Cowboy 12 Pack

by Cynthia D’Alba, Paige Tyler, Elle James, Donna Michaels, Shoshanna Evers, Randi Alexander, Cora Seton, Beth Williamson, Sabrina York, Sable Hunter, Lexi Post, Becky McGraw

  Biting back a whimper, Leigh sat on the ugly, brown, faux-leather sofa, and crossed her legs. “No, that’s fine. You go ahead, and I’ll just wait right here.” And get a damned grip on myself. Never in her life had Leigh had such an instant reaction to a man, and it confused her. Resisting Wade who was equally good looking, and also trying to get into her pants was no problem at all.

  But for some reason, this cowboy got her motor running without even trying. The air around him practically vibrated with sensuality, and Leigh’s body was definitely tuned in to those vibrations. Maybe it was just him, or it could be because she hadn’t had sex in so long, eight months, and needed to remedy that situation. Whatever the reason, since the moment she’d met Jase Sutter, Leigh had been on ready.

  That needed to stop because she had more important things to think about right now, and so did he. Like saving her career, by launching his. Huffing a breath, she leaned her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. Last night, Leigh hadn’t slept well. A catnap might help her stay more alert, because tonight was going to a long night, if Jase agreed to go with her to Nashville.

  Her butt bounced on the sofa jarring her awake as Jase Sutter plopped down on the sofa beside her. “I could use a nap too,” he said with a laugh, running a hand through his still-wet hair. “Sorry for flopping down. My momma gets on me all the time about that.”

  “No problem,” Leigh said, sitting up straighter.

  “What did you want to talk to me about?” he asked with a smile, his eyes seeming to drink in her features. That intent look, his attention felt like sunshine on her face. He shoved a hand through his wet hair, and water tracked down his neck to disappear beneath the collar of his faded t-shirt.

  Leigh’s tongue itched to follow the track with her tongue. She drowned in his warm brown eyes, and “I like you,” popped out of her mouth, which prompted a wider, warmer smile from him that she felt deep inside this time.

  What the hell was this odd connection she felt to this man? Instant infatuation was definitely not something Leigh was usually afflicted by. She was about as cautious and detached as a person could get. Because of the way she’d been raised, Leigh did not get attached to people, or let them inside her head and so far that mode of operation had served her well, saved her a lot of hurt and heartache. Her parents had done her a favor by toughening her up early.

  “I like you too.” Jase laughed, but looked confused. “Is that what you came all the way out here to tell me?”

  Leigh shook her head, dragging her eyes from his mouth. “No, that’s not why I’m here, but it’s definitely a plus that you like me too, since it looks like we’ll be working together for a long while.”

  “We are?” Jase asked, sitting up straighter beside her.

  “I sure hope so. You have talent and that song is amazing. Once we have a better demo, I think I’ll be able to sign you.”

  The light left his face, and his lips flattened. “Well that’s good news, but you won’t be getting another demo.” With a huffed breath, Jase slammed his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes. “I told you, I can’t afford to do that.”

  “I’m paying for it,” Leigh said, and he opened one eye to look at her.

  “You’re paying for it?” he asked suspiciously. “Why are you doing that? Most labels want the artist to supply a good demo.”

  “I want to sign you, Jase, but the only way I’ll be able to do that is by presenting a professionally mastered cut to Leo Hart.” Leigh smiled. “It’s up to you to make it good. That’s something I can’t help you with.”

  “I can do that, but when?” Jase asked, looking concerned.

  “It has to be this weekend. That’s the only studio time I could get. A friend owes me a favor, and had a cancellation. It’s the only way I can afford to do this,” she said firmly. “I’m paying for a sound engineer and studio musicians. They’re lined up and I know it’s presumptuous, but I’ve purchased the plane tickets for a redeye flight to Nashville tonight.”

  “I have plans this weekend. I can’t do it,” he said firmly.

  Plans? She was offering him a golden opportunity here, and he was throwing it back in her face, because he had a date? “Cancel them,” she grated.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve already committed.”

  Anger boiled her blood as Leigh pushed up off the sofa. Glaring down at him, she put her hands on her hips. “You must not want to make it in this business very badly if you’re blowing off an opportunity like this for a date.” Bending, she grabbed her purse and brief case, then turned back to him. “The best thing you can do is marry that woman, and work your ass off at a nine-to-five to support her and your five kids. You haven’t got the sense it takes to do anything else.” Leigh spun toward the door and took two steps, but was pulled up short by a firm hand on her arm.

  “It’s not a date,” he growled. The front door opened and a sixtyish couple walked through the door.

  His fingers loosened on her arm and he stepped around Leigh to walk to the small, gray-haired woman and bend to kiss her cheek. “Hey, mama. Did you and daddy have fun shopping?”

  She looked very frightened, as she cowered back into a man who looked a helluva lot like an older version of Jase. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice trembling.

  “It’s me, momma—Jase,” he replied, gently putting his hand on her arm.

  “Oh…” It was obvious she still didn’t know who he was.

  Leigh didn’t know what was going on here, but either he didn’t belong here, or his mother was having some mental issues. Now she doesn’t even remember my name. The words in the chorus of the song Leigh had now committed to memory made all the sense in the world to her. And so did his attachment to the song he’d written about his mother’s illness. That made her even more determined to help him.

  “Where’s Pearl?” the woman asked, and Jase ground his teeth which caused a muscle to work in his square jaw.

  He looked angry, frustrated, but when he spoke to her his voice was soft. “Mama, you know Aunt Pearl isn’t here.” His eyes darted to his father who shook his head, and Jase huffed out a breath. “Where’d y’all go? You’re gonna be late for work if you don’t hurry.”

  “I took your mama to the park for a walk,” he said, stepping to her side to put his arm around her shoulders and smile down at her.

  Leigh swallowed the knot in her throat. This is what love was about. In sickness and health, Mr. Smith was there for his wife. In her family, it had been until something better comes along with both Leo and Trudy. With an example like that growing up, it was reason enough for her to avoid serious relationships. And she did like the plague, because she felt sure if she ventured there, considering her upbringing she would end up just like them. Seeing this family dynamic though, gave her hope that it wasn’t as mystical as a unicorn and really did exist. For others, not for her. There was no hope for her.

  Mr. Smith gave her a curious glance, then looked at Jase. “You have company, son, and your mother is probably ready for a nap, so I’ll just get her settled and get ready for work.”

  “Thanks, dad,” Jase replied, watching them walk toward the stairs with sad eyes. “I’ll get supper ready in a few minutes.”

  “So what were your plans for the weekend, if you didn’t have a date?” Leigh asked, knowing what his answer would be, but needing to hear it from him, because no man she had met to date would do what Jase was doing here.

  “My dad has to work, so I have to stay with my momma.”

  Considering his wife’s health, it seemed like Mr. Smith would’ve retired to take care of her. He had to be close to retirement age. “Shouldn’t your daddy be close to retiring?”

  He huffed out a breath, and shoved his hand through his hair again. “He has to keep working for the insurance. He’ll probably be working until he’s eighty years old. We don’t want to put her in a home, so we juggle staying with her.”

  �
��Of course not,” Leigh replied.

  But sometimes, people had to do what they didn’t want to, because dealing with a woman with her condition had to be exhausting. Especially to a thirty year old man with no life. One who was trying to make it in a business that required focus and commitment.

  This had to be the saddest situation Leigh had ever encountered.

  But maybe she could help him and help herself at the same time. “I have a sister who’s a nurse. She might be available for the weekend.”

  As far as she knew, her half-sister from her mother’s second marriage usually didn’t work the weekends. They weren’t close, so she would probably have to pay Corrie’s normal hourly rate, but she would pay it to give Jase this chance.

  He deserved this chance.

  “We can’t afford it, but I have a cousin I can call.” His voice and the worry in his brown eyes told her he didn’t trust that cousin one bit.

  Having him focused on making music this weekend was crucial to them producing a good demo. If she didn’t put his mind at rest that his mother was well cared for, she knew she would be wasting her time and money on the trip to Nashville. Leigh needed this to work as much as he did.

  “I’ll pay her,” Leigh offered.

  “You’ll pay her?” Jase asked with a snort. “Why?”

  “The only thing I want you worried about this weekend is making music,” Leigh replied, pulling out her cell to call Corrie, as she sat back down on the sofa.

  “My mom doesn’t take to strangers very well,” Jase informed as he sat down beside her. “Not remembering things scares her.”

  “Corrie works at a home, so she’s used to dealing with older people,” Leigh reassured and his face relaxed a little. She called Corrie, and luck was on her side, because she was indeed available. She cut a deal, gave her details, then hung up and smiled. “It’s a done deal,” she said putting her hand on his knee. “Now go get packed. She’ll be here in two hours, and our plane leaves in three.”

  He just sat there and stared at her for a moment, then laughed. “Why are you doing all this? I know I’m not that good.”

  “I told you, I like you,” she replied with a smile. “And I think you are that good. I believe in you, but we have to convince Leo.”

  Another long moment passed, with him just staring at her with those soulful brown eyes, before he caught her chin in his fingers. “I think your boyfriend was crazy as a loon to let you go, but I’m glad he did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to break up with you.” His rich voice and sweet words dripped like honey along her nerve endings to settle sweetly in her chest. “Fate is a funny thing,” she replied with a nervous laugh.

  “That it is…” Jase still held her chin, and the air buzzed between them when his eyes dropped to her mouth and lingered. Leaning toward her, he brushed his lips over hers. “Thank you for everything, Leigh.”

  He pulled back quickly, and Leigh’s lips chased his. Her face heated when she realized what she’d done, but she still wanted another taste of his sweetness. This man had more of it than any man she’d ever met in her life.

  He stood, and smiled down at her, “I’m going to pack now. You said we’re flying to Nashville?” he asked.

  Leigh’s breath came out on a rush. “Yeah, we have seats on the last flight out of Dallas.”

  “I don’t know about flying,” he said, his eyebrows drawn.

  “Well you better get comfortable with it. You’re going to be doing a lot of it very soon if this demo comes out well.”

  “It’ll come out well,” he replied confidently. “And I’ll ride on the wing if that’s what it takes to get to Nashville.” His laughter was interrupted by his phone ringing. With a frown, he pulled it out of his pocket and studied the screen, before answering. “Hey, Glen, what’s up?” he said, giving her an uncomfortable glance. He listened for a second then groaned. “You’ll have to reschedule with them. I’m real sorry, but something came up and I won’t be at The Barn tomorrow night.”

  Glen Parsons, his agent, she thought and her blood pressure shot through the roof. There was one more stipulation on their association she’d forgotten to discuss with him, but she was going to take care of it right now. She stepped in front of him and mouthed, “Tell him you’ll call him back.”

  Jase’s eyebrows raised, as he stuttered, “Glen, um, I’m in the middle of something. Let me call you back.” He disconnected the call, and just stared at her.

  “If I’m spending all this money to do this, you will get rid of Glen Parsons. And we’re exclusive until Leo tells me it’s a no go. Otherwise, I’m going home.”

  He huffed a frustrated breath. “Glen is doing a good—”

  “Get rid of him, or get rid of me. Your choice,” Leigh said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m not dealing with that man, or worrying whether you’re going to sign with another label after I’m investing all this money in you.”

  “I wouldn’t do that to you,” Jase said, sounding a little insulted.

  “This is business, Mr. Sutter,” she said taking on Leo’s tone. “Call Glen back and cut him loose, or I’m out of here. I’m serious.”

  His jaw worked for a second. “You haven’t made me any promises, Ms. Anderson. Glen has worked up interest with Twang, and it’s not fair of you to ask me to give that up without some kind of promise.”

  Jase was right, she hadn’t made any promises and couldn’t. She wasn’t the final say so at Hearts Afire. “I’ll promise you this. If things don’t work out with you and Hearts Afire, I will personally find you a good agent who will get you signed somewhere. Deal?” she asked, sticking her hand out to him.

  He stared at her hand a second, then dragged his eyes back to hers, before he took her hand. “I don’t know who to trust in this business, but so far you seem to be my best bet, so, yeah, we have a deal. Just don’t double cross me, Leigh, or I promise you it won’t be pretty.”

  “I’ll give you the same warning, Jase. I’ve trusted a lot of people I shouldn’t have too, but I don’t think you’re one of them. This could be a mutually beneficial arrangement, but we have to be able to trust one another.”

  Releasing her hand, Jase redialed Glen’s phone number. While he waited, his eyes held hers, and Leigh saw he was still unconvinced he was doing the right thing. But when Glen answered the phone he said, “Glen, I’m sorry, bud, but I’m going to have to cut you loose. I’ve decided to work with someone else.” He held the phone away from his ear, and Leigh could hear Glen’s nasty screeching.

  She grabbed Jase’s hand, pried the phone from his fingers and stabbed the disconnect button. With a smile, she handed it back to him. “Go pack, so we can get to work. I’ve got some calls to make. Now, shoo!” She pushed him toward the stairs. “Destiny waits for no man, darlin’. We’re about to make magic happen.”

  Chapter Four

  ‡

  WHEN THE WHEELS of the plane screeched on the tarmac at the Nashville airport at midnight, Leigh breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a close call, but that sound meant they’d made it. Getting Corrie introduced to Jase’s mother, and her comfortable with Corrie staying with her, had taken longer than expected. They’d almost missed their flight, the last flight out of Dallas tonight.

  Their first studio session was at seven in the morning, so they needed to get to the Nortell Motel and get checked in so they could get some sleep. Leigh was exhausted, and she knew that Jase had to be too. It had been a long day for both of them. But when she looked over at him, he didn’t look tired at all. He looked as excited as a kid on Christmas morning as he stared out the window of the airplane. He’d been staring out that window since they lifted off in Dallas. That made her wonder if his hesitation about flying earlier was because of a bad experience, or that he’d never flown before. They’d talked a little during the flight, but he still hadn’t dragged his eyes away from the clouds.

  Why being here to witness his first time on an airplane pleased her, she didn’t kno
w, but it did. Leigh had lived on airplanes since she was twenty-three years old. “Is this your first flight, cowboy?”

  He finally looked at her and smiled. “Yeah. I’ve been to Nashville, but always on the bus. I couldn’t afford to fly,” he admitted. “This is very cool, but I wish it were day time, so I could really see things.”

  “Our flight home is early Sunday morning, so you’ll be able to see everything then.” His smile widened, and it grabbed her heart and squeezed.

  This guy really was the real deal, she thought once again, amazed. Not only was he so good looking any woman would stop to stare, he was just sweet and genuine, without any pretense whatsoever. It was very refreshing considering the arrogant singers she’d dealt with over the years she had been in the business, most recently a diva named Wade Lawson. She hoped success didn’t change Jase Sutter, jade him, like it did so many other artists. If that happened, it would be a damn shame.

  “Thanks for doing this,” he said, his warm brown eyes filled with gratitude. “I know you’re shelling out a pretty penny for us to be here. I promise I won’t let you down.”

  “I have no doubt you’ll be fantastic, or we wouldn’t be here.” Leigh mentally crossed her fingers, hoping she was right. Her career depended on it, and so did her confidence in her ability to do this job.

  While the plane taxied to the gate, Leigh scrolled through her missed calls and saw her dad had called. It couldn’t be good news if he was calling her from out of town. She wouldn’t doubt he’d gotten word that Wade was not coming back. She wouldn’t doubt that he was calling to fire here, therefore, she was not going to call him back. When she got back to Dallas, she’d have a negotiation tool—Jase Sutter’s new demo track.

  If Leo fired her then, he would not only be losing a great producer and a daughter, he’d be losing a fantastic new artist. Leo was all about business, so if she did her job well this weekend, he wouldn’t fire her.