by Sandy James
“And no worries to commit to anything permanent,” Brad said, pulling out a stool for her. “We’ll do a couple of takes and just see how it goes first. You get to make the call.”
One by one, Ethan was putting plates in front of everyone. The food smelled so good that her stomach let out a loud rumble in anticipation. Her own fault for having skipped lunch. She’d been fretting—and fantasizing—about being alone with Brad too much to eat. All that worry had been a waste.
With a theatrical flourish, Ethan swept his hand over the food. “Let’s get our feedbags on!”
* * *
Settling himself at the console’s chair, Brad kept a close eye on the people in the recording booth. Savannah was trying to get comfortable with her new backup singers. She’d moved her seat back to be closer to theirs, and the three of them chatted amiably as their headphones rested around their necks.
He’d hired the singers before he’d made her the promise that he wouldn’t act on her behalf without discussing it with her, and for a moment, he’d wished he had called them off for tonight. But his experience had told him that they would add so much depth to the recording of his new song and to Savannah’s sound. He was also going to have them do a new cover of “That Smile,” then he could get it into release tomorrow so people could start downloading it right after her debut at Words & Music.
He wasn’t at all used to running ideas by anyone, especially singers who were recording his songs. He was the Hitman. He knew exactly what worked and, more important, what didn’t. With very few exceptions, Brad just did what needed to be done. End of story.
But a man could change, and Savannah Wolf—his beautiful muse with her blue tresses and delicate bird tattoo—was a woman worth changing for. Signaling Ethan to put on his headphones, Brad spoke into his mic. “Tell the girls to get ready. We’re just gonna do an easy rehearsal of ‘All She Is.’”
“You mean ‘All He Is.’” Ethan winked.
“Smart-ass.” Since Ethan already had the ladies putting on their headphones, Brad went on with business. “Like I said, an easy rehearsal is all we’re doing.”
A lie, and judging from Ethan’s scoff, he knew it. There was never a song done in Brad’s studio that wasn’t recorded. The first time singers performed a piece was sometimes the best because they were trying so damned hard to get it right. Although he’d be spending most of the wee hours of the night going through all of tonight’s recordings to make adjustments and finally choosing which one to release the following morning, he had a sneaking suspicion he was about to witness something amazing.
Once the girls were ready, Brad smiled at them through the window. His eyes fixed on Savannah. She’d changed the moment she’d put on the headphones. Her gaze was now determined as she stared at the music stand and nudged the mic a little closer. He knew that look well. He’d seen it on Indie Night when she’d blown his life out of the water.
“Nice and easy, everyone,” he said. “Let’s have some fun with it.”
Their nods were his cue to start playback. The opening notes of the song filled the air.
* * *
Savannah forgot the backup singers. She forgot Ethan, too. The moment she began to sing Brad’s song, her world was reduced to him.
Holding his eyes, she let his music flow through her, from her soul to his. The connection was there, exactly as it had been the last time she’d been in this studio, but this time there wasn’t an ounce of nervousness. Only confidence and a feeling of rightness. This performance had nothing to do with her wanting to please an audience or gain new fans. She sang now to open her heart to the man who was rapidly capturing it.
When I see you, everything’s right.
Let your future start with me tonight.
There was no way she’d ever find the words to tell him how much he was coming to mean to her, how much he’d already become such an important part of her life. And in such an embarrassingly short time, especially considering how he could make her angrier than anyone ever had.
You’re the one I thought I’d never find.
What do I have to do to make you mine?
But she could reveal that affection—even a bit of her vexation—as she sang. The old adage about a thin line between love and hate crossed her mind, then she pushed it aside so she wouldn’t stumble over the lyrics.
Vaguely aware of how much Maggie and Leah’s accompaniment made her voice ring clear and strong, she answered each of Ethan’s words with Brad’s snappy lyrics.
When the song ended, she held her breath, waiting for Brad’s verdict. Her heart told her there was no way she could ever sing it better, but he was a perfectionist. No matter how emotionally draining it would be, she’d probably have to sing it twenty more times, especially since this version was nothing but a rehearsal. She’d do as he asked, knowing appeasing his exacting standards would be good for her, and he’d be sure the song they released would be the very best take.
A grin bloomed slowly on his face, and her hopes rose. Then the grin became a full-blown smile. His voice buzzed in her ear. “You were amazing.”
Ethan let out a chuckle. “Damn shame it was only a rehearsal.”
“That’s okay,” Savannah said, returning Brad’s smile. “Now we know we’re ready.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” Brad said. “You should know me better than that.”
When Maggie and Leah started laughing, Savannah chuckled, too. “I forgot. You record everything,”
“And I think he just recorded a hit song,” Ethan said.
* * *
The crowd was loud and rowdy, which made Savannah very happy. These people would engage, and that made her job a hell of a lot easier. Thank God they weren’t a dead audience. Zombies were the worst because they turned entertaining into conquering. And some crowds couldn’t be conquered.
A hand settled on her shoulder. She turned, smiling because Brad had come to give her some last-minute advice.
Only it wasn’t Brad. “Hey, Ethan.”
Towering over her from his exaggerated height, he gazed down at her. “Nervous?”
“Yes…and no.” She peeked out at the crowd again. “I think we hit the jackpot with these folks. They’re ready.”
He grinned. “Yep. And judging from how fast the waitstaff is moving between the tables and the bar, they’re likely to get nice and juiced.”
“I hope they don’t get too drunk and turn hostile.”
“No way,” Ethan said, his tone sincere. “That crowd came for one reason tonight, honey—to hear you. I’d wager every single person has watched at least one of your videos.”
Brad had been true to his word, releasing the two new performances to social media early this morning. The new cover of “That Smile” had a staggering number of hits. “All He Is” was only slightly less watched.
Maggie and Leah slipped up beside her, both bubbly with anticipation. Leah couldn’t seem to stand still, popping back and forth between her feet while Maggie compulsively stroked her long ponytail. Dressed alike in black sequined tops and faded skinny jeans, they made a nice complement to Savannah’s white sequined blouse and tight denim miniskirt.
Ethan appeared to eschew any costume, choosing instead a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and snug, well-worn jeans with ripped knees. His long hair was tied back neatly, and he would probably be the recipient of a large number of leers from the females in the audience. There was already a high-top table of women close to the stage having a bachelorette party, complete with tiaras and white sashes labeling bride and bridesmaids. They were talking loudly and pointing to where he stood in the wings.
If Ethan decided he didn’t want to go home alone tonight, he’d have plenty of company to choose from.
No wonder male singers and musicians ended up being such horndogs. What man could resist that sort of temptation all the time?
Which explained Ethan’s reputation.
And Brad’s.
Songwriters who w
ere as visible as the Hitman enjoyed a large number of groupies as well. The video on which she and Brad kissed had more than its share of lewd comments from women who claimed they wanted to be in her place.
Two women claimed they had been.
Savannah took in a deep breath and let her jealousy go. In a few minutes, she’d be onstage. She didn’t have time to worry about what Brad had or hadn’t done. There were people waiting to watch her, and she intended to give them the best show of her life.
Where’s Brad?
Stop it. Focus on the music.
Then she saw a grinning Joslynn sitting at a table to the left of the stage with Savannah’s parents. Savannah’s neighbor, Brianna, had graciously offered to babysit Caroline. Since Caroline often played with Bri’s daughters, she’d begged to spend the night. Bri had told her that was a great idea, which would allow Savannah to stay out as late as she wanted.
Just seeing the smiles shining from her parents’ faces was enough to give Savannah the boost she needed. They had always been her biggest fans, and tonight she’d sing her ass off for them.
The band played the intro, an up-tempo piece that was meant to get the crowd going. And going they were. By the end of the three-minute piece, the crowd was clapping and stomping.
Closing her eyes, Savannah cleared her head. On her next inhale, the delicious smells of the food being passed around the patrons wafted toward her. The sounds floating her way, from the people in the restaurant to the soft sounds of Ethan, Leah, and Maggie warming up, filled her. Her heart sped, pounding in her chest, and heat raced through her limbs and sent a flush across her face. Yet in the melee of sensations, she found the calm that always came before a performance and made her ready.
She hummed her favorite song to keep her vocal chords warm. She’d used the ditty for her first public performance—at the Jacob County Fair Talent Show—when she’d been all of thirteen.
God, had she ever been that young?
When she’d won the blue ribbon, she’d convinced herself that her warm-up routine had brought her good luck.
“‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’?”
Whirling fast enough she had to catch her guitar before it swung wide, she laughed at the man who’d correctly named the song she’d been humming. Then she smiled. “I wondered if you were coming.”
Brad moved close, cradled her face in his hands, and gave her a kiss so gentle she sighed when it ended. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”
“’Bout time,” Ethan said, clapping Brad on the shoulder just as soon as he’d turned her loose. He fixed his gaze on Savannah. “Ready to go, little lady?”
She returned his smile, feeling ready to conquer the world. “Darn tootin’!”
Taking her hand in his, Ethan tugged her along with him as he approached the stage. “Then it’s show time!”
Chapter Sixteen
Although Savannah was only supposed to be the opening act for Southern Pride, Brad quickly realized that this crowd was hers. Sure, the band had been climbing the charts with “America, I Love Her,” and Words & Music would normally be filled with their rabid fans.
But not tonight.
The crowd belonged to Savannah Wolf. From the moment Randy introduced her, they were chanting her name.
As she and Ethan took center stage, her face was radiant. She brushed her loose hair over her shoulder before settling on one of the bar stools and getting her guitar ready. While her backups got into position, she turned those hypnotic eyes to the crowd and gave them one of her beguiling smiles, and the chanting morphed into applause.
“Glad to see y’all come out tonight,” she said with that endearing touch of a Southern drawl to her voice. “I’m so pleased to see you! We’ve got a great show, including one of my favorite trios, Southern Pride.” A glance to her right. “I’m also tickled to death to sing my first two songs as duets with the son of Nashville Royalty, Ethan Walker.” She waited a few beats to let the women quit whistling and calling out a few bawdy things to Ethan. “So to start out your night, how about Ethan and I introduce you to the latest song by the Hitman?” Without waiting for the applause to die down, she launched into “That Smile” with Ethan following her lead.
Pride washed over Brad, but not at the success of his music. That ship had sailed. Sure, he loved writing songs and hearing them recorded. And the money was nice, although he was good and set for a long time. His pride tonight was for Savannah. The woman wove magic not only with her voice but with each grin and glance. She engaged the crowd as if each individual were the most important person in the world, handling them in a way that couldn’t truly be taught. Her talent and her ease in performing were God-given gifts.
He tried to stay in the background, not wanting to distract her or Ethan. Savannah’s gaze found him anyway, her grin broadening, lighting her eyes with a spark that seemed to race through him like electricity. Had there been a fire erupting at his feet, he’d have been unable to look away.
Her star was rising. Rapidly. Because he wanted to be with her meant that Brad would find himself back in the world he’d left behind. There’d be parties to attend. There’d also be stress for her to crank out new releases, and he’d be damned if he’d let her sing anyone else’s songs. So he’d have to put his nose back on the grindstone and start writing as a business rather than through strikes of inspiration.
Yes, Savannah’s career was taking off, and she would now be an integral part of the world of country music. Although he’d sworn he would never go back into the music business, he realized he wanted to be by Savannah’s side when she became a star.
Damn it all if that didn’t give him an idea for a new song.
While he wanted to watch Savannah sing, words began flying through his mind like shooting stars. If he didn’t catch them quickly, they might be lost, so he hurried to the bar, snatched up a napkin, plucked a pen from a waitress as she passed by, and started scribbling down the lyrics.
* * *
Savannah came close to stumbling over the lyrics when Brad hurried away from the stage. It took all her concentration to keep going, and damn, if that didn’t make her angry. She shouldn’t be so affected by the man, especially by something as simple as a smile changing to a scowl. When he focused on writing something on a bunch of napkins, she needed every ounce of her concentration not to stop singing right then and there to ask what his problem was.
Never in her life had she allowed someone to distract her when she was singing for a crowd, and she’d be damned if she’d let whatever Brad was doing cause her to botch the most important performance of her life!
A glance to Ethan told her that the change in her hadn’t gone unnoticed. With a wink to him, she pushed aside all thoughts except making beautiful music.
God, she loved to sing.
The music whirled around her, filling her mind and her heart. The lyrics drove her on, and she and Ethan finished “That Smile” on a lingering note that seemed to go on forever.
Applause erupted, fueling the fire growing inside her. If Brad couldn’t be bothered with paying attention to her performing his songs, she’d sing for this crowd. For Ethan, Leah, Maggie, and the fantastic musicians performing with them tonight.
And for herself.
Her whole life, Savannah had been a singer. She’d been able to carry a tune from the time she was three. Her parents loved to show videos of her taken when she was little and crooning whatever song caught her fancy. As she’d aged, her voice had matured to a rich alto that a judge at a talent competition had compared to Karen Carpenter in her prime. Since Savannah had spent most of her childhood listening to her parents’ records on an ancient turntable, she’d been well aware of who Karen Carpenter was and exactly how beautiful her voice had been. That comparison had been the push she’d needed as a young woman to keep looking for opportunities to sing.
Amateur nights. Open mics. County fairs. And then Michael had found her and promised to make her a star.
Problem was th
at she didn’t want to be a star. No, she had no desire to find herself in Taylor Swift’s snazzy little shoes. Savannah wanted only to earn a living singing, enough to give her and Caroline a comfortable life.
Savannah refocused herself for her second duet with Ethan. They launched into “All He Is”—with Ethan modifying to “she” on his verse—and all she thought about from that point on was the music and the faces of the people she loved and the people she didn’t even know who’d come to hear her sing. Ethan’s smile told her she was back in her groove, so she dismissed whatever bee Brad had up his butt and allowed herself to simply enjoy making beautiful music.
* * *
“So this is where you went to hide after we sang.”
Brad glanced up to find Ethan leaning a shoulder against the door frame. “I wasn’t hiding. I was writing. I stayed for all six songs.” He hated how defensive he sounded. “You two sounded great. You heading home?”
“Yep.” A contented smile crossed Ethan’s face. “She was holding those people in the palm of her hand from the first note. She didn’t even need me.”
“Probably not,” Brad replied. “But I appreciate you being willing to put yourself out there for her.”
“She’s with her parents and Joslynn right now.”
“I figured.” Brad would have to keep an eye out for when she was done talking to her family. She didn’t know it, but he had a reception planned for her and her guests in one of the private rooms at Chez Jacques just down the street. Then he hoped to whisk her away for an even more private reception. His house. Her place. He didn’t care. All he wanted was to be alone with Savannah, and her enthusiastic response to his kisses and caresses showed she wanted him—maybe even as badly as he wanted her.
“So what’s the new song about?” Ethan rubbed his chin and hummed as if in thought. “Oh wait…what else? Your new muse.”