“Wren saw it. You know how she likes those entertainment shows.”
“Just now?” Wren had been all overInside Edition,E! News, andEntertainment Tonight. I used to watch a few with her when Rhys and his dad had been working cattle. I could’ve helped, but his dad was old-fashioned that way. Since I’d been put to work enough at home, I never argued about being housebound at Jonathon and Wren’s place.
He nodded. “They said you haven’t been seen forweeks and you even missed your appointments with some fucking guy.”
“Remi Dahl?” He was an amazing songwriter and we worked well together. “I canceled with him over a month ago.” Confusion infused Rhys’s eyes and I waved my hand. He’d know the process if he’d ever come to Nashville. “I write a lot myself. I get the melody and the chords. Then for a lot of songs, I work with him to get the drums, percussion, bass, whatever. Sometimes, I can do it myself, but for the more pop-sounding ones, the crossovers, so to speak, I like to collaborate. It’s a really fun environment. Actually, it’s one of my favorite things and it’s going to be rushed to get this album produced, but my real appointment isn’t until the end of June.” I was rambling. His gaze was focused on my mouth. Was he hearing my words or just seeing them? The air thickened between us. “It’s probably just a slow news day and my name still garners interest. Filler. Why does it bother you so much?”
“The girls.”
“What about them? No one knows I’m in Montana, and if they did, they probably wouldn’t care. My fans know I come home, and they know I work for the family company.”
“They might figure it out.”
I shook my head. His reaction still didn’t make sense. “And? Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather they didn’t. I’d rather keep this cabin to myself, but it’s been years and they haven’t ventured as far as Mama’s place. I’m not an actress. I’m not Taylor Swift. Even Dolly Parton gets some privacy. I’m just a news story when things are slow or when I’m connected to a guy other women want.”
He flinched. It was subtle, but I caught it.
“Are you worried about you?” I asked.
He rolled his shoulders and averted his gaze. “I’m not a guy other women want.”
“Tell that to Annette.”
His expression turned perplexed. “Why?”
“Puh-lease, Rhys. She wants you.”
His eye twitched like he knew exactly what I was talking about. “You’re kidding, right?”
I folded my arms and tapped my fingers on my biceps. For some reason, he didn’t like me addressing Annette’s infatuation. Made me want to poke the bear more. “Did Kirstin have to club you over the head and drag you off?”
He looked away. “I told you. I was ready to move on.”
“And now you want to be single?”
His right eye twitched. No. He didn’t want to be single, but he wasn’t interested in Annette.
A knot inside my belly unraveled. Annette was pretty and kind, and she related to Rhys more than I ever could. But he wasn’t interested.
“I have contacts who can help with damage control,” I conceded. He was worried, and since my fans would love to know about a sexy single dad I had a history with, his fears weren’t unfounded. “I’ll make sure you’re not dragged into the spotlight.”
“It’s Bethany and Hannah. They don’t need any proximity to fame.” Bitterness laced his tone. No one close to me had been dragged in because of my notoriety, but then they’d had their own already.
Why would Rhys be so worked up— “Your mom.”
He blanched. “What about her?”
“Did you get dragged into the news about her?” Ithought back to the articles I had read. “I don’t recall her getting much press.”
“She didn’t,” he snapped. “A single mom trying to jump from theater to screen while dragging a kid around? She fought an uphill battle she’d never asked for.”
He’d never speak of the scenario like that if it was his daughters. “Is that how she phrased it?”
He stalked to the railing. “No, but I’m familiar enough with public life, and I don’t want the girls to be involved.”
“Just them?”
He turned back to me. “I’m just some guy from a small town. All the apps I have are for weather and market prices.”
