“Maybe this will be the wake-up call my brother needs. Could be he’ll realize you’re more important than puttin’ his stamp on the country music industry.”
She opened one eye to look at him and a tear slipped down her cheek. “You don’t really believe that.” When he didn’t respond, she sighed. “I love you for caring, but you can’t say or do anything to fix this. There’s no point prolonging the inevitable any longer. If Evan and I both just accept that it’s time to go our separate ways, maybe we can start to heal, to think about moving on with our lives.”
Ryan knew he shouldn’t ask, but self-restraint had never been his strong suit. “Does this have somethin’ to do with your co-worker? The guy I saw out in the lobby?”
“You mean Jeff?”
“Is that his name?”
“Yeah.” She balled the tissue in her fist. “We’re just friends.”
“But he wants more?” Ryan knew his type. He wouldn’t hesitate to use Erika’s vulnerable state to his advantage.
“He’s never crossed any lines, if that’s what you’re asking.” She looked up, her eyes meeting Ryan’s. “Neither have I. Just for the record, I’ve always been faithful to your brother.”
“I know,” he said, gripping her knee. “You don’t even have to say that.”
She looked at Ryan’s hand before she said, “I’m gonna miss you guys so much. Evan and I were together so long, y’all felt like family to me.”
Ryan leaned back and slung an arm over her shoulder, drawing her into his side. “You ever need anything, you don’t hesitate to call me, okay?”
She rested her head on his shoulder and sniffled. “Thanks, Ry. Being an only child, you always kind of felt like a brother to me.”
Ryan chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Yeah, and you’re like the daughter my mama would have gladly traded me for.”
“Liar.” She slapped his leg. “But I will miss your parents.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining. “Tell them I love them, okay? Tell them I’m sorry things had to turn out this way.”
“You could tell them yourself. Just because Evan’s not a part of your life anymore doesn’t mean we can’t be.”
“I think it’s best if we keep our distance for a while. It’ll just make it harder to move on if I stay in touch with his family.”
“You’re sure this is what you want?” he asked, kissing the top of her head.
“Of course it’s not what I want. I want things to be the way they used to be when I mattered to him. But since that’s not gonna happen, this is the way it has to be.”
Chapter Five
Ryan knew his brother was at the office. He’d seen his car parked in his reserved spot near the main doors. He was dreading this conversation, but if he could help Evan and Erika find their way back to each other, he had to try.
Evan slammed the phone down and glared at him. “I was just tryin’ to call you. Where the hell have you been? We have a meetin’ with a client in half an hour, and he’s thinkin’ about jumpin’ ship. We need to strategize.”
“I just came from seein’ Erika.”
“You did? What did she say?” He propped his elbows on the desk and dropped his head into his hands. “I’ve been tryin’ to call her for hours. She won’t take my calls. Just tell me what she said.” In a rare moment of weakness, he said, “Please tell me it’s not too late.”
Ryan sat down across from him and folded his hands in front of him. “It will be if you don’t make some changes.”
He sighed. “If you’re talkin’ about my workload-”
“You were right about that Jeff guy. He wants her.” Ryan knew that bit of information would get his brother’s attention faster than another lecture about finding a healthy balance in his life.
“She didn’t… they’re not…” He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “I can’t even say it. I can’t even think about her bein ’with someone else, Ry. She’s mine.”
“Not anymore she’s not.” Ryan knew it was harsh, but subtlety had never been the best approach with Evan. Sometimes he needed a shot between the eyes, and lucky for him, Ryan didn’t mind being the one to deliver the blow, when need be. “If you don’t do something, fast, that dude’s gonna take advantage of the fact she’s still reelin’ from your break-up, and he’s gonna find a way to get her into bed. We both know if that happens, it really will be over for you two.”
Evan fisted his hands on his desk. “If he so much as lays a hand on her, I’ll kill him.”
“That’s just it, man. You can’t do shit. She’s not your girlfriend anymore, remember?”
“You think I need you to remind me of that?” He swallowed as though the words were stuck in his throat. “I rolled over this mornin’ to an empty bed. I walked into a half-empty closet where her clothes belong. Jesus…” he said, lacing his hands behind his head. “I can’t do this. I don’t know how to do this without her. That woman is everything to me.”
Ryan thought of his relationship with Brianna. That’s exactly how he would have described her. She was the first person he called to share good news or commiserate about a lousy day. He couldn’t lose that. Even if it meant keeping his feelings for her to himself so they could go on being friends. It beat the alternative. Not having her in his life at all was unimaginable.
“She’s my best friend.”
Ryan was surprised to hear his brother echoing his own thoughts and it took a minute for him to realize that he was talking about Erika. “I know.”
“No, you don’t know,” he said quietly. “You can’t possibly know what it’s like to lose the person who makes your life worth livin’.”
“Don’t say shit like that.” Aside from their father, Evan was the strongest man Ryan knew. It seemed he could handle anything. Except maybe this. “You’ve got a lot to live for.”
“Oh yeah, like what?”
“You have this company, friends, a family who loves you. You’re rich, smart, successful…” Ryan grinned when his brother shot him a derisive look. “Maybe you should go on that show, The Bachelor.” He laughed. “You could meet thirty eligible women who’d fight for the right to make the acquaintance of your big bank account.”
“Get outta here.” Evan rubbed his face. “Go and ask Susan to set up refreshments in the board room.” He looked at his watch. “You have exactly ten minutes to get your ass in there.”
Ryan got up and made his way to the door. Looking back, he saw his brother reach for the phone. “You gonna try callin’ her again?”
“What choice do I have?”
***
After their meeting, Ryan made his way down the hall to Brianna’s corner office. “Hey there, you got time for a coffee break? I just got out of a hellacious meetin’ and I’m not ready to get back to work just yet.”
She looked up from her computer monitor, hitting him where it hurt when she licked her lips. “I always have time for you, you know that.” She pointed to the chair across from her desk. “Grab a coffee and tell me all about this meeting that has you so wound up.”
Ryan poured himself a coffee from the carafe she always kept on a little table in the corner, though caffeine was the last thing he needed. Seeing Brianna had already given him the adrenaline surge he needed. “Lance Leeman is makin’ noise about findin’ a new label.”
Her mouth dropped open as she turned her swivel chair to face him. “No way! He’s been with Titan since the beginning. Why would he want to leave?”
Ryan sighed as he slumped into one of the uncomfortable armchairs he hated so much. His next order of business would be hiring an interior designer who would gladly help him put his stamp on the building. “He says he doesn’t like the direction we’re takin’ the label.” He chuckled. “Says there’s no place for rap in country music, and he mentioned those boys goin’ on the awards shows with chains hangin’ from their belt loops and full sleeves of ink. He says he doesn’t want to be a part of a label who endorses that kind of artist.”
>
Brianna winced. “You can’t deny it. The face of country music is changing. It’s not my grandmother’s music anymore.”
“Thank God for that.” Ryan laughed when she pointed at him, trying to contain her smile.
“Behave yourself.” She pinched her lips together, trying to look stern. “There will always be a place for the old school country artists like Lance. You need to remain diverse. Otherwise, you’re going to lose the broad appeal that Titan built its reputation on.”
Ryan’s vision of the new Titan included young, fresh artists who weren’t afraid to push the boundaries and introduce country fans to a new kind of music. As far as he was concerned, artists who couldn’t see their vision shouldn’t have a home at Titan. Unfortunately, he and his brother disagreed. Evan was determined to keep Lance and the old guard around as long as possible.
“Evan thinks it’ll look bad if too many of the old boys bail all at once. Personally, I think we should just clean house and start fresh.”
Brianna smiled. “Your father would kick your ass if he heard you say that.”
“I don’t care. This is our company now. I love and respect the old man, but when he retired and put us in charge, he agreed to let us do things our way.”
“I know, but I’m afraid I have to agree with Evan on this one, Ry. You need to take it slow. If you try to implement these changes all at once, you risk alienating the artists you need to move forward. People don’t like change, especially when their livelihood is at stake. We’ve all seen artists who said or did the wrong thing and alienated their fans. One day they’re on top of the world, selling out stadiums, and the next, they’ve hit rock bottom. We all know things can change on a dime in this business. Nothing’s a sure thing.”
The way I feel about you is a sure thing, darlin’. “How’d you get so smart, pretty lady?” He smiled over the rim of his paper cup, enjoying the color that flamed her cheeks.
“I was studying while you were out getting drunk, remember?”
Ryan threw his head back and laughed. He loved that she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind with him. Most of the women he’d dated in the past were afraid of offending him, so they held their tongue even when he deserved a verbal lashing. Not Brianna. That was one of the dozens of reasons he couldn’t stop himself from falling in love with her.
“All right, so I enjoyed my college years. I’ve grown up a lot since then.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “Didn’t you tell me you tied one on at Johnny’s strip joint just last week?” She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know why you’re still friends with that guy. He’s a loser if you ask me.”
That was the problem with sharing all of his secrets with her. There was nothing about him that she didn’t know. Well, maybe one thing. The most important thing: the way he felt about her. “You know I was just there to celebrate a buddy’s pendin’ nuptials. I don’t hang out there near as much as I used to.” He grinned when she rolled her eyes. “Come on now, I’m serious.”
“Why don’t I believe you?”
“Those girls at Johnny’s place got nothin’ on you, baby.” He locked eyes with her, daring her to dispute his claim. It was the closest he’d come to telling her he was attracted to her since the night they’d kissed years ago. “You gotta know that.” When the silence dragged on, he decided to change the subject. “What have you got against Johnny anyway?”
“You mean aside from the fact that he was determined to get me in to bed during college?”
That was news to Ryan. “What are you talkin’ about? You never told me that.”
She shrugged. “It was no big deal. I shot him down every time he tried.”
“Still, you should’ve told me. I would’ve told him to back the hell off.” Ryan hated to think about her fending off a guy like Johnny on her own. He knew how relentless Johnny could be when he set his sights on a woman, and he didn’t like to take no for an answer.
“Ancient history,” she said with a wave of her hand. Turning back to her computer monitor, she moved the mouse to restore the screen. “Get out of here, Spencer. Coffee time is over. I’ve got work to do.”
“I went to see Erika this mornin’.” He wasn’t ready to leave. No matter how much time they spent together, it was never enough.
“Oh, how’d that go?” she asked, giving him her undivided attention once again.
“She’s hurtin’ almost as much as my brother, but she’s determined to keep her distance. She says it’s over. Accordin’ to her, there’s no goin’ back.”
Brianna sighed. “I’m so sorry to hear that. I know how much they love each other. It’s a shame they can’t find a way to work it out.”
“Personally, I think my brother’s a fool.” He set his coffee down on the table beside him and leaned forward. “When you find your soul mate, you don’t put anything else above her.”
Brianna propped her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her upturned palms. “Who knew you were such a romantic?”
“There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Bri.”
She scoffed. “I doubt that. Sometimes, I think I know you better than you know yourself.”
Ryan looked at her a long time before he said, “In a lot of ways, you’re probably right. But you don’t know some things, things I just may have to tell ya about one of these days.” He questioned his sanity as he actually considered whether he should tell her how he felt. His mouth was suddenly dry and his heart was beating like a drum when he said, “Listen, Bri…”
Before he could continue, she was looking past him to the delivery man standing at the door. “Can I help you?”
“I have a delivery here for Brianna Cooper.”
“Oh my goodness,” she said, getting up to meet him at the door.
Ryan turned to see a uniformed man carrying a huge crystal vase containing a profusion of red and white roses. His stomach plummeted. Without asking her to read the card, he knew who they were from. Clint. No question about it, this guy intended to pull out all the stops, and if Ryan didn’t find a way to stop him, he was going to steal the woman who belonged with him.
After tipping the young man, she carried the flowers over and set them on the edge of the desk. A wide grin split her face as she read the embossed card. Handing it to Ryan, she asked, “How sweet is that?”
He looked at the masculine scrawl and tried to contain his frustration as he read the message.
Last night was one of the best nights of my life. I have a feeling with you by my side, it’s only going to get better. I can’t wait to see you tonight. Clint
“I can’t believe you’re really gonna meet this guy’s family after just one date. That’s crazy.”
She snatched the card back and stuck it back in the arrangement. “I don’t recall asking for your opinion. I made up my mind. I’m going.”
“Why?”
“Because I like him, and I think this may be going somewhere, that’s why.” She reclaimed her chair and grabbed the edge of the desk to wheel herself closer to her computer. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
He still had so much to say, but he knew any more comments about the man she was seeing would only antagonize her further, so he stood up and walked to the door. “Just do me a favor. Be careful, okay?”
She looked up and her features softened. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
“I just don’t wanna see you get in over your head with this guy.”
“You mean like I did with Jared?” She smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t think Clint is anything like him.”
That’s what worried Ryan. Jared Ross was a joke, but Clint was a real threat.
***
Brianna took a sip of water as she tried to ignore the curious glances from the diners surrounding them. Clint and his father had been arguing about everything from the price of gas to whether he should extend his concert tour to Asia.
“Don’t mind them,” Clint’s mother said, fo
rcing a smile. “It’s always like this when they get together. If Clint says black, his father says white. Poor boy, I know he just wants to please him, but my Leroy is as stubborn as a mule sometimes. He doesn’t understand that our son has this one life to live. He has to do what makes him happy.” She regarded her son a long time before she said, “I just wish Clint had the courage to stand up to his daddy.”
Brianna frowned. It seemed to her that he’d been doing little else since they sat down. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“They waste all this time bickering about the little things because Clint resents the fact that he can’t be honest with him about the big things.”
Brianna didn’t know if she wanted to be drawn any further into this family drama, so she reached for a sugar packet and stirred the granules into her coffee cup. “Not all parents and children see eye-to-eye, I suppose.” She smirked when she thought of the fights Ryan had with Luc. Evan was just like his father, but Ryan got off on testing Luc’s patience at every opportunity. “One of my closest friends has the same kind of relationship with his father. It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other; they do. They’re just very different people.”
“That’s the way it is with Leroy and our boys. He thinks he knows what’s best for them, but he never stops to ask them what they want.”
Eleanor Davis seemed like she’d endured her fair share of hard knocks, and Brianna felt sorry for her. She’d barely gotten a word in over dinner, with her husband and son talking over her every time she opened her mouth to speak. “I’m sure they’ll work it out eventually, Mrs. Davis.” She nodded toward the two men, who were now in a heated argument about who was going to win the World Series. “At least they’re keeping the lines of communication open.”
Eleanor rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I’m not sure that’s such a good thing.”
Brianna smiled. “Take my friend Ryan, for example. He and his father have been at odds for as long as I can remember, but they’re still as close as any father and son I know.”
Game On Page 5