Chapter 35

thirty-five

ANDREW

The next morning, I woke with a jolt. I lay in bed, heart pounding, listening to the sound of the house creaking in the early morning sunshine. Something had startled me out of a deep sleep and I didn’t know what it was.

A door farther along the hallway opened and closed.

Jacob must have heard the noise, too.

I rubbed my eyes and pushed aside my blankets. As I left my bedroom, I grabbed my sweatshirt and pulled it over my head.

By the time I walked into the entrance, Jacob had opened the front door.

“What was it?” I asked.

“It looks as though your manager was here.” He picked up a large brown envelope sitting on the veranda.

Written across the front, in David’s neat, precise writing, was my name. I didn’t need to open the envelope to know what was inside. “It’ll be the first draft of a contract with the recording company. How did you sleep?”

Jacob closed the door. “Better than my first night.” He followed me into the kitchen, frowning when I dropped the envelope into the recycling bin. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

“I don’t want to work with David ever again. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“No, thanks. I’ve got a better idea. How about I make us both breakfast?”

I leaned against the kitchen counter. “Sounds great.” While Jacob moved around the kitchen, I thought about my music career and what had brought me to Sunrise Bay. “Do you think I’m crazy to throw away the contract?”

Jacob opened the refrigerator and took out four eggs. “It’s up to you. Do you want to make another album?”

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “Even though I haven’t sung professionally, I’ve written a lot of songs. A part of me wants to share them with the rest of the world. The other part wants to stay away from the music industry.”

“Is it the music industry you’re not happy with or one person?”

“Before I left Nashville, I asked myself the same question. It’s both. I can’t be the person I used to be. All that David and everyone else saw was the money I made. They could overlook what was happening behind the scenes because they didn’t think it mattered. It wasn’t the same for me.”

Jacob frowned. “What would have helped?”

“A team of people around me I could trust. Mom and Dad thought I was happy and, for most of the time, I was. But when I discovered what David had done, I realized my life wasn’t mine anymore. From what I’ve heard, nothing has changed.”

Jacob left the rest of the breakfast ingredients on the counter and stood in front of me. “You’ve changed. Maybe that’s enough to make everything else a lot better.”

I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned against his chest. “Do you think I should look at the contract?”

“I think you should do what’s best for you. But don’t discount the offer because of David. He doesn’t have to be part of your future.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Jacob kissed the top of my head. “While you’re thinking about it, I’ll scramble some eggs.”

I watched him for a few seconds before taking a carton of juice out of the refrigerator. “Can I ask you a question about your PTSD?”

The whisk in Jacob’s hands stilled. “Sure.”

“How has it changed your life?”

Jacob stared into the half-beaten eggs. “It’s made me more careful about where I go and who I spend time with.” He left the whisk on the counter and held my hand. “When I heard the engine of David’s car, my heart raced as if I’d run a marathon. Loud, unexpected noises are the worst. I get flashbacks, cold sweats, and sometimes shake so much that I need to sit down.”

“Is there anything you can do to make it better?”

“I’ve tried counseling, meditation, acupuncture, and drugs. Mom even sent me a healing stone, hoping it would help.”

“Did it?”

Jacob shook his head. “I wish it had.”

“How have you felt over the last couple of weeks?”

“A lot calmer. Sunrise Bay is good for me.”

“Does that surprise you?”

Jacob tilted his head to the side, staring into my eyes as if I held the key to his happiness. “It surprises me less than realizing I’ve fallen in love with you.”

With my fingertips I traced the deep grooves on either side of his mouth. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with anyone, either. I nearly adopted a cat.”

Jacob’s lips twitched. “Was I worth the sacrifice?”

“Definitely. But I can’t guarantee I’ll never have a kitten racing around my cottage.”

“What about a dog? They’re more intelligent than cats.”

My eyebrows rose. “I don’t think so. Cats like cuddling on your lap. They follow you around the house and wait for you to come home. What more could you want?”

“A dog follows your directions. He can go running with you and?—”

The sound of an engine cut across the front yard.

I froze. “Do you think David has come back?”

“I don’t know.” Jacob held my hand as we walked toward the front door.

As soon as I saw the truck, I breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s not David. It’s Tim Evans. Why on earth would he be here so early?”

“Is he the singer you told me about?”

I nodded. “He isn’t supposed to be here until Tuesday. Even that’s earlier than he’d normally arrive for a concert.”

“For someone who doesn’t want to be part of the music industry, you’re doing a lot of singing.”

“The concerts on Friday and Saturday night are special. The money we raise will change a lot of people’s lives. You’ll like Tim. He’s different from most musicians.”

Tim had moved to Colorado to escape the same craziness that drove me out of Nashville.

I smiled at the dark-haired man climbing out of the truck. “It’s good to see you, Tim.”

“You, too.” He wrapped me in a warm hug, then held out his hand to Jacob. “I’m Tim Evans.”

“Jacob Hilary.”

Tim’s blue eyes crinkled at the corners. “I hope I’m not too early. The boys woke us at five-thirty this morning.”

“It’s okay,” I said with a smile. “Jacob was making breakfast. Would you like to join us?”

“Does your offer include the world-famous jam I love?”

I laughed. “It could.” Each year I sent Tim a big Christmas basket full of preserves and jams. He loved every mouthful and ordered more when his supply was getting low.

I linked my hand through Tim’s arm. “While Jacob and I get breakfast ready, tell us what you’ve been doing.”

For the next hour, we caught up on all our news, talked about the fundraising concert, and the logistics of making everything come together in a seamless production.

It wasn’t the Saturday morning I’d imagined, but it was fun. And, more importantly, my former manager didn’t return.