“Both,” I admitted.?
“For what it’s worth, baby sister, I’m glad he’s home. I can see the chains that lead to that big old house on Jones Street starting to strip. It’s a good thing.”?
“Oh, shut up. I like being with Dane. Lee showing up now after all this time changes absolutely nothing.”?
“Right, let’s all keep telling ourselves that.” My brother stood and walked behind my desk, planting a kiss on the top of my head. “Don’t make any rash decisions just yet, love. We will figure it out. We always do.”?
***
After showering the remnants of last night's chaos off my skin and making a half-hearted attempt to look human again, I straightened up my apartment, tossing clothes into the laundry basket and pushing scattered papers aside. Once I’d gotten things in order, I trudged downstairs, the quiet of the early afternoon wrapping around me. I was sorting through the beer bottles when a knock at the bar door pulled me out of my rhythm.
“Peace offering. It’s tacos from Lizzie’s. I remembered that you used to eat about forty-five of these in one sitting. My hotel is right down the street from there, so I figured I’d just, well. Okay, I’m sorry. I wanted to talk to you. But also, tacos.”?Lee was standing in front of me, holding out a takeout container ofdelicious-smelling tacos with a stupid, panty-dropping grin strapped on his face.?
“Come on in. I figured I would be bailing you out of jail today for beating up your brother, the way you stormed out of here.” I walked back behind the bar, and Lee took a high top seat across from me.?
“I had to talk myself out of that. I went for a run and hit the gym at the hotel instead.”?
My eyes shot down to his white t-shirt, clinging to his chest and showing off his seriously impressive muscles. I scanned over a tattoo that sprawled across his arm and peeked out from under his shirt, winding across his pecs. I caught myself staring and went back to counting beer bottles. “Well, I’m proud of you, then. That’s more of an effort than I put in today. So what brings you by?”
He leaned over the bar, snagging one of the bottles I’d been counting. With a swift motion, he popped the cap off against his forearm, his muscles flexing as he did, giving me a brief but undeniable reminder of how much time he’d put into working on his body. “Well, I’ve been thinking it over since I got back. Honestly, I was already considering it before I came home. But now? I’m leaning toward sticking around.”
I snapped my head up, catching myself on the ice chest in front of me before I toppled over. “What? Why? Wait, what?”?
Lee laughed and knocked back his beer. “Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for, but I’ll take that shocked bewilderment as a compliment. Anyway, I’ll be honest, there’s not much for me in Nashville anymore. I can write music anywhere, and I always wrote the best music here.”?
“What about your label? What about Ryan?” I tried not to sound like I was in the middle of a massive panic attack, but I could feel my heart trying to escape from my chest and run down the street as if it had been set on fire.?
“It will all work out. I talked to my manager about it some this morning after I left. This is my home, Magnolia. I belong in this city, with you… you guys. My friends.” He leaned over a bit on his elbows and locked eyes with me. “This morning was exactly what I needed—being with you and your brother, with Sutton. And Jordan and Doyle are a great fit in your friend group.Ourfriend group.”?
“And Ryan?” I finally asked again, bile rising in my throat.?
“I think Ryan wants to stick around, too. We could get a condo together and rent a small studio space. I really think it will work out. I’m even thinkingabout coming in as a partner for a local business.”?
“Oh, well, that all sounds nice, I suppose. Which business?” I took in a deep breath and held it.?
He leaned back in his chair and looked around the bar. His broad, glistening smile reached his eyes, and I knew that mischievous look from a mile away.?“This one.”?
Chapter thirteen
LEE?
The look on her face when I mentioned wanting to become a partner in the bar was priceless. Her emotions flickered from shock to wariness to genuine happiness in seconds. But eventually, her expression softened into concern.
My phone buzzed repeatedly in my pocket. I hopped off the stool and walked around the bar, wrapping my arms around her in a long, tight hug. Something I had wanted to do from the second I saw her in Clary’s.?
“Just think about it,” I said gently, as I prowled backwards out of the bar, keeping my eyes on her the entire time. She stood, frozen in her spot, watching me exit with her mouth wide open and her eyes locked on mine.?“I’ll call you later,” I shouted before closing the door to the bar and skipping down the street.?
Strutting back toward my hotel on the river, I grabbed my phone out of my pocket. Six missed calls and twelve text messages—all from Janelle.?
Fuck. I totally forgot about Janelle in all of my scheming and plotting. A pang of guilt gnawed at me. Maybe I should have let this “situationship” run its course and call it quits. Was I ever really interested in her anyway? That wasn’t fair to her. Being back in Maggie’s orbit had my head spinning. I dialed her number.?
“Hey, I am so sorry. This has been the craziest weekend,” I said gently when she answered the phone.?
“That’s alright, baby,” she said slowly, but I could hear the anger in her high-pitched tone. I’d heard it multiple times when she was trying to not lash out at her staff or her handlers in public—or at me when I didn’t pose for the perfect Instagram photo. “I was just about to call your momma and put out a search party, darlin’. You scared me, that’s all. How’s Savannah?”?
I wanted to tell her about my plans to save Maggie’s bar, and about hanging out with my friends and howrealeverything felt for the first time in a longtime, but I decided to wait on that and give Maggie time to make up her mind.?
“Savannah is great. I’ve seen some old friends, and I’ve gotten a workout in here and there.” That would appease her. “And Momma has me set up to sing some background music for her bridge club tomorrow. It will be nice to see some old faces.”?
