Chapter 42

CHAPTER

FORTY-TWO

B elle broke her kiss with Harry and rolled away from him when she heard voices coming from the front of his house.

Definitely his father. “Your parents are here,” she whispered, starting to sit up.

Harry’s arms around her tightened like vices, holding her against his chest. “If we’re quiet, maybe they’ll go away,” he whispered.

Disbelief tore through Belle. He didn’t believe that, did he?

A couple of inches separated them, and she found his eyes twinkling with mischief.

“They’re going to catch us,” she whispered.

His father’s voice came closer. She could make out words now, and she heard Trace say, “My son knows better than to do something he doesn’t want me to walk in on. ”

“I’m just saying, baby,” Everly said. “Belle’s car is out in the driveway.”

“Then he should have locked his door,” Trace practically yelled. “Or gone over to her place.”

Harry’s chest started to shake as he laughed. An alarm sounded in Belle’s head. “This is why you’re always coming to my apartment, isn’t it?” she asked, pressing into his bicep with one of her knuckles.

Harry nodded, his laughter getting louder. He wouldn’t be able to hide from his daddy now, and Belle currently lay on top of him .

“Let me go,” she said, trying to stuff away her embarrassment and stop herself from laughing at the same time.

“They’re not here,” Everly said. “Let’s go, Trace.”

“Oh, he’s here,” Trace said, and his voice landed practically on top of Belle. They did lay on the couch right on the edge of the living room, and Trace would have to look straight down to see them, which he did in the next moment.

“Hey, Daddy,” Harry said as if he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He wasn’t embarrassed one iota, but Belle’s face burned with humiliation.

“I knew you were here,” Trace said in his homicidal cowboy voice. “We still going to dinner?”

“Yes,” Belle said, her stomach growling on cue. “If you could get your son to let go of me.”

“Let go of the woman, Harry,” Trace growled.

Harry burst out laughing now. His arms did loosen around Belle, and she managed to sit up, brush her hair out of her face, and then get to her feet, pure humiliation sliding through her like slippery oil.

“Howdy, Trace,” she said, extending her hand across where Harry lay on the couch to shake his father’s hand, who stood right behind it.

Everly gave her a kind smile and then looked down at Harry. “You’re lucky she doesn’t break up with you.”

“Oh, she’s not gonna break up with me,” Harry said with another laugh. “But maybe you guys could knock or use the doorbell.”

“Like I said,” Trace said. “You can lock the door or go to her place.”

They had spent an extraordinary amount of time at Belle’s house, laying on her couch and watching her TV, kissing, and talking. She just hadn’t put two and two together until now of why Harry came there all the time though he had a much bigger and nicer home.

“If I lock my door.” Harry too sat up, and he ran his hands through his hair as it had been mussed a bit. “Then all I have is a bunch of fists banging on it, and that’s no fun.”

“At least you won’t get caught making out with your girlfriend,” Trace said, shooting Belle a look. “Not that I blame you, Belle.”

“Oh, of course not,” Harry said as he got to his feet. “Don’t blame Belle . She doesn’t kiss me back or anything.” He grinned at her, kissed her right there in front of his parents, and went around the couch to hug his father. “Can we please not go anywhere that’s gonna make us sit outside? It’s too hot. ”

“You’d think your blood would’ve warmed from your time in Nashville,” his father said as he clapped him on the back.

“Yeah, well, it didn’t,” Harry said. “I’m tired of being hot and sweaty while sitting in a restaurant.”

“That’s just from the stage lights,” his dad said. “And plus, you only have seven more shows.”

“Seven more shows,” Harry said wearily as he stepped out of his daddy’s arms.

They bore such a striking resemblance to each other, and Belle realized that she’d never seen a picture of his mother. He told her that she was a supermodel, tall and dark, which was why he was an impressive six-foot-four with the deepest, darkest eyes, hair to match, and skin that tanned immaculately. When he wore all black…Belle shivered just thinking about him.

“I heard you had some business stuff you wanted to talk about tonight,” Trace said as he turned his attention back to Belle.

She swallowed and looked over to Harry, who had suddenly sobered. She’d gotten a lot of interest from producers, talent scouts, and agents in the country music industry, and she’d been working on an email response to them. She had phone numbers she could call too, and she simply wanted to get everything organized before she did anything.

“Yes,” she said. “Is Otis going to meet us there?”

“Yep, he and Georgia are on the way already,” Trace said. “So we better head out.”

She nodded and ran her hands through her hair to smooth it enough to pull into a ponytail. As she approached Everly, she reached up and held out a barrette. “Keri made this for you.”

Belle’s heart warmed instantly, and she took the barrette from Harry’s mom. “Oh, it’s adorable.” She abandoned the idea of a ponytail and let her hair fall down again. She then clipped it up on the left side and grinned at Ev. “Good?”

“Can I take a picture for Keri? She’ll be thrilled.”

“She thinks she’s going to make enough for a bicycle by selling barrettes,” Trace said darkly. “I’m pretty sure we’ve spent more on the supplies than she’s made.”

Ev ignored the venom in her husband’s voice and snapped the picture. She smiled fondly at it while Harry went to put on his cowboy boots.

After he’d left, Ev leaned close to say, “That boy is in love with you.”

Belle smiled and looked down at the ground. “You really think so?”

“Absolutely, I do,” Ev said. “I’ve known Harry a long time. He can be intense about things he’s really passionate about. You’re brave to bring up business in front of him.”

Belle looked up and into Everly’s eyes. “I want his opinion,” she said. “He’s a smart businessman.”

“Who’s a smart businessman?” Harry asked as he came back. “Are you poisoning her?” He glared at his momma with an edge of distrust in his eyes.

“Of course not,” Ev said, and she held Harry too.

“You are a smart businessman,” Belle said. “Don’t worry. I’m not saying anything bad.” She grinned at him, and they followed his parents outside.

Belle let Harry and his dad and mom chit-chat on the way to the restaurant, and she lost herself inside her own head. The things that she wanted to talk to Trace and Harry and Otis about swirled through her mind, making her toes curl and her stomach whirl.

She made it through pleasantries with Otis and Georgia, hugging and kissing them both before the six of them sat down in a big round booth in the corner of a restaurant where Harry had not played in Coral Canyon.

Two waiters approached, both male, and one of them said, “Howdy, Young family,” as he put down coasters for their drinks. “I’ve got Colby shadowing me tonight. He’s brand new at the restaurant, and in fact, he’s freaking out that we’re over here talking to a couple of country music stars.” The waiter laughed, and Trace simply smiled. Otis did too, as did Harry. Belle saw the charm just ooze out of them, and no wonder they were so loved.

“So I told him we don’t ask for autographs. But if y’all want to sign something for him, he’s probably not going to protest.” He laughed and said, “Tell me what you’ll have to drink.”

“I want this apple cider mimosa,” Everly said, pointing to the menu.

“Diet Doctor Pepper,” Harry said.

“Diet Coke,” Trace said.

“I want a virgin mojito, please,” Belle said .

“Diet Mountain Dew,” Otis said, and Georgia opted for water with lemon.

“We’ll be right back,” he said. It took Colby another second to tear his eyes away from the table and follow his shadow. That was when Belle realized that he’d been looking at her —not Trace or Otis or Harry, but her.

She swallowed and said, “I’m gonna die if I don’t say it.”

Otis laughed, his chuckles making her heart warm, because he wasn’t laughing at her. More like he sympathized with her. “All right, spit it out. We can order after.”

Belle took Harry’s hand under the table and squeezed hard. “I haven’t even told Harry this yet, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. She shouldn’t have started before she had her drink, because she had nothing to hide behind.

“I’ve had a lot of producers and scouts and agents and others email or call me since they saw me play with Harry.” She pressed her lips together, finding them so dry, and she started to dig in her purse for a tube of Chapstick.

“I had this wild idea that I should host a meet-and-greet.” She cleared her throat because she had a couple more things to say, and they were the worst ones.

She looked around the table, noting how open and unassuming Otis was, but Georgia watched her with a hint of wariness in her expression. Harry had his head down, his cowboy hat hiding his face. Everly watched her with wide eyes, and Trace played the grumpy, dark cowboy in their pair, the one watching her with plenty of hesitation and apprehension .

“In Nashville,” she said, and Harry jerked his head up.

“In Nashville,” he echoed.

“It’s a one-time trip,” she said. “A meet-and-greet somewhere there. I don’t know where. I was kind of….” She trailed off and decided she’d come this far, and she couldn’t stop now. “I was hoping you could help me figure out where, or I could ask Adam to help me coordinate it. He’s really good at that kind of stuff.”

“Hmm. Yes, he is,” Trace said.

“And I’ll go there, and I can play some of my songs for everyone. Or not. Could it just be a meet-and-greet? Meet the songwriter.” She looked at Harry and bent down to really see his eyes under the brim of his hat. “Not the artist. The songwriter.”

That was it. That was her whole pitch. That was her idea. She had been going through her songs and organizing them. She’d written four new ones now and currently had a fifth going strong. And of course, she had almost two dozen from her previous life in country music.

“I have an email drafted,” she said. “I would love to have any of you look at it who will and help me with it.”

She glanced around, having a hard time making judgments from expressions now, something she’d once been so good at. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine too,” she added quickly. “I don’t want to put anyone out.”

No one said anything, and as Belle surveyed them, she realized that everyone watched Harry, clearly waiting for him to take the lead.

“All right, here are those drinks,” the waiter said as he returned. Their sodas and mocktails got passed out, and then he said, “You guys need a few more minutes to look at the menu?” He met Belle’s eyes and added, “I can see you do. Come on, Colby. We’ll be back in a few minutes,” and he walked away.

Belle picked up her menu and started studying it. She was new to Coral Canyon and hadn’t been here before. She tipped the menu toward Harry, effectively cutting off Trace’s and Everly’s view of them on her right.

“Have you frequented this establishment before?” she asked in a low voice that brought his eyes to hers, and they practically teemed with emotion.

“Yes,” he growled.

“What’s good?” She leaned her head into his shoulder and looked at the menu. “The meet-and-greet is a bad idea.”

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” he grumbled. “I just don’t like it.”

“Why not?”

“If y’all are going to talk,” Georgia said. “Say it out loud for all of us to hear. Maybe we’ll agree or disagree.”

Belle lowered her menu, and Harry sent his aunt one of his icy glares. But, oh, Georgia simply gave it back to him. “Whispering in a crowd is rude.”

“I said, I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” he said in a loud enough voice for everyone at the table to hear. “I just don’t like it.”

“And I asked him why he didn’t like it,” Belle said. “But I think I know already. ”

“Yes, me too,” Everly said. “Harry thinks he’s going to lose you to Nashville.”

Harry growled, but Belle locked her eyes on him. “Is that true?” she asked. “You think you’re going to lose me to Nashville?”

He shook his head. “No, of course not.”

“I’ve told you a million times, I don’t want to live in Nashville. I don’t want to be a country music artist.”

“Then why would you go to Nashville?”

“Because that’s where you sell songs,” Otis said, and Belle gestured to him with her palm.

“You said networking wasn’t a bad thing,” she said. “And in fact, I want you to come with me. Can you imagine who we can get there if it’s a meet-and-greet with the Harry Young?”

“Don’t call me that,” he growled, and he went back to his menu.

Belle looked down the table to Trace, and to her surprise, he gave her a smile and shook his head as if Harry was being stubborn about going out to find Easter eggs.

“Don’t mind Harry,” he said. “He’s obviously in a bad mood after getting caught making out.”

“Making out?” Georgia asked, plenty of interest in her voice.

Harry sighed and slapped his menu down on the table. “Me sitting in the middle of this booth was a real bad idea.”

Everyone laughed except for him. Belle once again slid her hand into his under the table and squeezed. “That’s the idea. I don’t want to talk about it anymore tonight, but maybe y’all can think about it and let me know what you think. And if you would like to see the email, I’m happy to share it.”

She swallowed and said, “Just one more thing.”

“Go on, then,” Harry said. “You won’t be able to eat until you spit it out.”

And she wouldn’t. She was thrilled that he knew she wouldn’t.

“I’m going to ask Adam to help,” she said. “If I decide to do it, because he’s really good at coordinating things like this. And I’m going pay him. Is it in his contract that he can’t help someone else while he’s working for you?”

“No,” Harry said.

“Actually, he does have an NDA,” Trace said. “Not to disclose who he’s working with, but I guess that doesn’t really matter here.”

“Doesn’t matter at all, Daddy,” Harry said. “But thanks for bringing it up.” He rolled his eyes and lifted his menu so that it was only four inches from his face and no one else could see him.

Belle sighed inwardly and looked over to Trace and Everly, worry streaming through her. Everly gave her a kind smile and nodded, which gave Belle confidence and courage that her idea was good. Even Harry had said it was good. He just didn’t like it. He’d never told her he was afraid that he’d lose her to Nashville, and she’d have to talk to him about that later.

Belle looked over to Georgia and Otis, so many questions streaming from her. She didn’t want to wait for feedback, and Otis seemed to know it. “I think it’s a phenomenal idea, Belle. I know a lot of people in Nashville who I’ve sold songs to, and I’d be happy to send them an invitation if you do a meet-and-greet there.”

She nodded and said, “Thank you so much, Otis. If it makes it to that step, I’ll let you know.”

“Would you stop saying ‘if’?” Harry asked, his voice right back to Super-Grump. “You’re gonna do this meet-and-greet, and it’s gonna be amazing, and you’re gonna get fifty billion people who want to buy your songs.”

Tense silence settled over the booth, expanded into the corner of the restaurant, and seemed to flow through the whole building, cutting off all the chatter and the clattering of silverware against plates and the sound of the kitchen beyond.

“Well,” Belle said, her voice trembling in her throat but solid as it came out of her mouth, “I think fifty billion is an exaggeration.”

“Yeah, and don’t sound so happy about your girlfriend having a great idea and finding a way to make a living,” Everly said. “This could help you too, you know.”

Harry opened his mouth and then promptly shut it.

“It’s okay,” Belle said in a bright voice, because it was. “Harry won’t want to use me this way, I know.” She turned and looked at him again, but he wouldn’t quite meet her eyes. “We don’t like to feel like we’re using one another to get ahead.”

“I told you it was a good idea,” Harry said.

“He’ll come around,” Trace said. “Give him a few days. And since he never stopped talking about that trip to Florida with you, I’m pretty sure you’ll be making this trip to Nashville too.”

“Daddy,” Harry said.

“What are you trying to hide from her?” Trace asked. “Because I’m looking at the two of you, and she’s not hiding anything, Harry. She wants you in her life. She’s claimed you right in front of all of us. Who cares if she knows you talked about that trip to Florida like it was the greatest thing that ever happened to you?”

Belle grinned and turned toward him again. “The trip to Florida was the greatest thing that ever happened to you?”

“See?” Harry grumbled. “See? This is why I don’t want you to say stuff like that.”

Trace laughed, and when he did, it lit up the entire world. Belle joined him, and she leaned in close to Harry and said, “The trip to Florida was the greatest thing that ever happened to me too, Harry.”

Now she just had to keep working on her idea for this meet-and-greet-the-songwriter-in-Nashville, and she could only pray that Harry would see her vision and know that her heart belonged to him and Coral Canyon and no one and nowhere else.