by Jen Gilroy
“I do, but more to the point, you believe in yourself. Who you are and what you want shows in every one of those songs of yours. It’s also in how you want to keep your daughter away from guys like me.” Rick slid a business card across the table. “Take the time you need to think about what I’ve said. Then call me so we can talk more.” He laughed. “I want to help you get your songs heard, and with the royalties you deserve.”
“I . . . thank you.” Annie’s voice caught.
“As for Hannah, tell her to call me in a few years.” He raised an eyebrow. “No promises, but if the next Taylor is out there, I want to sign her first.” He slid his tablet into a slim black briefcase. “Oh, I almost forgot. When I talked to Seth, he said you were looking for some guy. Todd something or other? He said he’d been bad news for you.”
Annie’s heart stuttered. “Todd Smith.”
Rick pulled a piece of paper out of the green folder and pushed it across the table to her. “My assistant dug up the details and put them together for you. Todd worked as a DJ at a club some friends and I used to own. I remember him because he thought he was a songwriter. More like he was arrogant, disrespectful, and a walking cliché.” He made a dismissive sound. “He was fired when my manager caught him taking money from the till. A few weeks later he got himself killed in a fight in a Miami bar. The cops came calling because our place was the last one he’d worked at. They wanted to know if he had any enemies. Who wasn’t the guy’s enemy?”
“I . . .” Annie fingered the paper as adrenaline flashed through her. “Thank you.” She couldn’t be happy about what had happened to Todd. He’d had a bad end to a bad life, but he was still Hannah’s father, and she’d cared for him once. But knowing he could never bother her or anyone else ever again laid that last bit of fear to rest forever, and now her life stretched in front of her, wide open and full of possibilities.
Rick’s troubled expression cleared. “You’re welcome.” He paused. “I want to work with you, Annie, but if and how that happens is totally your call.”
Chapter 23
Seth brushed a film of soil from Jake’s simple granite headstone. Whatever inner force had compelled him to come out to the cemetery had fallen silent now he was here. And like everywhere else, he couldn’t stop thinking about Annie. He hadn’t seen her in three days. Not at the bakery or the gym, and although he’d driven by her house a few times like a teenage boy with a crush, the curtains were always closed. In desperation, he’d even wished on the wishing tree late at night when nobody else was around.
“How can I fix things with Annie if I can’t find her?” He nudged several lumps of dirt away from the base of the stone with the toe of his boot. What was he doing talking to himself? And why was this dirt churned up? The ground had been smooth the last time he’d been here soon after the headstone went in.
“Are you going to plant flowers? It’s a bit late in the season this year. You’d be better off with a spray of artificial flowers for now and planting next spring.”
Seth started and turned to face Annie’s mom. Dressed in navy capris and a white T-shirt, she wore gardening gloves and had a small wicker basket over one arm. “Do you think Jake would have liked flowers?” His grandmother had planted a pink rosebush at his mom’s grave, and Seth still sent flowers from him and Dylan to the cemetery every Mother’s Day.
“Probably not, but he’d have appreciated the thought.” Maureen chuckled. “He’d have liked you coming to see him even more, though.”
Seth shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “I left Dolly in the truck. I should—”
“You left a window open so that dog will be fine for a few more minutes. What you should do is talk to me about what went wrong between you and my Annie.” Maureen’s gaze was shrewd, and she gestured to a wooden bench beneath a nearby tree. “We won’t disturb Jake from there.”
“Disturb him?” Seth would have laughed, but there was no humor in Maureen’s tone.
She moved to sit on the bench and patted the space beside her. “You see all the soil turned up? That means the spirit is restless. Usually it’s because there’s unfinished business they left behind.”
Since he was still a polite Southern boy, Seth tried to keep his expression neutral. The ground was churned up because of an animal, or the cemetery groundskeeper had done some work. “I don’t think—”
“It seems to me you’ve done too much thinking and not enough feeling.” Maureen patted the bench again, and Seth sat. “That man over there is fretting about you the same as I fret over Annie.”
Seth stared at Maureen. “But Jake’s . . . dead.”
She raised her eyebrows. “That doesn’t make one bit of difference. He’s still watching over you, probably even more than he did when he was right here on earth.”
Seth pressed his lips together. Apart from the words coming out of her mouth, Maureen looked as normal as she always did.
“You think I’ve lost it, don’t you?” She chuckled again. “And you’re trying to figure out a nice way to bundle me into your truck, keep me quiet on the drive back to town, and march me into the nearest doctor’s office.”
Seth gave her a bemused smile. “I’ve never heard you talk about restless spirits before.” Although maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. In a town with a wishing tree, what were a few spirits who roamed about now and then?
“People in this valley still hold to a lot of old beliefs. Maybe there’s something to them, or maybe there’s not, but Jake sure had unfinished business. You, for a start. What kind of man doesn’t acknowledge his own son?”
Seth winced. “How did you know he was my father?”
“I suspected it the first time I saw you. You’re the spitting image of Jake when he was younger. Besides, if you were really his nephew, why would he have kept it a secret all those years?” Maureen’s voice was gentle. “Except for Annie, I haven’t said anything to anybody, not even Duncan. Your business is your business, but folks wouldn’t judge either of you. Both of you already lost too much.”
Seth gripped the arm of the bench. “I . . . thanks.” There was a cold, empty feeling in his chest.
“So, you and Annie.” Maureen’s voice became brisk. “What are your intentions toward her?”
Seth’s face heated. “I want to talk to her for a start, but she told me she didn’t want to hear from me. And Brendan said she was taking time off work, but I haven’t seen her anywhere in town.”
“She and her sisters went to a spa resort in Lake Placid for a few days. Hannah and Rowan’s two are staying with Duncan and me.” Maureen’s expression was kind. “I doubt a few beauty treatments will heal what ails Annie, but she needed to get away.”
“From me?” His heart contracted. He’d respect Annie’s need for space, but that didn’t mean he’d give up at the first hurdle.
“Among other things.” Maureen exhaled. “You didn’t hear it from me, but she’ll be home tomorrow night around seven. Do you want me to keep a hold of Hannah a little longer?”
“I’d appreciate that, ma’am.” A piece of the snarled knot in Seth’s chest slackened.
“Annie loves you, and if what I see in your face when you look at her is right, you love her too.” Maureen gazed into the distance. “That’s all that matters.”
“I do love her, but you make it sound so simple.” And his feelings for Annie were messy and complicated.
Maureen waved a hand at the tidy graves that rambled up the peaceful hillside. “As long as the love is there, it is simple. When I broke my hip, there were a few days when I thought I’d soon be lying over there beside my first husband in the Quinn family plot. Thank the Lord I’m not, but realizing I could have been focuses the mind something powerful.”
Seth’s heartbeat sped up. “I don’t want to lose Annie, but I don’t know if she’ll g
ive me another chance.”
“You won’t know unless you keep trying.” Maureen’s smile gave Seth hope. “She’s a lot like her dad was. When something hurts her, it goes deep, but she’s real forgiving. Besides, if what’s between the two of you is a true love, it won’t go anywhere. That kind only gets stronger over time.”
And he’d keep trying for as long as it took. “Thanks.”
Maureen nodded and leaned closer. “Jake would have been proud of you. Even though he couldn’t talk about it, I don’t doubt he loved you.” She clasped her hands to her chest. “I keep asking myself why he didn’t acknowledge you. It hurts me, so I can imagine how much it hurts you. The only thing I can come up with is he wanted to give you what he thought would be a better life. He made a mistake, but who are we to judge? Neither of us knows what his life was like back then.” She shrugged. “The best you can do is focus on what he gave you, not what he didn’t.”
Seth took a deep breath. The hurt and disappointment were still there, and maybe always would be but he couldn’t let Jake’s abandonment consume the rest of his life. As hard as it might be, he had to forgive, let go, and move on. “Since I wasn’t here for Jake’s funeral, I’d like to honor him and celebrate his life. I never got to do that, and, for myself, as much as him, I need to acknowledge him publicly as my father.”
Maureen’s smile warmed Seth all the way through. “You tell me what you want, and we’ll all help you make it happen.”
“Thank you.” Seth smiled back. “As for Annie—”
Maureen’s laugh was wry. “She needs you in her life as much as you need her.”
He sure hoped so, because he needed Annie in every possible way. He needed her gentle touch and the way she understood him. He needed to hear her voice and make music with her again, not because it was about Nashville or LA or a record deal, but because it was something they both enjoyed.
And he needed her beside him every night in a bed they’d picked out together. In a house with her cats and his dog, where Dylan could come for vacations and Hannah would play loud music, bang doors, and leave dirty laundry on the floor like teenagers did.
But what he needed most of all was a place he could call home with her, where they could build a future together.
~ ~ ~
Tara’s Jeep rolled to a stop in front of Annie’s house. From her spot in the backseat, Annie unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed the overnight bag at her feet. The spa trip had done her good. If she didn’t feel happy, she at least felt lighter and more content—although that might have been due to the long talk she’d had with Hannah after singing for Rick. Since Todd was now firmly in the past, she and Hannah could look to a new future—one that would include music, but where college came first.
She leaned forward and looked between Tara and Rowan. “I should get going and—”
“Wait.” Rowan twisted around from the front passenger seat. “You never told us what you’re going to do about Rick.” Her voice was careful.
Annie paused with her hand on the door handle. She’d talked about everything else with her sisters over the past few days—including Todd and Seth—but her music was the one topic she’d avoided, even though it had never been far from her mind. Through the open window, she breathed in the warm evening air, heavy with the fragrance of roses and other summer flowers. “I don’t want to try to be a solo act, at least not in the way Rick talked about it.”
“Okay.” From the driver’s seat, Tara exchanged a quick look with Rowan.
“I used to want to sing solo, or I thought I did, but talking to Rick made me realize I don’t. Although I love to sing, I wouldn’t love everything that goes along with trying to make it professionally in a place like Nashville.” Warmth flooded her body. Although she might sometimes regret the path not taken, there was an unexpected release of tension, too.
“Good for you.” Rowan’s smile was bittersweet. “You’re lucky you know what you want.”
“I do.” And for maybe the first time in her life, it was true. “I have Hannah to guide through to adulthood for a start, but it’s more than her. I have roots here I cherish, and I don’t want to pull those up. You two, Mom and Duncan, and Brendan and his family. Both the people and the place make Irish Falls my home.” She took a deep breath and fiddled with the zipper on her bag. “Besides, since I’ve only figured out who I am and what I want, I don’t want to be styled into somebody else to perform or sing songs that aren’t mine. I’m not even sure I want to make another recording.”
“But you have such a beautiful voice, honey. You can’t lock it away again.” Tara looked back, her expression worried.
“I never said I want to lock it away. If I didn’t sing, I’d miss it.” Like she missed Seth. Her chest tightened. “I don’t want to sing on a stage in front of thousands of people. Even if I made it in Nashville, and from what Rick said, that would be a long shot, I don’t want to be a celebrity.”
“Then what?” Tara tilted her head to one side.
“I’ll be at the bakery early tomorrow morning as usual, and I’ll keep writing my songs. I still need to think some things through, but I’ll call Rick when I’m ready.” And when her songwriting wasn’t so wrapped up with Seth and the music they’d made together. She rubbed her chest. “First, I got caught up in the idea of making it in the music business. Then I got caught up in avoiding anything to do with the business altogether. But now? I’m older, a lot wiser, and any deal I make will be for something that’s good for me and Hannah, too.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I won’t let anybody take advantage of me ever again.”
“We’re proud of you, Annie-Bella.” Tara’s voice was husky.
“I’m proud of me, too. It took a lot of years, but I’m finally okay with who and where I am.” Annie smiled at her sisters. Although it would take time, someday Seth wouldn’t be anything more than a bittersweet memory. “Now you two go home. We have to get up early for work tomorrow morning.” She opened the door and hopped out.
Rowan grinned. “Mom must have gotten Hannah and my two to cut your grass and tidy up. I hope my place was part of whatever deal she made with them.”
“It looks like they even painted the porch railing. Duncan and Brendan must have helped, too.” Tara did a double take. “Do you want me to come in and wait with you until Mom brings Hannah back? Rowan can take the Jeep, and I’ll walk home from here.”
“No. I’ll be fine. They should be here any minute.” Annie stepped back onto the grass at the edge of the road. “Thanks for the trip, not bugging me about stuff, and being my sisters.”
“You’re welcome.” Rowan’s eyes glistened.
Tara sniffed. “Seth, he—”
“I’ll get over him . . . this . . . everything.” And maybe one day she’d even be grateful for what Seth had done. If not for him, she might not have taken that final step to seize control of her life like she’d needed to.
“But Seth works right upstairs.” Tara’s voice was soft.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t work downstairs. I won’t have to see him much.” Annie would make sure of it like she’d make sure she put the pieces of her heart together so well that nobody, not even Tara and Rowan, would ever guess how it had shattered into tiny pieces.
“I guess.” Tara’s tone was unconvinced. “Call us if you need anything.” She gave a little wave before the Jeep moved away, and Annie went up the path to her house. The railing had indeed been painted, and the porch floor had also been swept and washed. Two new pots of white geraniums sat on either side of her front door, the brass doorknob shone, and the rusted mailbox she’d planned to tackle for months gleamed with fresh black paint.
Along with Hannah, the rest of the family must have worked together on this project to do something special for her. She smiled as she slid her key into the front door lock. As soon as t
he door swung open, Hazel and Olivia greeted her with loud meows and wound themselves around her legs.
She dropped her bag in the hall and bent to pat them, but no sooner had she touched Hazel’s favorite spot between her ears than the tabby shot through the half-open door with Olivia in pursuit, a blur of white and gray fur.
Annie lunged after them and skidded to a halt at the top of the porch steps. Both cats sat on the railing, their tails twitching in tandem as they eyed Dolly. Olivia hissed, a fluffy miniature bundle of outrage. The dog stood in the middle of the sidewalk wagging her tail, and Brendan held her leash.
“Hey.” Annie went down the steps to greet her brother. “I just got home. What are you two doing here?” She reached up and returned Brendan’s hug. “Where’s Holly?”
“At home.” Brendan released her and his hazel eyes twinkled. “Dolly and I waited for you down the street. We have a surprise.”
“Didn’t I already get it? The yard and porch look great thanks to you, Hannah, and whoever else helped.” She moved back toward the house and shepherded the hissing cats inside.
“It wasn’t me, or Hannah, either.” Brendan followed her up the porch steps. “Except for me unlocking your tool shed, nobody else in the family had anything to do with this.”
“Then who?” She shut the door behind the cats and studied the new white paint on the porch railing.
“Look on Dolly’s collar.” Brendan gestured to the green ribbon looped around the fancy pink collar Seth had bought the dog. A small pink organza pouch dangled from the ribbon, almost hidden by the fur under Dolly’s chin.
Annie knelt on the porch, and her fingers tingled as she fumbled with the parcel.
Dolly turned her head and nosed Annie’s hand.
“What have you got?” As Annie took the bag from the dog’s collar, something inside crackled.