Willow groaned. The only good thing about it was that they were both looking at the camera. “Don’t put it on Facebook.”
The next song started and Emma held her hand to her ear. “What did you say? I couldn’t hear you.”
“Yes, you did,” Willow said loudly. “Remember, I know where you live.”
Zac laughed and pulled Willow toward the dance floor. “Let’s dance.”
She looked at him and sighed. How he’d reached the ripe old age of thirty-nine and not been married was beyond her. “Okay, Easter Bunny. Show me your moves.”
And for the next three songs, he did.
The next morning,Willow woke with a jolt. She lay in bed, heart pounding, listening to the sound of the house creaking in the early morning sunshine. Something had startled her out of a deep sleep and she didn’t know what it was.
A door farther along the hallway opened and closed.
Zac must have heard the noise, too.
She rubbed her eyes and pushed aside her blankets. As she left her bedroom, she grabbed her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head.
By the time she walked into the entrance, Zac had opened the front door and was looking toward the road.
“What was it?”
“It looks as though your manager was here.” He picked up a large brown envelope sitting on the veranda.
Written across the front, in David’s neat, precise writing, was her name. Willow didn’t need to open the envelope to know what was inside. “It will be the first draft of a contract with the recording company. How did you sleep?”
Zac closed the door. “Better than my first night.” He followed Willow into the kitchen, frowning when she dropped the envelope into the recycling bin. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“I don’t want to work with David ever again. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No, thanks. I’ve got a better idea. How about I make us both breakfast?”
Willow leaned against the kitchen counter. “Sounds great.” While Zac moved around the kitchen, she thought about her music career and what had brought her to Sapphire Bay. “Do you think I’m crazy to throw away the contract?”
Zac opened the refrigerator and took out four eggs. “It’s up to you. Do you want to make another album?”
“Even though I haven’t sung professionally, I’ve written a lot of songs. A part of me wants to share them with the rest of the world. The other part wants to stay away from the music industry.”
“Is it the music industry you’re not happy with or one person?”
“Before I left Nashville, I asked myself the same question. It’s both. I can’t be the person I used to be. All that David and everyone else saw was the money I made. They could overlook what was happening behind the scenes because they didn’t think it mattered. It wasn’t the same for me.”
“What would have helped?”
“A team of people around me I could trust. Mom and Dad thought I was happy and, for most of the time, I was. But when I discovered what David had done, I realized my life wasn’t mine anymore. From what I’ve heard, nothing has changed.”
Zac wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You’ve changed. Maybe that’s enough to make everything else a lot better.”
Willow leaned against his chest. “Do you think I should look at the contract?”
“I think you should do what’s best for you. But don’t discount the offer because of David. He doesn’t have to be part of your future.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Zac kissed the top of her head. “While you’re thinking about it, I’ll scramble some eggs.”
Willow watched him for a few seconds before taking a carton of juice out of the refrigerator. “Can I ask you a question about your PTSD?”
