The Price of Love (Rockin' Country Book 2)

by Briscoe, Laramie

“And I’m sure she’s sick of hearing you lose your cool. These are two things that the two of you are going to have to work on. You’re newlyweds who got married months after meeting each other. These are personality quirks. Quirks that you will learn to work around. I’m not saying you should be the one to apologize, but I’m saying that the two of you need to come to some sort of understanding,” Jared offered, taking a drink from the bottle of water he now carried with him everywhere.

  “It’s hard to do that when we have no time to spend together.”

  “And there lies the problem.” Jared looked at him pointedly. “She’s killing herself to give you two this time.”

  “It’s not my fault,” Garrett cut him off.

  “No, it’s not, but at the same time, you need to think of how tired, stressed, and sick of running around she is. They are demanding a lot from her, and so are you.”

  Garrett ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the ends of it. “I don’t know what to do, I’m not the one who’s going to apologize all the fucking time, I’m not.”

  “It’s not about the apology, it’s about the understanding.”

  Jared got up and walked out of the studio. He had done what he thought was right, and that was all he could do.

  * * *

  It was going on forty-eight hours since she and Garrett had spoken to one another. As much as she hated to admit it, she had spent her day off in her bed, watching chick flicks and drinking Starbucks. That pissed her off more than she cared to tell anyone, but he had been right, it was exactly what she needed. Now she wasn’t sure how to approach him, to tell him that she was sorry and she shouldn’t have flown off the handle when they talked. She should have been as supportive to him as he was to her, and her emotions and hormones had gotten the better of her. It wasn’t very often in her world that she had to make amends. She glanced at her cell phone; she had two hours before she had to start getting ready for her show. Grabbing her laptop, she pulled it over to where she sat.

  “What’s going on?” Shell asked as she walked into the room and had a seat in the chair that sat next to Hannah.

  “Looking for something to give to Garrett. An ‘I’m sorry’ gift.”

  “What do you get for the guy who has everything?” Shell asked, as she scrolled through texts on her phone.

  “I know, right? He has anything he could ever want, and I’m not sure what I could get him that he doesn’t have, but I’ve got to find something.” She started searching random things and blew her hair out of her face as she came up with absolutely nothing.

  “What do you love about him?” Shell asked.

  “Everything,” Hannah answered without hesitation.

  “No, like, make a list. That way we can see what we can buy.”

  Hannah started marking off things. “I love his tattoos, his good heart, the fact that he has to wear prescription glasses and it’s all a part of his him. I love all of that.”

  Shell snapped her fingers, an idea popping into her head. “What about earrings? He’s worn the same pair since we met him.”

  “That’s an awesome idea.” Hannah sat up straighter in her chair. “The only problem is his ears aren’t normal. They’re gauged or something like that.”

  “Let me text Jared,” she said, as she grabbed her phone and began typing a message to her boyfriend.

  “Tell him not to say anything,” Hannah warned.

  “Trust me; our secret is safe with Jared.”

  An hour later, she had picked out a pair, and thanks to some quick talking from Shell, who was much more assertive, the earrings were being delivered that afternoon to the studio, where Jared assured her they would be.

  “Thanks for helping me,” Hannah told her as she sat down in her makeup chair and started applying products. A lot of singers had professionals that helped, but she preferred to do her own makeup, always had.

  “You’re welcome. I know you’ve been stressed and tired and you miss him. If I can make anything easier for you, then I want to. Sometimes it’s hard for me to know what to do to make things easier for you. I try, but it can be difficult.”

  “It’s because I don’t want people to think I can’t do things on my own. When I met Garrett and he started pointing out how much you do for me, it made me realize how much I had come to count on you doing everything for me. That wasn’t fair for you. It wasn’t even fair to me, because then it was like I couldn’t be an adult. Now I’m struggling with asking for help. Am I going to become that dependent person again? I’m overwhelmed, but I can’t tell if it’s because I have a ton going on or if it’s because I’m a brat like Garrett said,” she laughed. The first time she’d laughed in days.

  “He wasn’t wrong about anything he said; I can be honest enough with you to tell you that. At the same time, all of us can be the same way. All of us have periods of time when we’re just flat-out bitches, and he caught you at a bad time; apparently you caught him at a bad time too. At some point, one of you is going to have to call the other one,” Shell told her. “I can’t believe it’s been two days.”

  “I think it’s the principle that neither one of us wants to give in.”

  “Someone is going to have to.”

  Hannah made a non-committal sound as she finished her makeup and called for hair.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes before show time was always a nervous time for Hannah. She would sit backstage and go through the set list, make sure her voice was good to go, and drink a coffee or energy drink to make sure she was ready. On this night, she couldn’t think of any of that, all she could think of was the fact that she and Garrett still hadn’t spoken to each other. It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to call him, she didn’t mind being the one to make the move, but she was afraid that he wouldn’t pick up the phone, and she wasn’t sure that her confidence could take that yet.

  The phone that sat in her hand buzzed, and she unlocked the screen so she could see why. There was a notification from Instagram. It was from Garrett. It was a picture of him wearing the earrings that she and Shell had picked out.

  “My amazingly gorgeous and generous wife sent these to me today. Love them @HarmonyStewart – love you and see you soon.”

  The smile she wore was bright, it wasn’t a phone call from him, but he had mentioned her, and he had obviously loved the gift, judging by the smile on his face. It was a step in the right direction, and she had to wonder what the “see you soon” meant. A knock on the door caused her to look up.

  “You have a delivery from California,” Shell told her, carrying a bag and a basket into the room.

  Her heart sank slightly. There was a part of her that had hoped it would be Garrett standing there. “Thanks.” She got up and walked over to where Shell stood. Opening it, she glanced inside and burst out laughing.

  “What is it?”

  She pulled out the objects: a package of chocolate bars, a big box of Midol, and a bundle of chick flick DVDs. Along with everything was a note. “This is what I should have done instead of flying off the handle. I will see you soon, I love you, and I’m not sorry for what I said because I meant it, but I’m sorry for the tone, and I’m sorry for taking my bad day out on you.”

  His message pretty much mirrored the one that she had sent him with the earrings. She could breathe again, she realized as she took a deep breath. Pulling her phone out, she glanced at her calendar. The argument had pushed them to the four-week mark. Four more weeks and then she would be done. Knowing that they could overcome their arguments, even if it did take them a few days, gave her the courage to know that they could handle this. Twenty-eight days, less than a month. They had this. They absolutely had this.

  “Harmony, we need you in a few minutes,” one of the stage hands told her.

  “Be right there.” She rushed back to her dressing area and took off the shirt she originally was going to wear. She shuffled through the clothes that hung there. Once she found the “Reaper’s Girl” shirt that he’d given he
r the first day they’d hung out with one another, she put it on, along with a tank top. Quickly she took a selfie and posted it, along with the caption. “Always have been and always will be.”

  They were going to be fine. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

  Chapter Eighteen

  * * *

  As she came off-stage, her phone was ringing. Garrett’s face stared back at her, and she quickly yanked the in-ear monitors out, answering it.

  “Hey, give me a sec, I’m still coming off-stage and I can’t hear.”

  She quickly made her way down the hallway and slammed the door on her dressing room, locking it to give her some privacy.

  “Okay, sorry, everybody was trying to stop me, and I flew right past them.” She breathed heavily as she collapsed in the chair.

  “I figured, but I wanted to be sure and get you before you got somewhere you might not have cell service. To be perfectly honest with you, I couldn’t wait any longer to hear your voice.” His voice was rough as he told her the last part.

  “I’ve missed you too.”

  “Thank you for the earrings.” She could hear the smile in his voice.

  “Thank you for the PMS kit,” she laughed.

  They were quiet for a minute and then she forged ahead. “I’m sorry that ended up the way it did. I know the two of us are going to have to learn how to be married, and I know we’re going to have some growing pains. I know we’re going to argue, but I don’t want to ever go days without talking to you again.”

  “Me neither. I’m sorry as hell about that,” he told her. “I had to cool off and get some perspective.”

  “I’m not saying that just about you, Garrett. I’m sorry about me too. I could have easily picked up the phone and called you too. I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to hear from me.”

  “Always,” he answered quickly. “I always want to fucking hear from you.”

  “Are you sure? You did hang up on me,” she teased.

  “Not one of my finer moments, but I guarantee, if you had called me right back, I would have answered.”

  “I was a little too raw for that,” she admitted. It was easier to admit things when he couldn’t see her face. Then he couldn’t see the shame burning on it. They had to get better at dealing with arguments. Hanging up on each other would never be the answer.

  “I was too, but I hate being angry with you.”

  She smiled, debating on whether she should tell him this part or not. “Shell said that we fight just to make up.”

  He laughed loudly over the line. “Shell might be damn right,” he agreed. “The only problem is we never seem to be in the same place to make up.”

  “Such is our life,” she sighed. “But not for too much longer.” A plan was already being formed in her mind, and she wondered if she was going to be able to pull it off or not. Another one of her five days off was coming at the end of the next week. She wondered if she could surprise her husband with the help of Jared. It would be worth it.

  “Four more weeks,” he answered for her. “I have a countdown on my phone. It tells me every morning when I wake up.”

  “That’s right, it’ll be over before we know it,” she whispered.

  “Hannah,” Shell yelled from outside the door. “We gotta go in fifteen.”

  “Alright, I’ll be ready.”

  “I heard her,” Garrett said before she could tell him that she had to go.

  “I’ll talk to you soon, and hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight since I know we’re okay.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed. “I’ve slept for shit the past couple of days too. I kept wondering if you were going to send me divorce papers, and I got a little worried when those earrings were delivered.”

  That hit her like a shot to the chest. “No way, Garrett. I don’t believe in marriage being easy, which means divorce is the absolute last option in my mind. I’m not giving up on us over a stupid fight.”

  “Good, because I don’t know what I would do without you, and that’s not me blowing smoke up your ass, babe. You’ve quickly become the most important person in my life, and if I lost you, I might as well just give it up, because I wouldn’t make it.”

  “You don’t have to worry about that, I promise. We were being dumb. We’ll try not to do that from now on.”

  “Love you,” he told her. “I know you gotta go. Know that I think about you all the time.”

  “Same here.” She smiled, even though she knew he couldn’t see her. “Love you.”

  As soon as she hung up and walked out of the room, she was already talking to Shell and making plans for her upcoming day off.

  * * *

  “Are you sure everything is ready?” Hannah asked Shell for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  “Yes, Hannah, fuck.”

  “Was that necessary?”

  “Yes, you’re driving me up a damn wall. Jared is going to get Garrett on that plane without ruining the surprise, I promise you.”

  This was the first time she’d ever planned a true surprise trip, and she was understandably nervous. “Sorry I’m annoying.”

  “It’s okay, I get that you’re nervous, but you’ve gotta trust us. We promised to help you and it’s going to work out.”

  Hannah nodded, taking a deep breath. They were exactly five hours from Huntington Beach on this stop of the tour. By plane, it was much less, and she wanted to see her husband in a bad way. Day off number three of the tour was tomorrow. The plan she had come up with would begin in a few hours, so long as Jared lived up to his part of the deal. “I have to go on,” Hannah trailed off.

  “I know, go rock this concert, and then Hannah-and-Garrett getaway day is in effect. I’ll have everything ready for you, I promise.”

  There wasn’t much that Hannah didn’t trust Shell with, so she knew without a doubt that Shell would come through for her, it wasn’t a question of that. She just hoped what had gone on a few weeks ago would not discourage Garrett from doing what she wanted him to. It would ruin the whole plan.

  * * *

  “Are you sure we should go to this bar?” Garrett asked Jared. “Last time I went to a bar, all hell broke loose.”

  “This is a fucking hotel bar, we should be fine.”

  “I hate that we’re here on business and we’re this close to Hannah,” Garrett grumbled. It wasn’t unusual for the record company to send them to help with negotiations for acts that they wanted to sign, but Garrett was pissed that they were this close and he wouldn’t be able to see his wife.

  “Did you tell her?” Jared asked as he ordered a Coke.

  Garrett ordered a beer and a shot of whiskey. “Yeah, and she was as sad as me. I hate hearing that tone in her voice, man. It sucks.”

  “I bet. You’re doing better with it than you were though. I have to give that to you. You aren’t a mean-ass fuck anymore,” Jared joked.

  “I can’t change it. I might as well make the best of it, because it’s not going to be any better if I keep pushing. It’s only going to succeed in pissing us both off and maybe pushing her away. That’s not what I want. I want a successful marriage. I have to learn how to pick my battles.”

  “Damn,” Jared laughed. “Look at you being all mature and shit.”

  “I still like to drink.” He threw the shot back, grinning.

  The two of them sat there for a little while, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Jared’s phone buzzed, and he glanced down at it. “Shit, I gotta go take this. It’s Shell.”

  It was loud in the bar, so Garrett didn’t think anything of him holding up a finger and walking out, the phone held tightly to his ear.

  “Do you want another shot?” the bartender asked, seeing the empty shot glass.

  “Sure,” Garrett figured he might as well have a good time since they had been forced to come on this excursion.

  “Do you want to start a tab?”

  Garrett felt a hand on his thigh, immediately tensing. “You can put it
on mine, and when you bring him one, can you bring me one too?”

  He glanced over to the side, and a slow smile spread across his face. His wife took a seat next to him, setting her own glass on the bar next to his. “You heard the lady,” Garrett told the bartender.

  Hannah still wore her stage makeup, and her hair had been redone. She pushed it back behind her ear. “You come here often? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you before.”

  He couldn’t help the thrill that shot through him, knowing that she was here and it looked like he was going to get to spend time with her. “I’m here on business,” he explained. “How about you?”

  Her brown eyes scanned the room before she slipped the hand on his thigh up higher, lighting cupping him through his jeans. “Pleasure.” She smiled, running her tongue over her bottom lip. “Lots and lots of pleasure.”

  The bartender came back, placing their shots in front of them. “Should we toast to your pleasure?” he asked, squirming in his seat.

  She leaned so close that her lips touch his ear. “I think we should toast to ours.”

  “Where is my wife and what have you done with her?” he groaned as she squeezed the hand that cupped him. He fought not to close his eyes against the pleasure, he didn’t want everyone in the place to know what was going on beneath the cover of the bar top, and he was almost positive that anyone who could see his face would know.

  “Your wife?” she questioned, a saucy smile on her face. She leaned back towards him. “I was thinking I could be a groupie again.”

  That was it, all it took for him to stop thinking clearly. “Throw the shot back with me, and then we are getting out of here,” he told her through clenched teeth.

  The look in his eyes was all she needed to know, it was what she had longed to see for weeks. She needed this closeness to him, to physically feel that he was there with her. She literally could not wait. Picking up the shot glass, she saluted him, and then poured it down her throat, relishing the burn, knowing that it would help her loosen up. It would help her be the woman she wanted to be with him. To be perfectly honest, she still wasn’t comfortable in that role, but she was learning, and that’s all that mattered.