by Kaci Rose
She's Still The One
Kaci Rose
Five Little Roses Publishing
Copyright © 2021 Kaci Rose - Five Little Roses Publishing
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Book Cover By: Coffin Print Designs
Editing By: Debbe @ On the Page, Author and PA Services
Proofread By: Nikki @ Southern Sweetheart Services
To all the best friends that turned into the best forever love.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Blurb
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Epilogue 1
Epilogue 2
Other Books By Kaci Rose
Blurb
Bro Code Rule #1 – You can’t have your best friend's younger sister.
Austin
What is it that guys I date don’t seem to understand what a causal relationship is?
That doesn’t mean to propose to me. This is why I packed up everything into my car, and I’m now heading to my brother’s home.
Only he’s not there, but his best friend, Dallas, is.
Damnit, he’s the reason none of my relationships have worked out. I compare them all to how he treats me.
When they go on tour and drag me along, it’s hard to hide feelings in the small space of a tour bus. But my brother has made one thing very clear.
Dallas is no good for me, and we both risk losing my brother, if we go any further.
Dallas
It sucks when you can’t have the one girl you love.
When the band I started, with Austin’s brother, took off, girls were easy. It was less messy having flings, but it earned me a playboy reputation.
Then, she moves into the house with us.
Even when her brother has made it perfectly clear she’s off limits, I can’t seem to stay away.
She’s still the only one who makes my heart race.
Can I convince them both I’ve changed, and I will be a one-woman man for the rest of my days, if she just chooses me?
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Now on to the story!
Chapter 1
Austin
Why is it that the only guys I seem to attract are the weird ones? Seriously, how hard is it for guys to understand what a causal relationship means? Isn't that every guy’s dream to find a girl who wants just casual? It must not be, because my now ex, Branden, proposed to me two nights after three months of what was supposed to be casual dating.
So, that’s why everything I own is now loaded up in my car. Driving down the coast from Portland, Maine was fun, but now, I’m driving into Nashville from the north, and I get my favorite views of downtown, along the Cumberland River. The sun has just started to set and is throwing some amazing oranges and purples behind the downtown skyline. I roll my windows down and just soak it in.
I'm back in the south.
Once I pass downtown, I continue on to the Belle Meade neighborhood at the south end of Nashville. This is where all the top music guys in the city live, who don't want to buy a massive estate outside the city limits. This is also where my brother and his band mate and best friend, Dallas, live.
I try to think back over the last three months. Did I give Branden any signs that we were more than casual? I don't think so. We would go days without talking, and we saw each other once a week, if work allowed. The sex was pretty good, but I never stayed the night at his place, or even had a toothbrush there, so I'm not sure how he thought proposing was the next step.
I sigh. I hate that I left my roommate with such short notice, but she didn't seem to care, once I offered to pay my rent for the next month, before I left. Thank God, for my job as a graphic designer, because it means I can work anywhere.
I park my car and grab my overnight bag. I can bring the rest in tomorrow. The garage is large enough that we each have our spots. Plus, the guys have a few fun cars they don't take out much.
Walking in from the garage and listening, I hear the TV in one of the living rooms, but I’m not sure which one.
"Hello?" I yell out, as I set my bag on the kitchen counter.
A second later, I hear footsteps, and Dallas appears around the corner.
"Austin?" He asks, like he isn't sure it's me. His icy blue eyes still sparkle, and I know it's why he can get any girl he wants. Those eyes draw you in, and the sexy tan skin, abs, and ink keep you hooked.
"Yeah, is Landon here?"
"No, your brother is out of town. He's been working with a charity on our off time.”
"Oh," I say and deflate. I really wanted to talk to him in person. Otherwise, I could have stayed in Portland and called, if I had wanted.
"Hey, what's wrong? You know you can talk to me, right?" He looks concerned.
"Yeah. I um... Well, I'm moving back in for a bit anyway, if that's okay?" I say uncertain if he even wants me here. I know my brother would be over the moon, but Dallas I'm always unsure of.
My brother and Dallas bought this house with the money from their first huge check, and the place has been my safe haven ever since. My room is always the way I left it the last time I was here, and the kitchen is to die for, so I'm always cooking, which the guys love, so it's a win.
"Of course, this is as much your home as it is mine or Landon's. You know that. When does your stuff get here?"
"Oh, it's in the car. I didn't have much. I can get it tomorrow, as I have what I need now." I place my hand on my bag.
"I'll unload it first thing in the morning," Dallas nods.
"Oh, I can do it. It's no big deal."
"Non-negotiable. Besides, your brother would have my ass letting you carry boxes up to your room. Come join me in the living room, it's just me and some snacks."
"Oh, I can go to my room. I didn't mean to interrupt your alone time."
"Don't make me throw you over my shoulder, Austin." His tone may be
joking, but I know he would do it, because he has before.
Dallas has been my brother’s best friend, since they were about ten, and I’ve had a crush on him for about as long, but he never asked me out, so I settled for being friends.
Since their band, Highway 55, made it big, he’s known for his playboy reputation, but it's not as bad as the tabloids make it seem. Yeah, he doesn't do relationships, and he's had his share of one-night stands, but he’s always upfront with the girls, so they know what to expect. He doesn't lead anyone on, and I respect that. He also treats me like gold, so I know when he decides to settle down that girl who captures his heart will be one lucky lady.
This fact makes spending time with him alone a little tricky, because I make sure I don’t let my feelings show. I wasn’t prepared for this tonight, and after the long drive, I really was planning to go to my room, but I also won’t pass up time to spend with him either.
I follow him to the living room at the back of the house. This is the one we all use the most, because it's the most comfortable and not as fancy. They don't use it for entertaining, like the front living room.
We both sit down on the same couch facing the TV, but Dallas turns sideways to look at me.
"What happened?" He asks.
"I was ready for a change." I shrug.
"Austin..." His tone is a warning. He's always been able to read me just as well as my brother does.
"Branden proposed," I say, slumping back against the couch.
I must be more tired than I thought, because I swear I see hurt flash across his face for a brief second, as his eyes go wide. "What? I didn't know you were that serious."
"We weren't! It was casual, no titles. I didn't even have a toothbrush at his place. We saw each other maybe once a week, and we didn't even talk every day. Then, two nights ago, he takes me to dinner and says he has something to talk to me about. I thought he was going to want to be more serious, and I had planned to break up with him. He knew the score from the start, but no, he does this whole dramatic proposal with everyone in the restaurant watching and oohing and ahhing. So of course, they all thought I was this big bitch. when I said no, grabbed my things, and ran out. I packed my car, left that night, drove until I was tired, grabbed some sleep, and continued all day yesterday and today."
I enjoyed living in Portland, Maine. The views are breathtaking, and it's a very relaxed vibe. I rented a room, and the place was right downtown, so I could walk to just about anything. Though, I will miss that place, I’m looking forward to getting back to Nashville, too.
"Geeze, Austin. Why didn't you call? One of us would have flown up and driven back with you." He shoves some taco dip and chips at me, his silent demand that I eat something.
"I know, but I wanted to get out of there. So, I paid my roommate for next month and left. I'm going to miss my days by the lighthouse, but I don't know, I just needed to be here."
I loved taking my laptop down to The Portland Head Light, the famous lighthouse on the rocks, and sitting at the picnic table, working on it with the water as my view. It’s the biggest thing that sold me on living there.
"Well, I'm glad you're here," Dallas says, as his eyes sweep over me. If he was anyone else, I'd think he was checking me out. But I know Dallas, he's making sure I'm okay, so he can report to my brother that I'm all in one piece, safe and sound.
"Want to watch a movie?" He asks.
"Sure, you know what I like," I say, as I stand up and grab a bottle of water from the mini fridge in the corner of the room. I also grab my favorite blanket from the rack, before I take my shoes off and sit back down.
Dallas puts on an action comedy film, and we’re both quiet, during the beginning. I see him texting on his phone but quickly forget it, as I get into the movie. Then, my phone goes off, and I see a text from my brother.
"Tattletale." I huff out, and Dallas just laughs.
Landon: You should have called. Anything could have happened.
Me: Not like you were here anyway.
Landon: I'll be home in a few days.
Me: That's what D said.
Landon: I'm glad you’re back. I missed you.
Me: Missed you, too. Go do your charity thing and get home soon.
Landon: Stay safe, and let D know if you need anything.
As we watch the movie, I glance Dallas's way a few times. He got some new ink on his arm that I can't fully see. I have always loved Dallas's tattoos. They have a deeper meaning for him, even though, he won't share what some of them are.
"You aren't watching the movie." He smirks, when he catches me looking at him.
"You have some new ink. Can I see it?"
Giving me that panty dropping, cocky half-smile America loves, he lifts his shirt sleeve to reveal what would look like a simple nature scene to anyone else, but I recognize it instantly. It's the field the guys would always take me to on picnics. It's where we spent lots of our time in the fall, because the changing leaves were breathtaking, and it's also where we were, when they got the call about their record deal the summer after I graduated high school.
"I miss that place. Life was so much simpler then," I sigh.
"Yeah, it was. Some of my best memories with you and Landon happened there. It's the one place that the rest of the world couldn't touch us."
We stay up well past midnight talking about some old memories, discussing the movie, catching up on some TV shows, and just catching up in general. Dallas has always been so easy to talk, too.
I don't remember falling asleep, until I'm jolted awake with a warm body cuddled with mine.
Chapter 2
Dallas
I'm fighting waking up, because there’s a warm body pressed against me. Normally, I don't let a girl stay the night, and when they try to cuddle, it makes me want to bolt, only this girl pressed against me isn't making my skin crawl.
I crack open my eyes and see I fell asleep in the living room, and it all starts to come crashing back to me.
Austin.
She fell asleep watching the last movie. I decided to finish it then carry her to bed, but I guess I fell asleep, too. Then sometime in the middle of the night, we must have shifted to lying down on the couch. She’s pressed between me and the back of the couch with a long, tan leg swung over my hips. She’s using my shoulder as her pillow and has her arms flung across my stomach.
I let her warmth soak into me and try not to wake her, because I want to lie here just a bit longer.
I have had a crush on this girl, since high school, but you can't date your best friend’s younger sister, right? In fact, Landon makes that perfectly clear any time he’s caught me looking at her. Austin was off limits then, and I know she still is, especially because of my playboy days, once we got our record deal.
Her brother won't care that I'm tired of that lifestyle and haven't been with anyone in over six months. It's the fact that I lived it at all. It was a way to forget everything. The fact that I couldn't have Austin, my mom dying, and dealing with sudden fame.
Landon's my best friend, and he's supported me through it all, never questioning or judging me, but I know I'm not what he wants for Austin. She deserves somebody respectable that you can't find lewd stories about online almost weekly. The press also doesn't care that I haven't been with anyone. They know how to take a photo just right to make it look like whatever they want it, too.
I sigh, pushing the thoughts out of my head and try to be in the moment with Austin, because I might not get this chance again, having her cuddling with me.
She didn't seem quite her normal self last night. Granted, she had been driving for over two days, but I think this thing with Branden shook her up more than she wants to admit. She's tried dating, but half the guys wanted to date her to get to Landon and me, or they didn't treat her as well as we did. We did set a pretty high bar.
Her last long-term relationship was about a year ago, and his excuse for breaking up with her was that she was too close to her brother and
me. Do guys really get upset about that? So, she started this casual thing with a few guys, always breaking it off, when they wanted more. But this guy, proposing after three months? Not cool.
She stirs, and I’m disappointed that our snuggle time is coming to an end. I can tell the moment she’s awake, because she freezes. I'm guessing like me, it takes her a few moments to remember where she is, and who she’s with.
When she lifts her head, and her gray blue eyes meet mine, my heart starts racing. She rests her chin on my chest and gives me a soft, sleepy smile, and right here in this moment with her dark brown hair slightly a mess, I can't remember a time I have ever seen her more beautiful.
"Thank you for letting me talk last night. I think I needed to vent more than I realized," she says.
"Of course, I'm here anytime," I say.
Then, a slight pink tints her cheeks, and she sits up.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you," she says.
I know I need to fix things and put that wall back between us to keep us both safe, even though I don't want, too.
"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm used to having beautiful women throw themselves at me." I give her my famous cocky smirk.
"Ugh!" She wastes no time throwing a pillow at my head, causing me to laugh. There we go, back to our normal.
"Why don't you go get a shower and all? I'm going to take you out to brunch, and I have a surprise that might cheer you up," I tell her. The thought had been in my head last night that I needed to do something for her, like her brother would, to get her mind off Portland and everything she left behind.
As she heads upstairs, I snag her keys and go out to her car and start bringing her bags and boxes inside, setting them on the kitchen floor. She doesn't have as much stuff as I expected, about six boxes and four suitcases. Then again, she has a lot of clothes and items she keeps here regularly, too.
Once everything is out of her car, I start carrying them upstairs and leave them in the hallway by her bedroom door. If she’s showering or changing, that’s the last thing I need to walk in on, as much as my cock might like the idea. When I bring the last load in, I knock on her door.