Page 32 of Flawless

“For now, we can take turns visiting each other on weekends, right? It’s a short flight.” She propped her chin on my chest, seemingly unfazed. “I won’t be back out on the road until next year, so that gives us plenty of time to settle into this.”

She made it sound so easy, but the thought of her being gone for months on end already had me missing her.

“Think about it,” she said. “Even if we lived together, we’d be apart for months while I was on tour.”

“That’s true.”

Being with a musician meant accepting that harsh reality, and other couples made it work so I was confident we could too. We’d just spend this time building a rock-solid foundation that felt unshakeable by the time she left.

“But that doesn’t really solve the bigger problem,” she said, sounding hesitant. “I mean, if this relationship does go the distance. You want the whole marriage / kids thing, and given the way I already feel about you, I have no doubt I could get on board with that. But we can’t do that living in two different states, can we?”

It felt like the most natural thing in the world for me to offer to upend my world for her. “When my term ends, I could move to Nashville.”

She caught her breath, gaping at me. “You can’t do that. Your life is here. You love it here.”

“Rylee, if we’re still together at the end of my term…” Which I prayed we would be. “It would be a no-brainer for me. I’d want to be where you are. I’d want us to start our lives together.”

I had three years left. Plenty of time to lock this beauty down.

She squealed, covering her face with her hands. “Oh my God, we could really make this work, couldn’t we?” She peeked at me from between her fingers, “But would you hate me if you had to leave everything behind?”

I chuckled as I pulled her hands away from her face. “Baby, I’d be getting a hell of a lot more than I’d be giving up. I love Nashville, and I happen to know the sheriff there is planning to retire soon. So, I could run there. If not, there are other options, like chief, or deputy chief in a smaller area. Hell, I could even get into politics.”

I was lucky, in that my current position prepared me for a lot of future possibilities.

“I can’t believe we’re even talking about this.” She giggled. “But I love that we are.” She kissed me. “I love that we’re finding a way to make this work. That makes me so happy.” She frowned. “But you can’t be the one making all the sacrifices. That’s not fair.”

She was sweet and selfless, and that made me love her even more.

“Sweetheart, your career can’t be anywhere else. Mine can, so it only makes sense I’d come to you, when the time is right.”

I had no intention of resigning before the end of my term… unless the distance between us proved to be too much, and I got an opportunity in Nashville I couldn’t refuse. If I started putting feelers out now, I was confident by the time it came I’d have something lined up.

She was stroking my chest absently, turning me on all over again when she said, “I told you my career would have to be a priority for the next five to ten years, and that’s true. But I know you’re not getting any younger…” She giggled when I scowled at her. “So, if you wanted to do the whole marriage and babies thing as soon as you moved to Nashville, I’d be down with that.”

She said it so casually, but to me it was everything. I rolled over, pinning her arms as I kissed her. “You do realize you’ve just made me the happiest man in the world, right?”

Her smile was blinding when she said, “Works both ways, Sheriff. My mind is blown that we’re even having this conversation right now, but mapping out a future with you feels so right.”

“I couldn’t agree more, baby.”

Chapter Twelve

Rylee

The next day we were walking out of a cute little café in a town where Cam was treated like a rockstar, when we almost walked right into the girl in his picture. Kelly. Ugh. She was even more beautiful in person and I hated that. I wanted there to be some filter making her look that good.

She glanced at our joined hands before glaring at her former boyfriend. “Really, Cam? You’re flaunting this all over town now? Have a little respect.”

He smiled and shook his head. “You’re telling me to have a little respect? That’s funny coming from you, Kelly.”

Since she was almost a head taller than me, with heels, it was easy for her to look down at me when she said, “How long before you get bored being a small-town cop’s girlfriend and find someone in your own league, Hollywood?”

I wasn’t wrong when I’d called her a bitch.

“I’m from Nashville, not Hollywood,” I said, smiling sweetly. “And Cam’s in a league of his own, so we’re all good. Oh, by the way, I should thank you. If you hadn’t let him go, I never would have found the love of my life.”

We walked away with her mouth hanging open and my parting shot hitting her right between the eyes.