A Cowboy's Song

by Megan Ryder

  But still, that tiny voice inside, from long, long ago reminded him of his dreams, the boy who wanted nothing more than to play music and write songs. The boy who would have jumped at a chance to play anywhere, especially Nashville. What would he have done in that moment? But his dreams were shattered, destroyed by a freak snow squall and the out-of-control truck driver who took everything away from him. His parents would have never been on the road if it hadn’t been for him, for his songwriting, for his damned insistence that they come to his performance. If he had been a little less selfish, would they still be alive today? What would his life have been like?

  His heart twisted again. He may have lost his family, but he’d gained two brothers he loved, brothers he would never have known if not for the tragedy in his life. While he never wanted that awful event, he also didn’t want to trade his brothers. But he could make one decision, to not pursue music outside of what he already did. It was enough. It soothed the need inside to play, to sing, even if he never wrote again. Even though his hands itched to write another song, maybe this time one about Piper and her deep mahogany hair spread across his pillow in the moonlight.

  Aww damn, he was waxing poetic again. Pathetic. As if Chase could read his mind, he clapped Ty on the shoulder. “Let’s head to The Rock tonight and grab some beer. A.J. has a sleepover with his friend so we’re kid free, something we’ve learned to value recently. We’ve worked hard this week, as have the girls. Let’s kick back.”

  How could he admit he’d been avoiding Zane, The Rock, and even Grant because they all wanted exactly what Chase had predicted? More from Ty. More music, more songs, more everything. And he wasn’t sure he had any more to give, not yet.

  But he mustered a grin as they pulled up to the barn. “Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll check with Piper.”

  Her own smile seemed strained. “Check with me about what?”

  “Chase wants us to join him and Hailey at The Rock tonight for dinner and some music.” He almost wished she could read his mind, which was shouting, please say no!

  Instead, she got a funny look on her face. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I think we should go, and we have a fifth person who will be joining us. My business manager, Darren. He decided to come and see Scene of the Herd in person. And you.”

  *

  Piper sat between Darren and Ty. Could a person die from sheer awkwardness? If it were possible, she probably would have long before now, during her boarding school years. But this moment, sitting at The Rock, had to be the most awkward of her adult life. Ty was on her right, plowing his way through a steak dinner and drinking his beer as if he had to pay complete attention to it or it would disappear, ignoring Darren, hoping he would disappear. Chase and Hailey tried to start a discussion, but Ty only grunted. Darren tried to talk to Ty about his music, but that went nowhere fast.

  And Piper was getting pissed off.

  He was ignoring everyone, acting sullen and pouting like a teenager, had been like that since she broke the news at the barn, and she was sick of it. She had shown him the video. He had gripped the phone so hard, she thought he would break it. He then handed it back to her and started grooming his horse, withdrawing completely into himself.

  So she had given him time to work out whatever he had to. But that had been a few hours ago. If he hadn’t worked it out, she was going to give him a swift kick to help it along.

  The waitress came and took their plates, eying Ty warily, with good reason. Several people had come up and complimented him on the song over the course of the meal, and he had barely grunted. That was just poor manners. Now, the band had arrived and Piper wanted to introduce them to Darren but was afraid that Ty would disappear if she left his side.

  She folded her napkin on the table and announced, “If you’ll excuse us, Ty and I will be right back.”

  She stood and waited. He glanced up but didn’t make any moves to leave. Chase gave a muffled snort that may have been laughter or the word dumbass. Or both. She pasted on a smile and took his hand and dragged him from the table, leading him outside, near where they had shared a very memorable kiss. Too bad this would not be that same kind of experience.

  “What the hell are you doing?” Ty asked.

  “Oh, he speaks.” Piper turned and planted her fists on her hips, making sure to block him from getting around her and escaping. “I wasn’t sure since you were doing your best imitation of a caveman all night. You have been incredibly rude to me, to Darren, and to all of your friends. You owe everyone an apology.”

  He stared at her and started to laugh. “You’re kidding, right? I think I’m owed an apology. By the jackass who posted a video of a private moment for everyone to see. Now it’s gone viral or whatever you call it, and everyone wants a piece of me. That was not the plan.”

  “No, it wasn’t. And that jackass made a mistake. He was the wedding videographer who thought he had made it password-protected for Tara and West. He screwed up. Haven’t you ever screwed up, or are you Mister Perfect?”

  “Of course not. But he should have taken it down.”

  “It’s down now. And yes, the damage is done. Everyone wants a piece of you and me because guess what? I’m in there, too, and not only do they want the song but now they’re spreading rumors of our love life. Trust me, you’ve got nothing on me right now. So, grow the fuck up, Ty Evans.”

  He had the grace to look embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I had no idea they were saying things about you too.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m used to it. And so what if this wasn’t the plan? Wasn’t the point of the whole song about how sometimes plans don’t go the way we want yet sometimes turn out better? Maybe you should think about that.” She sighed. “Darren came to hear your friends sing. They’re pretty freaked out right now. They could use your help. And yes, he wants to hear you too. You don’t have to sing the song; that’s Tara and West’s. I told him this afternoon that he can’t have that song or do anything with it since it’s not mine or yours. But will you help your friends out?”

  He took her hand and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I was being an asshole.”

  “Yes, you were,” she muttered against the warmth of his chest. “But I’ll forgive you if you sing.”

  He tightened his arms and laughed. “I’ll bet I can make you forgive me anyway.”

  “Probably.”

  “Will you sing with us too?”

  She nodded. “But only a couple of songs. He really needs to hear them and you. He’s heard me a thousand times.”

  *

  The next morning, Ty and Piper met with Darren in the ranch guesthouse. Darren had stayed in the bed and breakfast section of the guest ranch as their first unofficial guest. He had spent time the previous evening with Grant and Jenny and the rest of the band, talking with them about next steps and options and ways to get themselves to the next level. He wanted to put them in touch with someone local to get them bigger gigs and move them up the ranks before he felt they were ready for the big-time in Nashville, but he also wanted to sign them and help guide them as they moved forward. All seemed forgiven after the argument over the songwriting, even from Jenny, and Ty was glad to see the group get their shot.

  The only one unhappy was Zane, who was losing his regular band and possibly Ty. But he took a fatalistic approach to the whole thing, asking them all to not forget him and his bar when they got big.

  Now, Ty and Piper were having their own sit-down over coffee with Darren to see what they were going to do next. And Ty still had no clue what he wanted.

  Darren quickly outlined his proposal, which was a standard contract for Ty, as a musician under Darren’s management. The record label that represented Piper really wanted them to record the wedding song together and be a launch for both of them.

  “No way. That’s not my call. That song belongs to my brother and his wife. It was their wedding gift, and I won’t take it from them.”

  Darren gave Piper
a frustrated look. “Piper, we need that song. That can put you back on top and him on the map. It’s gold right now. Everyone wants a piece of it. Since you didn’t copyright it, others will be copying it anyway and trying to steal it. If we record it, we own it. You’re going to lose it otherwise.”

  A clomping of boots on the porch interrupted them, and Chase stepped through the door, Hailey following behind him. “Sorry we’re late.”

  “Since we didn’t expect you, I don’t think you could be considered late,” Ty said.

  “I thought you might want one of the family here and Hailey’s business mind could be helpful. And I wanted to share something with you. Can we talk privately for a moment?” Chase asked.

  Ty nodded and they stepped outside, walking away from the house a few yards. “I spoke with West this morning. Before you think I called him, I didn’t. You know he’s been calling every day, worse than a mother hen calling after his baby cows. As if we couldn’t handle this. Anyway, when he couldn’t get you, he called me. And I may have told him what was going on. I know you didn’t want to worry him. Well, Tara already knew. She’s all over the social media stuff and saw the song.”

  He gripped Ty’s shoulders and stared into his eyes. “They want you to record the song in Nashville. They want you to go and do it. You’ve ignored his calls, or he’d tell you this himself. So, I’m the messenger. Go. See what this is, both in Nashville and with Piper. They’ll be home in a few days, and we’re all set here.”

  Ty sighed, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders. He nodded. “Okay. A couple of weeks. See what this is. But I’ll be back.”

  Chase smiled, a knowing smile. “Yeah, I said that too. Eight years later, I finally came home. Keep in touch, bro.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Ty wandered around Piper’s house, feeling at loose ends for the first time since his parents died. He was unfamiliar with the whole experience, having been working basically ever since he came to the ranch in some form, first to work out his frustration, then as a vital part of the ranch operations. There was always something to be done, whether it was taking care of stock, repairing equipment, or various other duties. Sitting around a house, especially one that wasn’t his own, with nothing to offer, was disconcerting.

  They had flown into Nashville yesterday, and boy, was that a big difference to a guy who had never seen an airport other than Missoula. Nashville was easily twice the size, or more, and there were way more people. He had thought about driving from the airport, since Piper didn’t drive. He still regretted not teaching her back home and, after being driven by the car sent from the studios, he could understand why she didn’t like driving at all. So many people whizzing around with little regard for each other or the rules of the road. Not that they didn’t have traffic in Montana, but this took it to a whole new level. Thank God Piper lived outside of Nashville, in a gated community that required access and approval to enter. At least she was safe, relatively speaking, but the houses were much closer than back home, with just an acre or so separating them, barely any room at all. She added his name to the list, along with his ID and information in case he was out and about without her, but it seemed that that wouldn’t happen for a while.

  He wandered around the first floor, the bright white, clean lines, and minimalist style that seemed more like a showroom than a home. Hell, with all the white, he was afraid to sit down in case he dirtied something, although he hadn’t exactly done anything to get dirty, unless shower sex counted, though the shower part negated the dirt. But after the shower, Piper had been called away downtown and took a car service, promising to be back for lunch and for him to “make himself comfortable.”

  Yeah, like that was going to happen. He’d need a horse, a head of cattle, and room to roam.

  He finally found a room that doubled as her office, judging by the sound system and music system support. He carried his guitar in and decided to get to work, since that’s why he was here in the first place. His job had morphed from cattle to music, and he had to make the transition. Somehow.

  He toyed with his guitar, striving for that inspiration that had helped him with Tara and West’s song, but the best he came up with was a variation on that. A manila envelope peeking out from the pocket in the top of his guitar case caught his attention, and he opened it, sliding out several pieces of paper. Sheet music. Notebook paper. Scrawled in almost unfamiliar handwriting, barely readable. Then he froze, the pages falling from his numb fingers to cascade to the floor as the words settled in his brain.

  A letter-sized envelope fell out with his name written across the front in Douglas’s handwriting. He swallowed hard and opened the letter. It was brief, to the point, much like the man who had taken him in, helped him with his grief even as the man struggled with his own mourning the boys never knew about.

  Piper found him in there a short while later, shaking him out of his reverie when she sat next to him, putting her arms around him. “Are you okay, Ty?”

  She went to reach for the papers still on the floor, but he grabbed her hand. “Leave them.”

  She gave him a strange look. “What are they?”

  He didn’t answer for several minutes and finally exhaled with a shuddering breath. “These are the songs I wrote when I was a kid. I guess the social worker had saved them when my parents died, before I was able to destroy them. She gave them to Douglas, asked him to keep them safe. He never gave them to me, didn’t know when the right time was. He told West about them, who must have told Chase to sneak them in here or something before I left.”

  She didn’t say anything at first, only studied her clasped hands. “Have you looked at them?”

  He shook his head, still not sure if he could open the door to the past. “I can’t. Not yet.”

  This time she hugged him, and he leaned into it, grateful that she didn’t press him for more, press him to go through them and mine them for possibilities. “How was your morning?”

  She sighed against his shoulder. “Exhausting. We had to go through some possible songs since I’ve been blocked on new stuff, not that people seem to like my songs anyway. So, I listened to demo tapes and read through lyrics.”

  “Why do you record other people’s songs when you don’t want to? Especially when you don’t like performing.”

  She shrugged. “Some people make a living writing songs for others. There’s nothing wrong with that. And I never said I didn’t like performing.” He just stared at her until she sighed. “Fine, okay I did say that. Anyway, my parents will be here soon. Thought you’d appreciate the warning.”

  And the hits just kept on coming.

  *

  Piper perched on the arm of the chair next to Ty and stared at her parents, who sat across from them in the love seat. Colt sprawled in another chair to the side and observed the proceedings as if watching a football game, completely fascinated. Ty was stiff and uncomfortable, as if he had never met the parents of a girl he’d been dating or sleeping with, and maybe he hadn’t. They hadn’t exactly talked about their pasts, so it was entirely possible he’d never had that kind of relationship.

  “How are you finding Nashville, Ty?” Her mother started the interrogation gently, of course.

  “I haven’t seen much beyond the airport and the car windows,” he replied. “But it’s great so far.”

  Piper smothered a grin, but her brother didn’t even bother to hide it. “You like golf, Ty?”

  Piper glared at Colt, but Ty handled it. “Nope, never played. Don’t have much time for that on the ranch.”

  “Thank God. Her last boyfriend lived in links. What kind of sport is that? Football, baseball, now those are real men’s sports.” Colt swigged some beer and looked at Ty.

  Ty considered his words. “My brother was a bull rider. To me, that’s more of a man’s sport if you want me to be honest. Takes more balls and guts to ride a bull than catch a ball.”

  Colt laughed. “I like him, Piper. Keep this one around. Another be
er, Ty? You just might need it.”

  Piper’s father frowned. “Colt, please. We’re trying to have a serious conversation here.”

  “You might be, planning Piper’s life and career and now her boyfriend’s, but I just want to get to know this guy. Go ahead and plan away.” Colt flourished his hand and wandered to the adjacent kitchen and grabbed two beers.

  “Make it three,” Piper called. She was going to need it.

  “You met with Darren and the label this morning. Did you settle on some songs?” her mother asked.

  Piper sighed. “Yeah, we found a few songs that might work. I still think they’re too light. Not quite my speed—too much like my last album, and we saw how that worked.”

  Her mother pondered her words and sipped her sweet tea, swirling the amber liquid in her glass. “You have an excellent ear for songs and musicians. Maybe it’s time we listen to you.”

  Her brother shrugged. “I’ve been saying that. She’s been advising me for years, doing a damned sight better than Darren honestly, at least when it comes to picking music.”

  Her father, meanwhile, had been studying Ty and making no effort to hide his regard. Her father had often sat back and let her mother take the lead on the family matters, but after Piper’s fiasco with her last boyfriend, it looked like Dad was getting involved.

  “So, you think you have what it takes to make it in Nashville, Ty?”

  Okay, well maybe not. As usual, her father was more concerned about music than Piper. Not that he didn’t care about her, but he wanted to be sure her partner wasn’t taking advantage of her connections.

  “No, sir. I don’t know. But I’m willing to give it a shot.”

  Her father gave a grudging nod, partially mollified by the respective tone but not completely won over. “Well, we can only get you so far. You need more than a good voice and one song. What else do you have?”

  “That’s what we’re here to find out, Carter. Besides, we all heard them sing. They have a connection on stage, almost like we had when we started.”