until I spotted my parents. It was their third show on the tour, which they had been super impressed to learn I was playing. Whenever they could, they would drive or fly to see me perform on such massive stages.

  Watching my mom rock back and forth as her arm laced through my father’s, I wondered if she was finally beginning to see the promise my career had. I wanted for her and my dad to see that I could really do this, but not from my words, more from my actions.

  Wyatt finished his final song, and began to give the speech he always closed out with, but instead of his normal advice to drive home safely, he went in a totally different direction.

  “I want to thank y’all from the bottom of my heart. I know it’s not the easiest being a fan of mine. I’m not as great as sharing with y’all as I should be.”

  We’d talked so much about Wyatt being more vulnerable with his fans, but seeing it in the flesh was almost too honest. I was entranced watching him as he walked from one end of the stage to the other, continuing.

  “In fact, I recently found myself in a slump. I couldn’t write anything, and just didn’t see inspiration in the world like I once did.” He paused, looking over at me, and I blew him a kiss for support. I loved it when he told his story.

  “But then I found my muse, a beautiful woman from right here in Tennessee,” he announced. “Does there happen to be anyone here from Franklin, Tennessee?”

  A few loud screams from the back of the crowd put a smile on Wyatt’s face. “Well, I’d like all y’all to meet my muse. If you can get her to come on stage. You see, she’s a little shy. Maybe if we call her name, she’ll come out here so you can meet her.”

  Wyatt was staring at me with amusement in his eyes as he began to chant my name into the microphone. “Sa-die! Sa-die! Sa-die!”

  The crowd instantly joined in with him, screaming my name at the top of their lungs while clapping their hands together. Before I knew it, Gayle was thrusting me forward. I reached the stage, and the audience exploded with excitement.

  It was beyond strange. I’d just performed on the stage as part of Rose Aurum and then as Wyatt’s pianist, but there was a big difference between getting up there to entertain the masses through music and going out before them as myself.

  “Everybody give Sadie a round of applause,” Wyatt announced as I nervously looked around the crowd. “Thank you for coming out, baby.”

  The crowd went crazy, and I wondered if they were as touched as me by his use of the word ‘baby.’ It never got old to me.

  “Sadie, these past months with you have been the best of my life.” He looked deeply into my eyes before dropping to one knee.

  My heart caught in my chest as my hand flew to my mouth to muster the gasp.

  “I don’t know where I would have been without you. And I don’t want to see where I’ll end up if you aren’t by my side. You are everything to me. My heart beats for you. Please, baby, let me spend the rest of my life making you smile. Sadie, will you marry me?”

  Holding a red velvet ring box, he showed a flawless teardrop diamond on a rose gold band. It was beautiful, and everything I’d ever dreamed my engagement ring to be. It was simple, sophisticated, and glamorous. I knew Wyatt had put so much thought into finding the right stone for me, and he had succeeded, big time.

  “Wyatt,” my voice was meek and shaking. I couldn’t believe that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Even more, I found it sweet that he professed his love in front of so many of his fans. “Yes, baby. Of course.”

  The crowd roared as Wyatt rose to his feet, wrapping me in his arms as he kissed me passionately before burying his face in my hair. “I’ll love you forever, babe.” He whispered the words with a truth that touched me deeply.

  “You better!” I squeezed my arms around his neck, feeling my whole world within my grasp.

  ***

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  Crushed

  (Preview)

  My
best friend’s sister was always off limits.

  Charlotte had a crush on me for years.

  She’s all grown up now and wants to lose her v-card.

  I can’t resist her sweet lips and curves.

  We were together, behind her brother’s back.

  When he found out, I thought I lost her.

  I got her back, but now something else has come between us.

  Something I never planned, but always wanted.

  The pain of losing her again is crushing me.

  I need to make Charlotte mine forever.

  *** A steamy STANDALONE contemporary romance with a smoking hot hero. No cliffhanger, no cheating and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.***

  Chapter 1

  CHARLOTTE

  WHAT USED TO be a fun outlet of expression had become somewhat robotic. Without thinking, my hands worked overtime, turning knobs, and adjusting settings on the espresso machine. Moving to the mini refrigerator tucked beneath the counter felt choreographed as often as I did it. When I first took the job as a barista back in high school, it was only full cream or low fat milk to distinguish the orders at our shop. Over the years we’d developed a long list I could now recite from memory.

  The fridge was stocked with everything from almond milk to coconut creamer. The variation of drinks felt endless, but there was no combination of ingredients I hadn’t mastered. And my artwork was the reason people changed their orders, just to get a touch of Artful Eats, as I’d defined myself online.

  Carefully, I steamed the full cream milk, the easiest to work with. As the woman waiting for her drink aimed her phone in my direction, I was grateful I’d be able to create a flawless design for her. Knowing she was recording me gave me the added emphasis to put on a show. Slamming the stainless steel foaming cup on the wooden counter three times, I watched the foam shift just the way I needed before moving to the front counter to give her a better view.