Page 5

I felt Kamon before I heard him. The little bugger was so stealthy it was eerie sometimes.

“You okay?” he asked as he materialized and placed a mug of coffee on the railing I was leaning over. “Not thinking about jumping, are you?”

I sigh-chuckled. “Thanks.” He waited for a couple of sips, and eventually I felt like speaking again. “I’m the same. No need to alert Ville.”

He grinned as he went to sit on one of the comfy as hell, round, wicker papasan chairs. They were like nests, and I vaguely remembered them being a thing when I was a kid. Either these were super old or a trend that had come back. I didn’t actually care, but I had to admit I had fallen asleep in one several times now.

Kamon rubbed his shoulder. “I think it’s gonna rain.”

“Is that the old gunshot wound or the clouds speaking?” I snarked.

He grinned again but said nothing.

I took my coffee and walked with it to the other end of the long balcony. Then I walked back.

There was absolutely no music in my head. I felt… surprisingly okay with that.

Kamon was holding his mug, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the peace and quiet. He’d been working for my best friend and head of my personal security, Ville, for years now.

Ville had told me in no uncertain terms that the only way I got to stay here at the cabin was if I always had one of his team here. So, the three core guys, Kamon, James, and Rico, took turns with Abigail, who was here the most.

She was like a sister to me at this point, not that I didn’t have enough siblings at BCR. I’d forced her to go on a real vacation instead of a guarding-the-moping-musician one. That was why Kamon was here. They all got to choose how long they spent with me while I played hermit. Ville had made it clear that unless he got a job that needed one of their specialties, they could do that.

Ville was living on the ranch with Emery now, but he was finally working on his “retirement plan.” Not a real retirement, of course, but retirement from being my close protection bestie. He’d continue being one of my best friends—notably the one I wasn’t hopelessly in love with—and he’d still oversee everything about my security, but he could concentrate on building his business.

Aalto Security was up and running from the office in Colorado Springs. He’d been torn between Denver and the Springs but had found a better building in the latter and then I’d bought it for him for a retirement present.

He hadn’t even objected much, he’d just used his patented Finnish glare and said thank you. Now they had a nice office space downstairs and a studio apartment and a three-bedroom one upstairs of the old industrial building.

If there were early morning meetings, he sometimes stayed in the studio, especially if the previous workday had run long. Mostly, though, he worked from the ranch and his staff handled things at the office.

My best friend was flourishing and in love with his man, and frankly I couldn’t have been happier for them.

Now, my other best friend…. I sighed. My coffee was somehow finished, and I was at the far end of the balcony again. Kamon’s mug was on the table between the papasan chairs and his eyes were closed. I was pretty sure he wasn’t asleep, though. He took his job seriously even here.

I grabbed his mug and went inside to take them into the kitchen. Once there, I got a bottle of water from the fridge and wandered to the main bedroom. I wasn’t sure why I went there, but as soon as I saw the comfortable bed, I climbed in and let out a happier sigh as I sank into the bedding.

I thought maybe I was depressed. At least I lacked energy and interest in ways I hadn’t in a very long time. I’d finally gotten what I wanted. I was out of the music business rat race to the degree someone like me could ever be, and yet I felt low.

Abigail had told me it was potentially all the stress releasing and my body having no clue about what to do with that sort of relief. She might’ve been right. Maybe I should’ve gotten a therapist, but I hadn’t had a regular one in years and finding a new one seemed like a chore I didn’t have energy for.

I must’ve fallen asleep, because I woke up to Kamon shaking my leg. He was smart to stay out of arm’s reach, because I sometimes swung before I became conscious again.

“W-huh?” I squinted at him, disoriented as fuck.

“Boss wants a proof of life call from you.”

Groaning, I rolled over and held my hand out. He placed my phone in it, snickering as he left the room again. Goddamn bullies.

I continued squinting until I had swiped to call Ville, then closed my eyes again.

He answered after barely one ring. “So, you are alive.”

“What do you want?”

“To know that my best friend is alive. I didn’t know that was a crime?”

Okay, now I felt bad even though I knew he was mostly teasing me.