“I’d like for you to meet Gran,” he said in a low voice. “I know she’d like you,” he added, his voice cracking a little.
A tiny smile emerged on her full lips. “Thank you.”
Her soft voice rumbled through Colin, finding those empty spaces to settle into. A sudden need to hold her overwhelmed him. It hit with a ferocity that reminded him of his craving for Irish whiskey that had plagued him the first year of being sober. If he wasn’t careful, Josie could be his next addiction.
“Hey, look at me,” Bethany said, breaking the spell Josie held over him.
The breath whooshed out of Colin as he turned his attention on Bethany. The little girl’s interruption was precisely what he needed to get back in control of his emotions and focus on his goal. “You look beautiful, love,” Colin said, impressed with the swirling pink and white hearts covering her cheek and temple.
“Gorgeous,” Josie said, smoothing a hand over the child’s dark hair. “Maybe I should get my face painted too?”
Bethany giggled, reminding Josie that it was only for kids. “Can we go decorate cookies?” she asked.
Colin was afraid Josie was going to say yes. He held his breath as she tapped Bethany on the nose. “In a minute,” Josie said. “First, we need to talk to Hudson and Logan’s daddy when they’re done.”
Glancing over at Jackson, Colin couldn’t help smiling. Two artists were working on the twins while their father was busy photographing them with his phone. Whatever he was saying had his boys giggling, and both of the artists laughing. Colin tried to picture Harvey ever acting like this and couldn’t do it. A familiar pang of abandonment gripped him around the middle, making it difficult to breathe. Colin allowed the feeling to last for only a moment before pushing it out and remembering his sweet grandmother stepping in to care for him.
Colin’s therapist had once told him that it was okay not to like his father. Yeah, Harvey had been a rotten father. It didn’t mean Colin was bad, nor was he responsible for his father’s choices. It also didn’t mean he would end up acting like his father if he ever had children. That part was still hard to believe, but watching Jackson interact with his little boys opened another empty space inside Colin’s chest.
“Can I show Mr. Jackson my face?” Bethany asked. Without waiting for an answer, she skipped across the floor to show off her artwork.
“I guess we should follow her,” Colin said, glancing at Josie. She was watching him with a thoughtful expression. As much as he wanted to know what she was thinking, Colin was grateful when she nodded her head and walked over to stand next to Bethany.
Colin followed, hanging back a little while Josie complimented one of the little boys on his face painting. Finally, both boys were done, and the adults moved out of the way for the next child in line.
“Hey, I’ve got to head home,” Jackson said. “But I hope y’all can make it to Gracie’s for the show.” One of his boys pulled on his hand, tipping him a little off-balance. Instead of getting angry, Jackson laughed and widened his stance. “Show starts at seven,” he said as the boys continued tugging on his hands. “I’ll leave your names on the guest list.”
“Thanks, mate,” Colin said, marveling at the patience Jackson exhibited with his children. “See you tomorrow night.”
“Awesome.” Jackson snagged one of the boys in one arm and then picked up the other one. “Later,” he said, carrying his giggling little boys out the door.
That empty space inside Colin widened as the desire for a family of his own slipped past his defenses. What was going on with him? He was just getting his life back together. He had no business longing for a wife and children.
Once Mr. McCall and his boys left, Bethany didn’t waste any time and pulled Josie toward the table with the heart-shaped biscuits and frosting. Colin tagged along, remembering his brief time with Mrs. Dalton’s boys. It was still so unbelievable that he’d only met Shelby a few days earlier in Nashville, thinking his chance of getting an audience with either Phillip Jacobs or Chase Nichols was lost. Now, here he was in Mitchel Creek, Georgia, with the opportunity to talk to Chase tomorrow evening.
Colin and Josie spent another hour with Bethany as she flitted from one activity to another. Josie introduced him to Pastor Dave and his wife Rachel. She said hello to a few other people she knew, but Colin was too distracted to recall any names. His head was in the clouds, dreaming about signing with the Phillip-Chase record label. His fingers itched to strum his guitar as a melody played in Colin’s head. He’d been playing around with lyrics but couldn’t quite nail them down.
After getting a bite to eat at one of the booths at the youth center, Colin, Josie, and Bethany headed back to the house. The little girl was tired and drifted off to sleep before they’d made it to the first stoplight. It gave Colin and Josie a chance to talk about going to Gracie’s Haven to see Chase Nichols perform and how it might benefit Colin’s comeback. He was touched that Josie cared so much about him. Other than Gran, he wasn’t used to others worrying about his wellbeing.
“By the way, I don’t think we should say anything to Scarlet about the invite,” Josie said, glancing over Colin as if to gauge his reaction. “There’s no telling what she’ll do, but I guarantee she won’t have your best interest at heart.”
The relationship between the stepsisters was tricky, and he couldn’t afford to make Scarlet his enemy. Still, Colin was in full agreement.
“I wholeheartedly agree.”
“Wholeheartedly, huh?” Josie teased.
“Are you making fun of me?” he asked, not offended in the least. It was a good sign that Josie felt comfortable enough to tease him.
“Wholeheartedly,” she said in a British accent.
Colin laughed out loud, making Bethany startle awake. “Are we home yet?” she asked when Colin twisted around to apologize to the little girl.
“Sorry, love,” he said with a wink. “Not quite yet.”
“Good,” Bethany said on a yawn. “I don’t like staying with Aunt Monica. She’s not very nice to Mama or me.”
Silence descended on them like a dark cloud blotting out the sun. The honest statement was so matter of fact that Colin wasn’t sure how to reply. He looked at Josie, catching the slight frown wrinkling her smooth forehead.
“Hey, Bethany,” Josie said, glancing in the rearview mirror. “Knock-knock?”
The little girl’s face lit up. “Who’s there?” she replied with a giggle.
“Juno,” Josie said.
“Juno who?” Bethany said.
“Juno I love you, right?”
Colin’s chest felt tight as he watched a wide grin spread across the child’s face. “I love you too!” Bethany said.
This started another round of knock-knock jokes, all of them repeats from earlier. Josie didn’t seem to mind, laughing as if hearing them for the first time. She was the most unselfish person Colin had ever met, always thinking about others. Reaching out in whatever way she could to help lift someone else.
Watching Josie sidelong, Colin heard the melody he’d been working on in his head as lyrics flooded into his mind. He wished he had his notebook and guitar with him so he could write down the song.
Since he didn’t have access to either, he fished his phone from his pocket and quickly typed in the words. The hook of the song was solid, but without his guitar to play the melody, he struggled with the bridge. Still, by the time they pulled into the driveway of the Sinclair residence, he knew what the title was.
Closing the app, Colin leaned against the door and watched Josie with a tenderness he’d never allowed himself to feel for any girl. He was falling for her. While that still terrified him, he was starting to realize a much greater fear—a fear that he’d never be worthy of someone like her. But oh how he wanted to be.
Chapter 17
Josie
Nearing her dad and step mother’s house, Josie’s stomach felt as gnarled as the rubber band ball back home in her office. At least the knock-knock jo
kes had eased Bethany’s apprehension about returning home. Poor little girl. Josie knew exactly how she felt. She wished she knew Charlotte well enough to find out what her situation was like and how permanent her stay with Monica was. Charlotte wouldn’t qualify to live at the New Beginnings facility the Daltons funded, but maybe Josie could find something for Charlotte to do if she was willing to relocate to Savannah. The Dalton’s chef was getting older and had started talking about retiring. Perhaps Charlotte could take over?
Taking a quick look at Colin, Josie saw he was still typing on his phone. She couldn’t see if he was texting someone or just taking notes. Whatever he was doing had his full attention. If Bethany was still sleeping, she might be brave enough to ask him what it was all about.
The knots in her stomach tripled as she pulled into the driveway. Taking in a slow breath, Josie glanced at Colin. He was no longer using his phone but had his shoulder pressed against the window, watching her closely.
“What?” she asked, wondering if she had some of the barbeque sauce still on the corner of her mouth. He’d politely pointed it out after she’d finished the pulled pork and slaw sandwich he’d bought her for supper. “Do I have something else on my face?”
The corner of his mouth edged up into a sexy half-grin. “No, ma’am,” he said in a perfect Southern accent. “Your face looks beautiful.”
“Now you’re the one teasing me,” she said with a light laugh.
He didn’t come back with a witty reply, but there was definitely some communication going on. Heart beating wildly, Josie saw the color of Colin’s eyes darken as awareness flashed between them, charging the particles of air with electricity. It was hard to breathe when he was looking at her like that.
Suddenly, Bethany popped out of her booster seat and tried opening the door. “I wanna show Mama the painted hearts on my face.”
Josie snapped out of her trance, hoping she hadn’t revealed too much of her feelings while staring into Colin’s eyes. “Hang on,” she said to Bethany, quickly grabbing her purse before getting out of the car to help the little girl down. More than once, Bethany had darted away from them while at the youth center. Thankfully, she and Colin were always able to snag the child’s hand before she got too far.
“I’ve got her,” Colin said, already holding Bethany’s hand by the time Josie made it around the back of the vehicle.
“Thanks,” she said, wishing Colin would take her hand too. Josie needed the security of belonging to someone when coming back to this house where she’d never felt welcome.
Bethany was eager to show her mother her face painting and give her the sugar cookie she’d decorated just for Charlotte. She pulled on Colin’s hand, leaving them no choice but to go inside.
“I wish the concert was tonight and not tomorrow,” Josie whispered to Colin as they headed toward the house. “We just have to keep things on the down-low until then.” It might sound paranoid, but a lot could happen in that amount of time once they crossed the threshold of Hillside Mania.
“Maybe they won’t know we’re back,” Colin said in a low voice.
“Mama, I’m home!” Bethany called out, immediately ruining their plans to stay under the radar.
Josie cringed as they bypassed the dining room, where she caught a glimpse of Monica sitting at one end of the table. Her stepmother’s pinched features made Josie avoid eye contact as she made a beeline for the kitchen since it was the most likely place for Charlotte to be.
They found her stirring something delicious in a big silver pot. Josie immediately knew what it was and inhaled deeply. “Mmm, Brunswick stew,” Josie said, gravitating to the stove. “Right?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Charlotte said, crouching down to hug her daughter. “I remembered it’s your favorite.”
It was Josie’s favorite, something her mother used to make all the time. Scarlet hated it since she was vegan. Monica was indifferent. It all depended on what diet she was on. Knowing Charlotte had made the Southern stew with Josie in mind made her lungs squeeze. While she wished Charlotte were here under different circumstances, Josie was grateful to have another ally in the house.
“Thank you,” Josie said. “Maybe I’ll have a bowl for breakfast.”
“Perhaps I’ll join you,” Colin said, leaning over to sniff the steam rising from the pot. “It reminds me a little of my Gran’s Irish stew.” He sniffed again. “Only spicier.”
Charlotte didn’t have a chance to converse any further as Bethany began recounting every single incident at the youth center. Josie nervously twisted her hands together when she launched into the big-boobed-bimbo tale, followed by the mean retort from Macey’s mother.
“Honey,” Charlotte said, looking embarrassed about the whole thing. “We talked about not using that word anymore.”
“That’s okay,” Bethany said. “Mr. Jackson was super nice. He wasn’t mad I said naughty tramp and let me play with Hudson and Logan.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened, making her look like an anime character. “Naughty tramp?”
“Yeah, that means Daddy’s girlfriend is on Santa’s naughty list,” Bethany answered.
“I really need to keep my mouth shut,” Charlotte mumbled before gently reprimanding her daughter about not using that word too. She tried redirecting her by asking about what else she’d done, but Bethany wasn’t done with her monologue. “Mr. Jackson invited us to a party at Grace’s Heaven,” she said. “And Mr. Colin really wants to go so he can chase money. Can I go with them? Please?” Bethany asked, clasping her hands in front of her.
Josie easily deciphered the reference to the restaurant and bar where the charity concert was taking place, but the rest of Bethany’s sentence had her as confounded as Charlotte looked. Josie hoped she hadn’t inadvertently said something about Monica or Scarlet that she didn’t want Bethany repeating. At any rate, she was fairly certain this was the last time she would be trusted to take the little girl anywhere again.
“Does she mean Gracie’s Haven?” Charlotte asked, looking at Josie for an explanation.
“Yes, but I can explain,” Josie said, trying to figure out what else Bethany had overheard. “I think.” She glanced at Colin, hoping he might chime in and help.
“Sorry, love,” he said, barely containing his amusement. “I’m not sure what she’s talking about either.”
“I’m talking about money,” Bethany said with an impressive eye roll for a little girl. “You know, like pennies and nickels that are in my piggy bank?”
Josie and Colin looked at each other and grinned. “Chase Nichols,” they said at the exact same time.
“What about Chase Nichols?” Scarlet’s sharp voice said from behind them.
Seriously? Scarlet had to pick that exact moment to come into the kitchen? Knowing her stepsister was like a shark and could smell the tiniest amount of blood, Josie schooled her emotions and turned around.
“What about Chase Nichols?” she asked in an innocent voice. Usually, she could redirect Scarlet by answering her question with a question.
“Don’t play stupid,” Scarlet said, narrowing her eyes into thin slits. “I asked you first.”
Animosity radiated from Scarlet, crowding the room until Josie felt it pressing in around her on all sides. Josie had long since given up on what she’d ever done to deserve her stepsister’s wrath, so she didn’t bother asking.
“Well,” Josie said in the sweetest tone she could muster. “Chase Nichols is a brilliant songwriter and producer and lives here in Mitchel Creek.”
It came out sounding a tiny bit sarcastic, which didn’t go over very well. Scarlet advanced toward Josie as if she might strike her. That had never happened before, but Josie wouldn’t put it past Scarlet. Not sure if she should confront her stepsister head-on or find a place to hide until she calmed down, Colin stepped in front of Josie, shielding her like he was Captain America.
“Pardon me, but I’m the one that asked about Chase Nichols,” he said. “And how well he’s acquainte
d with your family.”
Josie watched Scarlet’s face morph from outrage to surprise and finally to flirtatious. “Chase knows me well,” Scarlet said as a slow grin curved her lips to reveal her fangs…er… straight, white teeth. “I could arrange for you to meet him if you want.”
That one sentence was loaded with so much subtext Josie could almost see the real meaning behind Scarlet’s invitation typed out in bold letters above her stepsister’s head.
Colin was frozen, his expression unreadable, but Josie knew he was battling what to do inside his head. She didn’t know what to tell him. Saying yes would placate Scarlet, making her feel important. That way, Josie and Colin could go to the concert without anyone finding out. If he said no, Scarlet would have it out for Colin, and it would eventually come back to bite him in the butt. Her vindictive stepsister would do everything in her power to ruin Colin before he got a chance to launch his solo music career.
Irritation flickered across Scarlet’s face as she waited for Colin to answer. “Do you want to meet Chase Nichols?” she asked, clearly letting him know if he turned her down, there would be you-know-what to pay.
Josie needed to step in and tell him to go for it. Even though it hurt to admit, meeting Chase was the only reason Colin was here. The odds of him falling for her were about as good as Scarlet asking Josie to forgive her for every unkind word she’d ever said to her. Even if she and Colin attended the charity event, there was always the possibility that Colin might not get the opportunity to talk with Chase. Colin deserved a second chance. With Scarlet introducing him directly, he was guaranteed to get a face to face.
“Of course he wants to meet him,” Josie said from behind Colin. That was all she got out before Bethany spoke up.
“Chase Nichols invited us to a party at Gracie’s Heaven,” the child said, still not getting the name of the club correct. “Want to come with us?”
Moonlighting with the British Rock Star: A Georgia Moon Romance Page 14