by Jen Gilroy
“But most of all, you helped me believe in myself again.” Annie pressed her free hand to her chest. “Without you, I’d never have been able to sing at the fundraiser or do that recording today.”
“Sure you would.” Seth’s voice was a whisper between them. “All I did was give you a little nudge.” He took his hand away from hers to play with the lacing tie on her navy top. “You drove me crazy during the recording, you know that?”
“How?” She traced the contours of his back through his shirt.
“You know exactly how.” He shuddered as she slid her hand beneath his shirt to caress the warm skin of his back. “It’s a wonder that keyboard guy could play.” His chuckle was low and sexy. “From the way you held the mike, to how you moved in those jeans, and then this shirt.” He traced the curve of her breasts, harder this time.
“It isn’t low cut.” She shivered and leaned into his touch.
“It doesn’t have to be.” In several deft moves, he undid the ribbon tie and eased the top up and over her head. “You could wear a flour sack and turn me on, so it doesn’t take much, but this . . .” He sucked in a breath. “And until now, I didn’t know what you had on underneath.” His heated gaze landed on the aqua push-up bra she’d bought to wear for courage at the recording. “You’re beautiful.”
Along with his words, that heat warmed her and gave her confidence. It had been a long time since she’d felt beautiful, let alone had a man tell her so. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it?” His laugh was wicked, and he dipped a finger into the deep valley between her breasts. “And all these little freckles . . .” The tip of his finger lingered on each one in a sensual caress. “They’re beautiful, too.”
“I’m a redhead. Freckles come with the territory.” Her heart swelled as she fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
“What a territory.” He grinned and, when she undid the last button, he shrugged out of the shirt and dropped it onto the rug beside the bed.
“You have a tattoo.” She reached out to trace the stylized music note on his right shoulder.
“I got it when I was in that band.” His breathing was labored.
She pushed away the memory of how Todd had wanted her to get tattoos like his. Except, she’d always resisted. It was the one thing she’d stood up for herself about. She fingered his belt buckle.
Seth’s eyes darkened. “I want to be with you, Annie. I’ve wanted it for weeks.”
“Me too.” She unbuckled his belt and undid the top button of his jeans.
He let out a strangled groan. “I don’t sleep around.”
“Me neither.” And if she thought about how long it had been for her, she’d lose her nerve.
He pulled a condom out of one of the pockets of his jeans and then reached for her again.
She licked her lips. She could show him her body and let him in, at least as much as she could ever let him or any other man in. She wasn’t the Annie Quinn who worked in her family’s bakery, sat in the back row of the choir, or one of the Quinn sisters, either. Instead, she was the woman who’d recorded in a real studio a song she’d written. And Pete, as well as the studio musicians, guys who knew the business and had worked with some big names, had admired and respected her work.
She was finally the woman she’d always wanted to be.
~ ~ ~
Seth’s heart thumped as he cradled Annie in his arms. Everything about her body was soft and delicate, but there was a strong woman inside that petite but curvy frame.
She murmured something unintelligible, and he stilled.
“What is it?” His whole body shook. They’d only just made love, but he already wanted her again.
“I . . .” Her lips wobbled and her eyes glistened. She let out another inarticulate cry, rolled onto her side, and curled her knees up toward her chest.
Shit. She was crying. He gulped. He hadn’t hurt her, had he? “I’m sorry. I’ll make it better for you next time. I couldn’t hold back.”
As she’d moved with him and murmured sweet words, he’d lost himself, body and soul.
“You couldn’t make it any better for me.” Her voice was raw.
He stroked her back. “Then what?”
Her shoulders tensed. “I thought I could . . . I did . . . but now . . .”
“Hey, you were great.” He eased her into the curve of his body and pulled the rumpled sheet over them.
“That was a big deal for me.”
“It was a big deal for me, too.” Sex with her was different than it had been with anyone else, ever. Better, more comfortable, and somehow entirely right. Even this homey bedroom that wasn’t fancy, but was the kind he’d like to come home to at the end of a long day, fit him in a way nothing else ever had.
“Except, I thought I could sleep with you and I’d be the same.” Her voice was lifeless. “But I’m not.”
“What do you mean?” His heart contracted and he held her tighter.
“Apart from that extra ten pounds you were polite enough not to mention . . .” Her hollow laugh ripped at his guts. “This . . . being with you changed me.”
“It changed me too. And I didn’t notice any extra weight. You’re gorgeous, all of you, inside and out. I wouldn’t change anything about you.”
Because he loved her. Love. Unfamiliar emotion surged through him. It was love he felt for her, and, for the first time, it wasn’t scary. He wanted to give her the sun, the moon and all the stars, but it was too soon to tell her that. He’d start by making sure her ex was out of the picture once and for all. Even before they’d talked about Todd earlier, he’d already done some digging. But now he’d look harder because he knew what he risked losing.
“Your ex-wife . . .” Annie’s voice was small and muffled by the sheet. “Did you love her?”
“I thought I did.” He rolled onto his back and stared at the smooth white ceiling. Now he knew what love was, how could he have thought he’d ever loved Amanda? “But she didn’t love me, and as soon as a guy came along she saw as a better meal ticket, that was it.” For the first time, saying those words didn’t bring the usual pain. “As for Dylan, Amanda didn’t want to be a mom.” And no matter how much he’d wanted to make things work, if only for Dylan’s sake, Amanda hadn’t.
“I’m sorry.” Annie rolled back to face him and linked her fingers with his.
“It was a long time ago. I was a different man.” Almost to his surprise, it was true. He traced the outline of her heart-shaped face. Besides, Amanda hadn’t only given him Dylan but, because of her, he recognized what he’d found with Annie.
“It was my lucky day when you walked into the bakery.” There was new strength and vibrancy in her voice, as if she’d cast off something that had been weighing her down.
“Mine too.” His voice was hoarse, and he was hyper-aware of every part of his body—and hers. “I don’t want to waste time looking back. Not when there’s a whole lot to look forward to.” He was sure of it, and he’d help her so she’d be sure, too.
The last little bit of doubt and uncertainty in her eyes was replaced by a look both teasing and provocative. “You said you’d make it better for me next time. I should hold you to that promise, don’t you think?”
Seth groaned as her fingers drifted beneath the quilt. “Good idea.” He pushed the words out. Annie was soft, warm, and pliant in his arms. And his last thought, before he slipped into blissful oblivion again, was no matter what it took, he was in this for the long haul.
Chapter 19
“I’m ready.” Annie licked her lips and tried to focus on the interview, and not that it was Seth interviewing her. Yet, as he sat across from her in the radio station’s small broadcast booth, all she could think of was how he’d rocked her world, not only last Saturday night, but Sunday morning a
s well.
“Me too.” Hannah bounced on the chair next to hers. “This is so exciting.” Ordinarily, Hannah wouldn’t have been out of bed at seven forty-five on a Friday morning during summer vacation, but she was as bright-eyed as Annie had ever seen her.
As Seth adjusted his headset and began talking, Annie dug her nails into her palms. Even when he talked about something like the town council meeting, her stomach flip flopped. And when he gestured with his hands, she remembered exactly how those skilled hands had caressed her body.
“I have two guests with me in the studio today,” he said. “Annie Quinn and her daughter, Hannah, are here to talk about the song they recorded last week. I know many of you loved ‘My Hometown Heart’ when they sang it at the flood relief fundraiser, and those of you who didn’t hear it then are in for something special. Annie, you wrote ‘My Hometown Heart.’ Can you tell us what it means to you?”
This was it, the first question. Somehow, she got her mouth open, leaned toward the microphone, and words came out. “I wrote ‘My Hometown Heart’ about Irish Falls. It’s about what this town, and the people who live here, mean to me. It’s about family and friendship and how, even though seasons change and years go by, what really matters in life stays the same.”
Seth nodded, and the warmth and encouragement in his smile helped her go on.
“It’s about how in good times and bad, everyone here sticks together, and the power of hope, and maybe even wishes, help to get us through.”
Annie steadied her breathing as Seth turned to Hannah and asked her what it had been like to make a recording. He was so relaxed it was like they weren’t on air at all. She could have been talking to him in her kitchen.
“Do you remember the first time you sang in public, Annie?”
“Miss Leslie, my third-grade teacher, asked me to sing ‘Away in a Manger’ at the school Christmas concert. I was so scared, I pulled my elf hat over my face to hide, and then I couldn’t get the hat off when it was time to sing. She had to come on stage and help me.”
Seth laughed, and Annie put a hand to her mouth. That story hadn’t been what she’d intended to say. She’d planned to talk about singing in that concert with the school choir because it wasn’t personal, but she’d forgotten about everybody listening.
As the first notes of “My Hometown Heart” swirled around the studio, Seth took his headset off and gestured to her and Hannah to do the same. “Both of you were great. And your story about the Christmas concert was so funny, Annie. You didn’t mention you were going to talk about that.”
“It popped out.” Annie laced her fingers together. “I’m sorry. Did I mess up?”
“No. Not at all.” His eyes glinted with fun, as well as an intimacy that hadn’t been there before they’d made love. “Might Miss Leslie have been listening?”
“Probably, except she’s been Mrs. Moffatt for years.” Annie curled her hands around her stomach and eased back into the chair. And a bunch of the kids she’d been at school with were likely listening, including several who’d been elves with her.
“Mrs. Moffatt taught me third grade too.” Hannah grinned at Seth.
“If she heard the show, and if she wasn’t a fan before, you’ve got a fan for life.” Seth’s expression sobered. “It was fine today, but when you’re interviewed again, be careful what you say. There are people who’ll pounce on the smallest thing and try to use it against you.”
Annie’s palms went damp. This interview was a one-off. She’d already learned to not trust people in this business. “I forgot.” But she wouldn’t again. She reached for Hannah’s hand.
Her daughter’s eyes were closed and she swayed in time to the music.
“You were super, sweetie. A real pro.”
Hannah’s eyes flipped open and she grinned. “If it wasn’t vacation, I’d have been real popular at school today.”
“You can give your friends the web link. I’ll archive this interview.” Seth put a finger to his lips to indicate they were going back on air and slid his headset back on. Then he asked a few more questions and thanked them for joining him. “I’ll be playing ‘My Hometown Heart’ a lot on my show, but you can also get an autographed CD at Quinn’s Bakery on Malone Street in the heart of beautiful downtown Irish Falls. Drop by Quinn’s for all your tasty treats for the July Fourth weekend and pick up a musical treat, too.”
“What?” Annie mouthed the word at him, but Seth shook his head. She covered her face with her hands. Why was Brendan selling CDs in the bakery? Or was it Tara? She gritted her teeth.
“To take us into the news and weather, here’s Whitney Houston with one of Annie’s favorite tunes, ‘One Moment in Time.’ It’s a special request for Annie and Hannah with lots of love from proud mom and grandma, Maureen McNeill.”
As the song she’d listened to so many times as a teenager swirled around her, Annie glanced out the studio window. Brendan crossed the reception area with a tray holding two mugs, a bottle of apple juice, and a plate of butter tarts while Sherri, the receptionist, talked into her phone headset behind a desk. Her brother meant well. Her mom did, too. The song request was sweet, but on top of the interview, it was too much. A wave of heat flashed over her, and she motioned to Hannah to stay where she was, shook her head at Seth, wrenched her headset off, and eased out the studio door.
“Great interview.” Brendan met her outside the door as she closed it behind her. “I bet the phone line is lighting up with requests for ‘My Hometown Heart.’” He glanced toward Sherri, who continued to talk into her headset but grinned and gave them a thumbs-up. “Mrs. Moffatt already called the bakery. Holly said she was tickled to get a mention on the radio.”
“Thank you, but . . .” Annie brought her voice down an octave. “What were you thinking? I never agreed to autographed CDs.” She put her hands on her hips and stared her brother down.
“I—we—thought you’d be happy.” Brendan cleared his throat and set the tray on top of a filing cabinet.
“We?” Annie picked up a butter tart. After the stress of the last quarter hour, she’d earned every one of its sweet and gooey calories.
“Me, Holly, Tara, Rowan, Mom, and Duncan.” Brendan hesitated and glanced at the studio window. “Seth too because he helped us get the CDs.” A faint flush crept up his cheeks. “Mom said she’d tell you beforehand, but from the look on your face, I guess she didn’t. She wrote that bit about ‘tasty treats’ herself and asked Seth to say it. He gave her the advertising spot for free.”
Annie let out a breath. “I . . .”
Brendan took both her hands. “Don’t blame Seth or any of us. We’re all so proud of you. When you sang at the fundraiser, it was like a light got switched on inside you. You finally believed in yourself like we always have. None of us want to hurt you. We just want to see the real Annie. She’s been gone for a lot of years, but now she’s back.”
Her throat got tight and she swallowed. “I’m sorry.” She gave her brother a sheepish smile.
“We wanted to show you how much we love you in the only way we knew how.” Brendan squeezed her hands and then released them. “As for Seth, we’re all happy for the two of you.”
“What? You . . .” Her face burned. “How?”
“Next time he stays the night, you might want to tell him to walk or park his truck somewhere else instead of in front of your house.” Brendan’s eyes twinkled. “Between the late-night and early morning dog walkers in this town, you didn’t have a hope of keeping that sleepover a secret.”
Annie sat on the edge of the desk before her unsteady legs gave out on her. “He . . . I.” A laugh bubbled out. “Busted.”
Brendan bent to give her a hug. “Good for you, and not only about the singing. You’ve got your life back.”
“Almost.” And Seth would help her with that last little bit.
“Love you, Bren.”
“Love you, too.” She wrapped her arms around her brother’s neck. He smelled of fresh-baked bread and a warm summer morning. “Now go sign that stack of CDs Seth has got in a box in his office. Mom took a bunch of pre-orders in case he ran out.”
After the station door had shut behind Brendan, Annie moved to the window overlooking the falls, Sherri’s excited voice still on the phone behind her. The wishing tree was in full leaf. The last time she’d wished on it was before she’d left for Nashville and college—her one and only step out into the big world. But first Seth, and now Brendan, had made her think about hopes, dreams, and maybe even wishes again.
Seth’s voice reached her through the overhead speakers. “The response to Annie and Hannah Quinn’s recording of ‘My Hometown Heart’ has already been huge. By popular request, I’m going to play it again for you. Hannah’s still here with me, so if you have any more questions for our own teen music star in waiting, ask away.”
As her voice singing “My Hometown Heart” replaced Seth’s liquid Georgia drawl, Annie’s vision blurred and the wishing tree blurred right along with it. Even though she hadn’t meant to, she’d fallen in love with him. Her pulse raced and she took a large, savoring breath. She’d opened her heart and her life to him in a way she’d only ever done through her songs, and although she might not have wanted to admit it, she’d never have done that if this wasn’t love. She’d never have slept with him, either.
But even though Seth hadn’t talked about leaving Irish Falls lately, he wasn’t the kind of guy to make a life here, at least a forever one. And how could she make a life anywhere else? She stared at the wishing tree again then turned away from the window. Even if she’d started to let herself believe in wishes—and maybe even dreams coming true—she still couldn’t wish for what she wanted most.
~ ~ ~