Page 18 of First Moon

“Are you tired?” I really didn’t want to say goodnight yet.

“No.”

“Me either.”

Outside, a cricket started up somewhere in the dark. The pool lights rippled against the guest room windows. I knew the correct thing to do was say goodnight. Close the door, crawl into bed, and spend the next six hours staring at the ceiling, replaying the way his mouth had felt against mine.

Instead I said, “We could put a record on. Talk some more.”

His eyes flicked to mine. “We could.”

“Not too long.”

“Of course not.”

We went down to the music room. He pushed a button on a remote and music came through the speakers. I sat on one end of the sofa and tucked my feet under me. He took the chair across from me. Again, the perfect gentleman.

Then we started talking and didn’t stop for two hours. He told me more about his time on the singing show. How he met Madeleine and all the ways she changed the trajectory of his life. “And the boys too, even though Knox will never admit that Madeleine was the missing piece.”

I told him more about my three overprotective brothers. “Waylon’s an athletic director at a high school. Coaches football too. He’s the opposite of me. Steady and calm. Always knows where his keys are. I absolutely adore him and so does everyone else who ever meets him. Caleb owns a construction company—builds custom homes. He’s wildly talented and well-respected. He got that from my dad. You’re not a small town plumber for long if you don’t deliver what you say you will. Beau’s the youngest. He’s a firefighter and paramedic. I’m so stinking proud of him, but I worry too. Mama’s a wreck most of the time but she learned a long time ago that my brothers will do what they’re going to do.”

“Are any of them married?” Jack asked.

“No, they all say they’ll never marry. Mama pretends like it’s not true, and we all let her. I don’t see them changing anytime soon. They’ll never settle down.”

“They might if they meet the right girl,” Jack said, holding my gaze a moment too long.

I flushed as a thousand butterflies let loose in my stomach.

We went on to talk about our early days in Nashville. Open mic nights. Songwriting sessions. “I met Hunter Sloan at an open mic. He spilled beer on me, cementing our friendship for all time.”

“You’ve written some good songs together,” Jack said. “Including the one we recorded today.”

“I spent some time in California with him a few months back,” I said. “That one came easy.”

“I’m glad you chose me to sing it with you.”

“Hunter and I wrote it with you in mind. Madeleine told us too. I think anyway. It was one of those build it and they will come kinds of things. She really wanted to get us together.”

“I’m starting to think she’s a genius.”

“I’ve known that for a long time,” I said. “Anyway, so I did a little research. Found an article about you that gave me some hints.”

“Is that where you got rain on a tin roof?” Jack asked.

“You mentioned that in an interview.”

“It’s a beautiful song,” Jack said. “I’m honored to sing it with you.”

“That was something else, wasn’t it? The one take? That’s never happened to me before.”

“Can’t say it has me either.”

“Maybe it means something. Fate—brought us together when we were ready to meet.”

“Sure seems that way,” Jack said.

At midnight, after a kiss, he said, “We should get some shut-eye.”