7. Hallie

CHAPTER 7

HALLIE

I sit at my desk, my fingers nervously drumming on the wood. It's been a week since my argument with Lennox. I’m still an emotional wreck, driving Juniper up the wall with how much I talk about him—my constant outbursts, spontaneous tears, and pitiful weepy tirades. I decided not to tell my family about what happened. Ciara will still get her Christmas surprise, of course, but they don’t need to know the details surrounding the night I got his autograph.

Dammit, I miss him.

The small Deepwood Mountain Sheriff’s Department office is unusually quiet today. Like, where the hell is everyone? Juniper’s been MIA for nearly half an hour. I haven’t seen Sheriff Quinn come through for ages. Deputy Barlow hasn’t popped in to ask if I needed something from the vending machine, like he always does at least once during my shift.

Even the calls have been light. All I hear is the soft buzz of the fluorescent lights above.

If someone doesn’t appear soon, I’ll have to jump to the only logical conclusion—zombie apocalypse.

I huff, my mind drifting to Lennox—to the snowstorm, our intense connection, and the implosion that left my heart more broken than I would have thought possible after just one night.

I thought he understood me. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe I asked too much of him. Maybe I’m the one with trust issues.

Grr.

The door to the dispatch office opens and I lift my head, ready to give an earful to whichever one of my colleagues for leaving me to deal with the zombie apocalypse alone.

My heart stops as I lock gazes with the most breathtaking pair of gray eyes I’ve seen.

Lennox.

He stands tall and ruggedly handsome in the doorway, guitar in hand, looking like he's just stepped off the stage and into my world.

He begins to strum his guitar, and then his deep, gravelly voice fills the room, singing words that pierce straight into my heart:

In the stillness of a mountain retreat,

My muse, a fiery vision, I did meet.

When passion's flames ignited the night,

Her spirit set my heart alight.

The gentle notes he coaxes from his guitar strike a chord deep within me. A sweet yet powerful ballad.

Through shadows, she brought me to the light,

Healing this broken heart of mine.

Her love my redemption song,

Our future together, sure and strong.

My eyes fill with tears as he continues:

Like a mountain storm, you crash through my skies,

Lightning strikes, and I come alive.

Your love’s the thunder in my veins,

Washing away all the pain.

Through the chaos, I’ve found my peace,

In your arms, my soul’s release.

You’re my calm after the storm,

My shelter when the wild winds roar.

I can't promise an easy ride,

But I promise I’ll always try,

To be the man to make things right,

For you, forever, I'll strive.

Your love's the key to my soul,

Breaking down these walls of stone,

Together we'll rise like the tide,

In this new life, you and I.

As the final notes fade away, I'm already on my feet, overwhelmed by the raw emotion in his performance. I come around from my desk as he walks up to me, setting the guitar down by his feet.

“You wrote a song,” I say, smiling into his eyes.

He smiles back. “That I did. The night we were together, after you fell asleep, I went downstairs, got the lyrics down, then added the melody. It was the fastest I’ve ever written something. And I’ve already got ideas for the rest of the album.”

“It’s beautiful,” I reply. “Truly.”

“I’d like to think that’s because it’s our song,” he says, not taking his eyes off me. “I wrote that for you. For us.”

I blink, stunned.

“I’m so sorry, Hallie,” he says. “For years, my life was utter chaos, constant motion. I lost myself in the music, the fame that went with it. And then I had to step away and hit reset. You’ve brought back that joy. Made me feel alive again. Challenged me, sparked my creativity. And I realize I've been trying to fill a void, but maybe it's more about creating something new, something real.

“I don't want to go back to the person I was, Hallie. I want to create, but I also want...I don’t know, a life with meaning, with genuine connection. I thought coming here would help me find my way back to music, but it's shown me something far more important.”

“What's that?” I ask.

My heart pounds in my chest as he takes my hands in his. “It's shown me that I can have a future, a real future, with someone I care about. That I don't have to be that world-weary musician, lost in a bottle or chasing the next hit song. I can be more, if I let myself. And I think you can help. If you're willing.”

I smile and look at our hands. “I’m sorry, too, Lennox,” I say, feeling my confidence rise. “I put too much pressure on you, when I think it’s my own trust issues. You got under my skin fast, and I didn’t know how to handle that. I’m not used to letting anyone in, especially not someone as amazing as you. It was unfair to put any kinds of expectations on you so soon.”

He shakes his head. “No, Hallie. I should’ve told you exactly how I was feeling and not gotten defensive. The truth is, you can trust that I’ll do everything in my power to protect your heart and keep it safe. Because that matters to me.” He takes a deep breath. “I love you, Hallie.”

My entire body takes flight at his words. I reach up and take his sexy, stubbled face in my hands. “And I love you, Lennox.”

He pulls me closer and leans down to capture my lips. This kiss is unlike any we’ve shared before. It carries all the weight of the storms we’ve weathered, the barriers we’ve broken, and the love we’ve found.

Soon, there’s a chorus of cheers, whistles, and applause, and we break apart to see my colleagues at the door.

Juniper winks at me—the little sneak!

I rest my head on Lennox’s chest and chuckle softly.

Only a kiss like that could make me forget an oncoming zombie apocalypse.