Damn, if it don’t feel good to get back to our roots.
“You gonna tell me what prompted this writing session? Or are we gonna keep pretending you’re not holding back on me?”
“Nothing to tell, man,” I say with a shrug, playing it cool. “Just woke up this morning with the words flowing.”
“I know you better than that. I’m here to listen when you decide to cut the bullshit and talk.” He takes another swig, polishing off his beer, and hops up. “Want another?”
I nod, a heavy sigh slipping from my mouth. Leaning back, I sink into the cushions of my leather sectional. My mind drifts to Annabelle. Again. I haven’t stopped thinking about her all day.
The way Annabelle felt in my arms, how her body molded to mine—it felt perfect. It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. I dated Jane for a year, but the fire I experienced last night with a stranger was far stronger than anything I felt for Jane.
And now, I'm left to figure out how to navigate the situation with Jane as diplomatically as possible. Because of the band, our breakup is going to be messy. Having grown up together, we function as a misfit family, and our lives are intertwined, both personally and professionally. I can’t allow our breakup to fracture our friendships or fuck upour working relationships. It’s going to be complicated and stressful as hell.
Rowdy returns and places a tumbler of whiskey on the coffee table in front of me before settling down with his own glass. “I could hear you sighing from the kitchen, brother. Sounded like you need stronger stuff than beer.”
“Thanks.” I glance up. “You talked to Jane today?”
“Nope, but Dumber made the mistake of picking up one of her calls this morning. She’s pissed you went MIA.”
The other two members of Outlaw are brothers, James and Josh. Thanks to their schoolboy antics and uncanny knack for finding trouble, I’ve affectionately dubbed them Dumb and Dumber. James, the older and quieter of the two, earned the title of Dumb, while Josh is, without question, Dumber.
“You said you talked to Char, though, right? What’d she say about all this?”
“Charlotte wanted to reiterate that she can keep her personal and professional lives separate.” Rowdy’s mustache twitches. “But she wanted me to pass along that you’re an ass, and she’ll uninvite you to Thanksgiving if necessary.”
Despite my mood, I can’t help but grin. Since Thanksgiving is always celebrated at my ranch, Charlotte can’t uninvite me. Still, her comment forces me to face the truth—the dynamics within our group are bound to change now that Jane and I have split. As much as I hate it, our little band family is in for some growing pains while we figure out our new normal.
But if that storm is the price I have to pay for meeting Annabelle, I’ll gladly pay it. The music Rowdy and I wrote today brought every detail of my night with her rushing back, every lyric infused with memories of Annabelle. How she felt, how she made me feel. Seeing her dimplesand hearing her laugh did something to me. With each chord my fingers strummed, my resolve hardened. She may have slipped out of the motel room, but I’m not letting her get away. I’ll do whatever it takes to find her again.
I swirl the amber liquid in my glass, round and round. “I met a woman last night,” I start.
Rowdy barks out a robust laugh, his eyes alight with delight. “Holy shit, only you could break up with Janeandmeet someone new in the span of twelve hours, man. I can’t wait to tell Bailey!”
I roll my eyes. While I love Rowdy's wife, Bailey, I'd rather not pull her into this situation just yet.
Once his laughter subsides, he asks, “How’d you meet her?”
“After I checked into the motel, I wandered into the attached bar. I was nursing a beer when this woman sat down next to me. She was fucking gorgeous, Rowdy. She clearly had no clue who I was, even told me she hated country music,” I say with a grin. “When I mouthed off, she lit into me. Called me a pretentious asshole. And damn, the way she put me in my place was hot. We kept drinking, arguing turned into talking, talking into flirting… and the next thing I knew, we’re in my motel room having the best sex of my life.”
“Sounds good, especially the part where she called you a pretentious asshole," he smirks. "So, what’s got your panties in a bunch?”
“We agreed it would be a one-time thing. Nothing more.” I pull my lower lip through my teeth, replaying our conversation. Heady from hormones, I would have agreed to anything to get Annabelle to go back to my motel room with me, but damn, don’t I regret making that agreement now? “She got under my skin, Rowdy. I wanted more, but when I woke up, she was already gone.”
“Well, the songs we wrote today make a lot more sense now,” Rowdy muses, rubbing his beard. “Don’t want to freak you out, but itsounds like when I met Bailey. From our first conversation, something felt different. Once I found Bailey, she was it for me, man.”
"I think Annabelle might be it for me too."
Growing up, it was always just my mom and me. She worked hard to provide for us, and despite being a child, I took care of her as best I could. But with her long hours, she wasn't around much. I've always longed for the connection and sense of belonging that having a family brings, but I've never found someone who made me want more with her. More than once, I'd thought about settling down with Jane. But it would have been just that—settling.
Then, I met Annabelle. And for the first time, she made me imagine forever. It sounds insane, even to me, but it just felt so fucking right with her.
Draining my whiskey, I vow, “I’ll do whatever it takes to find her.”
“Right on, but… can we circle back and talk about Jane for a minute?” Rowdy’s eyes hold mine. He looks curious and a little worried. “What happened, Hayes?”
“We broke up.”
“Details, man. I need the details. If not for me, for Bailey. She’ll harass me until she hears the whole story.”
