Turn the Page

by Logan, Sydney

  “Don’t make me put the cuffs on you. Give me your phone.”

  With a frustrated groan, Corbin tossed his cell on Keith’s desk.

  “I’ll call Dad,” Ben said. “He’ll be thrilled to know that, for the second time this month, one of his kids needs bail money.”

  Corbin rolled his eyes.

  Disturbing the peace, seriously?

  “Keith, all we were doing was—”

  “I know what you were doing. Come with me,” Keith said, leading Corbin down a hallway. “I’m afraid we’re a little overcrowded. You’ll have to share a cell for the time being.”

  Overcrowded?

  As they walked, Corbin didn’t hear a sound. Not another inmate was in sight.

  And he counted three empty cells.

  When they reached the fourth and final cell, Keith grabbed his keys and unlocked the door. With a heavy sigh, Corbin slowly marched in.

  “Hey, you!” Keith yelled at the inmate on the bottom bunk. “Brought you a cellmate. I know how cold and lonely jail can be.”

  The prisoner snorted and rolled over, and suddenly, Corbin found himself staring into the face of Gavin Massey.

  “So . . .” Keith said. “My deputies are all out patrolling. I’m the only one here. You guys try to keep it down, okay?”

  Corbin smirked.

  Keith Daniels wasn’t the sheriff tonight.

  He was a brother.

  Gavin’s eyes were filled with panic as he slowly lifted himself off the bunk.

  “Keith, don’t leave me in here!”

  “Sorry, Gavin. Overcrowding. We’ve had such a crime spree lately. Forced entry. Assault. Arson.” Keith stepped out and locked the door behind him. “Don’t get too comfortable, Corbin. I’m sure your dad will be here as soon as he can.”

  Keith walked back down the hallway.

  “You can’t do this!” Gavin screamed. “I hope you’re enjoying your reign as an elected official because when the truth comes out—”

  “Yeah,” Corbin said darkly as he walked around the cell, never taking his eyes off Gavin. “That’s the funny thing about the truth. It always manages to come out, doesn’t it? Like, I know the truth about that night at Jolie’s. I know how you used her house key to walk right in and scare the shit out of her. I know how you put your hands on her. How you wrapped one around her neck and pushed her up against a wall.”

  Gavin’s eyes widened with fear as Corbin crept toward him. His voice was low and menacing as he leaned close.

  “And I know how you burned her bookstore to the ground.”

  The blood drained from Gavin’s face.

  “How . . . who—”

  Corbin grabbed him by the throat and threw him against the concrete wall. Kicking and sputtering, Gavin tried to break free, but Corbin—fueled with rage and fury—held on as tight as he could.

  “It’s a small town. And the truth always comes out.”

  Corbin’s hand was like a vice around Gavin’s throat. He couldn’t hide his satisfied smile when the man’s face turned crimson.

  “The arson . . . I probably could’ve forgiven that. You actually did her a favor. Her heart wasn’t in it anymore, and the insurance will cover the loss. Now she’s free to go out on tour with me, so honestly, it’s a blessing. In fact, I should probably thank you. The road won’t be nearly as lonely now.”

  Gavin’s breathing was coming out in rough gasps. He’d probably need an ambulance.

  Good.

  “So yeah, I should probably thank you. But . . . I just can’t. Because you did the one thing I can’t forgive. You touched my girl. You left bruises on her body. If my brother hadn’t arrived, you would’ve done worse. You are so, so lucky you didn’t do worse. It’s the only reason you’re still alive. So, I’m not going to kill you tonight, Gavin Massey. However . . .”

  Corbin punched him in the face, causing Gavin’s legs to buckle. He fell to the floor, cursing and gasping for air while Corbin kicked him once in the ribs. Gavin screamed and clutched his stomach in agony, his mournful wails echoing off the concrete walls.

  “Everything okay back here?”

  Corbin kicked him one last time before turning toward Keith.

  “Everything’s just fine, Sheriff.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Keith said, gazing with a satisfied smirk at the beaten man on the ground. “Good news, Mr. James. You made bail.”

  Corbin didn’t even look back as he walked out of the jail cell. Keith locked the door and led him down the hallway.

  “Here,” Keith said, handing Corbin his phone. “You’d better answer it.”

  He glanced down at the screen. Jolie.

  Ten missed calls. Ten voice mails.

  “I . . . think I’ll wait.”

  “Probably best.”

  “How pissed is she?”

  “Mildly.”

  “Just mildly?”

  Keith grinned and pointed to his desk, where Ben was talking rapidly on his phone. Corbin’s continued to vibrate persistently in his hand.

  “I’m dealing with my woman,” Ben said with a smirk. “Time to deal with yours.”

  Corbin sighed heavily and placed the phone against his ear.

  “Hi, baby.”

  “Don’t you hi baby me! What did you do? Did you kill him? Because if you did, you’ll go to prison. You understand that, right? Prison! No house. No porch. No wedding. No babies. No songwriting. You. Will. Go. To. Prison. And there won’t be a damn thing my brother can do to help you because he’ll be in the cell right beside you!”

  “Jolie, I—”

  “One afternoon! We leave town for one afternoon and the men in my life go all frontier justice. Did you think about me? Did you think about the consequen—”

  “Jolie, I didn’t kill him.”

  “You did something!”

  “I just beat him up a little. He deserved worse.”

  “It doesn’t matter. You should have let the police handle it. Oh wait! They did. My brilliant brother arrested him and you, and then put the two of you in a cell together.”

  Corbin tiredly rubbed his face. “Sweetheart, I love you, but if you expect me to apologize I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed.”

  Jolie exhaled a noisy sigh. “Just . . . go home, okay?”

  “Mine or yours?”

  “Mine.”

  He grinned.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Corbin and Ben ended their calls at the same time.

  Keith chuckled. “Sure am glad I’m single.”

  The brothers smiled. Yes, their women were pissed. But they’d forgive them.

  “Keith, I . . . don’t know what to say,” Corbin said.

  The men shook hands.

  “Don’t say anything,” Keith said. “Just take care of my sister for the rest of her life.”

  Corbin smiled. “I can do that.”

  The house was strangely quiet when Corbin walked in.

  “Sweetheart?”

  “Back here,” Jolie called from the bedroom.

  Corbin walked into her room and froze in his tracks when he found her on the bed, wearing the sexiest and laciest gown he’d ever seen.

  “I know you like to see me in white,” she said softly.

  With a grin, he walked into the room.

  “I like seeing you in anything . . . or nothing. Am I to assume this means you’re not mad at me anymore?”

  Jolie laid back against the pillow. “Oh, I’m furious.”

  Corbin slowly shed his clothes and joined her in bed.

  “You don’t look furious. You look gorgeous,” he said, gently trailing his fingers along the lace. “Is this new?”

  “A gift from your sister-in-law. She called it reunion lingerie. We didn’t get the chance to use it in St. Louis.”

  “We’ll use it now,” he said.

  Jolie moaned softly when his lips found hers.

  When Corbin and Jolie joined the tour in Cincinnati, it didn’t take her long
to realize that she was going to have a lot of time on her hands. Between interviews, rehearsals, sound checks, and shows, Corbin stayed busy, leaving Jolie with just her e-books to keep her company. Two weeks later, when the tour bus pulled into Chicago, she was practically begging Karin for a job.

  “You don’t even have to pay me. Just give me something to do.”

  To shut her up, Karin gave her a camera and told her to play photographer for the rest of the tour. Jolie was grateful because the entire trip had become one big blur. Night after night. City after city. One show right after another. If it hadn’t been for the pictures, Jolie wouldn’t remember where they’d been or what they’d seen.

  As Karin predicted, the record label asked Corbin to extend his tour for another year. It was an amazing opportunity—and the money was insane—but the additional dates would require him to travel overseas. Jolie urged him to consider it, and Corbin promised he would, but only if she could join him on the tour.

  Tonight they were on the bus, headed to one of the Dakotas. Corbin couldn’t remember which. Stretched out on the bed, he quietly strummed his guitar while Jolie talked to her dad on the phone. He could tell something was wrong as soon as she ended the call.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  Jolie nodded.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. Dad just shared some sad news. And some interesting news.”

  He placed his guitar in its case and pulled her into his arms.

  “What’s up?”

  “Remember Ms. McDonald?” she asked. “From the public library?”

  “The librarian?”

  “Yeah. She died a few days ago. Apparently, she’d been sick for a while. No one knew.”

  “I’m sorry. Did you know her well?”

  “Not really. She just offered me a job every time she came into the bookstore.” Jolie took a deep breath. “Corbin, one of the town’s council members called Dad. They offered me the job. Effective . . . as soon as the tour is over. If I want it.”

  “Jolie, that’s great!”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “Why?”

  Then he realized why. If she took the job, she couldn’t travel with him overseas. Deep down, Corbin had been hoping for something—anything—that would make this an easy decision. And now he had it.

  “Jolie, do you want the job?”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Do you want the job?”

  She nodded slowly.

  “Do you know what I want?” he asked softly. “I want to get off this tour bus. I want to see my family. I want to start building our house. I want to go home. For good.”

  “But it’s an amazing opportunity, Corbin.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “The money is crazy.”

  “I don’t care. I’m done, Jolie. And I think you are, too.”

  She sighed softly. “I am sick of this bus.”

  Corbin chuckled. “Me, too.”

  “But you could go, Corbin. It’s just a year. We can handle it.”

  “I don’t want to handle it. It’s a year away from you. From home. From my family. From everything I love. The only reason I was even considering it was because you could go with me and we could see Europe together.”

  “I don’t want to keep you from this amazing opportunity.”

  “You’re giving me so many amazing opportunities, Jolie Daniels. You’re giving me a life I never dreamed possible. A home. A family. That’s all I want, and I want it with you.”

  Jolie’s eyes shined with tears as Corbin kissed her gently.

  “I want to show you something,” he said, reaching over to the bedside table for his journal. “Despite the fact I’m a songwriter, there were some nights I found it hard to put into words how much I missed you. And how much you mean to me. I haven’t written in it lately, obviously, but I was flipping through it last night and found this entry. I wrote it the day before we played Little Rock.”

  Corbin turned to the page and started to read.

  “I wake up each morning with you on my mind. I go to sleep every night, and I see your face when I close my eyes. You’re in my every thought. My every dream. My every decision. I think about your deep green eyes and how they’re a window to your soul. I’m constantly amazed by the beauty and love I see there. I think about your heart and how I’ve found my home there. Even if I had all the money in the world, your heart would always be my greatest treasure. To know that you trust me with it means more to me than you’ll ever know. I love you, and I promise to love you until we take our dying breaths.”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as he closed the journal.

  “So you see, I’m missing out on nothing, because you’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted. You’ve given me your heart. You’ve given me you.”

  Overwhelmed with emotion, Jolie wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

  “Best manager ever.”

  Karin grinned. “I am.”

  Corbin didn’t know how she pulled it off, but she did.

  Callum Records had been less than thrilled to learn that he didn’t want to extend his concert schedule. But when Karin reminded them how much they’d already profited from having him on the tour, the label agreed to sign him to a publishing deal as soon as he fulfilled his current contract. Corbin still owed them an album, and he’d be heading to the studio as soon as the tour was complete, but after that, he would be what he always wanted to be.

  A songwriter.

  Life back in Riverview was just as sweet. According to the twins, Kellie was this close to having the baby. And, according to Ben, Gavin Massey had confessed to setting fire to the bookstore. He’d been charged with second degree arson, and that offense, combined with the assault charge, convinced the judge to sentence him to prison for ten years. None of the men in Jolie’s life thought ten years was enough, but she was satisfied with the verdict and happy that Gavin Massey would be in prison for a long time.

  The final month of the tour found them in Canada. Since the announcement that these last concerts would be Corbin’s final shows, the audiences were bigger and louder than ever. As they traveled across the province, Jolie couldn’t help but notice that Corbin had become more affectionate than ever before. Each concert would end with a song dedicated to her, and they’d barely make it back to the bus before his hands were all over her.

  Not that she minded.

  Still, it made her curious—as did the constant blare of Johnny Cash music that seemed to fill the bus every night these days. Jolie didn’t really mind the songs, but she did mind the secret, whispered conversations Corbin seemed to be having with his manager on a daily basis. But whenever she questioned him about it, Corbin just silenced her with a toe-curling kiss. And getting information out of Karin was impossible.

  Jolie didn’t like secrets. Especially when she wasn’t in on them.

  Before they knew it, the bus pulled into London, Ontario—the final stop on the tour. After tonight’s show, Karin was headed to Nashville to secure studio space for the album. Corbin and Jolie, however, were headed home to spend time with their family and to sift through his catalog of songs. They had to pick ten . . . ten songs that would be included on Corbin’s first album in more than six years. As if that wasn’t enough, Jolie’s dad had helped them choose a local contractor, who was ready to start building as soon as they could agree on a floor plan.

  Good things are happening.

  Wonderful things.

  “You look so happy,” Karin murmured in her ear.

  The girls were backstage, watching the band as they wowed the crowd, song after song. The audience was particularly energetic tonight, probably because they knew it was Corbin’s last show.

  “I am. And he’s never sounded better.”

  “I know. Such a shame. That boy could’ve made me a lot of money.”

  Jolie grinned. “Thank you, Karin. For everything.”

  “Just don’t fo
rget to send me a wedding invitation.”

  With a contented sigh, Jolie turned her attention back to the stage. As they neared the end of the show, she noticed Corbin fidgeting with his guitar and fumbling with the mic. The audience didn’t seem to notice, but Jolie did.

  “Is something wrong? Does he seem . . . nervous to you?”

  Karin laughed. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to have a heart attack.”

  “What? Why? What’s—”

  “Look.”

  Jolie turned back toward the stage and watched as a member of the crew brought a second stool and placed it right next to Corbin’s. Suddenly, the lights lowered, and the blue spotlight settled on his handsome face as he leaned close to the microphone.

  “As you guys probably know, this is our final show. We want to thank you for coming out, and I personally want to thank you for welcoming me back with open arms. It’s been three incredible months, but I’m ready to go home.”

  The crowd exploded with cheers, and they began to chant his name. Corbin looked backstage and settled his gaze on Jolie. Blinking away tears, she smiled proudly.

  Corbin turned back to the mic.

  “My girl’s here with me tonight. Do you guys want to meet her?”

  Jolie couldn’t believe her ears when the crowd roared.

  “What is he doing? I’m not going out there!”

  Karin laughed. “Oh, yes you are.”

  She shook her head furiously.

  Corbin chuckled. “Her name’s Jolie, and she’s the love of my life. But she’s a little shy. Help me welcome her out on stage?”

  Like marionettes on strings, the crowd did as he asked, and they began to chant her name.

  “Trust me,” Karin whispered in her ear. “You will regret this for the rest of your life if you don’t go.”

  Then the manager all but shoved her out into the sapphire spotlight.

  Corbin walked over and took her by the hand as the fans continued to shout her name. The place exploded when she sat down on the stool next to him.

  “I have one last song,” Corbin announced to the crowd, but his eyes never left her face. “It’s an old Johnny Cash song. It’s one of my favorites, because it was written by his wife, June Carter. I never dreamed a love like theirs was possible. It wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect for them. And that’s how I feel, every time I look at you.”