by Amy Vastine
He’d overreacted initially, but tried to cover up the humiliation he’d felt by pretending to be unaffected. They’d parted as friends, so why did Piper appear as if she’d rather be anywhere but in his company at the moment?
“Guess we get to perform our song two more times before we put it out to pasture,” she said. Her neck was as flushed as her cheeks. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was feeling all right.
Sawyer grabbed her a water bottle. “You saying we aren’t going to tour together the rest of our lives so we can sing it five nights a week?”
“Oh, we haven’t decided on an opening act yet.” Piper seemed to panic. “We were thinking about going in a different direction, though. You weren’t on our list. Our brands aren’t the same.”
Ouch. There was definitely no love there. Everything was always about her career, her brand. “Well, we wouldn’t want anything to tarnish your image, now would we?”
Clearly, Piper’s feelings for him had soured, but it was for the best. Her daddy already hated him for no good reason. If he ever found about that night on the farm, heads would roll—Sawyer’s and most likely Dean’s, since he was the reason the two of them had met in the first place.
“How about we move things along? Piper has places to be,” Heath said, placing himself between his darling daughter and the scoundrel he believed Sawyer to be.
“Great idea, Heath.” Sawyer’s use of his first name obviously irked the old man. That was as good a reason as any to make sure he used it all the time.
The radio assistant and Heimlich maneuver expert went to find out if the DJ was ready for them. Sawyer’s whole body was tingling with excitement. This was the first time Dean had invited him to do something like this. K104 was the most popular country station in Nashville, and this kind of exposure meant the world to a new singer’s career.
“Would it be okay if Sawyer and Piper signed some of our promo and took a couple pictures with Kelly first?” the woman asked when she returned.
“That’s perfect, Nancy.” Leave it to Piper to know her name. She probably knew if the radio station assistant was married or had children, where she’d gone to high school and college, and how she was spending the holidays this year. Piper was that kind of person—more interested in hearing about others than she was in talking about herself.
Sawyer followed them into another room and autographed everything they placed in front of him. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the fact that someone would want his signature. This was just the beginning, too. Kelly Bonner, the afternoon DJ on K104, came out of the studio and introduced herself. Sawyer knew who she was. She had jet-black hair and crystal-blue eyes that grabbed everyone’s attention when they drove by the billboard along I-65. He had also listened to K104 for years, never imagining one day they’d play his songs across the airwaves.
“Thanks so much for coming in, you two,” Kelly said. “I’m a huge fan.”
Sawyer had fans. His chest puffed out. He wanted to soak this all in.
“Piper’s on a tight schedule,” her father reminded everyone.
Clearly, Heath and Piper were not among those fans. In fact, Piper’s mission in life suddenly seemed to be to keep her distance from Sawyer. When they took a picture, she insisted Kelly stand between them. She nonchalantly moved her stool a few inches away from his when they got settled in the studio, and her eyes never left Kelly, even when Sawyer spoke.
“I heard that you two have spent quite a bit of time together the last few months. So, Sawyer, what was it like working with Piper not only on the duet for your album but on Piper’s new album, as well?” Kelly asked.
“I am so grateful to Piper for giving me the opportunity to work on some songs with her. I think we both learned a lot. I mean, for me, writing songs is a very personal experience. You leave a part of yourself on the page and then add some more later when you sing.”
Kelly raised a brow. “So, what did you learn about Piper?”
Piper finally glanced in his direction. Her face blanched.
Sawyer leaned in to the microphone. “I learned that Piper is one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. And I grew up on a horse farm, so that’s saying something.”
He’d chosen something true and completely unobjectionable. There was no way Heath or Piper could take offense.
“What about you, Piper? What did you learn about Sawyer?”
Piper swallowed hard and bit down on her bottom lip. “That’s a really good question,” she replied.
The way she fidgeted in her seat, one would have thought this was the most difficult question anyone had ever asked her. Sawyer began to fear what she might say.
“Why do I get the feeling she’s trying to come up with something really embarrassing?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t share some of her less than positive thoughts about him.
* * *
PIPER’S MIND WAS WHIRLING. What did she really know about the man sitting next to her? He was going to be the father of her child, and she barely knew anything about who he was. He had a sister and a dog. His father had passed away a few years ago. She didn’t know anything about his mother. He had to have a mother.
“Come on, there must be something you can tell us about Sawyer. He’s worried you’re going to embarrass him. Does he have any annoying habits?” Kelly asked.
Radio interviews were so nerve-racking. Piper always feared she’d say the wrong thing. One comment could be spun a thousand different ways on Twitter. Sitting next to father of her unborn child wasn’t easing her anxiety.
Sawyer flashed her one of his magical grins, his dimples in full effect. “Go ahead, tell Nashville what irks you about me.”
“He smiles,” Piper answered. “All the time. I know that seems harmless, but sometimes when you’re having a terrible day and Sawyer’s smiling like he doesn’t have a care in the world, it can be annoying.”
Like right now. Piper was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and he was thoroughly enjoying his first radio appearance. He had no cares...yet. He would feel differently once he knew what Piper knew.
“Can you blame me for smiling every time I’m around her?” Sawyer asked Kelly.
Kelly sighed. “You guys are so adorable. It’s killing me.” She let the listeners know Piper and Sawyer would sing after the commercial break.
Sawyer leaned over when the On Air sign was turned off. He brushed her knee with his hand. “Are we good?”
She froze. Not good at all. “We’re fine,” Piper lied.
Hunter brought Sawyer his guitar and they did a quick sound check. They got a thumbs-up from the producer on the other side of the glass.
Piper closed her eyes and tried to shut off her brain. Don’t look at him. Sing, she told herself. She did just that. Kelly whistled and clapped for them when they finished.
“I love that song. I really do,” she said. “I’ve got one more request before you two head out today.”
“Request away,” Sawyer said.
“You’re performing tonight at the Country Artist Awards. Like I said, I love ‘You Don’t Need Me,’ but I think I speak for everyone listening when I say we also love the chemistry between you two. I have watched that music video a hundred times. There is something so crazy good about the two of you together. Please tell me there’s a hidden romance going on that you want to make official right now, here on K104.”
Piper’s heart stopped. She was speechless. Had she even been asked a question? Kelly smiled, as if waiting for a reply. Piper’s entire face burned. She looked at Sawyer, who also seemed stunned by the insinuation.
There was nothing worse than dead air on the radio. Kelly was quick to end it. “I’m not going to let them answer so I can continue believing it’s true, but if all you shippers could see the way both of them are blushing right now, there would be no doubts.”
&nb
sp; The panic cut off all the air to her lungs. Piper wanted to scream that there was no chance she and Sawyer would ever be together. Not the way she had once imagined.
“Thank you so much for stopping by,” Kelly continued. “Please drop in the next time you’re in town.”
Never again.
“Absolutely,” Piper said, finally finding her voice. All she wanted and needed was for this interview to end.
Sawyer simply nodded.
“All right. I’ve got a treat for y’all today,” Kelly continued. “We’ve got the first single from Piper’s new album that comes out at the end of the month. Sit back, enjoy the song and be sure to catch these two possible lovebirds tonight on the Country Artist Awards.”
As the song started, Piper took off her headphones. She noticed Sawyer’s furrowed brow. “I think Sawyer might be mad at you for spreading rumors that he’s anything other than single,” she told Kelly.
“I’m not mad,” he said. “I was caught off guard. You’re probably mad.”
“I’m not mad,” Piper argued. She wasn’t the only one who hadn’t wanted to pursue a relationship. “I just thought you were going to set the record straight, so I didn’t say anything.”
“I didn’t mean to put you two on the spot.” Kelly slid her headphones off her head and let them hang around her neck. “There’s something so heartbreaking about that song. The way you sing it makes me want to believe love will win in the end, even though you’re saying goodbye. Does that even make sense?”
“Boone Williams knows how to write a song,” Sawyer said, giving credit where credit was due.
Last summer, Dean had asked Boone to mentor Piper so she could learn to write her own songs. Boone had tried, but the Grammy-award winner didn’t have an abundance of patience, and writing songs had proved to be more difficult than Piper had hoped it would be.
He’d written most of “You Don’t Need Me” and was kind enough to give Piper credit for the very little input she’d offered. Even after all his hard work on the song, he’d opted not to sing on the track. Boone had given that honor to Sawyer—as well as the job of helping her write songs for her new album.
“Boone once told me that a good song makes people feel,” Piper said. “If our song made you feel like believing in love can win, then we did our job.”
“You did an excellent job.” Kelly smiled and saw them out. Heath and Lana were ready to leave as soon as the interview was over. Piper was ushered out of the station and back into the limo without a chance to say anything to Sawyer.
“Lana, make a note that the next time we go to K104, I’ll need to approve all the questions ahead of time.” Her father’s peeved expression left no question he was unhappy with the insinuation that Piper and Sawyer were a couple. He was not going to take the news of this pregnancy well. “This is all Boone’s fault. If he hadn’t backed out of the arrangement I made with Dean, we wouldn’t have to deal with this slander.”
Piper wished she could blame someone other than herself, but she was the only one responsible for this entire mess. “Hoping Sawyer and I are dating is hardly slander.”
“When the new album comes out, everyone will move on,” Lana said. “People see them sing a love song together and it makes them want the feelings to be real. When you go your separate ways, the fans will forget about it.”
“We can hope,” her father replied.
The sinking feeling was back. He could hope all he wanted. Sawyer would forever be a part of their lives. There was a baby on the way, and Piper needed to figure out how to break the news to her father and Sawyer. Sooner than later.
CHAPTER THREE
SAWYER BOUNCED ON the balls of his feet as he shook out his arms and rolled his head from side to side like a boxer psyching himself up for his prizefight. Bridgestone Arena was where Sawyer had attended his very first concert back when he was sixteen. His sister, Faith, had driven him and two friends up to Nashville to see Kenny Chesney. Even from their nosebleed seats, he had felt the energy coming off the stage.
Now he was only a few minutes away from performing on that very stage. Not in front of thousands of screaming fans but hundreds of country music’s elite. That was somehow more intimidating than the millions of people who would be watching him on their televisions at home.
“Is Piper ready?” Sawyer asked as Dean entered the dressing room, followed by Faith. “We’re supposed to go on in a few minutes.” Dean’s eyes were glued to his phone. He hadn’t stopped looking at that thing since they’d arrived at the arena.
“She’ll be ready. Goodness, Facebook and Twitter are all over this.”
“All over what?” Sawyer tried to sneak a peek over Dean’s shoulder.
Dean spun around. “I think I have a way to make you a household name, little brother.”
Sawyer’s sister put her hand over her heart. “Aw, that’s the first time I’ve heard you refer to him as your brother.”
“Let’s not call each other brother yet. You two aren’t even married.” Sawyer didn’t mind that Dean would soon be his brother-in-law, but it wasn’t something he wanted anyone to focus on too much. He feared people would accuse him of only getting ahead in this business because he was family. “What’s happening on social media?”
“Ever since the radio interview, you and Piper have been trending on Twitter in Nashville with the hashtag #PipermakesSawyersmile.”
Sawyer choked on the water he was drinking. It could not possibly be a good thing for anyone to think there was a romance going on between him and Piper. Not when she had made it clear they were better off as friends.
He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “Exactly how is that going to make me more famous? Piper and I are friends, but not even good friends. Barely friends. We’re more like coworkers. Acquaintances maybe. Nothing more than singers on the same label. What will people think next? That I’m in love with Boone Williams?” Sawyer tried to laugh the whole thing off.
“Wow, from friends to only singers on the same label? Way to downplay your relationship. You act like it’s inconceivable. You’d be lucky to date someone like Piper,” Faith said. “She’s beautiful, talented, ambitious and sweet on top of it all.”
“Sounds like you’re in love,” Sawyer replied.
“Piper still hasn’t signed off on an opening act for her first set of tour dates. You also have an album to promote,” Dean said as his grin widened.
“And we’ve been talking about me doing a small-venue tour across the South this winter.”
“Which was a great idea until another great idea came along.”
Sawyer knew exactly where this was headed. “What? That I join Piper’s tour?”
What Dean couldn’t know was that when Piper had squashed the idea of being a couple, her support of his career had probably gone right along with it. She’d been mortified earlier when he suggested this not be the last performance they’d ever do together.
“I’m going to run it by Piper first, but I think if we play this right, we could create a buzz that sends you both to the top of the charts.” Dean’s excitement would have been contagious if it wasn’t for the fact that he thought he could convince a woman who didn’t even want to sit by Sawyer to let him open for her.
“What if Piper says no?” There was no if, only when. Piper wouldn’t go for it. Most importantly, her father would never go for it, and he called all the shots in her career.
“She likes you. I saw how you two were on the farm. You helped her write the songs for this album. She owes you one.”
Sawyer tugged at the collar of his shirt. He had ruined his chances of getting a hand up from Piper by getting too close. Dean could try to sweet-talk her, but the chances of her giving him a spot on her tour were slim. “Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Stop worrying. I’ll make this work for both of you. One more thing,” Dean
said, rubbing his hands together. “I think you should do something at the end of the performance tonight, but you can’t tell Piper it’s coming.”
* * *
“CAN I GET you anything?” Lana asked from the other side of the bathroom door.
Piper wiped her mouth. “I’ll be out in a second.” How she wished she hadn’t eaten dinner. She’d heard of morning sickness, but it was after seven o’clock in the evening. Why was she throwing up now?
“They’re ready for you onstage. This thing is a well-oiled machine. They can’t get backed up.”
Piper washed her hands and checked her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired. Even with all the makeup magic her stylist had used to make her red-carpet ready tonight, she could see the exhaustion written all over her face.
No rest for the weary. Piper pulled open the door. “Let’s go.”
The anxious-looking stagehand behind Lana radioed to someone that they were on the move. All Piper had to do was sing “You Don’t Need Me” one more time and then she could tell Sawyer about the baby. Once he knew the truth, maybe he would know what they were supposed to do.
Someone handed her an earpiece and a microphone as they approached the stage. Sawyer’s hair was like spun gold under the glow of the stage lights. With a guitar strapped across his chest, he wore jeans and an oatmeal-colored henley, while she was tortured in a dress covered in red sequins. He had the shoulders of a man who had lifted hay bales his whole life. He was so strong and sturdy.
He reached for her hand when they were directed to head out during the commercial break. Like a stupid moth drawn to the flame that had no goal but to zap the life out of it, she took his hand and let him lead the way.
“I’m so nervous,” he admitted. “Tell me everything’s going to be all right.”
Sawyer was usually so full of naive confidence. It always seemed like he had no idea whom he could disappoint. In front of this crowd, however, he was obviously humbled.
“Almost everyone out there has been on this stage and knows it’s not easy. They’re more forgiving than you’d expect. But we’re going to be better than all right, so no worries,” she assured him. At least she knew they would survive this performance. Afterward, things didn’t look as promising.
