Page 14 of One Weekend in Los Angeles

“I wish. But my life hasn’t lent itself to that since I’m frequently on the road. But I have twenty-three acres there, so I always thought it would be nice to have some animals once things slow down.”

“You should get mini cows. They’re adorable. And maybe some chickens, oh, and a whole lot of dogs of course.”

He chuckled. “Sounds like you’d prefer to move out of the city.”

“I really would. I’m fond of the idea of starting a sanctuary where I can take in rescue animals.”

“Where is home originally?”

“Small town in Kansas, but I don’t see myself moving back. It feels like…”

“Failure,” he finished, empathy in his expression.

“Yeah. I guess it’s because my ex and I grew up there together, so it wouldn’t feel as though I was getting away from him or the memories. Or the expectations. Even my mom thinks I should fight for him—as if a second chance for a cheater should be automatic.”

He whipped his head toward me. “Are you thinking about it?”

“Not at all. But she lives on the same street as his parents, and it would be easier for her if we were back together. That kind of pressure is not what I want to hear every day. Guess you could say I crave a fresh start when I leave LA. Luckily, my job is remote, making it possible to work from anywhere.”

“You kept your day job?”

I laughed at his surprise. “Yeah, I’m a programmer.”

“Cool. What sort of things do you program?”

“I do website design for online retail stores. My company contracts with small businesses, and I work on a project-by-project basis. The hours are flexible, and I enjoy it.”

“I should have you update my website.”

“Say the word, fake date, and we’ll make it happen.”

He chuckled, and I found myself relaxing with him in the car as we navigated through traffic. Up until the point he put on the radio and began to sing along with the song. Damn. No autotune for this guy; he was the real deal, talent pouring out with every sexy note.

“Tell me about when you started singing?” I could’ve read up on him, but I’d wanted him to tell me his own story.

“I started singing in church when I was young, and the choir director encouraged my mom to get me lessons. By high school, which oddly enough is only a few miles from here, I’d started a band, and by my sophomore year of college, I’d dropped out for a record deal.”

“What’s your favorite part of it?”

“Writing songs. Even if I didn’t sing another note, I’d still need to create art.”

“Australia is the place that inspires you?”

“It does. Because once I’m there, people wave and say hello, but they don’t treat me like a celebrity when I’m out getting groceries or running errands. Something about the anonymity brings me down to earth and allows me to get into my humble, creative space.”

“I would imagine being out on tour and traveling from city to city you don’t get much of a chance to be by yourself. Probably nice to have an empty room and silence to keep you company.”

Chapter Ten

DEACON

She’d nailed exactly why I was anxious to get back to Australia. I found myself tempted to tell her she should visit. Stupid. An invitation like that would send her the ultimate mixed message. My retreat there was my escape, not something I shared with anyone else.

Checking the GPS, I grimaced at the short distance remaining and the clock running down to the start of the difficult part of the evening. “Five minutes until showtime. Ready?”

She sat up and checked her makeup in the visor mirror. “Guess so. How will you introduce me?”

Good question. “Best to be vague and simply say you’re my date.”