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He ran his fingers through her long blonde hair, loving the way it curled around the digits. “I needed to ask them about your band.”
Rose popped her head up again, nearly knocking into his chin. “What?”
He snorted at her. “You didn’t actually think I’d let you stay jobless for long, did you?” She blinked owlishly at him. It made him laugh. “It’s up to you, though, if you want to take it.”
“T … Take what?”
He could sense the hope in her voice, laced with fear that she was reading into whatever it was that he was trying to tell her. He hated that Slick had soured something that would normally be such an exciting thing for a fresh artist and twisted it into something that was scary.
“Signing you on with my label.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You … are you serious?”
“Deadly.”
Her fingers dug into his shoulders when she twisted her spine and gripped his arms. “You want to sign us? Why? You’ve never heard us live before.”
He nodded to his computer screen. “Actually, I looked up your videos when I had my secretary look into you.” She gave him a confused look. “Slick sent some people after me to shake me down and tell me to leave a certain Tish Black alone. Not knowing who that was, I did some digging. And to my surprise, guess what I found.”
She pursed her lips at him. “Me?”
He kissed those pouty lips. “Bingo.”
She laughed into their kiss. “I wanted to tell you. I really did.”
“I know. I’m not mad. You are very talented, Rose. I mean that.”
She pulled away to cup his face in her hands. “You really mean that?”
“I really, really do.” She smiled. “But,” he grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands away from his face. “You have a choice to make.”
She blinked at him. “Okay? About?”
“What you want to do. You can take my deal and sign with me ... you and your band, that is. Or you can go back to teaching.”
Her shoulders sagged. “I don’t think my principal will let me. He made it pretty clear I wasn’t acceptable being on stage the way I was and teaching kids.”
“You can find another job in another district.”
She sighed. “Yeah … that’s true.”
“But,” he squeezed her wrists, “is it what you really want to do?” Rose pressed her lips together. “You can do either one. Teaching or focusing on your band. Choose which one your heart wants. Not what’s practical.”
She was quiet for a moment. “What if we’re not successful? What if my band doesn’t have what it takes to make it?”
“That’s up to you to take that risk. I can provide you with all the support in the world, but I need you towantit. Your passion is what shines through when you’re up there. Not the fear of failing.”
She sighed. “You’re right.”
“So?” Dylan smiled at her. “Which one do you choose, Rose? Tell me, and I’ll make it happen.”
TWENTY-FOUR
ROSE
She could feel her fear creeping into her mind. All of the scenarios that ran through her head each time she put herself out there, each time she stepped onto the stage before the lights dropped and the first note from her base player kicked in.
Rose let out a steady breath. “What if I choose wrong?”
