He rubbed a hand over his weary face, certain her assessment was true. “Thanks, Taylor. I love you, too.”
“I know that,” she said with a chuckle. “Colin said you were down in Nashville working on a new song. When’d you get back in town?”
“I landed at Logan a couple hours ago and drove straight here. I flew all night. Nashville, Los Angeles, Boston.”
“Seriously? I know it’s not always easy to fly into New Hampshire, but surely there are more direct routes than that. What are you running from this time?” She opened the door wider. “Come on in, I can fix you something to eat. Colin’s at the hospital.”
Chase decided to ignore the comment about running from something. “Of course he is.” It was one reason—but far from the only one—why Chase had chosen to follow a different path with his life than the one expected of him. “So you’re not working today?”
Taylor shook her head. “It’s Saturday, and I work for the state. That’s not always a good thing, but it usually means free weekends.”
“Oh, right... sorry. In my line of work, it’s easy to forget what day it is. Especially when I’m rehearsing or recording.”
“Understandable. I had days like that as a social worker, too, before I switched to probation, and Colin does when he’s on call.” Taylor strapped her son into a booster seat at the table before walking over to the refrigerator and pulling out a carton of eggs. “How do scrambled eggs sound? Or maybe a breakfast burrito?”
“Either is fine,” Chase said. He was starving after flying all night, so anything would sound good, and Colin’s wife definitely knew her way around a kitchen. “Thanks, Taylor. My cousin sure got lucky when he found you.”
She grinned. “No argument there. So tell me, how’d the song go? Did you get it all done?”
Chase nodded. “We did, yeah. We worked on it the entire day yesterday, but we got all the tracks recorded.” So far, he hadn’t heard anything about the need to re-record any portion of the song, but then again, he’d been on a plane all night. “It went well.”
Taylor leaned against the counter, facing him, while she mixed eggs in a bowl. “Okay, so what’s wrong? What are you doing showing up at my house first thing in the morning after flying all night?”
Not surprisingly, Taylor didn’t miss a trick. “Because I was anxious to get out of Nashville and away from Kenzie.”
“Your partner on the duet?” Taylor frowned. “Why were you trying to get away from her? Do you dislike her that much?”
Dislike? No. That wasn’t the problem at all. Not even close. Chase shook his head. “Nope. I like her fine. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with her.”
The bowl fell out of Taylor’s hands and shattered on the floor, and Chase rushed over to try to help her clean it up, but she pushed his hand away. “Forget the mess for a minute. Did you just tell me you fell in love with this girl while you were in Nashville working on this song?”
“Pretty much, yeah.” Chase grabbed a paper towel and started to wipe up the floor, even though she’d told him to ignore it.
“So what the heck are you doing here? Where is she?”
“Back in Nashville, I assume, not that it matters. She’s got issues,” Chase said. “Lots of issues. She can’t handle a relationship, so she pushed me away.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter, even if it did. A lot. “So I’m here.”
“Issues?” Taylor repeated. “Oh, that’s a rich word.” She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion. “I’m sure Colin’s told you about some of the ‘issues’ I used to have?”
“Maybe a little,” Chase said. It was more than a little, but he didn’t want to get his cousin in any hot water.
Taylor laughed. “Yeah, I figured. Your family’s not big on secrets.” She swept the broken pieces of the bowl into a dustpan. “I definitely had my share of issues, that’s for sure. And I pushed Colin away plenty of times, or at least I tried to. You of all people should know that, because the first time I met you, I was trying my best to push him away.”
Chase gave a slight nod. He remembered it vividly. He’d still been at Dartmouth, and Colin had brought Taylor to Hanover for a show. At the time, she’d bordered on hostile. “You were stubborn, insisting he wasn’t your boyfriend.”
“Right, because I couldn’t deal with happiness. I was conditioned to push him away,” Taylor said. “But you know what? Colin pushed back. Never too hard, he was always gentle. But he pushed, nonetheless.” She stood upright and waved a hand around the room. “And that’s why I have all of this, including this perfect little guy.” She planted a kiss on her son’s forehead.
Chase took in the scene, and it was impossible to deny that his cousin’s wife now radiated happiness. It was a complete contrast to when he’d first met her, for sure. He thought about what Colin had said to him a couple weeks ago, in connection with Taylor’s words now. The message was clear. If he wanted Kenzie, then instead of walking away when she tried to push him away, he had to push back a little.
***
Kenzie had her good cry, then she settled in to relax with Audrey around the pool. Mid-March, and they were lounging by the pool sipping Strawberry Margaritas. There was something to be said for living in the South. It was probably still freezing in New Hampshire, where Chase was. And naturally, that was the first thing that came to her mind, because try as she might, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
“It’s not that I don’t love having you here,” Audrey said, “because I do. I’m just curious what prompted the sudden visit. I thought you were busy recording that new song.”
“I was, but we’re done recording now. So here I am.” Kenzie struggled to keep her tone nonchalant.
“Crying your eyes out,” Audrey observed with a gentle smile.
“I’m not crying. It’s just allergies.”
Audrey shook her head, making it clear she didn’t believe that for an instant. “Oh, Sugar, you don’t really expect me to buy that tall tale, do you? I’ve had my heart broken a time or two myself.”
“I know that, and I’m glad you have Eddie now.”
“Me too, but that’s not who we’re talking about.” Nope. Audrey wasn’t going to let Kenzie change the subject that easily. “Who’s the guy that hurt you? Can I kick his ass? You know I’m still angry I never got to kick Jesse’s.”
In spite of her sour mood, Kenzie laughed. “Oh, you still can, if you think it would help. I don’t care. This has nothing to do with Jesse.” No, Jesse was yesterday’s news, even if she still bore the scars.
“Yeah, I figured that much out,” Audrey said gently. “It’s the guy you were singing with, right? The one I said was sex on a stick, even though you tried to deny it.”
Kenzie nodded. There was no point in denying it now. “Yes. I...” She took a drink, trying to gather her thoughts. “I did everything I could to try to keep a safe distance between us, but it didn’t work. The chemistry was too strong.” She sighed. “Maybe because he is sex on a stick.”
“Maybe,” Audrey said, but she didn’t sound convinced. “But my gut tells me it’s more. I know you too well, Sugar. If it was just about sex, you wouldn’t be here, crying by my pool. No, this is more. I think this guy got under your skin and into your heart.”
Kenzie exhaled sharply, wanting to deny it. As if. “Yes, he did, but it doesn’t matter now. I couldn’t handle it. I got scared. I freaked out. And I pushed him away.”
Her aunt nodded knowingly. “Of course you did. It’s only natural after what you’ve been through. I have a hunch, though, that if this guy is really something special, and if what happened between you two meant anything at all to him, then he’s not going to give up on you quite so easily,” she said. “And you shouldn’t be too quick to give up on him, either.”
Kenzie gave a nod of her head, wanting to believe the words were true. Was there still a chance, or had she messed everything up?
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Kenzie spent a week in Florida,
trying to decompress and get a hold on her emotions. She stayed in contact with Carey, who assured her that the song tracks came out great and there wasn’t a need to re-record anything. Everything was set to debut the song at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
As confident as she was in the song, the specter of a live performance made Kenzie nervous. She hadn’t performed live in more than a year, and not in front of as many people that would be at the awards show. Of course, there was also the Chase factor. Performing their song live meant seeing him again. Was she ready for that?
Kenzie sat in the audience for the beginning of the show, awaiting her turn to go backstage before the performance, but there was no sign of Chase. Was he waiting in the back? Probably. This wasn’t his gig. Kenzie, on the other hand, welcomed the opportunity to catch up with some of her peers.
“I hear you’re singing tonight,” Misty Dukes said. “Some top secret project?”
Kenzie chuckled a little. “I don’t know how top secret it is, but yes, I am. It’s a brand new song, just recorded a few weeks ago,” she explained. “I’m up about a third of the way through the show.”
“That’s great,” Misty said. “I’m so glad to see you trying to get back in the game.”
Had she ever really left the game? Kenzie didn’t see it that way, but after a personal crisis, a change in management, and a failed album, she could understand how others might, and Misty’s words seemed genuine. “Thank you,” she said. “And good luck tonight. I’m pulling for you.” Misty was up for Female Vocalist of the Year.
“That’s sweet of you to say. Good luck with your comeback attempt. Who knows, maybe next year we’ll be nominated in the same category.”
Comeback attempt? It was like she’d fallen off the face of the earth. Was that really the word around the industry, that she was attempting a comeback? If so, then Kenzie needed this song more than she thought she did. Could she count on Chase to come through for her?
***
Chase paced in the control room, watching the award show on a TV monitor, having opted not to join the audience. He preferred to be by himself before a live performance, and besides, he didn’t know any of these people, anyway. He was better off hanging out here until Kenzie came back to join him.
Kenzie. He’d seen her on the monitor, looking radiant in a green dress, and Chase wondered if she was the same ball of nerves that he was. He’d considered calling her several times over the past few weeks, but ultimately never did, preferring instead to keep his head as clear as possible so he could concentrate on the performance. They’d get through the song, then they’d talk. That was his plan, anyway. And this time, if Kenize tried to push him away, Chase planned to push back.
The door opened, startling Chase, and he turned around to see Kenzie standing there. She’d changed, now wearing a light blue dress that matched his shirt. It was obviously planned, to make them appear complementary on the stage. Like a couple.
“Hi,” he greeted her. “You look great.” Then again, when didn’t she look great? Chase couldn’t think of a time.
“Thanks. So do you.” Her lips curled in a smile. “Like a real cowboy.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Chase looked down at his western style shirt, jeans, and the cowboy boots that replaced his customary combat boots. “They countrified me for this. I’ve even got a damn hat.” He wasn’t putting that on until right before he went on stage, though. He had to draw the line somewhere.
“I love it,” Kenzie said.
“Yeah, you would,” Chase answered with a grimace.
“Aw, cheer up, Cowboy. We’re gonna knock this out of the park.”
She seemed happy, comfortable, confident, and Chase loved to see it. “Yeah, we sure are.” He’d practiced the song with one of the backup vocalists he often worked with, with her taking Kenzie’s parts, and she had nothing but praise for the song. “We got this.”
The production director stuck her head in the room. “You’re on in five.”
Chase thanked her and grabbed the hat they insisted he wear, putting it on his head. “I guess it’s showtime, darlin.’”
“Yeah. Showtime.”
***
Kenzie stepped out on the stage, trying to ignore the bright lights and applause and simply feel the lyrics of the song. Chase would join her soon, for his verse, but for now, the stage was hers, and hers alone.
She may not have thought of it as a comeback, but others in the industry obviously did, and Kenzie knew she had a lot more riding on this than Chase. This was her genre, her awards show, and these were her peers. In some ways, Chase was a novelty in the night’s entertainment. The rock star moonlighting with a country duet. All of the eyes, or at least most of them, would be on Kenzie. It seemed appropriate that she own the stage alone at the start of the song.
I’ve been battered, I’ve been bruised
I’ve been hurt and I’m confused
Then you walk in my life and turn it upside down
And I find myself wearing a smile, not a frown.
The spotlight shifted, then, to the other side of the stage as Chase sang his verse.
I wasn’t looking for anything
I sure wasn’t looking for you,
Then there you were, in front of me
Now I’m feeling things that scare me,
Thrill me, Turn me upside down,
And I don’t know what to do.
Kenzie listened, enjoying the richness of his voice and the feeling Chase put into the words. If she tried hard enough, she could even believe that he was singing just for her. As his verse came to an end, they both left their respective corners and met in the middle of the stage for the chorus and the remainder of the song.
Upside down, you’ve turned me upside down
Now nothing is the same.
I’m not sure where to go or what to do
Because I’m all upside down over you.
I locked up my heart, I swore off love
Ready to go it alone
I couldn’t take the hurt again
I tried to shut you out, close myself off,
But you wouldn’t let me go.
You tried to push me away
Say it would be easier if I went
But whoever said love was easy?
From the first moment I saw you,
I knew something had changed.
Upside down, you’ve turned me upside down
Now nothing is the same.
I’m not sure where to go or what to do
Because I’m all upside down over you.
I wasn’t looking for love
I wasn’t looking for anything
But since I found you
The scattered pieces fit together
And now my heart seems whole.
I wasn’t looking for anything,
But what I needed I found in you.
Upside down, you’ve turned me upside down
Now nothing is the same.
I’m not sure where to go or what to do
Because I’m all upside down over you.
I’m all upside down over you.
Kenzie sang from the heart, feeling every single word. This was her story, hers and Chase’s, and as she sang the last verse before the final chorus, Kenzie’s eyes welled with tears. Did Chase feel it, too? Was it the same for him?
They sang the final chorus together, their voices blending together perfectly, then Chase got the final line. As he sang it, hitting each note just right in his rich, tenor voice, his eyes locked with hers, and Kenzie could see he was crying, too.
This was real. He felt the same thing, and as the song ended and the applause surrounded them, Kenzie threw her arms around Chase and kissed him.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Chase could have lost himself in this kiss. It would have been so damn easy. Well, except they were standing on a stage in front of thousands of people and he’d never been one for public displays of affection. Of course,
he’d never been one for public sex, either, until meeting Kenzie.
He broke free from the kiss and raised Kenzie’s hand up with his own. “Thank you!” he shouted. It was for the benefit of the live arena audience. The television broadcast would be well into a commercial break by now, and those watching from their living rooms at home probably hadn’t even seen the kiss.
Not that it mattered. Too many people had for there not to be questions. Lots of questions. Chase had no idea how he’d answer them.
“Great job, guys.” Carey met them backtsage. “I feel a hit coming on.”
“The press would like to ask you a few questions,” the production director said. “If you’re willing.” She did her best to make it sound voluntary, and it sort of was. Slightly more voluntary than taxes, anyway. Chase didn’t want to earn a reputation that he was aloof, or too good for country music, or anything like that, so he’d face the firing squad.
“Sure thing,” he said, and made his way toward the mass of reporters, Kenzie by his side.
They answered questions about how the project came to be, and they took turns giving credit to Carey. After that, they thanked Keith for his guidance and his expertise and for letting them take a chance on an original song. And that opened the door for the personal stuff.
“This is a song the two of you wrote together, right?”
“Yes,” Chase said. “I prefer to write my own lyrics, record my own songs. They have more meaning that way, they’re more personal.”
“And is Upside Down personal to you?” one reporter asked. “Did you feel that connection?”
Chase nodded. “Yes. It started out as one of the hardest songs I’ve ever written—maybe because it’s a different style of song—but once I got the first verse down, it ended up one of the easiest.” He turned and winked at Kenzie. “That could have something to do with my song writing partner, though.”
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