“Demo?” Numbness spread from Greer’s hand clutching the phone to her lips. She must be experiencing an exhaustion-induced delusion.
“Yes.” A hint of confusion crept into the lady’s voice. “I am talking with the writer of ‘Dark Side of the Mountain,’ aren’t I?”
Greer met Ally’s wide eyes and nodded, realizing after a few beats that the woman on the other end of the phone couldn’t see her. “Yes. My partner Ally and I wrote it. Someone actually wants to record it?”
Ally slapped both hands over her mouth and bounced on the chair.
“Indeed. A top-flight artist. I’m not at liberty to mention her name, but let’s just say she doesn’t like men who cheat.”
Carrie Underwood. How could Greer possibly not know the song that had set her life spinning on a different course? “That sounds incredible.”
“Wonderful. We would love to meet you and your co-writer face-to-face to talk about licensing.”
After setting up a meeting for the following week, Greer hit the end button and let out a whoop. “I can’t believe it.”
Emmett scooped Greer closer. “I’m so proud of you.”
Ally stood up and pumped both arms before plopping back down. “Are they actually going to pay us? Did she say who was interested?”
Greer filled Ally and Emmett in on the conversation. “She couldn’t say for sure, but I’m about 99.9 percent sure it’s Carrie Underwood.”
“Are you sure she didn’t make a mistake?” Ally asked, her eyes huge. “Maybe they called the wrong people.”
“I doubt there’s a plethora of songs floating around called ‘Dark Side of the Mountain.’” Had the call been a hallucination? She checked her phone’s log and there was the number.
“But that was our first song. You sent it in months and months ago,” Ally said.
“It’s all about timing. Right song and right artist.” Reality was taking hold. It was happening. After grinding it out for years in Nashville without even a brush with success, Greer had realized her dream on her own terms. But not without help.
She reached over Emmett and took Ally’s hand. “This wouldn’t have happened without you.”
Ally squeezed her hand. “I couldn’t have done it without you either. We make a good team, don’t we?”
“We sure do.” Greer turned to Emmett and took his face between her hands, pressing a kiss on his lips. “And you.”
“What about me? You and Ally wrote the song and deserve the credit.” He took her wrist and rubbed his thumb along her pulse point.
The strength of her feelings for this man rampaged through her, too wild to contain. A tear trickled out even though she smiled. “You encouraged me to fly, Emmett. I love you.”
“I’m just going to … check on Bonnie. Not that anyone will notice,” Ally murmured as she sidled to the porch.
“Marry me.” Emmett stared into her eyes, the intensity startling.
As if having an out-of-body experience, she traced the path of her life like the old board game. Never would she have guessed the twists and turns that brought her full circle back to Madison, yet somehow being in his arms at this moment felt inevitable.
She was exactly where she wanted to be. Winding her arms around his neck, she touched her lips against his. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Acknowledgments
A big thank-you for the team at St. Martin’s Press for making books happen! The ability to experience other people’s tragedies and triumphs enriches our lives, makes our world bigger, and grows our empathy for others. In my opinion, extensive reading is a fundamental requirement for leadership. From the multiple editors to the cover designers to the sales and marketing departments—it really does take a village. Special shout-out to my editor, Eileen Rothschild, and my agent, Kevan Lyon!
I also want to thank Laura (Merryman) Brown, an old high school buddy, and her husband, who were kind enough to answer questions about making a living songwriting in Nashville. Speaking of songwriting, I learned it is a different skill entirely from writing prose, and I don’t have it! I’m even more in awe of the songwriters out there who can create an emotional story in just a few lines. Songs have always been a big inspiration for me in terms of writing books, and even more so now that I can truly appreciate the talent needed to put together the perfect song.
The VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) have posts all over the country, including one in my fictional town of Madison, Tennessee. I remember the post in my own Tennessee hometown as being a big gathering spot. As a child it seemed pretty raucous, to be honest. But in addition to the social interaction, VFW posts offer support to returning veterans, including financial and mental-health support, and grassroots advocacy.
Most of us will never experience the tough road military families who have lost a loved one in action must tread. This book is dedicated to the families who rebuild their lives after a tragic loss. I hope I have portrayed the pain and strength with honesty and compassion.
Also by Laura Trentham
THE SWEET HOME ALABAMA SERIES
Slow and Steady Rush
Caught Up in the Touch
Melting Into You
THE COTTONBLOOM SERIES
Kiss Me That Way
Then He Kissed Me
Till I Kissed You
Candy Cane Christmas (novella)
Light Up the Night (novella)
Leave the Night On
When the Stars Come Out
Set the Night on Fire
THE HEART OF A HERO SERIES
The Military Wife
THE HIGHLAND, GEORGIA SERIES
A Highlander Walks into a Bar
A Highlander in a Pickup Truck
About the Author
LAURA TRENTHAM is an award-winning author of romance and women’s fiction living in South Carolina. A former chemical engineer, she couldn’t escape her love of storytelling and began writing when her kids started school. Fueled by coffee, country music, and collard greens, she writes books set mainly in the South. You can sign up for email updates here.
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Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Also by Laura Trentham
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
First published in the United States by St. Martin’s Griffin, an imprint of the St. Martin’s Publishing Group
AN EVERYDAY HERO. Copyright © 2020 by Brandon Webb. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Danielle Fiorella
Cover photographs: chairs © Angela Auclair/Getty Images; woman © plainpicture/Stephen Carroll
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-14556-7 (ebook)
e-ISBN 9781250145567
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: February 2020
An Everyday Hero Page 28