Taylor’s Legendary Heart: Sweethearts of Country Music, Book 2

by Pinder, Victoria

  A cautious smile grew on her face that made him pause. “But we talked last night.”

  He glanced at his watch and nodded. “Twelve hours, nine minutes, thirty-nine seconds since we last spoke.”

  She picked up his wrist and stared at his watch. “You’re tracking?”

  He tapped his app and showed her the numbers that he zeroed out as they were together. “I tend to track everything in this app these days. It’s what keeps me on schedule.”

  She let his wrist go and the loss of her touch made him feel empty. “So, I’m in your app now.”

  He straightened and walked with her toward the front desk where they wanted to see her license to check her in. The clerk nodded and they stepped back. He said, “You were always my muse, so adding you into the app wasn’t hard.”

  The clerk handed everyone plastic cards to get into their rooms as she said, “Eddie, thank you for the flowers in Dallas.”

  Soon she’d see the flowers in her room here too, but for now he took her hand and walked her to the side to let the others go ahead. “Taylor, I wanted to see you again…”

  Her band walked past, heading to their rooms, and she stayed close to where he could feel the skin of her arm that made his own body feel alive. “I’m right here.”

  She pressed her hand to his face and the desire to kiss her hit him hard.

  Even though they were in a hotel hallway where anybody could see them--he battled back temptation and held the ache inside. “Is there anything special you wanted to do in Vegas?”

  Her face beamed excitement and happiness as she scrunched her nose and said, “Run off and get secretly married.”

  His eyes widened. The idea of coming home to Taylor played in his head as trumpets and a violin orchestrated the scene. “Seriously?”

  “No.” She slipped her hand in his. “It was a joke.”

  Yet the music in his heart continued. He’d have to write it down somehow before he forgot how it went. He pressed his hand on his chest. “Now I’m disappointed. You’re the only woman I’d ever want as a wife.”

  She motioned with her head and her blonde hair floated behind her in her ponytail as she said without words "let’s go" as she said out loud, “That’s a little fast.”

  He clasped her hand and didn’t let go. He couldn’t. Her touch was all he wanted or needed, but he walked toward the elevators with her and said, “Fair enough, but I was talking more about shows and dinner when I asked.”

  She pressed the button. “Ah, well I’ve always wanted to see the water fountains at the Bellagio.”

  He nodded. “We’ll add it to the agenda.”

  “Perfect.” She entered the elevator. As she turned around an older man with his wife snapped their picture with his phone as Eddie pressed the door closed button. Once they were alone, Taylor blinked and said, “A couple just took our picture.”

  “Yours.” He normally had younger girls to middle-aged moms for his fan base though he occasionally had others too, not that it mattered who bought his album.

  She snorted. “Probably not. Aren’t you afraid people might see us together? You’re every girl’s fantasy and I don’t want to be demonized in the press.”

  He leaned closer and the air smelled like her vanilla bean moisturizer. “I’m willing to live dangerously, and besides, I have my baseball cap.”

  She pushed his short red hair behind his ears and shook her head. “That doesn’t disguise you, Eddie.”

  The doors dinged and opened. Taylor read room number 2042 and followed the arrows. “Here we are.”

  He followed her and wished he’d moved her and her band up higher, nearer to him. “You’re twenty levels down from me.”

  She stopped at the door and swiped her electric card as she said, “The bigger the name, the higher the room I guess.”

  He leaned against the door, waiting for her to see the flowers inside. “When I first started three albums ago, I had some rooms smaller than this.”

  “Us too…” Her eyes widened as she saw dozens of vases of red roses decorating the room, in every corner. She twirled toward the door with her hand on her heart. “Eddie, these are gorgeous. You don’t have to do these things.”

  “I want to.” He followed her inside but kept the door open just to see the red petals in every corner as ordered with a larger bouquet next to her bed.

  They'd followed directions--he'd let Tam know.

  She sighed and said, “I love red roses.”

  “I remember.” She'd sent him a red rose valentine when he was so awkward as a fourteen-year-old pimple-faced boy as she said how much she loved them and threw her hands in the air.

  She sucked in her bottom lip, tossed her small backpack on the bed and said, “Look, do you want to get a cup of coffee with me? I saw a coffee shop in the lobby.”

  “Sure.” He stood taller.

  She quickly tugged out her ponytail she’d been sporting and used her fingers to give her hair body in the mirror and followed him out.

  Every move Taylor made was graceful, and she never even tried to be. As they headed back into the hall, she walked with one hand in her front pocket and said, “Good… the thing is Eddie, I like you. Part of me loves you, but we’re on two different paths.”

  His gut clenched like he’d won a battle. He knew she was the one. He just knew. They returned to the elevator and he asked, “Is this about a long-distance relationship?”

  “Yeah.” She pressed the button again, then lifted her chin and met his gaze. “Eddie, we both know long distance doesn't work.”

  The doors opened. They were alone. Good. He gently bumped into her shoulder. “Jon Bon Jovi’s been married to his wife since he started.”

  He pressed the down button and she nodded. “That’s one.”

  They descended as he said, “Tim McGraw and Faith Hill make it work.”

  She brought her hand from her pocket and shrugged. “That’s another.”

  They reached the ground floor as he waited for her to exit first and asked, “How many examples of long distance do you need?”

  “Okay, long distance can work,” she conceded as they walked toward the coffee shop just off the lobby.

  He nodded and held the door for her to go stand in line. “If two people are in love….”

  They ambled toward the cashier and the food options as she stared at the cookies. “I don’t understand why you say you love me.”

  He traced her lower back and she glanced up at him. His body zipped in anticipation of Taylor’s touch as he asked in a lower voice, “Are you asking why I might love you?”

  “Yes.” She didn’t blink.

  He ordered a caramel latte, non-fat milk with whipped cream for Taylor, that used to be her favorite, then ordered his own plain latte. Once he paid, he walked her toward the other end of the counter to wait for their coffee. “You make me laugh.”

  Her face contorted like she’d argue, and her lips twisted.

  He laughed at her dramatic expression. “See?”

  “Stop.” She flipped her hair back. “What else?”

  He took their coffees and handed hers to her as he said, “You listen to me.”

  She pointed toward an empty table in a dark corner. “I think everyone in the world does.”

  He held the chair for her as he said, “No, not like you. You've always wanted the best for me.”

  She scooted in her chair and the metal legs scraped the tile floor. “Who would want bad things for you?”

  Faceless shadows flashed in his head of people he’d avoid while he only said, “Many, many people are negative.”

  She sighed and it was like a breath of fresh air when she said, “You’re right on that. It’s been a hard lesson.”

  He reached for her hand on the table. “And you’ve always been a cheerleader for me.”

  “Except we didn’t talk for three years now.”

  “We both needed to learn a few things, and you’re here now.”

  “You’
re so forgiving, Eddie.” Her face flushed with color. “Well, I do want you to succeed. I want you to be the most successful artist in the world. You have the talent, Eddie.”

  He’d walk away from everything if he had a shot with Taylor. While he might never be a doctor like her father, he’d show her that love mattered more.

  They enjoyed their coffees without words for a few minutes as light jazz played over the speakers. He finished his drink. “So, do you want to see anything else other than the fountains?”

  She shook her head. “No. I'm happy to be on a date, just you and me.”

  A flash of Taylor in a white dress walking down a white aisle loaded with flower petals at his English country estate played in his mind. That home in Derbyshire was where he kept his eclectic random-buys of things he liked across the globe, but Taylor wasn’t a statue. She was his queen though she wasn’t ready to hear that. So, he just sat back in his chair and said, “Well, I’ll add a few items I want to do that I think you will like.”

  She cupped her hands around her latte like the paper warmed her. “Like what?”

  Taylor was the one person he’d like to experience Vegas things with. She’d always made everything more fun. He leaned closer again. “At the Venetian there is a faux gondola ride and since we can’t fly off to Venice for the real thing…”

  She gave him a small sigh as she said, “That would be a nice place to fly off.”

  Yet they both took their responsibilities seriously. He whispered, “I’m willing to take off and leave the schedule if you are.”

  She shook her head no, as she didn’t believe him, and said, “Don’t be silly.”

  He ignored the spike in his temperature knowing it wasn’t the coffee but Taylor. “Then the Venetian will be enough.”

  Her phone beeped. She glanced down and said, “I’m due at rehearsal.”

  The CMAs had their walk-throughs on a tight timeline and all the performers had a schedule to keep. His phone rang and he didn’t need to see Tam’s text to know she'd just reminded him too. “Me too, but since the awards show isn’t till tomorrow, we have tonight for ourselves.”

  She tossed her cup in the recycle and asked, “We’re here for another night. So, what are your plans after the awards show?”

  He did the same but then hugged her waist. “After-parties are expected. We’ll be photographed everywhere, but we can make an escape.”

  “You think so?”

  “I’ll make a plan. Have a good rehearsal and I’ll see you soon.”

  She closed her eyes and his body ached to kiss her. Eddie stopped fighting himself and claimed her pink lips one more time.

  Kissing Taylor was the closest thing to heaven he’d ever experienced, and he never wanted this moment to end.

  9

  Practice at the MGM for the CMAs lacked the comedians. The musical talent had fifteen minutes in between to practice on the stage. The coffee Taylor had had with Eddie amped up her energy as she took the stage with her bandmates. Her keyboard wasn’t here yet, so they had a temporary one for her to use during practice.

  She’d played worse. Taylor’s fingers finished finessing the notes into her ivory keys that made “Came to Nashville” so important to her.

  She’d put her heart on the line and written a melody that was both peppy and heartfelt.

  Honest, heartbroken, but happy.

  It was all she’d claimed to be for years but now… now a new song was blooming and the melody inside her heart strummed different beats.

  She finished her piano solo and immediately returned to backup singing where she pointed all around on the stage until the end of the song and Katie Lyn said, “The CMAs are going to be awesome.”

  The MC nodded and went back to his list.

  They were done with practice for now on this Vegas stage. She left her piano and joined C.C. as they walked off without their stationary instruments who said, “I can’t wait to see what Melanie finds for us to wear.”

  Agreed. The new makeup and hair lady was awesome and talented.

  Their manager, Val, was there with the contract from the CMAs that stated the organization was not responsible for anything that might happen during the live performance. The gist was that they’d get a fifty percent split for online royalties for individual artists’ performances. They signed off that they were ready, would follow all the rules, and headed out the back toward the audience doors to not interrupt, but then the announcer said, “Eddie Williams.”

  She stopped in her tracks and Rissa pointed backward. “Taylor, looks like your man is up next.”

  Eddie walked to the center of the stage in a blue t-shirt and black jeans that clung to his very fit body.

  The same outfit he’d met her in, minus the Red Sox baseball hat.

  Her heart soared. She smiled at her friends and said, “I’m gonna hang in the rafters if that’s okay.”

  Cinnamon pointed toward the red rows of cushioned seats that had no one in them. “You could sit up front, but I think he’d like you staying here.”

  Maybe, but if he knew she was here, he’d… he’d be hers instead of Eddie Williams, British pop star. Her body warmed at the thought, but she told her friends, “I should be getting dressed for our date tonight.”

  Mac waved as the girls left and said, “Have fun.”

  “Thanks.” Taylor hung in the shadows of the back able to hear everything on stage. Eddie held the microphone, but a slightly different beat emerged for his song, "The One."

  He had a banjo player and he sang with more… country, though his tones were clipped as he sang, Her smile intoxicates… her laugh liberates… cause she’s the one that makes my heart ache…

  Was this song about her?

  He’d said so.

  Eddie Williams had always been a sweetheart.

  Had she hurt him when she’d left with Keith?

  She held her waist and listened.

  As the song ended, the MC, who hadn't even talked to them, laughed and told Eddie, “No one’s going to believe you’re British tomorrow night.”

  “Doubtful, but thanks.” Eddie waved and left the stage without much fan-fare.

  She loved dark corners and closed her eyes for a moment, imagining Eddie’s kisses greeting her.

  Her body had a sting to it like she’d been branded already which wasn’t good.

  Unless it was.

  Taylor heard Eddie's assistant Tam’s voice, so she stilled as Tam asked, “What hotel are you looking for in Hong Kong?”

  Eddie shrugged and Taylor let her head rest on the metal back of a chair as he said, “I trust your judgement, Tam. I have to go.”

  Tam stopped. “So, you’re not demanding any particulars of Hong Kong, or the Asian portion of the tour?”

  Eddie glanced around and Taylor’s heart beat faster. If he saw her, then he’d know she'd watched him. “I told you. I trust you.”

  Tam said, “Have fun with Taylor. But don’t make me bail you out of some disaster.”

  The doors opened and Tam ducked out.

  For a second Taylor thought she was safe. She’d dash to her room, shower and dress for tonight, but then Eddie’s black sneaker with the white trim was visible in front of her seat. “Taylor, there you are.”

  Adrenaline coursed through her. Hide and seek was never her game, so she rose and ignored the crick in her neck as she said, “You sing beautifully.”

  He offered his hand for her and all the pain in her body dissipated as he held hers. “It’s not about beauty, and I missed my third note.”

  She walked with him out the door, back into the hotel lobby. “I didn’t notice.”

  The halls were empty, and they had a clear path toward the front door and waiting limos. “Are you ready?”

  She was still in her jeans that needed an iron and white butterfly shirt she’d practically slept in. She shook her head. “Give me half an hour? I want to put on a dress.”

  He walked with her toward the elevators instead as his
eyes widened. “For me?”

  Of course, he remembered her routine before a date. She’d asked his opinion on her dress choices at Juilliard when she intended to go out with others.

  The thump in her heart couldn’t be excitement. They got inside and she pressed the button for her floor. She needed to own up to her feelings. “Yes, you said it was a date.”

  He bowed like she was the Queen of England and he was her servant following commands. “Then I’ll clean up and meet you at your door.”

  She cupped his face that was slightly scratchy, his red hair visible beneath his cap, and his green eyes called to her. “Eddie-”

  “No doubts tonight.” He hugged and kissed her so lightly that he ignited a spark that raced through her, yet he released her. “Let’s just go and have fun.”

  The elevator stopped at her floor and she jumped out as she said, “You were great up there. See you soon.”

  His intense gaze followed her and she knew it so she added an extra sway to her hips.

  Once she heard the elevator doors close, she ran the rest of the way to her room and stripped, leaving her clothes in a trail on the floor past the flowers as she hopped into the shower.

  A half an hour wasn’t enough time to be fabulous.

  Her mother said a woman’s beauty regime should always take at least two hours.

  Taylor froze as she remembered that lesson.

  She never wanted to be anything like her parents.

  Ever.

  Their lives were static and unchanging and… so bland, she fought against transitioning into a Stepford wife as they expected her to be.

  She rinsed as the melody in her soul took over and Eddie's smile made her smile.

  Love was a good reason to trust in the world.

  She got out of the shower and worked on drying her hair--at least her nails were good. Pale pink to match her butterfly. She’d fixed them on the bus from Dallas to the airport with the windows open as all the girls had decided on manicures for the awards show, much to Dan’s discomfort.

  As she finished her hair and makeup, her phone rang. She scooped up the phone and saw her mother’s face.

  Not the woman she expected to hear from, but she took the phone and answered as she opened her closet.