I don’t think this is easy for him, but he walked away from me last night. He blew me off. “Are you gonna bail on me again?” I shouldn’t. But I can’t fight this.
I can’t fight him. I’m not even sure if I want to.
A sheepish expression crosses his million-dollar face. “No.” He doesn’t give an explanation. He doesn’t apologize. “But I want to take you somewhere in town. I want to see you away from work.”
I can’t help myself.
“Okay.” My answer comes out low and throaty. I cough into my hand. “I’ll be ready at six. I’ll meet you out front.”
He nods. I expect him to stand up, walk away, but he just sits there. “What?”
A smile peeks through, and he flashes me his pearly whites just as the clouds move away from the sun. “Don’t you have a list for me today?” At my confusion, he adds, “An itinerary?”
“An itinerary?” I laugh. “You want an itinerary?”
“Well, I’m here, aren’t I?” He’s teasing me. His eyes caress me the same as they did the day he arrived. I’m flustered. That heat rolls through my veins again, making me press my thighs together.
“Do you, ah, have any preferences for today?” I gather my wits enough to ask.
“Nope. I’m in your hands.”
I’m tempted to rub my hands together, but instead I open my computer. “How did the cooking go yesterday, by the way?”
Before we know it, he’s telling me the tricks for making good sushi. He’s also demanding I don’t schedule him in anymore classes or activities with Tiffany Keyes.
Oh yes. I’ve seen the woman.
I will definitely not schedule him with her.
He liked the cooking lesson. I already know he loves golf. I want him to try something else though. Immerse him in nature, with challenges and the concept that he cannot control everything that happens. I make a few entries into our activities report and send his schedule to my printer.
It doesn’t take long to print out, and when it’s done I place it in front of him.
He glances down and then up at me with both eyebrows raised.
“Be prepared to get wet,” I warn him.
Rafting.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Colt
Ican’t believeshe’s giving me another shot.
I almost left last night but then something surprising happened. A melody played in my head. Not an old song. Not something vague. A strong, powerful ballad. This hasn’t happened in way too long.
Before we got our first record contract I wrote music all the time. And then Randy and I would play it in his dad’s garage.
Composing provided the perfect outlet for the emotions trapped inside. Joy, grief, regret, love. I channeled all of it into my music and by the time we were “discovered”, had enough to release three separate albums.
I hadn’t come up with anything new in years.
Until last night.
So, I stayed.
Not sure I could have left anyway. Walked away from her forever. Instead, I took out my guitar, sat on the back porch of my cabin, and the melody flowed. Haunting sounds. Mature sounds. Randy would have loved it. I wrote it all down, recorded it on my phone and then played with it till after midnight.
