by T. A. Foster
“Ok. I need a few minutes, and do you think Lenny would fix us something before we go out? I’m starving.”
“Sure thing.” He punched the button on the intercom and called the kitchen. “What do you want me to tell him?”
“Surprise me,” she called over the shower’s running water.
“You got it.” He wasn’t sure after the past few days if that was even possible. She had been the one surprising him one move after another. Her adventurous side had never been more evident. He looked at the ties he had left on the sheets.
“Yes, sir? Did you need something?” Lenny’s voice piped in through the speaker.
“Yeah, could you fix us a quick dinner before we go out for the night?”
“Certainly. What would you like?”
“How about something with grilled chicken? Doesn’t matter what.”
“Ok. I can come up with something.”
“Thanks, we’ll be down in an hour.” Evan thought that would give Haven plenty of time to get ready, and enough for him to join her.
THERE WEREN’T many places he could go near the ranch where people didn’t wait in line for autographs and pictures, but the Gold’n Spoke was one. It was far enough outside the Austin city limits that it didn’t attract tourists and the locals who hung out there had seen Evan plenty of times not to be excited when he walked through the swinging doors.
He led Haven by the hand and found a table on the outer edges of the wooden dance floor.
“So this is a real cowboy bar?” Her blue eyes took in the scene.
There was a band playing tonight. Lonely Roads. He hadn’t heard of them before. The whole damn bar was shouting and screaming to every note that came out of their mouths.
“Yep, this is it. What do you think?”
She smiled. “Looks like fun. That band must be popular.”
“I’ll go get us some beers. Sit tight.”
He pushed through the crowd and waited his turn at the bar. It looked like everyone had turned out tonight. He threw a twenty in the tip jar and carried the two brown bottles back to the table.
“Here you go.” He handed one to Haven.
“Thanks.” He watched as her lips touched the bottle.
“You excited about going into the studio with Carly tomorrow?”
She nodded. “I am. The whole thing is surreal. I’m going to hear her sing one of my songs.”
“I can’t wait to hear it. But, you know, I think we’ve been sidetracked the past few days. You needed some business advice, didn’t you?”
“It’s no big deal.”
He remembered how she had come to him a few days ago after her first meeting at Blue Steel, but all he could think about was her and Red Lines. He felt like an ass for taking the spotlight away from her big moment.
“It is a big deal. This is your first contract. Tell me what’s going on. I want to help you.”
She sighed. “Ok, so it’s not about the music I’ve already written. It’s about what they want me to write.”
He nodded, waiting to hear the entire story.
“Bruce wants Carly and me, mainly Carly since she’s the face of the label, but anyway, he wants us to put out music that will bring the female listeners back.”
“I don’t follow.” He swallowed the beer.
“There were all these charts and reports. Bruce said they had focus groups and had done surveys. I don’t know. But they want us to make it more girl music. Not girl power, but whatever we can write that will speak to girls like us.”
He listened to her words. She would pick up speed then slow down. He hated seeing her unsure of herself. Her music was beautiful. This was the nasty part of any business, breaking down artists who just wanted to make art.
“Darlin’, I love your songs and a million other people are going to love your songs. Bruce has a business to run. God love ‘em, I get it, but that doesn’t mean you have to write music that isn’t still important to you. Look at me. I’m a brand, a damn label because that’s how the game’s played.”
“But I don’t want to play a game. I just want to write. That’s all.”
The look in her eyes had him convinced he should buy his own music label tomorrow and let her write whatever songs she wanted. This was pure garbage. Hell, it was insane.
“Haven, you are talented and they want that talent, but you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to once your contract is up. I think sticking with Carly is the way to go to start with. She’s strong and she doesn’t usually bow down to the boys club, if you know what I mean. If you’re looking for my opinion on whether you should write these songs, I think you can do it and still be you.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do. I think you can do anything. You have the one hundred percent Evan Carlson seal of approval.”
“She wants to start writing together next week, as soon as the current songs are recorded. It seems kind of fast.”
“Speaking of that.” He leaned closer so she could hear him over the steel guitar. “You know I have to leave to start the movie shoot.”
“I knew it was coming up, but when do you have to go?”
“Next week.”
She bit her lip. “That soon?”
“Yeah, darlin’. I know it’s soon, but I want you to stay at the ranch while I’m gone. I can fly back and forth on breaks, and maybe even fly you out when you and Carly wrap up. How does that sound?”
“Well, I had kind of thought about getting my own place in Austin. Everything I have is still back at the beach house, but if things work out with Blue Steel, I was planning on moving to Texas.”
He beamed. “Then just move your stuff into the ranch. You don’t need some place in town that’s going to be forty-five minutes away. The ranch is plenty big for both us, don’t you think?” He waited for her to see his perfect plan.
“I-I don’t know, Evan. Isn’t this kind of fast? And I can only imagine what my father would say.” Her eyes drifted toward the band.
“Denton knows you’re a grown woman. You have a job, your own money, and you’ve got me. It doesn’t make sense for us to live apart. Besides, I’m going to be gone a lot for the next three months, so the ranch is going to be just sitting there. Who will Lenny cook for?” He winked, hoping he could charm her into this idea. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her behind while he shot the movie, but it felt better thinking about her sleeping in his bed while he was gone.
“Think of it this way,” he continued. “You’ll have all the added security, and I won’t have to worry every second of the day. What do you say?”
Her eyes met his. “I’ve never lived with anyone before. It just seems like a big step. A really big step. Have you?”
“Have I what?” He knew where she was headed with the question.
“Seriously? Don’t dodge the question. I’m asking if you’ve lived with someone before, or would this be the first time?”
He didn’t want to consider his nonstop traveling with Emmy living together, or the apartment he shared in L.A. with a young actress as a committed situation. Those were different. He and Emmy were on the move so much that they stayed in hotels together. But looking back on it, he realized they were seldom apart. That was until she went to Hawaii. He knew what kind of shampoo she used, her favorite TV shows, and the T-shirt she liked to wear around the hotel room that was so worn sometimes he could see right through it. Somewhere in the dictionary, that probably qualified as living together.
“Evan?” Haven waited for an answer.
“Not like this. I’ve never had this conversation and I’ve never asked a girl to move into the ranch with me. This is different. It’s you.” He reached for her hand, massaging her fingertips where the beer bottle had left traces of cold.
“Can I think about it?” Her question surprised him.
“I guess so.” He took a swig of beer. “But what did you have in mind? Long distance? You going back to the island? Me here? Me in L.A.? Tr
ying to squeeze in time between the studio and my movie?” His voice escalated and he wasn’t sure the table next to them hadn’t overheard part of his argument.
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought that far. I was only supposed to be here a few days and I’m already past that. I don’t know what to think right now.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “It just feels like we started over again and it’s good. I don’t want to make the wrong choice.”
He instantly regretted pushing her. He hadn’t meant to sound angry, but the thought of spending time away from each other had gotten under his skin. He wanted to see those eyes every morning he woke up. He wanted to kiss her whenever he wanted. Letting her go was not an option.
“How about we dance? We can figure this out later.” He stood from the tall stool and held out a hand.
“You sure?”
“Darlin’, come on. You and me out on the dance floor. I need to see that pretty smile again.”
She slid out of her seat and followed him through the sea of dancers.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her body against him until he could feel her heart beat against his chest. This was what he wanted. Haven. He was going to figure out a way to make sure she never slipped away again. Tonight, that started with a slow song on a Texas dance floor.
THREE MONTHS seemed like an eternity as she faced the suitcases lining the hallway outside of Evan’s bedroom. Her eyes stung from the salt ready to splash over with full tears, but she had managed to keep them hidden all morning. She could get through one more hour.
Evan walked toward her; he was giving Marta instructions on running the ranch while he was gone. Although, Haven knew the woman was more than capable given what she had accomplished during the summer when he was hiding out on Perry Island.
He stopped in front of the bedroom door. “All right, Marta. You holler if you need anything, or if this one gives you trouble.” His arm slung around Haven’s shoulder.
“We certainly will, sir. Have a good time on the set.” Marta smiled weakly then turned toward the staircase.
Haven still wasn’t sure she had warmed up to the housekeeper, despite trying to be bubbly every chance she had. Marta was always pleasant, but seemed to hold back on their exchanges, as if Haven was a temporary guest she tolerated with her best manners.
“Think I’m all packed.” Evan looked at the luggage.
“I never knew you could pack so much. Didn’t you only have one bag in Silver Belle?”
“True. But this is different. It’s work. I have to have press wardrobe and event suits. L.A. isn’t like Perry.” He looked sad as he said it. “When I’m not on the set, Jeff has me booked on every talk show in town.” He kicked the edge of a suitcase lightly.
He pulled her into the bedroom and closed the door behind them, locking it. “Have you made a decision about moving in while I’m gone? I can have a moving truck at your place, ready to pack you up tomorrow. I’ll fly Maura and Denton out so you can spend time with them. Just say the word.”
She knew Evan wanted her to say yes. Ever since their night at the dance hall, he had dropped hints, given her a set of keys, and made sure everyone on the ranch knew she wasn’t a short-term guest. Something was still holding her back. She couldn’t tell him what he wanted to hear.
Part of it was her parents. They would never support her moving in with him. Despite her father’s habits, he wasn’t going to loosen his moral code for her and allow his daughter to shack up before marriage. The other part she hadn’t figured out yet.
“I’m going to stay here while I work on the album with Carly. You know that.” She sat on the edge of the bed. He was right; it didn’t make any sense to get an apartment right now.
“That’s not what I mean. I want to know you’re going to be here when I come home. Baby, come on. All of this—” He waved his arms around. “—is yours. All of it.”
“I will be here when you’re finished with the movie. I just don’t know about living together. I think we should take it slowly. You have the movie. I have the album. There’s a lot going on right now and we don’t need extra pressure.”
He brushed the hair off her shoulder. “You know I’m completely in love with you, don’t you?” She felt the warmth of his lips brush along her neck. “There’s no pressure in that.”
She nodded, not able to say anything.
“I’m not giving up on this, Haven.” He turned her so that she was facing him. “When the movie wraps, you are moving in here with me.”
Before she could protest or start her slow-down speech again, his mouth was on hers and she felt herself falling back on the bed.
“Now, we have one hour until I’m getting on a plane for California.” His hand moved under her T-shirt. “Let’s do something we can both dream about tonight.”
THE RANCH was enormous, empty, and quiet without Evan. Haven tucked her feet under her and tried to think of another line for the lyrics that were staring at her from her notepad. She was supposed to meet Carly in the morning with the bones of a new song, but so far, the page was mostly blank.
Lenny had brought her a glass of wine and even started kindling in the massive fireplace, but nothing cheered her. Nothing could warm her now that Evan was on his jet to L.A. Nothing.
“Can I get you something else?” Lenny hovered nearby.
“No, thank you. I’m fine. Really.” She said it, but even she wasn’t convinced. Why did it feel like breathing hurt?
“Ok. I’ll be in the back if you need me or Marta. Anything at all. We’re just a few steps that way. Ten steps, twenty at the most.”
“Thanks, Lenny.” Haven offered a soft smile, knowing she wasn’t fooling anyone.
This wasn’t like when she was at Ben’s house recovering from the worst heartbreak of her life. This was different. Her entire body ached without him nearby. The dark wine tingled the back of her throat.
All afternoon she had wandered the ranch walls in circles. Marta probably thought she had gone crazy the way she stared at Evan’s pictures on the wall, or ran her hands over the mahogany finish on the desk. There were traces of him everywhere, but none of them brought him back. It was a miserable first day alone.
The instant her phone buzzed, she smiled. Ready to talk to Evan, she picked it off the coffee table, and then noticed it was Carly.
“Hello?”
“Hey, girl. What are you doing?”
Haven wasn’t about to launch into her sad missing-her-boyfriend story. “Trying to write. What about you?”
“Did Evan leave today?”
“Yes, he left this morning.”
“Then, let’s go out. I need to take you to my favorite spot.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Haven doodled a swirl on the notepad. It was the most decorative thing on the blank page.
“Come on, you can’t stay cooped up in that huge house by yourself. Evan would want you to go out and have fun, right?”
“I guess so.” She had to admit staying in the house only reminded her of him, how he wasn’t here, and why he wouldn’t be coming home tonight.
“Guess so? He is Mr. Fun. Girl, can you get one of the drivers to take you downtown, or should I send mine?”
It was the first time she would be asking the staff to treat her like they did Evan, but she was carless. It was the only option.
“I can meet you. Someone will drive me.”
“Ok. I’ll text you the address. Wear something cute.”
“I can’t stay out too late though. We have our meeting in the morning.” As soon as she said it, she realized how incredibly lame she must seem to Carly.
Carly giggled. “Hopefully, we’ll have such a great night that we’ll have something to write about. See you in an hour.”
“Bye. Thanks.” Haven hung up the phone and rushed up the stairs. She had about fifteen minutes to find something cool to wear out with her favorite singer. No pressure.
An hour later, Bud dropped her off in front of a nig
htclub Haven had never heard of.
“I’m going to park in that lot over there.” He pointed diagonally from where they were standing. “You’ve got my number, so text about five minutes before you leave and I’ll meet you right here.”
“Ok. No problem. Thanks, Bud.” Haven straightened her shoulders before entering the dark bar. She hoped there were enough lights to spot Carly.
“Haven, over here!” Carly shrieked from a nearby table.
“Wow, you look amazing.” Haven couldn’t help staring at the singer. Carly was wearing a shirt cropped just below her bust, paired with a mini-denim skirt. If Carly wanted to show off her rockin’ body, she was doing it.
Suddenly, her jeans and tank top seemed outdated and not nearly as edgy. She wished she had a stash of clothes in the trunk to change into.
“You like margaritas? Or how about vodka? We could get some lemon drops. Yeah, let’s get lemon drops.”
“Ok, whatever you want.” Haven slid into the open booth seat and checked out the club. It was dim, but her eyes were starting to adjust. It looked like an act was setting up on the stage.
A waitress arrived with a tray carrying four shot glasses. She placed them on the table in front of the girls.
Carly handed Haven the first one. “Ok, to our first night out in Austin.” She smiled before slinging the drink back.
Haven followed her lead.
The drink was both sweet and sour. She tried to curb the puckering her mouth wanted to make.
“Have you heard from Evan yet?” Carly asked before handing over the second shot glass.
“He texted me when he landed and he said he’d call tonight from the hotel.”
“I still can’t believe he’s going to be in Red Lines. You have to be freaking out.”
“What do you mean?” Haven licked her lips. The second shot went down smoother than the first.
“If my man was getting ready to be seen by the entire world doing all of that stuff with Emmy Harper, I would probably have a heart attack, but you seem really chill about it. You two must be on solid ground.”
“We are.” They had talked about the role. They had talked about Emmy. But the way Carly made it sound, Haven wasn’t sure they had talked about it enough. What exactly would Evan be doing on the set? Surely, they had clothes on for those scenes. Actors weren’t really naked for those scenes, were they?