She half-sobbed, half-laughed before I stopped her with a kiss.
Bristol
LANNY STOOD BEHIND me and smiled brightly as we both stared at my reflection in the mirror.
“Anson is going to crap his pants when he sees you.” She chuckled.
My mouth opened and closed a few times as I stared at myself. First off, I was wearing a freaking Versace gown.
Versace.
And Louboutin heels.
Secondly, I had on diamond drop earrings that probably cost as much as my car. Lanny had some hairstylist come to the house and style my hair up in a French twist with little wisps that hung down around my face and neck. Not to mention, the sweet girl who came and did my makeup and offered to give me tips.
A light knock on the bedroom door had Lanny and me both looking over our shoulders as Anson walked in. I nearly dropped to the floor when I saw him.
“I think I forgot how to breathe,” I whispered to myself and maybe to Lanny. I couldn’t take my eyes off Anson.
“I always forget how nice you shine up, but the cowboy hat, Anson? Really?”
I turned to look at Lanny. She seemed totally unaffected by the man standing before us. The beyond handsome man who wore a black tux and a black cowboy hat. The only thing he didn’t have on was the cowboy boots.
“I don’t go anywhere without my hat,” he said with a wink in my direction. Then his eyes slowly perused my body. He took in every inch of me.
The gown had a black lace strapless top and a flowing pink satin skirt that came up and twisted over the black bodice. The slit on the side of the dress damn near came up to my hip. The skirt was long, and a train flowed behind the dress. I had made a comment to Lanny that I was going to step on the damn thing and fall. Or worse yet, rip it. This dress had to cost thousands.
Anson’s blue eyes swept back up my body and landed on my bare neck. He smiled and walked over to me.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Bri. You take my breath away.”
“And you look handsome. My knees nearly buckled out from under me when I saw you.”
He smiled and then let his gaze fall back to my neck. I felt my hand go up, my fingertips moving across my skin. The way he was looking at me made my entire body heat. I looked to the right to see that Lanny had slipped out of the room.
“I don’t actually have to go tonight. We could stay home, and I could peel that dress off you.”
My cheeks started to burn from my smile. I had to admit it felt pretty nice to get all dressed up.
“But I’ll let you make that call. I have something for you,” he said. “When I went and picked up my tux, I saw it in the window of a jewelry store and thought it would be perfect for tonight.”
He held out a Cartier box, and I held my breath as he opened it.
“Anson! It’s beautiful!” I gasped.
“It’s white gold set with six brilliant-cut diamonds. I love the simplicity of it. It’s elegant in a timeless way. Almost too beautiful to describe with words. It reminds me of you.”
I felt the tears well up in my eyes, and I inwardly cursed myself for getting so emotional. But the dress, the earrings, and now the necklace—it was all so much.
“Turn around and let me put it on.”
I turned and watched him in the full-length mirror as he put the necklace on me. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him or ignore the way my stomach fluttered at the brush of his hands on my bare skin.
He looked up, and our eyes met. I leaned back against him when I felt my body sway.
“Marry me, Bri.”
“W-what?”
“Will you marry me?”
I spun around and looked at him.
“We just got back together, Anson!” I said with a soft laugh.
“I don’t care. I’ve loved you damn near my whole life. We’ve already wasted enough time. So, I’ll ask you again. Will you marry me?”
My hand came up to my mouth, and I failed to keep my sobs at bay. I nodded, then dropped my hand.
“Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you.”
He pulled me into his arms, and I lost the battle with my emotions and cried.
“You just made me the happiest man alive, Baby.”
I laughed and then sobbed and laughed again. I wasn’t sure if I was laughing or crying. All I knew was that I was happy. The happiest I’d ever been.
Anson drew back, and I instantly felt the loss.
“Shit, I know this is fast, but I feel it in the very depths of my soul that this is right.”
As I wiped my tears away, careful not to ruin my makeup, I nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“About which part?”
Laughing, I replied, “All of it!”
“Stay right here,” he said as he walked quickly to his closet. I heard him opening what sounded like a safe. He came out with a black box.
And now my knees really were giving out. I had to walk over and grab onto the back of the chair that sat in front of the fireplace.
Anson got down on one knee and took my left hand in his.
“I’ve been hanging onto this ring since Grams gave it to me when I was fourteen.”
My right hand came up to my mouth, and I knew for a fact I was now at the point of ugly sobs. The ones where you try to keep them in but fail big time, only making it worse.
“I knew there was only one girl I’d ever give it to. And I was a stupid idiot for letting her go the first time—so this time, I intend on making sure she knows she’s mine.”
“Oh my God, Anson!” I cried as he opened the ring box. A stunning round diamond was haloed with smaller brilliant diamonds set in a white gold band that was lined with more brilliant diamonds.
Tears rolled down my face as he placed the ring on my finger. It was a perfect fit, and I wanted to ask him how in the world he had pulled that off, but I didn’t say a word. I stared at the beautiful vintage ring in stunned silence. Well, if you didn’t count my sobs.
“It’s…it’s…beautiful!”
He stood, and I threw myself into him. He laughed and said, “Be careful, Lanny is going to kick my ass if you ruin your hair and makeup.”
“I don’t care,” I said as I attempted to get my emotions in check. “This is the most beautiful, most precious thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
“You are, indeed.”
“Oh, God,” I said as I started to cry again.
Anson smiled and then walked over to the side table next to the bed and grabbed some tissues. When I looked into his eyes, I noticed he was trying with all his might not to cry himself.
“I love you so much, Anson. I’m so glad you punched that reporter and went to jail.”
He laughed.
There was a knock on the door, and then Lanny called out, “Anson? The limo is here.”
“Lanny, could you come in, please?”
Lanny walked in and nearly ran over to me when she saw me crying.
“What did you do to her, Anson Meyer? I will kick your ass if you did anything to hurt her!”
Anson’s eyes went wide in shock as I laughed.
I held up my hand and showed her the ring. Lanny screamed, which caused me to scream. Then we both screamed together like middle school girls.
“This is amazing. We need to fix your makeup,” Lanny said. Then she turned to Anson and pointed at him. “I’m getting a raise. You’ve had my emotions all over the place, you jerk.”
Anson held up his hands in defense and said, “I’ll go let the limo driver know it will be a couple more minutes.”
Lanny turned and looked at me with a smile on her face so wide I thought for sure it would freeze like that.
“Oh, Bristol. Thank you. Thank you so much for putting that man out of his misery. Since the day I met him, I knew his heart was still with you. I’m so happy for you two.”
“Thank you, Lanny,” I said as we hugged.
“Let’s get you freshened up.”
Bristol
THE HIGH I had been on earlier was bound to be busted by something—or someone.
The party we were attending was a charity dinner and dance, or ball, as they called it. Everything was going perfectly until I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room.
My first problem involved trying to hold a several-thousand-dollar dress up off the floor of the bathroom to pee. The second problem was a blonde who walked in while I washed my hands.
She stopped at the sink next to me and leaned in to check her lipstick. Our eyes met in the mirror, and I smiled.
She smirked as she narrowed her eyes at me. “I have to admit, I always thought you were made up.”
“Excuse me?”
She scoffed and then pulled out her lipstick and put it on before she continued.
“You know, the girl behind all the love songs Anson writes. The one who broke his heart so badly he couldn’t commit to anyone else. The ghost who has haunted him for the last, however many years.”
“And you are?” I asked.
“I’m the girl he liked to fuck to try and forget about you.”
Her words hit me so hard, I nearly stumbled back, but I somehow managed to keep my face expressionless. Or at least I hoped like hell I had.
She sighed and then shrugged. “I won’t exaggerate what it was between us. I wasn’t his girlfriend or the one he took to the awards shows. Half the time he brought his mother or went alone. Sad, really. Rumors were starting to go around that he might be gay. But then, he wouldn’t be having an affair with his singing partner, Lindsey, now would he?”
I glared at her as she went on.
“I am, however, the one he fucked up against a building in downtown Nashville one night in his sad attempt to forget about you. Oh, he never mentioned you by name, but now the whole world knows it was Bristol Overmann. The little country bumpkin who broke poor Anson’s heart. How does it feel to walk right back into his life and take up where you left off? Except, now he’s done all the hard work and you’ll reap the rewards.”
Her eyes swept over me as she let out a humorless laugh. I’d had about all I could take of this girl’s obnoxious mouth.
I clapped my hands together slowly, dramatically, and then smiled. I shook my head and said, “Wow. I mean, wow. You must have been waiting a hell of a long time to say all that to me. Tell me, how many times did you rehearse that? Don’t worry about me, sweetie. Anson respects me enough to make love to me in his bed, not up against a wall outside. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my fiancé is waiting for me.”
The door to one of the bathroom stalls opened, and I froze when I saw it was Lindsey Ashton, one of country music’s most popular singers and the woman who had sung a few songs with Anson. Also, the woman who had been part of all the rumors.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Why hadn’t I realized there might be other people in the bathroom? Embarrassment washed over me.
She started to applaud as she laughed.
“That was absolutely amazing. If I had my phone, I would have recorded it.” She walked up to the blonde and got in her face. “You just got served. Let that be a lesson for you to move along.”
Lindsey faced me and smiled, then motioned for me to follow her. I lifted up my dress and did just that. The moment we walked out of the bathroom, she wrapped her arm around mine.
“You just became my new best friend, Bristol. And for the record, I can tell you, without a doubt, Anson never touched her. She’s married to a record producer and has been flirting with Anson for the last four years. She might have been screwed by Anson, but it was only in her dreams. He’s not the type of guy to mess with a married woman. And certainly not one so…icky.”
She stopped and shivered as if the very thought was too gross to handle.
“Wow. I’m not even sure what to say to that.”
She laughed. “Trust me, you’re going to meet some very catty women in this industry. Ignore them all and most importantly, Bristol, ignore the rumors.”
Her mouth dropped open when she glanced down at the ring on my finger. She picked it up and smiled before her eyes met mine.
“I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad his temper got the better of him this time and Robert made him leave Nashville for a bit. I’ve only caught a glimpse of him tonight, but he looks the happiest I’ve ever seen.”
I glanced around the room until I found Anson. The moment his gaze caught mine, I felt butterflies in my stomach.
“Goodness, the heat you two put off is enough to make a girl blush.”
I smiled and let out a soft laugh. “He makes me very happy.”
“Anyone who looks at the two of you can see it. It reminds me of my relationship with my husband.”
Her hands went to her stomach. “We’re expecting.”
“Congratulations!” I said.
“Thank you. I’m scared and excited all at the same time.”
“My best friend Mindy is pregnant with her first. I think she feels the same way.”
There was no reason to tell her any more of Mindy’s story, especially since I didn’t really know Lindsey.
Anson came over, leaned down, and asked in a seductive voice, “Dance with me?”
My entire body tingled. I turned and placed my hand in his, then looked back at Lindsey. “Thank you again for the advice.”
She winked. “Good to see you, Anson.”
Anson was still staring down at me when the sound of his name broke him from the spell he was clearly under. It made my chest race knowing that he only had eyes for me.
“Hey, Lindsey, good seeing you too.”
Then he swept me up against his body, and we walked out to the dance floor.
He pulled me into his arms, and we slow-danced to a Frank Sinatra song.
“What happened in the bathroom? You look flushed.”
Leave it to Anson to notice something was amiss.
“Nothing important at all.”
He pulled back and looked at me.
I sighed. “Fine, some blonde twit tried to talk trash about you, but I set her straight. Lindsey overheard it all, and now she wants to be besties.”
A deep frown appeared on Anson’s face. “Who was it?”
With a shrug, I replied, “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me her name, and Lindsey didn’t offer it up.”
“I’m sorry, Baby. Most of the people you’ll meet are great, but there will be one or two who are complete assholes. They thrive on gossip and making other people miserable.”
“It’s okay,” I said as I grinned up at him. “I’m not going to let some random woman ruin this evening for us.”
“Good,” he said as he kissed the top of my head.
After making a few more rounds, it was time to sit at the tables and eat. It didn’t take long to figure out this wasn’t just any charity event. It was one that Anson had started. He never mentioned it, but a few other people had. He mostly kept his name out of it so that the attention went to the charity and not to him. As we walked toward our table, I felt Anson stiffen next to me.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
He nodded and smiled. “Yeah, everything is great.”
As we got closer, I could see that three other couples were already seated at the table. I couldn’t help but notice how Anson and the older gentleman in the middle exchanged a look. Anson looked pissed, and the guy just shrugged.
I focused back on the table and smiled down at Lindsey. A good-looking guy sat next to Lindsey, his arm draped casually around her shoulders.
“Bristol, this is Lindsey’s husband, Ryan,” Anson said.
Ryan stood and reached for my hand. “Lindsey has already informed me of your new friendship. It’s nice to meet the woman who stood up to Monica.”
I laughed and shook his hand. “Thank you…I think!”
He laughed, as did Lindsey.
Anson turned and motioned to the older couple. They looked to be in their early 40s, if that. “This is Robert Hanley, my ma
nager, and his wife, Jane. Robert, Jane, this is Bristol Overmann.”
Aw, so this is the guy Anson met that night six years ago. I still have his card in Anson’s scrapbook.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Bristol. I’ve…” His eyes moved to Anson quickly then back to me. “I’ve heard quite a bit about you over the years.”
I let an awkward laugh slip free as I shook his hand, then smiled at his wife. “I hope all good.”
He gave me a wide grin. “Yes, all very good.”
“Anson has told me a lot about you as well.”
Jane gave me a sweet smile. “I certainly see why the man has been besotted with you all these years. You are simply stunning, my dear.” Jane looked at Anson and winked. “All those songs you sang in my living room make perfect sense to me now.”
I felt my cheeks heat as I slowly drew in a calming breath. Was everyone going to constantly bring up our past or remind me how I was the inspiration for Anson’s songs? It was becoming a theme this evening.
Anson’s grip on my waist tightened, and I could practically feel the tension coming off his body.
“This is, um, this is Lori Miller, and I’m sorry I’m not familiar with your date, Lori.”
Lori was stunning. A beautiful woman with long blonde hair pulled up elegantly and piled on top of her head in curls. She had a body that screamed she either had a kick-ass trainer—or the money to make her boobs look that amazing.
Lori gave Anson a smile that said there was certainly something between the two of them. Or there had been. “Beckham. This is my date, Beckham.”
Anson stretched his hand out and shook Beckham’s.
“Pleasure to meet you, Anson,” the man said. “Lori’s told me she’s interviewed you a number of times and what a pleasure it was.”
I was stunned by the dirty look Anson sent Lori’s way. When I turned to look at her, she simply smiled as she took a sip of her wine. I couldn’t help but feel like it was an inside joke that she enjoyed more than Anson did.
Anson pulled out the chair for me, and I thanked him as I sat down.
“Have you been to Nashville before, Brianna?” Lori said.
“Bristol,” I corrected.
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