by SJ McCoy
know what to think. Or what to do.
Apparently Autumn didn’t know what to say either. It was a long few minutes before she replied.
I don’t want either of you to worry about me. I can walk away from McAdam.
Summer sighed. She didn’t want Autumn to sacrifice herself any more than she wanted Carter to.
No you won’t! I’ll come back for a while. Don’t let her run you out.
There was another long pause.
She can’t run our lives. Screw her! I’ll walk away.
Summer shook her head. Autumn was stubborn. She’d sooner walk away from her career than have someone use it against her. But Summer couldn’t let her do that.
Let’s both sleep on it? Maybe we’ll think of something.
She could imagine Autumn’s face as she read that. She hated to wait. She would want to make a decision and get on with it.
Ok. I’ll call you in the morning.
Summer wanted to feel relieved, but a part of her was concerned that when Autumn did call it would be say that she’d already quit. She put her phone away and got up to go inside. Then she came outside again. She didn’t know what to do with herself.
~ ~ ~
As Carter walked toward the stadium, he had to wonder if this wasn’t the dumbest move he’d ever made. How was he even going to get to see the guy, let alone convince him that he didn’t need Summer back—and that he did need Autumn?
He decided his best bet would be to hang out by the back entrance. That was how it worked, wasn’t it? The singers and the band would come around here. He realized when he rounded the corner of the building that he wasn’t alone in hoping to catch more than a glimpse of Clay McAdam. There was a barrier set up by the doors and maybe thirty people were hanging around. He pushed his way through to where two big burly guys stood guarding the door.
One of them eyed him suspiciously. “What do you want?”
Carter tipped his hat. “Is there any way I could have a word with Clay McAdam?”
The guy laughed. “You’re kidding, right?”
Carter shook his head. He couldn’t be more serious.
“Listen, every single one of these people would love to have a word with Clay. It doesn’t work like that. You go take your seat in the stadium and you can hear him sing. That’s as close as you’re going to get.”
“But I need to talk to him.”
The guy shook his head. “Forget it.” He turned away from Carter as the door opened behind him. His walkie-talkie crackled and he spoke into it. “Okay folks,” he called. “We’re going to need all of you to move over to the other side, if you will. Clay’s on his way in and if you’re all out of the way there may be time for autographs.”
Carter moved with the rest of the group as the two doormen lifted the barriers and corralled them all on the other side of the street. His heart was racing. Here came his chance and he couldn’t afford to miss it.
A black Suburban came around the corner and the small crowd went wild. They were mostly women, and Carter’s ears rang with their screaming as the Suburban’s door opened and Clay McAdam got out. He took his hat off and waved it toward his fans with a grin. “Now that’s what I call a welcome,” he said.
Carter had to keep pushing his way to the front as excited women tried to elbow him out of the way, all wanting to get an autograph or touch Clay’s arm. Carter had never understood this kind of reaction. He hated the thought of Summer being treated this way. Clay stopped to sign a program that the woman beside Carter thrust in front of him.
“Mr. McAdam?” said Carter.
He didn’t even look up, as he signed a shirt and continued chatting and smiling. Carter stepped forward and spoke up. “Mr. McAdam. Sir?” he had to shout to make himself heard, but it had the desired effect. Clay looked up and met his gaze.
“Nice to meet you, son. Thanks for coming.”
Carter didn’t have anything for him to sign, so he held his hand out to shake.
Clay hesitated, then reached out. He seemed to be weighing Carter up, as if there was something about him he wasn’t sure of. When he took Carter’s hand, Carter gripped on tight. “Sir, I need to talk to you.”
Clay immediately tried to pull his hand away, but Carter held on. He had no choice, this would be his only chance.
“It’s about Summer.”
Clay’s eyebrows came together and he stared hard at Carter, then there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. “I thought you looked familiar, son!”
Carter grinned with relief.
Now it was Clay who was gripping his hand and pulling him toward the gap between the barriers. When they reached it he pulled him through and out of the crowd of now grumbling women.
“Sorry ladies,” called Clay. “I hope y’all enjoy the show. I’ll try and catch you later.” He grinned at Carter. “For now I need to catch up with an old friend.”
Carter grinned at the doorman who looked stunned as Clay pulled him in through the door.
Once they were up in the dressing room, Clay asked one of the many people milling around to get them both a beer. Then he took a seat and gestured for Carter to do the same.
Carter perched on the edge of the sofa. His plan had only gone as far as somehow getting to talk to Clay. Now he was here, he wasn’t at all sure what he was going to say.
“So, what can I do for you, son?”
Carter swallowed. He wasn’t exactly sure what Clay could do for him. All he’d known was that he needed to talk to him.
Clay smiled gently. “Is she okay?”
Carter nodded. “She is. I’m sorry to do this to you, sir…”
“Call me, Clay. You may as well. I’ve a feeling we’re going to be friends.”
Carter thought he was saying that to put him at ease, but it only made him more nervous. He hoped Clay wasn’t expecting him to move to Nashville with Summer. “Thank you, sir. Err, Clay.”
Clay waited while he gathered his thoughts.
“Summer’s okay. She’s happy…we’re happy. In Montana.”
Clay nodded. “I never expected her to come back, kid. When that story ran in the papers up there I saw the photos of the two of you together. I knew.”
Wow! Carter hadn’t been expecting that.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Autumn.”
Clay frowned. “Autumn will do just fine. In fact from what I hear, she already is. She’s whipping Matt’s tour into place and…”
Carter decided to go for it. “And someone named Ashley, doesn’t like it. She’s saying Autumn needs to bring Summer back, and she doesn’t want her working with the other singers.”
Clays eyebrows came together again. He was a good-looking guy; even Carter could see it, but he looked pretty imposing when he frowned like that.
“And why hasn’t Summer come to me herself?”
“Because, sir, this Ashley is threatening to make sure no one will want to work with Autumn if either of them go bothering you with any of this. From what I understand, she’s got her own people working PR for your singers and she doesn’t like the fact—and doesn’t want you to discover that—Autumn does a much better job than any of them. Summer once told me that you like to have the best people on every job, no matter what job it is. I thought you should know what’s going on. I can’t let this Ashley blackmail the girls. I can’t let her make a fool out of you.” He hesitated, but he had to say it—had to be honest. “And most of all I can’t let her steal my future with Summer.”
“How could she do that?”
“Before I came to see you. I’d almost decided to walk away from Summer. To make sure that she went back to Nashville, to help her sister out. I didn’t want her to have to ruin her sister’s career in order to be with me.”
Clay nodded slowly. “And if I tell you you’re full of it? If I say that Ashley has my full support, then what?”
Carter’s heart sank. “Then I guess I have to thank you for your time, and I have t
o live with the fact that I just screwed everything up for both of them.” He got to his feet.
“Hold up, son. I don’t think you’re full it. I think you’ve got guts. I’ve had a bad feeling about Ashley for a little while now. I misjudged there, and I’m not afraid to admit it. You’ve got balls, kid, but then love will do that to a guy, huh?” He smiled. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I’m going to have to get ready and get out there, but will you do me favor?”
“What’s that?”
“Stick around. After tonight’s show I have forty-eight hours before the next one in Seattle. We’ve got some fixing to do, you and me.”
Carter felt the relief rush through him. He nodded and took a swig of the beer that had been placed on the table beside him. “Thank you.”
Clay grinned as he got up. “No, thank you. I think we’re all going to come out winners in this one.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Summer felt awful when she woke up. She’d hardly slept at all. She wasn’t used to sleeping by herself anymore. She hadn’t been able to get comfortable without Carter to rest her head on. She missed him so much. And she was worried. She was worried where he might be, worried what he might be doing. Most of all she was worried that she might have to get used to sleeping without him. She didn’t want to have to do that. Ever.
She got up and went to make herself a pot of coffee. She wasn’t supposed to drink too much of the stuff, but she needed it this morning. She checked her phone. There was a text from Carter. It had come in at one o’clock in the morning.
I love you. I’m coming home.
She smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. Once he was here they could talk. They could figure out what to do together. It would all be okay. Even as she thought it, the knot clenched in her stomach. Would it, though? If they decided that everything would be okay for them, would that mean everything would be far from okay for Autumn? She hated the thought that doing what made her happy might cost her sister her career. She wanted to believe that Autumn could walk away and go to work with someone else. Ashley said she could ruin her reputation and make sure she never worked in Nashville again, but did she really have that much sway? Summer knew how it worked, though. Ashley didn’t need that much sway. All she needed was to start a rumor. Gossip spread fast in Nashville. If people in the industry thought there was a reason that McAdam Records had parted ways with Autumn, they wouldn’t want to take the risk of working with her themselves.
She needed to call Autumn. They’d said they’d sleep on it. Summer still didn’t have a solution, but she was starting to think she’d have to go back to Nashville to try to sort things out. Maybe Carter would go with her? Just for a short time. As she considered that possibility, a thought struck her. If she made Beau an offer on the house and got started on the purchasing process, surely that would help Carter to see that she wasn’t going to let him give up on her—on them? It would show him she was serious about staying here, even if she had to go away for a short time. That was it. She needed to buy the house!
For the first time since she’d woken up yesterday, she felt as though there was something constructive she could do. She took her coffee and her phone and went to sit on the sofa to call Beau.
“Good morning,” he answered. He sounded bright and perky, almost overly so.
“Hi, Beau.” Her voice sounded a little better this morning, but not much.
“Ouch, you sound bad. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I want to talk to you about buying the house.”
“Oh.”
That sounded ominous. “What’s up? You did say I could have first refusal, didn’t you?”
“I did, but things have changed.”
“What do you mean they’ve changed?” Summer couldn’t believe it. She knew the others said that Beau could be an asshole if he wanted to be, but she hadn’t wanted to believe it. She’d never seen that in him, until now.
“I’m sorry, Summer. Last night I received an offer on the place, and it’s not one I can refuse.”
Wow! She was stunned. “I didn’t think you’d do that to me, Beau!”
“Neither did I. I’m sorry, Summer.” He did sound genuinely sorry, but that didn’t count for much.
“So am I,” she said and hung up. She couldn’t quite believe it. He was going to sell the place out from under her? She supposed she should have asked him when he wanted her out, but she’d been too stunned. Besides, it’d be up to him to tell her. She was only renting month to month, but she’d assumed—because he’d said—that it would be for as long as she liked.
She sat and fumed to herself as she drank her coffee. She got her phone out and started browsing the real estate sites. She was staying here in the valley, no matter what Beau or Carter or anyone else said or did! She’d just have to find another place. She wanted Carter to know that she was ready to put down roots here, and buying a house should go a long way toward proving that to him.
She could only imagine that Carly and James had made an overpriced offer on this place. And Beau was too greedy to turn it down—even if it meant going back on his word. Well, screw him! She’d just find another house and work with a different realtor.
She browsed through a couple of websites before she had to admit that she was putting off calling Autumn. She dialed her number and waited, but only got through to voicemail.
“Hey, sis. We need to decide what we’re going to do. Call me back.”
She hung up and looked around. She’d be sad to leave this house. She’d loved it since the first time she saw it. It had felt like a sanctuary and she’d been thinking that it would become her and Carter’s home. Oh, well. She’d adapt. She’d have to. She’d find some place just as good, if not better.
She wanted to call Carter to see where he was and when he’d be back. She hoped that going off by himself like that had been enough to make him come to his senses. She tried his number, but that just went straight to voicemail, too. It’s seemed as though no one wanted to talk to her today.
~ ~ ~
Autumn grinned at Carter. “Thank you!”
He smiled and nodded. He couldn’t believe just how well this whole thing was working out. “Thank you, for not being mad at me. For a while there I was scared I was just making everything worse.”
Autumn nodded. “If you’d asked me if you should do this, I would have told you hell no! It wasn’t worth the risk, but I’m so glad you took the risk.” She grinned. “And even more glad it paid off so well.”
Clay took his headphones out and smiled over at them. “You did good, Carter. It seems to me that we all owe you one after this.”
“No one owes me anything. I’m just glad it’s all worked out.”
Clay looked out the plane window. “Well, we’re almost there, so now you get to see if the most important part of all works out.”
Carter nodded. He was pretty sure it would. His head was still spinning from everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, but all that mattered now was getting back to Summer.
After the show last night, they’d gone to the airport and flown back to Nashville in Clay’s jet. This morning, they’d gone to McAdam Records where Clay had met with both Ashley and Autumn. After that, the three of them had headed back to the airport and now they were about to land back in Bozeman. Carter had been a little surprised that both Clay and Autumn had wanted to come with him to see Summer, but he could hardly say no, could he?
Once they landed, Carter led the way to the parking lot where he’d left his truck the day before. They still had an hour’s drive before he’d get to see Summer. “Do you mind if I call her before we go?”
Clay shook his head. “Let her know you’re coming home, but don’t spoil the surprise.” He smiled at Autumn. “I want to see her face when we both show up and tell her our news.”
Carter dialed her number and waited while it rang.
“Carter!” her voice didn’t sound good.
“Hey, darlin’, a
re you okay?”
“I’ve had better days. Where are you? When are you coming home?”
“I’m in Bozeman, I’m on my way.”
“Oh, thank God. We need to talk, and I need you to stop running away from me when the going gets tough!”
“I’ll try.” He smiled. “I think you might be able to forgive me for this one though.”
“You know I forgive you…wait, what do you mean?”
“I’ll tell you when I get there.”
“Okay, but hurry up, will you?”
“I’m on my way.”
Summer paced the deck while she waited. It’d take him an hour to get here from Bozeman. She couldn’t wait to see him, couldn’t wait for him to explain what he’d meant about her being able to forgive him for having left. What had he done? She had no clue.
She tried calling her sister again while she waited, but Autumn still wasn’t picking up. Summer had to hope that she was okay.
Carter stopped out on East River Road before he turned into Summer’s driveway. “Can I ask a favor of you both?”
Clay and Autumn both nodded.
“Would you mind waiting in the truck a few minutes while I go see her first?”
Autumn smiled. “Of course.”
Clay nodded. “I wouldn’t expect anything less, son. But don’t leave us out here too long, will you? You’ve got the rest of your life with her. I’ve not got long before I need to get back to the airport and on my way to Seattle.”
“No problem.” Carter had to hope that Clay was right and that he would get to spend the rest of his life with Summer. So many problems had been solved in the last twenty-four hours, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any more left. For one thing, he didn’t know what Summer would do here. He didn’t know what she would do anywhere if she weren’t singing, but it wasn’t as though there were many opportunities to do much of anything here in the valley. He started the truck back up and turned into the long driveway. One thing at a time. That was all they could deal with.
When he stopped in front of the house he said, “Won’t be long,” and then he jumped out of his truck. He ran up the front steps quickly, wanting to get to the front door before Summer came out and spotted his passengers. He opened the door quietly, then closed it behind him with a slam.