“I know. Of course, we wouldn’t even consider that. We’ll take care of him.” Even if it meant sacrificing my career and my budding relationship with Knox… I didn’t have a choice. Family came first and as long as my dad needed me I couldn’t leave him.
Chapter 16
Knox
My girl had only been gone twelve hours and I was already missing her like crazy. Every time we’d been on the road for the past five years Cece had been right there by my side. Day in and out, grinding it out with me. I hadn’t even realized how much I missed her until she wasn’t there.
I’d called up a replacement singer for her. Someone who filled in when one of the girls was sick. She was good. She knew the material and was a consummate professional. But no one could take Cece’s place. That girl was one of a kind.
Auden was hitting the road with Dade for half a dozen shows so he’d flown out to South Carolina. I’d called in a few of my buddies to fill the gap. None were opening acts. They were headliners, stadium tours, no less, but they were my brothers, and were happy to do me a favour, knowing I’d step up when they asked.
Reed Harris, the first one of my boys to join me, walked into the room like he owned the place. Charisma, they called it. Part of the package that made him a multi-platinum selling, award winning artist. But I knew he was just like me. A good old boy with a wild streak who got lucky.
“My brother,” I said, shaking his hand and drawing him into a half-hug as I slapped him on the back. “Can’t thank you enough for doin’ this for me.”
“Hey, you’re doin’ me a favor, man.” He smirked. “Sitting at home feeling sorry for myself, if you wanna know the truth. Hate not being on the road.”
Reed broke into the business a couple of years before I did. Women claimed he looked like a cover model: dark hair, hazel eyes, olive skin, and real muscles from ranching, not the gym rat kind. But he was as rough and rugged as any man I knew, and hated being on the wrong side of a camera.
“Oh yeah?” I chuckled as I picked up my guitar and started tuning it. “Why’re you feeling sorry for yourself? Latest song didn’t shoot straight to number one?” I loved busting his chops and he was always happy to give it back.
“Brooklyn dumped me.”
Our eyes met and I could tell the break-up hit him hard. He’d been with his girl a couple of years and everyone thought they’d eventually tie the knot. “Man, I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me? If this isn’t a good time for you to be here—”
“It’s the best time.” He shook his head as he claimed a stool across from me. “Everything in that damn house reminds me of her. That’s the last place I wanna be right now, trust me.”
“What happened?” I didn’t know if he wanted to talk about it, but I felt I needed to offer.
“She says I was disrespecting her with other women.” His laugh was more of a bark when he crossed his arms. “Do you believe that shit? Called me a flirt. Put me on warning. Said if I kept doing it, she was done. Apparently she was serious ‘cause she dumped me when she caught some chick slipping me her number at a party.”
Brooklyn was stunning. I couldn’t believe my buddy would ever be dumb enough to mess around on her. “Did she have reason to be concerned?”
“Hell no.” He grinned. “I’d never mess around her. Didn’t mean I wasn’t having a good timeplayin’it up though.”
I assumed that meant he liked to flirt, but never intended to close the deal. I thought about how Cece would have felt in Brooklyn’s position. She would have castrated me, for sure. My buddy’s ex wasn’t wrong to demand better.
“You’re an idiot,” I said. “You know that, right? Brooklyn was—”
“The best thing that ever happened to me, I know.” He rolled his eyes. “My mama’s been spewing the same bullshit all week. Calling me a dumbass for not putting a ring on that girl’s finger when I had the chance.”
“You think you should have?” Reed wasn’t big on regret, but in his position, I’d have a few.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” He slipped his phone into his pocket. “Guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?”
“Have you tried to talk to her?”
He rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. “Refuses to talk to me. Said I’d humiliated her for the last time.”
“So, what’re you gonna do now? Just give up?” I didn’t think I could. Even if Cece shut me down, told me it was over, I’d still have to find a way to get through to her.
“What choice do I have?” He closed his eyes, tipping his head back. “Not gonna lie, Knox. Hurts like a sonofabitch. Didn’t think I’d ever be here.”
Seeing how torn up my friend was over losing the love of his life, made me even more grateful I’d had the balls to step up and let Cece know how I felt about her. If she’d gone home to face the mess with her father, without knowing how much I loved her, I’d have hated myself.
“Maybe she’ll cool off. Give you another chance to—”
“To what? Hurt her again?” He swallowed and shifted his gaze to the empty stage. “I was such an idiot. Got high off all the attention. Loved having all those pretty girls flirting with me. Made me feel like more of a man, I guess. Knowing I didn’tneedBrook.”
