Tony waited with his phone in hand, his expression unreadable.“The attorney’s on speaker.”
Jami nodded and squeezed Carlene's hand.“Go ahead.”
“Morning,” the attorney said.“I’ve reviewed your contracts.Summit Sound is standing on thin ice.The clause about label access to your accounts doesn’t include altering or posting content without prior consent.That’s breach of good faith and potential defamation.”
Carlene’s eyes narrowed.“They’ll claim creative control.”
“Already thought of that,” the attorney replied.“Creative control applies to the music and promotional material you produce under their supervision, not your personal likeness or individual accounts.What they did was reckless.”
Jami crossed his arms.“So what’s our play?”
“I recommend sending a formal notice of breach and pausing all new material delivery until they respond.You’ll be free to terminate the contract within thirty days if they don’t remedy it.”
Tony whistled under his breath.“We can walk?”
Jami’s mind was already turning.“But they’ll hit back hard.Vivian will frame it as abandoning our obligations.”
“Let her,” Carlene said, her voice low.“We’ll respond with proof, dates, and the metadata I saved.”
The attorney added, “Exactly.You’ll look like professionals protecting their integrity.They’ll look like manipulators scrambling for control.”
Jami exhaled slowly.“Thanks.Draft what we need.We’ll review it tonight.”
When the call ended, Tony clapped him on the shoulder and went back to the others, already buzzing with plans.The barn doors swung shut behind him, leaving Jami and Carlene alone again.
“You handled that like a lawyer,” he said.
“Occupational hazard.”She smiled faintly, though her eyes glimmered with exhaustion.“I should be scared right now, but I’m not.Maybe I’m just too tired.”
He brushed a thumb over her knuckles.“You’ve earned tired.But scared?That’s not you.”
Carlene looked up at him, her gaze steady.“You don’t know everything about me.”
“Maybe not,” he said softly.“But I know courage when I see it.”
Her throat moved as she swallowed.“And what about you?What do you see when you look in the mirror, Jami?”
He thought about it, staring past her to the stretch of sky over the trees.“A man who’s been running so long he forgot why he started.”
Her expression softened.“Then stop running.”
He laughed quietly.“You make it sound simple.”
“It’s not,” she said.“But it’s worth it.”
He reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering there.“You make everything sound simple.”
She drew in a shaky breath.“None of it is simple, but at some point, you stop being controlled by all the things.Labels.What your fans want.What looks best for this or that.You've built a powerful brand, whether or not you realize it.And you all, and I mean all of you, have stayed true to your initial promises of how you wanted to do this.That's incredible, Jami.To have this group of people so committed to you and the vision you created is nearly unheard of.Lean into that.”
He stared at her for the longest time.She didn't flinch.Her lips turned up slightly as she watched his face."Lean into it."
He took her face gently between his hands.“You're incredible.”
Her eyes fluttered shut as he kissed her, slow, deep, and certain.It wasn’t the heat of the night before or the urgency of fear.It was something steadier, like truth.When he pulled back, she rested her forehead against his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as if he could shield her from everything waiting outside the barn walls.
For the first time in days, he felt still.
Carlene’s voice was quiet when she spoke.“You’re really going to start Hart Records?”
