Page 25 of Chasin’s Surrender

And Bobby was in her seat three rows back, singing her ass off, swaying to the music. I knew this not because I could see her in the video, but because I’d left her in that seat when I’d gone backstage before my performance. I knew she was singing because she always did. She was living my dream with me—by my side—always.

That night, I won my first country music award and Bobby’d been there, cheering me on. She’d also been there the next two times I’d been back to the CMAs and had cheered me on when I’d won those nights, too.

Chasin dropped his chin to his chest and jerked his head back and forth before he muttered, “Christ, beautiful.”

My body jolted and I inhaled so deeply I wasn’t sure I’d left any oxygen in the room. He didn’t know I was there, didn’t know I was watching him watching a video of me singing.

His reaction was honest.

I’d sung for millions of people, heard my name chanted, had my fans sing along to lyrics I’d written—words I bleed for, but never had my chest burned so hot.

Chasin pulled the earbuds out of his ears, tossed them on the table, and closed his laptop.

“That was my first time at the CMAs,” I whispered and he turned to look at me.

I wished I’d had the forethought to sit down before I’d opened my mouth—the way he was looking at me made my legs turn to jelly. Soft and gentle, tinged with something else I couldn’t put my finger on, but I liked it.

Which was a bad, bad thing. I needed to stay safely behind my shield where his velvet stare couldn’t touch me. Chasin had burned me once, and I’d learned a long time ago to believe someone when they showed you who they really were.

“Yeah?” he asked, but it was more than a question, it was a prompt to continue. And stupid, stupid me kept talking.

“Yeah. I was scared to death to take the stage in a room full of my idols. I almost threw up I was so nervous. Bobby had to talk me off the ledge when I was ready to bolt. I got backstage and Sean Lovette, that’s who I was singing with, was waiting for me with his wife. They made me feel like we were old friends. He must’ve seen how nervous I was during rehearsal and thought he’d better have his wife there to help him calm me down so I didn’t screw up his song.”

“Babe, the last thing you looked like was nervous. Obviously, I had no idea who you were when we met. Had no idea there was the voice of a sexy angel behind those lips. Holy hell, woman, you can sing.”

I’d long since stopped blushing when people praised my voice, but Chasin paying me such a nice compliment had my cheeks warming.

“Thanks.”

“Were you offended when I didn’t know who you were?”

“Hell no.” I laughed. “It was a nice change. Though, I admit, at first I thought maybe you were faking.”

“Faking? Babe, that is one thing that I absolutely didn’t do with you.”

That warmth on my cheeks blazed.

No, neither of us had to fake anything that night, at least not while we were in bed.

“Right,” I mumbled, and pinched my lips to stop from smiling.

I was supposed to be keeping my distance.

“You hungry?” he asked.

“Actually, that’s why I came down here. I didn’t realize how long I was playing.”

“I wanted to go up and get you but Bobby told me to let you be. She said that when you’re in the groove, you don’t like to be bothered.”

Bobby would know. She’d been my friend long before I got my first recording deal. And even back then, when I was writing or playing I didn’t like to be interrupted. That was my time, it was private, I could let my guard down and be me with no one watching.

“She’s right.”

“Sit. I’ll heat you up a plate.”

I looked around the clean kitchen and wondered if Bobby had cooked.

“Where’s Bobby?”