“What about you, Kenzie? As you sang your last verse, I think it was obvious to everyone watching on television that you were tearing up. Is this song personal to you as well?”
Good question. Chase thought he knew the answer, but was less sure Kenzie could admit it.
“Very much so,” she said. “As you all know, I’ve had some struggles over the past year, both personally and professionally. Writing and recording this song was a rebirth, of sorts, for me. Something new, fresh, and exciting. When my manager first pitched the idea of a duet to me, I had my doubts, but the more I thought about it, I realized this song, this project, was exactly what I needed.”
Chase immediately recognized the connection to the lyrics, and it wasn’t lost on anyone else, either, judging from the next question.
“It’s obviously a song about falling in love, and the two of you shared a kiss at the end. Does that mean this song represents your story? Is this a case of life imitating art?”
Yeah, I’d like to know that, too, Chase thought, but when he looked to Kenzie, wanting her answer, wanting the truth, once and for all, he saw the fear and nervousness in her eyes. And he jumped in to save her.
“I think that’s something we’re still working through ourselves,” he said. “It’s been quite a ride, and we appreciate the support. Perhaps we’ll have an official announcement soon.” Chase signaled to the production director that they were done with the questions, and she jumped forward.
“Okay, that’s it for now.”
Thank goodness. Chase stood up, took Kenzie’s hand and led her away from the cameras and microphones and back to the room where they’d waited, circling each other nervously, before taking the stage for the performance. The first thing he did was toss the hat on the sofa, making Kenzie laugh.
“Something funny?”
“You. The hat.” She shook her head. “It’s not really your thing, is it?”
“No, it’s not. Not full time, anyway. But I can hack it now and then,” Chase said.
“Yeah. You do make a pretty good cowboy.”
He arched a brow. “You think so?”
Kenzie nodded. “You saved me back there. It’s exactly the kind of thing a cowboy would do.”
Chase shrugged his shoulders. “It’s the kind of thing a gentleman would do, too,” he said. “Anyone could see you weren’t ready for the question.”
“Oh, I was ready for the question,” Kenzie said. “We both knew it was coming. I just wasn’t ready to answer it. At least not right then.”
“Fair enough.” But now they were alone, just the two of them, away from the cameras and mics and prying eyes. “What about now? Can you answer it now, for me?”
***
Chase’s eyes searched hers, and Kenzie knew that she owed him an answer. She needed one from him, too. “I think you already know, but I’ll say it anyway. Yes, the song was personal. It was all personal. It was always my story.” Kenzie took a deep breath and continued, “Those lyrics about being turned upside down, they were about me, my own feelings, ever since I met you.”
“Me, too,” Chase said. “From the beginning. I didn’t need this project. I didn’t want or need anything, or so I told myself. Maybe I did, though, because as soon as I met you, everything changed.”
“It was the same way for me,” Kenzie said, the words coming like torrents now. “But I couldn’t handle it. It was too much, too soon.” She took a breath. “The feelings were too strong, and I wasn’t sure I could deal with them.”
Chase nodded. “Because you’ve been hurt. I get that. But I’m not Jesse.”
It was such a ridiculous statement, that Kenzie almost laughed. “No, you’re not, and that’s a very good thing. But even though you’re so different, it was a lot to take in at once.”
“I scared you, is what you’re saying.”
“You did, yes,” Kenzie admitted. “And it was a little too much for me to handle. So I pushed you away.” There it was. The truth.
“And instead of pushing back, I let you,” Chase said. “I should have pushed back.”
“Beg your pardon? What are you saying?”
“Just some advice I got. What I mean, I knew you were scared. I knew you weren’t ready. Heck, things happened so fast between us, I’m not even sure I was ready,” he said. “I should’ve fought harder, though. I shouldn’t have walked away.”
“I shouldn’t have let you walk away. That was my mistake. My cowardice.” Kenzie wiped a tear from her eye. Damn waterworks. Why couldn’t she keep them under control? “But I’m not letting you walk away this time.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I’m saying I love you. I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t looking for it. But I fell in love with you, Chase. I guess you could say you turned me upside down.”
Chase smiled. “Yeah, same here. Or maybe it’s like Keith said at the beginning... remember dissonance?”
Kenzie nodded. “The chords. They’re incomplete. Not in harmony. Dissonance. They need to be paired with another chord to be complete.”
“Exactly. By themselves, apart from each other, there is dissonance. But together, they form a beautiful harmony. That’s us, Kenzie. We were incomplete. Now, together, we can be in harmony. When I’m with you, there’s no more dissonance.”
EPILOGUE
Seven Months Later
Nashville
“And the winner is...”
Kenzie gripped Chase’s hand as they awaited the announcement. Their song was nominated for Single of the Year, but the competition was stiff. As much as she wanted to win, Kenzie had spent the past few days telling herself it was an honor simply to be nominated.
“Upside Down, by Kenzie Bolton and Chase Radcliffe, produced by Keith Trainer.”
Kenzie put a hand to her chest and sucked in a breath. They won. They really won. Applause surrounded them in crowded arena as Chase pulled her up by her hand. “Well, darlin,’ looks like we’ve got a speech to give.”
A speech. They were expected to give a speech, and Kenzie had nothing prepared. “Did you prepare anything?” she whispered to Chase as they walked to the stage. They’d never discussed it, but maybe he had. Hopefully he had.
He shook his head. “No. I wasn’t expecting to win. I guess we can wing it.”
They got to the stage, and the presenter handed them their award, then Chase gestured for Kenzie to approach the microphone. “Ladies first.”
For once, she wished he didn’t have such impeccable manners. She could do this, though. Kenzie took a deep breath. “Wow. I don’t even know what to say, besides that I never expected to be back on this stage again, accepting an award from the Country Music Association.” She’d been there before, winning New Artist of the Year, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. In many ways, it was a lifetime ago. “My career has had some highs and lows, and at the beginning of this year, I was definitely at a low point. There were days when I even wondered if I should give up music. I love it, though. I love to sing, and I don’t know what else I’d do, so I stuck with it. Then one day last winter, my manager approached me about recording a duet,” she said. “I was skeptical, especially when I learned the duet would be with a rock star best known for his brooding lyrics.”
A ripple of laughter reverberated through the arena and Chase stepped to the microphone. “I was plenty leery, too, but probably the person with the most skepticism was our producer, especially when we told him we wanted to write our own song. At that moment, Keith probably wanted to back out of the project.”
More laughter, and Kenzie relaxed. “Thankfully, he didn’t, and we all got over our doubts, and we had fun bringing this song to you. Upside Down is a song about falling in love, and by now it’s no secret that Chase and I fell in love while we were working on it.” She paused to allow for the applause and a few whistles before continuing, “Even if the song would have bombed, it brought us together, which is a greater gift than any awards could ever be, but this is still a treme
ndous honor.” Kenzie raised the crystal trophy high in the air. “Thank you fans, thank you to the Country Music Association, and thank you, Nashville.”
***
Chase followed Kenzie’s remarks with a few of his own, mainly thanking Carey and Keith. Despite the success he’d enjoyed with his band, this was his first real award for his music. Kenzie, on the other hand, had been there before, so he let her take the lead. And after her speech, what was left to say?
He didn’t think there was much, but the press apparently disagreed, judging from the swarm of reporters that met them backstage to pepper them with questions. Hopefully these would be easier to answer than the ones they’d faced after debuting the song in Las Vegas.
“Were you surprised to win?”
Okay, that one was easy, so things were off to a good start. “Definitely,” Chase answered. “We had some tough competition, and of course I wondered if the Association would ever really vote for a rock star.”
“That brings me to my next question,” the reporter said. “What’s next for you, Chase? Is it true you’ll be heading back to the studio with your rock band again?”
Chase nodded. “Yes, it’s true. As you might know, we took a little time off this year while one of my band mates got married. We never broke up, though, and we’ve been working on new songs all along, even if we haven’t been recording,” he explained. “But next week, we’ll be back in the studio to record our new album.” And not a moment too soon. He missed the guys. He missed the band. He missed rock and roll.
“So does that mean we won’t ever hear the two of you sing together again?” another reporter asked.
“Oh, never say never,” Chase said. He was half inclined to play coy, but he also knew Carey would be livid if he did, so he turned to Kenzie. “Do you want to tell them, or should I?”
“Tell us what?”
Kenzie reached across and pulled the mic closer to her. “I’m putting the finishing touches on a new solo album, probably looking at release in a couple months,” she said. “And it just so happens that it features another duet with this sexy cowboy here.”
Cowboy. Chase still wanted to laugh every time she called him that. Sure, he may don a hat and boots every now and then, but he didn’t think of himself as a cowboy. But if Kenzie did, he wouldn’t complain. He’d happily be her cowboy any day of the week.
“That’s right,” he said, “It’s a song titled You’re Mine, which we wrote together, and we’re pretty excited about it.” Much like when they wrote Upside Down, they’d formed a good partnership, and Chase had high hopes for the song. He’d insisted that it not be the debut single off of Kenzie’s new album, though. No, she’d recorded a new Ross Copperman song that would release first, and hopefully catapult her right to the top of the charts. She deserved the success, and he wanted it for her, apart from him.
“So this isn’t the end of Bolton and Radcliffe, then?”
“Absolutely not. I think it’s just the beginning. At least I hope so.” Chase reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a small box. “I’m hoping I can persuade this incredible woman to make it a lifetime partnership.” He turned to Kenzie and opened the box, revealing a diamond inside. “What do you say, darlin’? Would you make it forever?”
Shrieks and gasps followed, and plenty of flashbulbs, too, and Chase hoped he hadn’t just made an incredible fool of himself. Then Kenzie threw her arms around him and said, “I’d be honored, Cowboy.”
“Thank goodness, because you turned me upside down the moment I met you.”
His lips met hers and they sealed it with a kiss.
###
Author’s Note
I first “met” Chase Radcliffe back when I was writing Aggravated Circumstances, when Colin took Taylor on a date to Hanover to hear his cousin’s band play. At the time, Chase was a student at Dartmouth and A New Horizon was a little indie rock band that played in college clubs. Chase was a cameo character, with only a few lines of dialogue, and I never expected to see him again.
Alas, the muse works in mysterious ways. Last year, when I was working on Love & Light, I discovered that Landon and Kori had the same favorite band—A New Horizon. This former college band had now hit the big time, and suddenly Chase was a star. Yet he never abandoned his roots. When Landon and Kori met Chase after a reunion concert in Hanover, and I began to explore the band’s lyrics and what this connection meant for Kori’s healing and her relationship with Landon, I realized I wasn’t done with Chase. He had a story in him, too.
When the opportunity came to participate in a boxed set featuring country music themed stories, I realized it was the perfect time to tell Chase’s story, as my soulful rocker teamed up with country’s sweetheart for a new project.
Thank you for reading “Dissonance.” I hope you enjoyed Chase and Kenzie’s story and will consider leaving an honest review on the site you purchased the book from.
Acknowledgements
Writing a book sometimes seems like a solitary pursuit, but there are many people who play a role in the finished product reaching readers’ hands. I owe my thanks to my friends and family who continue to support my dream of being an author, my beta readers, advance reviewers, my personal assistant, and finally, you—my fans and my readers—because your continued support means more motivation to keep writing. And that means more books.
Thank you as well to my cover models, Jackson Young and Heather Mae, for being my “vision” for Chase and Kenzie and to Michel Prince of Royal Touch Photography for the stunning image that graces the cover of this book.
Other Books by this Author
Women’s Fiction:
After Ten- Four friends, a decade old promise, and a class reunion.
Tears and Laughter- Will old friendships survive, and new ones be forged, during a year marked by heartache and triumph, and tears and laughter?
Aggravated Circumstances- A family can be torn apart in an instant. Putting it back together is a harder task.
Contemporary Romance:
Finding Forever- Happiness eludes Jordan until former client-turned-lover Jake reappears, tempting her with a hopeful future, while dredging up mistakes from her past.
Leap of Faith- Can Tracey and Steve put past hurts behind them and take a leap of faith into a new future together?
The Art of Love- Will jewelry artist Chelsea discover the art of love with sensitive painter Hayden?
Starting Over- Can divorcee Liz and widower Ben overcome the challenges from her ex-husband and his resentful son to start a new life together?
Love & Light- Can Landon show Kori that there is light after darkness, and if he does, will love blossom?
The Christmas Wish- Will their daughter’s fall from her horse bring Ashley and Brennan back together in time for Christmas?
The Men of the Ice Novellas: Meet the hockey players of the San Antonio Generals… and the women who love them.
Playing for Keeps (Book 1)- Colton and Maya
Crossing the Line (Book 2)- Nikolai and Meryl
Winning it All (Book 3)- Trevor and Dani
Scoring at Love (Book 4)- Becker and Kendall
Chasing the Prize (Book 5, coming Summer 2016)- Ryder and Jess
Making an Impact (Book 6, coming Summer 2016)- Casey and Char
Breaking the ice (Book 7, coming fall 2016)- Noah and Riley
Going all In (Book 8, coming 2017)- Trenton and Lauren
About the Author
Michele Shriver writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. Her books feature flawed-but-likeable characters in real-life settings. She’s not afraid to break the rules, but never stops believing in happily ever after. Michele counts among her favorite things a good glass of wine, a hockey game, and a sweet and sexy book boyfriend, not necessarily in that order.
Contact:
Website: www.micheleshriver.com
Newsletter signup: http://eepurl.com/323sj
Twitter: @micheleshriver
Face
book: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMicheleShriver
Email: [email protected]
For contests, special gifts, advance reader copies of my books and the chance to hang out and chat and keep up to date on all my publishing news, please consider joining my Street Team/ Facebook group:
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