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Chapter One
Emily’s stomach wouldn’t stop bracing for the worst. She felt like she was inching to the top of a rollercoaster seconds before plummeting to her death. Clinging to her guitar, she entered Lacy Lynch’s party with her entourage of security and music managers.
She shouldn’t be here.
Emily was just an imposter. She dressed the part of a country star—talked, walked, breathed the part, but it was all pretend. She’d read what the online chats had said about her:
Boring, no substance.
How did she manage to have such an interesting brother when she clearly hasn’t lived?
Girl hasn’t had a meaningful relationship, how can she sing about it. She hasn’t experienced anything.
Such a goody two-shoes.
She sighed. Her brother, River, was the real performer. She’d watched from the sidelines as he blew away crowded fields packed with thousands of captivated spectators. That was the safe place for her to be—hiding behind the curtain.
Her brother was the one who’d convinced her to take her big shot. After listening to her play another of her songs on the porch a few months back, River had taken her aside. “Other people shouldn’t be performing your songs, you should! Why hide your talent under a bushel? Go out and honor Mom and Dad’s memory with your talent—they always stood behind us. Your voice is so beautiful!”
Was that really true or was River being a proud big brother? She suspected the latter. Sweet River! He was so humble about his talents that he didn’t realize that what he had was special. He could light up a crowd with one grin and send rumbles of laughter through the masses with a joke. That same group’s eyes brightened with tears in his more serious moments. He didn’t try to be a star… he just was.
And she was… #LittleMissHarvestRanch. That’s what had been trending on Flatter a few days ago, and after that every little insult about her imaginable.
Emily groaned. Why did this have to be so hard? She loved music. Creating different sounds and releasing the stories trapped in her heart was the most fulfilling part. The lyrics and melodies flowed through her fingers onto the paper like magic. Her songs sold to other country singers like hotcakes, but performing?
She let out a shiver. Standing in front of strangers and putting herself out there scared her to death. And now facing her worst fears after reading all that criticism online? She should’ve left well enough alone—social mediaandthe big city. She liked the quiet life, and most of all, she missed Harvest Ranch. The people there were so friendly and dependable. Not so much here.
She’d lived in Nashville before when River was trying to make a name for himself. No matter how much this city touted its country values, it was no Harvest Ranch. She’d been in this haven for country singers for a month and already the blur of public events and parties hadn’t brought her one true friend. And so far, she’d avoided performing live… until now. Her music manager had decided that it would be best if she started out small.
Lacy Lynch’s party was by no means small.
Mia Hart marched on ahead in a shimmering black pantsuit. Emily’s music manager had red hair that flowed past the most questionable choices of her outfit like Lady Godiva. Mia was possibly only about ten years older than Emily, but she’d taken the initiative to prematurely stop the threat of old age with generous amounts of Botox injections and hyaluronic acid fillers. Unfortunately, the invasive procedures only served to make her look harsh, like her pale skin had been cut from marble. Her beauty maintenance, along with her heavy makeup, made her appear two decades older.
The mass of well-dressed guests in the opulent mansion grew into quite the bustling crowd by the second. The women’s evening gowns sparkled as brightly as their expensive jewelry. Emily had honestly thought she’d be overdressed with her lacy white top fitted over a silky dress and turquoise cowgirl boots, but now she wondered if she’d feel more at home at Mo’s country dancing.
Honestly, she’d feel more at homeanywhere else.How did she expect to perform in front of this elegant group? Mia had arranged a few low pressure performances this week to prep her for her much bigger debut concert at Harvest Ranch in a few weeks. Emily ran her set list through her mind, mentally calculating which songs would connect with this group. She came up with a blank.
This was going to be a disaster.
Emily’s heart sank as Mia wound around the bag check and loudly greeted the most famous guests like old friends. These were the ones that Mia had breathlessly confided that they must impress to be anything in Nashville.
Mia stole Emily’s guitar and pushed it into one of their attendant’s waiting arms, dragging Emily from the security team to meet a tall man in a striped gray suit. His bored look on a tanned, handsome face didn’t break, even as his eyes raked over Emily in slow scrutiny.
“Lynch! This is my new protégé,” Mia happily announced.
Wait?Thiswas Lacy Lynch? Their host looked more like a sleek actor playing the heartthrob in a teen vampire series than the hard-nosed head at WhiteBoulder Private Equities.
Mia fawned all over him, while she tugged Emily closer. “River Mackenzie’s little sister, can you believe it? She’s quite grown-up now!”
A leering grin cracked through the man’s chiseled exterior; possibly the grimace was meant to be debonair. “River’s sister?” He smoothly took her hand. “Are you sure? She’s too pretty to be related to that ugly mug. Too bad he settled down. I miss our party days.”
Emily frowned, wondering if Lynch had been one of the offenders who’d gotten her brother into drugs before he’d cleaned up. Her brother had warned her of the darker side of Nashville. They preyed on newcomers trying to find their footing. “Of course, I trust you,”River had been quick to tell her when they’d parted ways the last time. He’d hugged her before she’d left on the plane. He whispered sweet reassurances into her hair. “You’ve got this. You’re too smart to fall for anything that I did.”
Emily wasn’t so sure how smart or strong she was anymore. Sure, she’d learned from her brother’s mistakes, but she had her own weaknesses. Anger against anyone who hurt her brother was her greatest downfall. She took a deep breath, trying to keep any trace of bitterness from her expression while she faced Lynch. “River loves the married life,” she told Lynch with a smile that she was far from feeling. “Liv is the sweetest. They’re expecting a baby in a month.”
The man’s face turned even more bored if that was possible.
Her blood boiled with resentment. She felt the pain of what had happened to River deeply imbedded into her soul. Their parents had died only a few years earlier in a car wreck and they’d only had each other back then, so when River got swallowed by the Nashville party scene, she’d felt lost. The brother she’d loved and respected had been replaced by a stranger because of the drugs and alcohol. If it hadn’t been for her roommate and friend from school during that horrible time, Emily would’ve completely fallen apart.
