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“I’ll be back by dinner I guess.” He filled a travel mug with coffee.
“Ok. I’m going over the new cuts for the album today.”
“That’s today? Shit.”
“It’s fine. I’ve got it.”
I had moved my headquarters to Austin. Nashville wasn’t the right fit for me anymore. Once the Mandy Brown story had broken, I had never fit in the way I had before. America’s sweetheart had crashed and burned in front of everyone.
But I still had fans, and I could still make music. Austin seemed more accepting of what I wanted to say. I moved and never looked back.
When I found out I was pregnant I had just thrown up Thanksgiving dinner. Luke and I looked at each and we knew immediately it had nothing to do with turkey and everything to do with our future.
That day I had told him the truth. The day he promised to give me a baby—was the day it had happened. I think he was upset we didn’t get to practice more, but I loved the pregnancy sex. Even when I had morning sickness it was the one thing that made me forget how terrible I felt.
But I was past all of that now. I felt healthy and strong. I had music I loved. A husband I loved even more and a baby that was going to be spoiled to death.
“I don’t want you to overdo it.” Luke looked worried.
“I’m going to listen to music. Can’t possibly overdo it.” It was cute that he wanted to watch over me. “Helena will be there too so you can text or call her.”
“Good. I’m glad she finally moved down here so I’m not the only one keeping you in line.” He pinched my ass playfully.
“She does not keep me in line,” I explained.
He leaned down and kissed my belly. “Be good while I’m gone.”
I looked up at him. “You know you’re adorable.”
“I’m not adorable. Save those words for the baby. I am a football player. The Warrior QB.” He scrunched up his face.
“Right,” I teased. “Ok fine. Have fun with the camp kids. Tell Charlie and Linc hello.”
He groaned. “Don’t get me started on them.”
“I think they’re cute together. It was like they were meant for each other or something.”
I was a fan of my brother-in-law and manager seeing each other. My husband hadn’t warmed up to the idea.
He eyed me. I took the warning.
Eventually he would see how they complimented each other. That Charlie had a way of being a softer version of herself when we weren’t at work. Sometimes she and Linc would come over for dinner. I would catch him doing the little things I loved that Luke did. Kissing her neck. Refilling her drinks. Making sure she had a blanket if we were out by the campfire. Linc was always more openly warm and loving than his younger brother, but I knew I had cracked every wall Luke Canton put up.
I had torn them down with a sledgehammer. And we built new walls together. The ones that sealed us inside a world with just the two of us and our baby. I knew when he asked me to marry him the road was going to be harder before it got easier.
Charlie had to work some kind of witchcraft to convince the Warriors to let the fallout from my scandal blow over. But she did it.
The biggest turning point came when she convinced me to do an exclusive one-time interview with Sports Now. A country star had never done anything like that before. Sports fans loved music, sure, but they weren’t my audience.
But her idea was brilliant. The Warrior fans rallied around me when they realized how quickly I had been slaughtered in the Nashville press. It made Luke instantly likeable that he stood by me. Even more that he asked me to marry him.
“Can we have them over for dinner?” I suggested. “And Helena and James?”
“Are we running some kind of match-making business on the side?” he groaned.
I looked at him from the corner of my eye. “It’s family. And friends. And if they all end up hooking up there is nothing we can do about it.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“Fuck,” he growled. “James is going to think
