Page 11 of Princess and Country

I cleared my throat, chasing my doubts away. “You know Maurice, the European guy working with Daddy?” Carter nodded. My eyes landed on Jeff again. He stole all the air from my lungs. I shut my eyes for a second—or two—trying to regain my composure. “Well, he opened a restaurant on Main Street and asked if we’d consider playing there every Saturday night. There’s a stage in the back.” Carter looked at me with wide eyes and a slackening jaw. “What do you think? The pay isn’t bad either. If it works out, he might open a second restaurant within a year in Nashville, and he’d sometimes send us there to play.” Carter stayed silent. All the hair rose on my arms. I thought this was huge. Why wasn’t Carter saying anything? “Cart?”

He snapped out of his daze and rushed toward me, lifting me from the floor. My best friend spun me around. “Did I ever tell you how much I love you?” A thick silence fell over the room. After Carter put me back on my feet, my eyes searched Jeff’s. He stood there, back firmed, chin high, his left hand rubbing the nape of his neck.

How I wished, right now, it was him spinning me around, his lips uttering those words?

My feelings were a jumbled mess.

I swallowed the boulder-sized lump forming in my throat, pushing the chaos building inside me as deep as I could.

Jeff unfroze and neared his brother. They fist-bumped. “Hey, that’s great news, man. I guess that’s going to be our new hangout spot on Saturday nights from now on. I hope it’s not a five-star joint.” Jeff winked, and we all erupted into a fit of giggles. Some of the tension in the room evaporated.

“We need to meet him on Wednesday night. My daddy will drive us.” Carter’s smile reached his ears.

Sparks erupted inside my chest.

“We should get ready. Let’s rehearse our new song again tonight. There’re some adjustments I want to make,” he said.

Carter pushed me forward, his hand between my shoulder blades.

I stopped in the doorway and turned around. Jeff stood there, his eyes following us—following me—as if he had no idea what to do next.

“Thanks for spending time with me,” I said. “And thanks for helping me with the playlist. I’ll send it to you when it’s done, so you can tell me what you think of it.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and bowed his head.

My heart vibrated in my chest.

My eyes lingered on his throat, trying to catch sight of his pulse, wondering if it matched mine?

I waved at Jeff, and his lips curled up in the most amazing smile. One I’d never seen him give anybody else. Not even his ex-girlfriend.

Shivers ran along my spine.

How would I ever resist Jeffrey Hills?