Tom shoved him. “Save it for your acceptance speech, dude.”
Beau chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “There might not be a speech, and I wanted y’all to know.”
Hailey placed her finger in front of her pursed lips. “Shhhh. They’re announcing the nominees.”
He grabbed her hand and listened to the names of the other contenders. It was an amazing list of performers, and it really was an honor to be counted among their ranks. For about the millionth time he wished for his grandfather. He could hear him now.
One day I’m gonna hear ’em call your name on one of those award shows.
“And the winner is…” Ryder Morris, the previous year’s New Artist of the Year winner, broke the seal on the envelope and looked at the name inside.
Hailey squeezed his hand. “This is it.”
Ryder looked up, paused, and grinned into the camera. “The Heartbreaker, Beau Callen!”
The name echoed in Beau’s brain. Or he assumed it did. He couldn’t actually say, since he was pretty sure he was in the middle of a mini stroke that rendered him unable to do anything but stare.
“Beau!” Hailey yelled, jumping up and down beside him. “That’s you! You won!” She put her hands on his back and shoved. “Go. Go. Go.”
He stumbled on stage and accepted the award. His pounding heart rattled his ribs, and there wasn’t enough moisture in the world to wet his desert-dry mouth, but he stepped up to the microphone anyway. He tunneled his fingers through his hair. “Lord almighty.” The crowd chuckled, which should’ve calmed him, but still his mind raced. Shit, he might not get through this.
He glanced down at the award in his hands. Lottie’s bracelet peeked out from under his coat sleeve, and his jumbled thoughts immediately aligned. The breath he’d been holding since they’d called his name eased from his lungs. “The first person I have to thank is my grandfather, Clyde, who raised me to love music and encouraged me even when his ears bled from my bad playing.” He turned his eyes to the ceiling. “I love ya old man, and I miss ya like crazy.”
He scanned the audience, who were nothing but a blur of smiling faces and color. “Next, I have to thank the fans.” He pointed at the people in the balcony who were screaming his name. “You’ve been so kind to me, and I can’t thank you enough.”
A lump formed in his throat for this next bit. He swallowed past it and looked directly into the camera. “I need to thank Jack and Luanne Avery and Gavin Bain at Honey Child Records for taking a chance on me. You’ve given a clueless country boy the very best advice and guidance. I love you guys.”
He swiped his bangs from his eyes again. “To my Nashville team, Marissa Day and Clay Everson of Everson, Day Productions, I appreciate all your hard work and everything you’ve done for me. To my bandmates, Buddy and Tom, you guys are so freakin’ talented, and I’m lucky to call you my friends.”
He dragged in a breath and blew it out. This last part was important and he wanted to get it right. “Lastly, I want to thank the beautiful woman who sang with me tonight, Hailey Odom.” He glanced to the wings where she stood crying. “You’re the best part of everything. Thank you for not taking my crap and for believing in me.” He lifted the award into the air. “May and Lottie, I owe you the biggest ice cream sundaes in Nashville.”
There was applause and music, but it barely registered as he made his way off the stage and into Hailey’s arms.
Her squeal, when he spun her around, rang through the backstage area. “I knew it!” She placed a hand on each of his cheeks. “I’m so happy for you, Beau.”
He knew she meant it. There wasn’t a trace of anything but pure joy in her tear-bright eyes. “Thank you. I meant every word of that speech.”
The warmth of her breath fanned across his neck when she put her lips to his ear. “We’ll talk about that speech when we’re alone.”
“Promise?”
“Oh, yeah. Now put me down.”
Buddy slapped him on the back. “Congrats, man.”
“Congratulations, Heartbreaker!” one of the female performers said.
He couldn’t remember her name. Sharleen? Sherrie? “Thank ya, darlin’.”
“Save me a dance at the after-party.” Her perfect white teeth flashed at him from her pretty mouth.
He gave her his pat ladykiller smirk, but threw his arm around Hailey and drew her close to his side. “Sorry, darlin’, all my dances are taken.”
Sharleen/Sherrie smiled at Hailey. “Lucky lady.” She shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for tryin’. I’ll see you two at the after-parties.” A quick finger wave and she was gone.
The male members of his band stared after Sharleen/Sherrie, then gave each other the side-eye.
Beau slapped Tom on the back. “You guys want to meet up with us later?”
“Um…yeah.” Tom grabbed Buddy by the sleeve. “Let’s go.” They took off in the same direction as Sharleen/Sherrie.
Beau chuckled and shook his head. “Horn dogs.”
Hailey laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. She grinned up at him. “So who’re you savin’ all those dances for, Heartbreaker?”
He slid his fingers into her hair and brought his lips to hers.
“This beautiful.” Kiss.
“Talented.” Kiss.
“Brilliant woman I know.” Kiss.
Before he could get lost in her lips, Clay and Marissa ran up to them, and another round of squeals and congratulations erupted.
“You killed it tonight, Beau,” Clay said.
“Thanks, man. It was fun.” Damn, his cheeks ached from smiling.
“And you.” Clay pointed a finger at Hailey. “You were amazing. I’m so glad you decided to do this.”
Pride filled every crevasse of Beau’s chest. She deserved every ounce of praise.
A flush of pink spread from her chest to her hairline. “Thanks, but Beau’s—”
“A lucky bastard.” He tightened his hold on her. “See, I’m not the only one who sees how talented you are.”
“What?” Marissa’s eyes went wide. “You don’t know how incredible you are?”
“Well, this is just something I’ve been doing to help Beau out.” She looped a piece of hair behind her ear. “I’m not a singer. I mean, I can sing, but I’m not a professional singer.”
Marissa looped her arm through Hailey’s. “Girl, we need to talk.”
“Talk in the limo. We’re off to our first party.” Clay slapped Beau on the back. “You ready for this, my man?”
“Born ready, Clay.”
Clay laughed. “Crazy how life can change in an instant, isn’t it?”
Beau watched Hailey walk away with Marissa. “You have no idea.” His life had course-corrected the minute he met Hailey Odom.
Chapter 31
It was official. Hailey loved Nashville and Nashville people, and that wasn’t the champagne talking. She’d limited herself to two glasses, Clay’s warning from earlier still ringing in her ears. But even so, she couldn’t remember ever having a better time.
“Great job tonight,” a pretty redhead in the most beautiful blue dress Hailey had ever seen said as they waited in line for the bathroom.
The familiar warmth that had accompanied every compliment she’d gotten tonight tingled up her neck to her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“Seriously, you two sounded amazing, and the chemistry between you was off the freakin’ charts.” The redhead winked.
Hailey laughed. “That part’s easy. Have you seen him?”
“Oh, yeah. Everyone has seen him, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed that he doesn’t have eyes for anyone here but you.” Her new friend nudged her with her shoulder. “Lucky bitch.”
On that, they could agree.
“You’re right about that.”
They both laughed, and each went into an empty stall. After Hailey washed her hands and checked her hair in the mirror, she went in search of Beau, but the redhead was waiting for her outside the bathroom.
>
“I’m Cora Meyers, and I promise I’m not stalking you.” She extended her hand.
“Hailey Odom.”
Cora reached into her bag and handed Hailey a card. “I’m with Beachwood Entertainment. Let’s get coffee sometime.”
“Oh, um…I’m don’t live here. We’re going back home to Zachsville, Texas tomorrow.” She tried to give the card back to the woman.
“Keep it. You never know when you’ll be back in town.”
Hailey stared at the card and tried to calm the longing in her heart. She literally wanted nothing more than to be able to call Cora and have coffee. Other than Charlie and now Scarlett and Luanne, no one had ever invited her to hang out and have coffee.
The thought of returning to Zachsville hung like a dark cloud on the horizon. She chastised herself. That was where her bar was, her mother’s legacy and memory that she’d entrusted to Hailey. Her life was in Texas, no matter how much she wished differently.
Her phone buzzed just as she slipped the card into the rhinestone clutch she carried. She checked the screen. May? A little shiver of anxiety shot through her.
“Hey, May.”
“Hailey, honey, I hate to call, but Lottie’s had an asthma attack. It was a bad one.”
“Is she alright?”
“Well, that’s just it. I’ve given her two nebulizer treatments, but she’s still not breathing completely easy. Is there anything else I can do?”
“No.” Hailey glanced around and found Beau laughing at something Clay said. “The next step is the ER if she doesn’t get better. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
“Oh, darlin’, I hate that you have to leave.”
“May, she’s my daughter. Nothing’s more important.”
“Alright, see you soon then.”
She pushed her way through the crowd until she came to the man who owned her heart.
“Hey, gorgeous. I was about to send out a search party. We’re about to leave and go to another party.”
“There was a line for the bathroom.” She huffed out a breath. “Beau, Lottie’s had a pretty bad asthma attack and isn’t responding to the neb treatment as fast as she should. I need to go.”
The concern that washed over his face made this man just about perfect. “Is she alright?”
“I’m sure she will be, but I may have to run her to the ER if she isn’t better by the time I get there.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
“No!” Hailey, Marissa, and Clay all shouted at once.
“Hailey, I’m not going to stay without you, especially if Lottie’s sick.”
“Beau, there’s no reason for us both to go check on Lottie.” She glanced at Marissa. “Besides, since you won, there are interviews you need to do. Go. We’ll be fine. I just need to find a ride back to the hotel.”
“I’ll get you a car.” Clay pulled out his phone.
She smiled at Beau. “See, it’ll all work out. Go, be a star.”
“Hailey, I don’t—”
“Beau, I’ve dealt with this all Lottie’s life. She’ll be fine. I need to get to her so I can decide what the next move should be.” She kissed his cheek. “Tell you what. If I have to take her to the ER, I’ll call, and you can meet us there. Otherwise, you need to do your job. Deal?”
The line across his forehead indicated that he didn’t like it, but knew she was right. “Fine.”
Marissa hugged Hailey and whispered, “Thank you.” In her regular voice, she said, “I hope she’s okay.”
Hailey kissed Beau. The sense of finality that washed over her unsettled her. “I’ll text you.”
“You better.”
The ride to the hotel took longer than she thought it would due to all the award ceremony traffic. Her thumbnail wasn’t going to survive the night. She’d been nibbling on it since she climbed into the car. Between worrying about Lottie and her off-kilter emotions surrounding that last kiss, she was a ball of uncertainty.
Why did she feel this way? She’d just had the best night of her life with people who seemed to genuinely like her, and with a man who wanted her there with him.
Ugh. This was why she’d sworn off men like Beau in the first place. The sensation of never being on stable ground was part of the thrill, but it also put her fragile heart on an emotional tilt-a-whirl.
Just like Derek.
That thought froze the blood in her veins.
Calm the hell down, Hailey, before you lose something great.
Also, Beau wasn’t Derek. He was trustworthy and reliable. She knew if she called him right now that he’d drop everything and come to her. For the first time in more than thirty minutes, her heart settled into a regular rhythm.
At the hotel, her keycard slid into the door, and she entered the suite. May was sitting on the sofa with her feet up and Lottie’s head in her lap.
Hailey dropped her stuff by the door and went to check on her girl. “How is she?”
“She’s better.” May stroked Lottie’s dark hair. “Fell asleep about five minutes ago.”
The bubble of worry that was lodged behind her ribcage released. Lottie wouldn’t sleep if she were still in an attack. “Thank you.” She dropped into the chair next to the sofa.
May smiled a weary smile. “It was a bad one, and I think it just took her little body a while to respond to the meds.”
Hailey squeezed May’s hand that was resting on the arm of the sofa. “I’m so glad you were with her.”
“You looked pretty on the TV and sang even prettier.” May’s smile covered her whole face. “And that kiss, girl…”
Her cheeks heated again. Lord, she was pitiful. Her neck and face were probably going to be permanently stained with a blush.
“He looked so excited,” May said.
“He was. So was I.” She pulled a piece of paper from her hand bag. “I got Carrie Underwood’s phone number.”
“What?” May whisper yelled.
“I know.” It was hard containing her own excitement and volume. “She wants information about Charlie’s hair care products. So yeah, it was exciting.” She laughed.
May yawned and put the back of her hand to her mouth. “Sorry.”
“It’s late.” Hailey stood. “Here, let me take Lottie.” With her daughter in her arms, all the weirdness from the evening fell away. She made her way to the bedroom, lowered her to the bed, and covered her with the sheet.
“Mom.” Lottie never opened her eyes.
“Yeah?” she whispered.
“You did so good.”
Hailey tucked the blanket around Lottie. “Thanks, baby.” She kissed Lottie’s forehead. “Go back to sleep.”
Lottie turned over and snuggled under the covers. “Okay.”
May was still in the bathroom, getting ready for bed, so Hailey quietly left the room. A glass of wine might help calm her frazzled thoughts and help her sleep. But first, she grabbed her phone and shot off a text to Beau.
Lottie’s fine and asleep. All good here.
She rubbed her thumb over the screen, then fired off one more text.
I hope everyone is celebrating the hell out of you!
It was a true statement. He deserved it. She just wasn’t sure how she and Lottie fit into this part of his life.
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text.
That’s good news. And thank you. I wish you were here.
She should be with him right now. She glanced at the bedroom door. There wasn’t any reason she couldn’t catch up with him now.
Since Lottie’s okay, I can meet you. Where are you now?
Her reflection in the full-length window was a little ruffled. She made her way to the bathroom to fix her make-up and hair. A quick check of her phone showed no reply to her last text. He’d get back to her, so she went to pour herself a glass of wine. Then she sent another text.
I’m all dressed up with nowhere to go. Let me know where you are, and I’ll come.
One glass turned into two and still no res
ponse from him. After an hour, she went into their bedroom and changed into her pajamas.
She tried to quiet the uncertain thoughts beating the hell out of her brain, and the hurt feelings wringing the life out of her heart, but no matter what she did she couldn’t make them stop.
Why hadn’t he texted?
He was busy living his life, that’s why.
No, Beau’s not like that.
Why hadn’t he texted?
Around and around the thoughts went until sleep finally took her, but her dreams were fitful and disturbing. Derek taking custody of Lottie. Beau leaving her alone with a ton of babies. Her alone in the desert digging and digging for water for her and Lottie. They were endless and so disturbing that when the phone rang at three a.m., it was a relief.
The first thing she noticed was that Beau wasn’t back, then she saw the name on her display screen, and her heart stopped. Hank.
“Hank, what’s the matter? Is Charlie alright? My dad?”
“Hang on, Hailey. Everyone’s alright.”
“Oh, thank God.” She pushed herself into a sitting position against the headboard. “Why are you calling, then?”
“It’s the bar, Hailey.”
Her erratic pulse shot up a thousand beats. “What about it?”
“There’s been a fire.”
“What?” The word barely made it past the panic choking the life out of her.
“In the kitchen. Fire department thinks it started around the vent-a-hood, but they won’t know for sure until later today.” He let out a sigh as big as Texas. “The whole kitchen is gone and the west wall too, Hailey.”
The only sound she could form was a sob. While she’d been living it up in Nashville, playing at being something she wasn’t, her mother’s bar had burned.
“It could’ve been worse. One of my deputies just happened to be making his rounds and saw the fire. The fire department got there just as it hit the main room. They were able to get it under control before all that liquor became an accelerant. I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but I knew you’d want to know. Do you want me to call your insurance agent in the morning and have them start the paperwork?”
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