I sighed. “For one, I’m not dating anyone, so I’m not as interesting as usual.” I let out a derisive snort. “God forbid a girl gets known for her talent in country music.”
“It’s not fair.” Wynter waved her hands. “All of it.”
I trailed my fingers through my hair and captured a strand of blue. Lucy had pressed me to dye my hair blonder and ditch the other colors. I hadn’t listened. She had claimed I was putting my entire career on the line every time I appeared on stage with an “unnatural” color in my hair.Since when have you seen a successful country singer with color in her hair?
Country music lacked a lot of color and not just in hair, so I kept my stylist and ignored Lucy like I should’ve done when she’d brought up men I should meet.
“People are starting to speculate,” she said.
I snapped out of my trance. “What?”
She tapped her phone. “I know you said you’re staying away from everything, but people have noticed there’ve been no real posts.”
Right. I had fired my social media manager too. She’d been a Lucy hire. I’d also changed my login info, but I popped in a lot with quick posts and videos. Not every day, but often enough that as I was approaching two weeks since fleeing Nashville, my silence would be noted. “I just can’t bring myself to open an app.”
If I saw one thing about me and one of my exes, my restraint might break. I didn’t want to be linked to those men, but now I would be. Forever. Proof that I could be duped so easily.
Any muse that had returned while working with Wynter had shriveled and turned to dust. My two months were down to a little over seven weeks.
“Want me to talk to Ruby?” Wynter offered.
“Your new social media girl?” Ruby Casteel was a recent hire, and she worked out of the Bozeman distillery, but she came to Bourbon Canyon regularly to film content. I hadn’t met her in person yet, but I’d been informed of her hiring during one of our family meetings.
“We have strict NDAs, but you don’t even have to tell her why. We can just say that you want some time off and you don’t want anyone to worry.” She gestured to the computer screen that had gone black. “Kyra gives us video footage from the shoots too. Ruby can use that.”
Yes, that would work. I was home for a breather. I’d just come off tour and I was working on the album my fans were excited about. Easy enough—as long as I wasn’t the one diving into the social feed.
Wynter spun her chair again and her arms were crossed once more. “You never said how lessons went.”
I frowned and went to the small couch in her office. One side was stacked with props she’d used last week—the dress, a Santa hat, and the cream shirt I’d borrowed. My cardigan was draped over the other side. “I told you it was fine.”
“Would you let me get away with that answer?”
No, I’d take it as a sign to pester her more. “Hecleared out as soon as I started with the girls. Then we had a piece of coffee cake and I left.”
“Coffee cake?”
“He bakes now.”
“The guy who barely stays indoors bakes?”
I nodded and shrugged into my cardigan. The drizzle from this morning had quit, but it was probably still chilly out. “He’s a dad now. He can’t be gone all day.”
Wynter tapped her fingertips together. “He fed you?”
“You make it sound scintillating.” He’d fed me a lot since I’d arrived. Muffins, sandwiches, coffee cake. “He’s civil. So am I.” This time, I was the one folding my arms. “There’s nothing there anymore.”
She narrowed her eyes. I wasn’t lying, but a sour flavor stained my tongue.
“He’s moved on. We’re different people.”
That brow lifted again. I stiffened. Was she going to argue about how I hadn’t moved on? Or did she agree with how different Rhys and I were now? I was practically a city girl these days and he wore flannel as a way of life.
“I don’t think either of you has changed as much as you imagine,” she said.
“Then we definitely aren’t destined to be together. Since it didn’t work the first time. His priority is not me. It’s two adorable, lively little girls.”
The scar along my heart ached. He had kids. I had fans. Sometimes, the two were completely incompatible.
