by Leah Atwood
“I guess they said no?” Leaning against the wall, Adam crossed his arms over his chest.
“The official answer is they can still be recorded for a potential single further down the road.” She held out her hands, palms up. “I’m sorry, guys. I know schedules are cramped, but it’s out of my control.”
“What’s wrong with the two tracks we already recorded?” Jay sat forward in his chair.
Dominic stiffened when Caroline glanced his way. He knew he was responsible, though not his fault.
“‘In an Instant’ is out because they want an upbeat song to set the tone for the tour and ‘Think She Knows’ is out because that was recorded with Rob.” Caroline gave him a supportive smile. “This is good, though. It means the public likes Dominic and wants to hear more.”
“Still doesn’t answer which song to use.” Bryce’s hand ran through his hair. “I have a few that are almost ready, but there’s no way I can finish, have us practice then record in that time frame.”
“Lucky for all of you, your manager’s on top of it.” A tired, but smug smile formed on Caroline’s mouth. “After the meeting last night with the execs, I called Rob. He wasn’t too happy about the midnight phone call, but he emailed the latest songs he’s written. After listening to them, there are two contenders.”
“So I’m not crazy. I woke up in the middle of the night and thought I heard music playing, but thought I was dreaming.” Jay chuckled and everyone laughed.
“Hazard of the trade.” Dominic leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “When do we get to hear them?”
“Right now.” Reaching behind her, Caroline grabbed her phone from the desk. “I downloaded them to my phone so you could get an idea. We’ll listen to the high-quality version once we’re in the studio, which will be this afternoon.”
The songs played, back-to-back, and they unanimously decided to go with the second choice, “Fast Dash Friday.”
“Speaking of Fridays and dashing, I told Sophie I’d be home this afternoon. Gracie’s feeling left out with the baby and all, so Sophie planned an outing for just the two of them while I stay with Ethan.” Bryce glanced around, his mouth twisted. “Any chance we can start this tonight?”
Jay and Caroline exchanged a glance. “Fine with us,” they both said.
“I’ll have to call Elle. We had a date planned, but she might not mind canceling since Lilah has a summer cold.” Adam stepped out of the office to call his wife.
“That leaves you, Dominic. Can you do tonight instead?”
“Maisy wants me to come with her to look at a house she is thinking about renting and wants a second set of eyes.” He waffled, not wanting to change their plans. Not when things between them were going so well. Then he made the mistake of looking at Bryce, who stared back at him with pleading eyes. Gracie was near the same age as his niece, Lizzie. He couldn’t be the cause of her disappointment. “I’ll see what can be done.”
After excusing himself, he left the office and walked down the hall, passing Adam on his way. “What did Elle say?”
“She wasn’t keen on leaving Lilah with the babysitter tonight anyway, so she’s cool with it. At this point, we probably won’t get a night out before the tour.” Adam shrugged. “Such is this life. Can you make it tonight?”
Dominic held out his phone. “On my way to call Maisy and let her know.”
A mocking smile curled Adam’s mouth. “And you’re still standing by your just friends stance?”
“For now.” Dominic returned the grin. He’d been ribbed mercilessly about his friendship with Maisy. In a way, he enjoyed the teasing because he knew everyone was rooting for them, himself included. However, starting again as friends was working for him and Maisy, and he wouldn’t rush it—even if he knew where they were headed.
“Whatever you say.” Adam’s phone buzzed in his hand and he glimpsed at the screen. “Bryce being impatient.”
Stepping forward, Dominic looked at his phone. “I should make this call.”
“I’ll see you back in there.”
Before Dominic made it to the end of the hall, his own phone buzzed. Maisy had beaten him to the call.
“Bad news,” she said as soon as the line connected.
“Hi to you too. What’s up?”
“Change of plans.” Irritation worked into her tone. “The house I wanted to look at rented.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you think I'm too picky?”
“You want what you want.” Good thing she couldn’t see his smile over the phone. “But there’s no rush to leave your apartment.”
“I know.” She sighed. “The apartment is great, and it’s convenient that it came fully furnished, but I want furniture of my own and neighbors that don’t fight at all hours of the night.”
“Didn’t you have neighbors at your place in Dillonton?”
“Yes, but one was a single mom who worked all the time and the other was an elderly couple who wanted to downsize on living space.” Maisy cleared her throat. “I’m coming off as a brat. I’m sorry.”
“You’re fine, but I was on my way to call about tonight.” Peering out the window, he had a good view of Nashville. Moments like this struck home how much his life had changed. “Something came up, and I need to work tonight.”
“Until when? Obviously the house doesn’t matter now, but maybe we can grab a late dinner?”
“Not sure. We have to lay a new track before the tour starts.” Footsteps sounded down the hall, and he was relieved the person kept walking. This corner was popular for taking phone calls because of its great cell reception, but he hated having an audience for private conversations.
“Isn’t that in ten days?” She sounded surprised.
“Something like that.” A reminder he wouldn’t see her for a long time. Considering she’d only come back into his life two months ago, the six-week tour was an eternity. “If you don’t mind waiting, dinner’s fine.”
“I’ll cook and we can eat in.”
“What are you cooking?” Though he tried to suppress it, the skepticism crept into his voice.
Laughing, Maisy took it in stride. “Don’t worry. Elle and Caroline brought me into their lessons that Dani records for them. It will be edible. Besides, I’m not that bad of a cook.”
“I’m just giving you a hard time.” And not thinking about the eggs from last week. To her credit, Maisy’s food was mostly delicious when she followed a recipe—it was the experiments that were disastrous. “I’m glad you’re making friends with Elle and Caroline.”
“They’ve adopted me into their circle.” Maisy laughed lightly. “They call me a ‘band wife’, by default since you’re my only friend in Nashville, other than them.”
“The guys have had their own laughs at my expense.” He grinned—three months ago, he never would have dreamed he’d be prepping for a tour with Bryce Landry. Eight weeks ago, he’d never imagined he’d be on the phone with Maisy, joking about her title as a band wife. He’d never been happier in his life. “I need to get back in, but I’ll give you a call when I know an approximate time.”
“Sounds good.”
He ended the call and checked his emails as he walked to Caroline’s office. Most were useless promotions, but one caught his eye. Last week, Jay had told him about a daily devotional that was sent out every day and geared to men in their twenties and early thirties. Dominic signed up two days ago and his welcome email came through an hour ago.
I’ll look at it this afternoon. He found he couldn’t learn enough. Jay, Bryce, and Adam had patiently answered all his questions about God and how he related to their lives. What they didn’t know, they helped him find the answers for through various sources. He’d also been attending their church, and Maisy came with him for the first time last week.
He was so busy reading the email that he passed Caroline’s office. When he looked up, he stood at the elevator. “Oops.” He turned around and paid attention this time.
“Good, you’re back. Here’s the plan.” Carolina rapped a pen against her desk when Dominic walked through the door. “We’ll meet at Bryce’s house at six and use his studio. Gauging by tonight’s practice, we can record tomorrow.”
“Who’s producing?” Adam asked.
“Mike Davies. He’s already cleared his schedule for tomorrow, so it’s in your all’s best interest to make the most of tonight.”
“Why him?” Bryce glowered. “We’ll be there all day.”
Caroline’s mouth tightened. “Because he’s the best and produced five number one hits for us so far. He’s tedious but thorough, and you know that.”
“Are we done here?” Standing up, Bryce let his intentions of leaving be known.
The attitude was a side of him Dominic hadn’t seen yet.
“Yes.” Caroline nodded.
Bryce stormed out, nearly slamming the door behind him.
“I’ll go talk to him.” Adam stepped forward from the wall. “I know what he’s going through.”
“Is everything okay?” Dominic addressed Jay and Caroline, who exchanged looks.
Jay sat on the edge of Caroline’s desk. “Bryce feels like he’s failing Sophie and Ethan by leaving for the tour. It goes back to missing out on Gracie’s first years.”
“Haven’t families traveled with you in the past?”
“Ethan’s too young for that. Sophie had hoped the doctor would okay it, but he’s not comfortable with the idea.” Caroline smoothed a hair behind her ear. “Bryce will be fine, but if he snaps at you, don’t take it personally. He’ll come around soon enough.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
“And a prayer or two for him wouldn’t hurt.” An exhausted smile tried to take over Caroline’s face.
“I’ll be sure to say one. Anything else before I leave?”
“No, you’re good.” Caroline lifted her bag from the floor to her desk. “I’ll be leaving in a few minutes. I’m too old to run on an hour of sleep.”
Jay gazed at her. “At least you don’t need beauty sleep.”
She laughed. “Keep talking.”
“And that’s my cue.” Dominic moved toward the door. “I’ll see you both tonight.”
Chapter 14
Maisy scrolled through the listings, renewed enthusiasm coursing through her veins. After spending the better part of an hour bummed about the house being unavailable, she had started to look again. Soon after that, she received a phone call offering her a director position at a local community center. She’d interviewed for the position weeks ago and hadn’t expected the call, but the news turned her day around.
By evening, she’d made a decision. Since she wasn’t planning to leave Nashville anytime soon, and purchasing a home would expand her options exponentially, it only made sense to buy instead of rent. She could use part of her money from the trust fund as a down payment.
Four hours later, she’d found the perfect house. Admittedly, it was larger than her current needs demanded, but she was thinking long term. She’d have a husband and children to fill the five bedrooms. The two-story brick home was in one of the best school districts and sat on a two-acre lot with mature trees. Judging by the available photos, it was everything she’d dreamed about in a house.
She reached for her phone to call the realtor, but stopped. If this house was in her future, she should talk to Dominic first. Such an odd circumstance they were in. They’d so easily fallen back into their friendship. After all the heartache that separated them, it seemed that restoration should have been more difficult. She didn’t know whether to wait for the gavel to fall or be grateful.
To complicate matters, they were dating for all intents and purposes, but neither would put a label on what they were. Dominic hadn’t made a move to upgrade their relationship, but they did everything a couple would—watched movies, went on dates, shared meals. When her trash was full, he’d walk it down to the dumpster chute. If he was tied up in meetings all day, she’d bring him lunch.
Not to mention his bandmates and their wives’ opinions. The first time she’d been called band wife she’d blushed and corrected their assumption that she was Dominic’s girlfriend. She’d since stopped and, finding it endearing, embraced the term.
If only the situation with her dad would clear up, life would be grand. Her resentment toward him was an unresolved issue that wouldn’t budge, and she didn’t know how to move beyond it. A permanent future with Dominic was a real possibility, so she had no reason to grip the bitterness with the tight clutch she did.
She would talk to Dominic about it but didn’t know how, as she feared any mention of her father would wedge bad memories between them. The more she watched him, the more she wanted what he had—that newfound faith that calmed and healed the hurting soul. But how did she get it? The simple thing would be to ask, but it came back to fear. Elle or Caroline, even Sophie, would gladly answer her questions, but there was an intimacy involved in reaching out. Although they’d become friends, she didn’t feel she knew them well enough to ask that personal of a question.
Finally, she’d decided to attend church last Sunday. Isn’t that where God lived? She’d hoped by osmosis or something, she’d get her answers. That only perplexed her more because the sermon was about Job and all the bad things he’d gone through. On a much smaller scale, she understood what Job experienced because she’d had her own trials—losing her mom, struggling with her father, receiving scorn from family and friends, especially after her father had been arrested. She’d watched Dominic grow up without a dad, deal with a strung-out mom. He’d faced trial after trial that no one as good as him should have had to face.
But wasn’t God supposed to make things better? Where had he been for Dominic and Roxy? For her when her mom died? She’d sat on the edge of her seat, waiting to see how the story would end when the pastor announced he’d get to the good part next week. Her luck, it would be a two-part sermon. If she didn’t get her answers next week, she would cave and ask Dominic. The questions were too pressing to ignore any longer.
An advertisement popped up on her computer and interrupted her thoughts. She clicked out of it and noticed the time on the screen’s bottom corner. Yikes. Dominic had texted her an hour ago that he’d be leaving in an hour, which meant he’d be at her apartment in twenty minutes to a half hour.
She jumped from the swivel chair and ran to the kitchen, glad she’d prepared everything earlier. The Mexican lasagna sat in the fridge, waiting to be heated. She removed the casserole dish, set it in the oven, and then remembered to turn on the range. Was the spicy dish a poor choice for the late hour? Or was it too adventurous for his tastes? While it heated, she looked through the freezer and cupboards for a backup choice in case Dominic would rather have something simpler. She slammed the final cabinet door in disgust. Nothing suitable.
Good grief, she was acting silly lately. Dominic had an indomitable stomach, always had. He’d proven that even since they’d renewed their friendship. A few chopped jalapeno and chili peppers wouldn’t bother him, and he was usually game for trying new experiences. She set the basket of cornbread muffins on top of the stove so they’d warm naturally without drying out, then set the table with two plates.
The security intercom buzzed. She sprinted to the panel by the door and pushed a button.
“Who is it?”
“Me.” His voice made her smile.
She pushed another button and a buzzing noise followed. “Come on up.” Taking long strides, she hurried to the bathroom, ran a brush through her hair and pinched her cheeks. A knock sounded at the door. She ran back out and peeked through the peephole to verify it was Dominic. First she unlocked the deadbolt, then turned the lock on the doorknob and opened the door.
Dominic rubbed his neck, dropping his hand when they made eye contact. “Sorry, it’s so late.”
“Eh, no biggie.” She smiled at him. “No later than I was expecting.”
He sniffed and walked through the
door. “Something smells good. I’m so hungry—I got sidetracked before practice and forgot to eat, so I haven’t had anything since breakfast.”
“If you leave hungry tonight, it’s all on you. I have plenty.” She waved to the table. “Sit down, and I’ll get it ready.”
“I’ve been sitting most the day.” Ignoring her directive, he walked into the kitchen. “What do you need help with?”
“You can grab the potholders and pull the tray from the oven while I get our drinks. What do you want?”
“Tea’s fine.”
She stood on her tiptoes and took two glasses from the cupboard, filled them with ice from the dispenser on the freezer, then poured tea over the cubes. Closing the fridge door, she turned and ran directly into Dominic’s solid, well-defined, muscular chest. The unexpected collision knocked her off guard.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” His hand went to her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Dominic backed away first and nodded toward the stove. “What is that? It looks like lasagna, but not.”
“That’s because it is, kind of. Mexican lasagna.” After she had carried the drinks to the table, she returned to the main dish. “Can you carry this basket of corn muffins to the table?” She handed them over then opened a drawer and withdrew serving utensils.
“These are delicious,” Dominic called from the dining room.
“You’re supposed to wait until we’re sitting.”
With a mischievous smile spread across his mouth, he winked and sat down quickly when she entered the room. “I am.” Unrepentant, he took another bite.
Maisy reached for the lasagna and served a piece on each of their plates. They didn’t talk much during the meal. Dominic wasn’t kidding when he’d said he was hungry. His plate was cleared in five minutes, and he helped himself to another slice. She was still working on hers when he finished the second slice. When she finished, he helped her clean the dishes and they moved to the balcony to enjoy the night.
