“She’s not a woman who would sleep with someone else’s husband. I can guarantee you that. Nor do we have that kind of relationship. She’s family. A sister.”
“There’s also been photos leaked of you and the romance author, Seraphina Sinclair. Is there anything you’d like to say about that?”
“First, it was an invasion of privacy. Whoever took those photos and sold them to the gossip rags should be ashamed of themselves. Seraphina’s a private person. As am I. To have an intimate moment captured in photos that were shared without our consent left us both feeling violated.”
“I can understand that. New relationships should have a chance to breathe without scrutiny. I’ve had a lot of guests on here who have talked about how hard it is to be in a relationship that’s so public.”
“Yeah, it’s not about the music then. On the other hand, we bare our souls in our songs. That’s the difference between something that resonates with people or doesn’t. Authenticity. Writing about the human experience in ways that are both specific and universal are the keys to a good song. If you want to know about a songwriter’s personal life, I’d suggest listening to their music. The stories are all there.”
Now that we had all of that out of the way, Claire moved on to a discussion about music and songwriting. I relaxed and, I’m shocked to admit, started to have fun. Before I knew it, we were done.
The crew moved around the room, packing up for the day. Lights were taken down, cables coiled, and equipment loaded back into the van.
Claire shook my hand, smiling. “You did well. Madeleine told me to stay away from your ex-wife’s insinuations, but I think it’s good you addressed them.”
“I did it for Ivy,” I said. “She doesn’t deserve to be labeled as a homewrecker. Especially since it’s all lies.”
“It’s a great interview. Enough of the personal stuff to shut people up and then a real discussion about music. We’ll do a little editing and clean-up. I’ll play it tonight on my podcast.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I said.
“Call anytime. I’d love to have you on the show after Ivy’s new album releases.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
“That’s all I can ask.” She gestured toward the van. “I’m going to head out so I can get this on air tonight. And Hunter, thanks for the music. Your songs have gotten me through some hard times. You might not realize about how much your music means to people, but it does.”
“That’s kind of you to say. Thank you.”
Madeleine appeared at my elbow. “Good job. You feeling okay?”
“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
“Great. Let’s hope this helps Ivy’s reputation.”
“That’s why I did it.”
She patted my shoulder. “I know. You’re a peach.”
Peach? I’d always thought of myself more like a prickly pear, but I appreciated the sentiment.
“I’ve got to head to L.A.,” Madeleine said. “But you call me if you need anything.”
I thanked her and waited until she got in her rental car before grabbing my phone to call Seraphina. Suddenly, all I wanted was to hear her voice. There was no question in my mind. I was in love with Seraphina Sinclair, God help us both.
14
SERAPHINA
Tyler had just left for school, and I’d just settled at my desk with a fresh cup of coffee and intentions of deep focus and concentration when the phone rang. The number was from my publishing house but not my editor. Maybe someone higher up?
“Hello?”
“Seraphina, darling, it’s Brooke Gaines from Hawthorne House.”
Brooke Gaines. Great. The marketing head they’d brought in from another industry. My impression thus far is that she had no clue how to market books. Mostly, she’d left me alone, so I hadn’t had much interaction with her. A call from her only meant one thing. She had an idea, and it would most certainly involve my relationship with Hunter.
I leaned back in my chair, already bracing. “Hi, Brooke.”
