“Don’t I know it.” I nod, excited for my own new project.
“You’re really excited about Bentley Records, huh?” She gives me a knowing smile.
“Yeah, especially after talking to Harris this morning. He’s flying out next week, so we can meet and go over details in person.” This will be an entirely different approach than I’ve taken in the past, and I hope that my name and following will help with the transition.
First, I’m writing the songs I want, and I’m not going to rush to put a record out. I also want to start with smaller shows, reach the fans more intimately.
I’ve already made plans to convert part of my basement into a studio, making my gym smaller. It’s not like I need that much space to work out.
I drive us toward the ranch, ready to go for a ride with my number one girl and eat these Bundt cakes.
…
We’re sitting atop one of the fences where we paused to eat dessert after riding Ty for a bit, looking out into the mountains and miles of snow covering the land. I don’t need much more than this—fresh air and my girl’s arms around me as we ride.
“Sing it for me,” Ainsley asks, her eyes soft as she gives me that lopsided smile. Can’t say no to that.
“I don’t have my guitar,” I state the obvious.
“It’s okay, we can hum the beat. Well, I can, and you can sing even if I’m not great at staying with the tune. You’re a pro, so you can use your skills to make it work,” she rambles on, and I laugh.
“Ready?” I wink. She nods with a megawatt smile, and what would only be called heart-eyes in an emoji-ruling world.
I clear my throat and hum the opening tune before I start singing.
Dark streets swallowing me in
As I walked blind,
I didn’t know which way to go
Or who to trust,
But then I met you
Your touch warmed my skin
And sparked my life,
Your smile shone on me
Another way to live
You’ve made it easy,
Sweeping me away
And making me believe
In more than heartache
You make it easy to love
When I promised I’d never
Open up to another
I get lost in your eyes,
Blue and wild,
As your smile
Shines a new light into my life
You’ve made it easy,
Sweeping me away
And making me believe
In more than heartache
I plan to spend my life
Winning your heart,
Proving what you mean to me
When the lights go out
And it’s just you and me
You’ve made it easy,
Sweeping me away,
Sweeping me away
Ainsley whispers the words along with me, already memorizing the song I finished while on my trip to Nashville. She’s had me practicing it each day. Her astonishment as I sing is evident on her face.
“I really love that song,” she sighs.
“You should since it’s about you,” I tell her what she already knows, and her cheeks turn pink. She pulls on her beanie, doing anything to keep her busy.
I grab her hands and look into her eyes. “I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
Her nose wrinkles and her eyebrows furrow the tiniest bit. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” I shake my head. “This is good stuff.” I run my thumb over her gloved hand.
“Stop stalling,” her shoulders lift close to her ears. I massage them, beckoning them to relax.
“I want you to move in with me.”
Ainsley looks at me, her face expressionless except for her eyeballs shifting back and forth between mine.
“Hello?” My eyes open wider, heart starting to race.
“It’s too soon.” Her eyes blink quickly. “Right?”
“No. One, I love you, and I have no doubt you’re the woman I’m going to marry one day. Two, when I bought my house, I always envisioned sharing it with someone. Three, time means nothing when you’re sure of the person by your side. I’m a million percent positive you’re the woman I’ll always love. I want Frito pie nights and snowball fights. I want to sit by the fire at the end of the day, share our dreams with each other and celebrate our accomplishments.”
We spend almost every night together. There’s no point in keeping two homes. I’m ready for this. I’ve never been more prepared to live my life with someone as I am right now. She comes first, and I can’t imagine it being any other way.
“Frito pie nights and snowball fights? How do I turn that down?” She pinches her lips together and runs her fingers across her chin as if she’s contemplating this.
“You don’t. Say yes.” I ghost my lips over hers. Her giggles meet my lips.
“Okay, yes.” Her hands squeeze my face, and she smashes her lips on mine, almost sending us over the fence we’re sitting on.
“Fuck yeah,” I holler into the wind. Ainsley laughs, her entire body shaking.
“I’m gonna marry you someday,” I promise.
“You better,” she winks.
Just when I thought my life was ruined, and I had come to a dead end, life made me stumble into this stunning woman’s path. She’s light, happiness, and peace. She’s made me believe in more than mistakes and guilt. She pulled me out of the hole I was digging myself into, without realizing she was doing it. Simply by being herself, Ainsley saved me. She gave me something to look forward to and helped me believe in myself again—not as a musician, but as a man.
I’m looking forward to the rest of my life with her.
Ainsley
five months later
I tiptoe to the studio in the basement, hoping I get to catch a glimpse of Knox singing before he sees me. I finished working on the tasks I had pending for The Mad Batter and thought I’d come down here. Ever since Mrs. Engle agreed to work with me, her online store grew exponentially in a short time. Other small businesses started contacting me to work together. It’s been amazing to help locals and do something I love.
I lean my ear against the door of the studio, concentrating so I can hear something. Sometimes I wish the studio wasn’t soundproof, although I understand why it is.
These last five months have been amazing. Living with someone always takes some getting used to, and Knox and I have had our moments but nothing impossible to work through.
He’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a man, and he supports me unconditionally.
I stumble forward when the door opens and catch Harris’s laughing eyes.
“You’ve got a visitor,” he winks at me. “I’ll be back in a bit.” He grabs his coat and leaves me alone with Knox.
“Were you spying on us?” He reaches for me from his place on the sofa in here, and I willingly go to him.
“I wanted to listen to you singing,” I admit.
“You can always ask me to sing for you.” I stand between his legs and bend my head to drop a kiss on his lips.
“It’s a beautiful day,” I state. “And I finished working early.”
“What do you want to do?” he asks.
“Let’s go for a walk when you finish with Harris,” I suggest, loving spring in Wyoming.
“We were talkin’ actually, and we need someone to help us with marketing,” his words trail off. I know where he’s going with this. Since he and Harris started working the label, he’s been asking me to work with him. I continue to shoot down the idea, but he’s a persistent man. Regardless, I shake my head. I love him too much to get involved in this. I help him when I can, even working on songs with him. That’s my favorite.
“Work with me. You have the marketing expertise, and I need a marketing team for the label,” he doesn’t hold back.
“I love you, but no,” I shake my head and straddle him.
“Why not?”
He runs his hands up and down my back, causing me to shiver.
“Because working together can cause problems, and I don’t want problems with you. I want Frito pie nights and snowball fights,” I tell him the same way he did months ago when he asked me to move in with him.
“Fine,” he sighs. “Then, marry me.”
I stop midway to kissing him, frozen. “What?” I stutter.
“Marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to laugh and hold you, make love to you. There’s no one else I’d want by my side, supporting me and loving me.”
“Oh, my God, you’re serious.” I’m still gripping his face, and he chuckles.
“So serious, I even got a ring.” He pushes his hand into his back pocket, lifting us a bit as he reaches behind him.
Knox leans back on the sofa, leaving some space between us to open the box. A solitaire diamond shines back at me.
“Hard_Ains, there’s no one else I want to rap to Eminem with, write songs with, and hold throughout the night. Marry me,” his words are soft, his demand coming out more like a question.
“Well, if you bought a ring, it’d be rude to say no, huh?” I give him a crooked smile and smash my lips against his, loosening my hold on his face. “I love you,” I say against his lips.
“I love you, too.” His mouth takes over, controlling the kiss.
When he breaks the kiss, leaving us both breathless, he slips the ring on my finger. “You’ve made me the happiest man on this planet every day since I met you. I hope to make you as happy as you’ve made me.”
“You already do.” He has no idea how much I love him. He was a welcomed surprise when I met him in the fall, curiosity about the infamous Knox Bentley already filling me before he walked into Clarke’s.
As soon as I saw his hidden smile, I knew there was more to him than what he showed to the world.
“After all, you are the chili to my Frito pie,” I tell him my cheesy line.
His laugh shakes his body, and he cups my face to kiss me again. I know our adventure is just beginning and we’ve got miles to travel together in this life.
…
Thank you for reading Write You a Love Song! I hope you enjoyed Knox & Ainsley’s story! There is more Everton coming your way in November!
…
Axel and Lia’s story follows Write You a Love Song. Curious about the woman Axel ran into at Clarke’s? Continue reading for a sneak peek of Roping Your Heart.
…
If you loved Write You a Love Song and want a sexy, friends-to-lovers romance to hold you over until November, you will love Promise You, Reese and Dex’s story. This is a sexy and sassy country music romance. Dex and Reese are friends with sizzling chemistry. She vowed never to fall for a musician again, but he won't go down without a fight. What's more dangerous than having a friendship on the line? Your heart. Continue reading for a SNEAK PEEK of Promise You!
chapter 1
Axel
I take a drink of beer as I look around the packed bar, waiting for my brother, Knox, and his fiancé, Ainsley to arrive. Clarke’s is a staple in Everton, a place where everyone gathers to unwind after a long day of hard work or to catch up with friends. People are out after hibernating during a long winter, taking advantage of the warmer temperatures June is bringing. It’s amazing how a few warmer days will bring this town back to life. Everton keeps its spirit alive throughout the year, especially with people coming by on the way to and from ski trips with our nearby resort, but once summer rolls around, you realize how much more life it truly has.
Working on a ranch, I have to be outdoors whether we’re ten feet in snow or under burning sun.
“If it isn’t my former best friend.” I’m interrupted from my thoughts, turning to the familiar voice.
I find green eyes smiling at me, and my mouth splits into a grin seeing her. “Hey! What are you doing here?” I hug Lia, my best friend until we went our separate ways for college.
She pulls back, her auburn hair framing her face. “I moved back.” Her eyes widen and her lips pinch together as her body tenses with excitement.
“What? When? You didn’t mention that when you visited for the holidays.” My eyebrows knit together as I gaze into those eyes that have always captivated me.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I didn’t want to jinx it.” She clasps her hands together in front of her chest and gives me her best, please-forgive-me smile.
I chuckle and run a hand through my short hair. “That’s great. What stole you away from Kentucky?”
“I missed home,” she shrugs, looking around Clarke’s.
Lia and I were best friends growing up. When she left to Kentucky for college, I swore we’d keep in touch. And while we did, it wasn’t as much as I would’ve liked. Sure, she’d come home when she could for the holidays, but once she started working, the visits became less frequent. It had been over a year since I had last seen her when she came in December.
We were always those friends people swore would end up married. Although, it’s always been clear an attraction lingers between us, we never crossed that line.
But now she’s back…for good.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“I’ll grab a beer.” She turns toward the bar, but I place a hand on her shoulder.
“I got it. We need to toast your return,” I wink and lift my bottle toward Adam, the bartender, and hold up two fingers.
I grab the beers and hand one to Lia. “You didn’t have to get it.” She gives me a pointed look.
“You can get the next round,” I appease.
“Cheers,” she beats me to it and taps her bottle to mine, a twinkle in her eyes.
“Cheers,” I reply, surprised she remembered the tradition my family is accustomed to. Ever since we were younger, my parents would always toast with Knox and I before taking a drink, no matter what filled our cup.
“When did you get back?” I cross my arm under the one holding my drink.
“A week ago. I’ve been settling in. Nothing like moving back in with your parents at thirty-two.” She shakes her head, her eyes rolling in amusement.
“It’s normal. You just returned from living somewhere else. I’m sure you’ll find your own place soon.”
“Hope so,” she nods and takes a sip. I watch her lips on the bottle and hold back a groan. Lia lifts a knowing eyebrow, and I shrug unapologetically. I won’t deny I’ve always been attracted to her, but our friendship means too much to me.
“How’s the ranch?” She ignores my lingering eyes.
“It’s good. Summer is always better to work in. I prefer training horses outdoors, too, so it’ll be nice to break away from the constraints of the indoor arena.”
“How’s that going?” She tilts her head as she brushes her hair away from her face.
“It’s great. My business is growing, and I’m getting people from Montana coming down to work with me.” I started training horses a couple years ago, working with locals and word of mouth expanded it to the point that a year ago I opened an official business.
“I’m glad. I always knew you were the horse whisperer,” she teases with a wink.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “You’re going to work with your dad?”
“Yeah, it would be nice to give him a break.” Lia’s dad is one of the vets in town. My family has been working with for years. Lia followed her dad’s footsteps when it came to her career, but she wanted to work in Kentucky and do her own thing, which I respect.
“Heyyy…” I turn to see Ainsley and Knox standing behind us, Ainsley with a shit-eating grin as her greeting draws out.
“Hey, this is Lia,” I introduce her to Ainsley. “We grew up together. Lia, this is Ainsley, Knox’s fiancé.”
“Nice to meet you,” Ainsley smiles as she looks between us.
“You, too,” Lia says. “Hey, Knox. I heard you had moved back. How are you?”
“Good. Great actually.” He wraps an arm around Ains
ley’s waist.
Lia smiles, looking between the two of them. “I also heard you’re engaged. Congrats!”
“Thanks. News travels way too fast around here,” Knox chuckles, shaking his head.
“Especially when you’re a huge country artist with some drama under your belt,” Lia smiles, patting his shoulder. Only she can tell the ugly truth and not offend someone.
“Don’t remind me,” Knox shakes his head. “Are you visiting?”
“I actually just moved back. I was telling Axel I’m working with my dad at the clinic.”
“That’s awesome.”
“Thanks,” Lia looks at me and bumps her shoulder with mine. “I’ll have to keep this guy in check.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” I give her a pointed look before my lips roll into a slow smile. “But if you want to get into a little bit of trouble, stick with me.”
Lia throws her head back as she laughs. “No,” she shakes her head. “I’m not breaking into any more private property.”
“That was one time,” I hold my finger up. “And I didn’t know they’d have a psycho dog.”
Lia scrunches her eyebrows and shakes her head. “Scariest day of my life.”
“Did you two date?” Ainsley looks between us with raised eyebrows.
“No, we were best friends,” Lia responds before I can.
“Oh.” Ainsley shrugs. “Sorry.”
“No worries.” Lia looks out at the crowd. “I should go say hi to them. They’ve been waving me over for five minutes. See you later,” she squeezes my bicep, and I nod. Smiling at Knox and Ainsley, she walks away toward a small group of women we went to school with.
“You still have a hard-on for her, huh?” I’m met with Knox’s cocky smile.
“Shut it,” I run a hand through my hair and glance one more time at Lia before turning my attention to them.
“So, there is something between you. I knew it!” Ainsley squeals.
Write You a Love Song Page 19
