Page 123 of The Song We Lost

Rhett lifts both hands. “I suddenly feel a lot of pressure.”

Jackson laughs. “You should… You are singing with Bailey Brooks.”

The guitar starts again. I smile wide, and we do it all over.

The studio looks different tonight. Not the bright working space we’ve been living in all week.

Tim dimmed the overhead lights and someone, probably Sadie, lined the window ledges with candles. Their reflections flicker across the glass and the polished wood floor, turning the room warm and golden. It feels less like work. More like a secret.

Rhett stands across from me at the mic, a baseball cap turned backwards, sleeves on his white henley rolled up.

There’s only one microphone between us. He said he wanted to try it old-school, where artists weren't layered over each other, where they stood face to face and sang in the same moment. The kind of moment you lean into. The kind that makes you sing with someone.

Jackson leans against the console with his arms folded, watching. Noah stands just behind him. Sadie is curled up on the coach with Cole and even Rose and Thomas are in the control room.

“Rolling,” Brandy calls from behind the glass. Rachel called her in after Jackson convinced her to lean into the internet buzz. They want to video this entire session so we could use it for PR.

Rhett glances at me. “You ready, Brooks?”

I shrug, but I’m already smiling.

“Wait.” Jackson says. Then he looks almost sheepish for a second when he asks… “Do… Do you have anything under that sweater?”

Rhett snorts and my cheeks flush, but I look down at myself and think about what we are about to do, what I am supposed to be conveying and feeling.

I have my mess of blonde hair in a top knot, a fuzzy sweater and jeans.

I blow out a breath and then walk to the control room, pull off my sweater, leaving me in a tight cropped shirt and hand it to Sadie who has the biggest grin on her face. I pull the elastic frommy hair and slip it in my pocket, running my fingers through my waves.

“Ohhh you gotta toss it around Bailey! Go for big, messy, rode hard and put away wet, kind of hair.”

Rose chokes on her drink as I gasp… “Sadie.”

Cole is trying his hardest to not to laugh.

“What?” She asks. “You are a hot twenty five year old woman, not a nun.”

I blow out a breath, trying to steady my shaky hands. I have been on stage in far more revealing outfits but somehow this feels more intimate. I toss my head forward, mess up my hair and then flip it back up.

“Should…” My voice almost croaks, “Should I put on makeup?”

Before Sadie can answer Rhett says “No” at the same time as Jackson growls “Don’t you dare.”

I can feel the blush creep up my neck.

Noah is chuckling behind Jackson, so I walk up to him, steal his drink and take a big swig, then march back into the recording room with as much confidence I can muster. As I walk past Rhett I whisper, “Ask me again.”

He looks confused for just one second but then a wicked grin spreads across his face. His blue eyes twinkling. “You ready, Brooks?”

“Try to keep up.” I answer with a wink.

Rhett laughs and the guitar riff kicks in. It’s not polished yet. We said we’d try the vocals and guitar a few different ways to see what felt right. But it's got enough edge to make the room hum.

Rhett nods once and starts the first line.“You say I look a little different

Like the storm rolled through my hair…”

His voice has that gravel in it that made half the country fall in love with him.