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“Three albums.” She watched his mouth curve up. “Wow. Were you expecting that?”
“Honestly?” He exhaled and took her into his arms again. They swayed in the silent studio, and Maddy had never experienced anything so perfect. She could almost hear the strains of his guitar still singing in the rafters. “I wasn’t expecting anything. When you don’t have expectations, you can’t be disappointed.”
She frowned but didn’t say anything. She simply danced with him, and when he stepped back slightly so he could kiss her, she did that too. She was definitely falling for Kyle, and she didn’t want to stop doing that. Summer had just begun, and she loved this ranch and she liked the job. She’d stay, and she’d just see how things went.
“How was class this afternoon?” he asked.
“Fine,” she said.
“Uh oh.” He stepped away and looked down at the tables she’d already cleaned. “I know ‘fine’ isn’t good.”
“I shouldn’t have done colored pencils,” she said. “That’s all.” She didn’t want to talk about her lessons. “What are you doing now? Want to give me a ride back to my cabin so I can change before I have to be in the ice cream shop?”
He flicked his eyes over to her. “Yeah, sure. Then I’m going to head back out to the staging barn and figure out my trip.”
She nodded and asked, “Why the staging barn? Do you work out there?”
“No,” he said. “I was cleaning it up when the call came in. I left my laptop out there.”
She reached for his hand, glad when he softened further and squeezed her fingers. “This isn’t going to be bad for us, is it?” he asked. “The record deal?”
“I don’t…know?” she guessed. “I don’t think so.”
“You look a little sad.”
She liked that he called her out on things and gave her space to speak her feelings. No one had done that for her in a long time, not even her family. As the youngest, her voice carried no power whatsoever, and Momma often spoke over her as if Maddy hadn’t said anything at all.
“I’m not sad,” she said. “I miss you already.” With that, she tipped up onto her toes and swept her lips across his. “Satisfied?”
“That you miss me?” he asked. “Yeah, that makes me feel real satisfied.” He grinned at her while she rolled her eyes. “Seriously, though. You’ll be okay while I’m gone?”
She nodded. “I’ll find a way to survive.”
* * *
Maddy’s heartgrew heavier with every hour that passed. Kyle had booked a flight to Nashville to leave early on Sunday morning. The drive to the airport took an hour, and that meant he had to leave the ranch before the sun came up.
He’d asked Maddy if he could come say good-bye, but she’d opted for a more private farewell the evening before. She knew Todd and Blake would never let Kyle go off to sign his long-awaited contract without them right there. His mother either, most likely, despite the early hour.
That was how she found herself hanging around the stage after the concert on Saturday night, watching Kyle laugh and talk to the band members who’d just performed. She stifled a yawn, the bright lights seemingly illuminating this patch of Texas so the astronauts could see it from space.
Maddy looked out into the darkness, and she couldn’t see a single thing. It felt like her current stage of life, and she wished even a small ray of light would land on the part of the path where she needed to step next.
Finally, Kyle came charging up the bleachers, and Maddy stayed right where she was as he arrived. “Hey.” He exhaled life, his smile so huge Maddy couldn’t keep hers off her face. “Did you like the show?”
“Yeah.” She slid her hand into his. “It was great.”
“Thanks for waiting.”
She leaned agianst his shoulder and they looked down the stage. “Adam’s gonna turn off the lights soon,” he said, his voice half the volume it had been a moment ago.
“Mm.” She made no move to get up. She and Kyle hadn’t made any plans for this private farewell. She simply wanted to be with him for a few minutes. She’d kiss him good-bye tonight, and she’d do her best not to let her anxiety get the better of her while he was gone.
“Did you say you got some flavored creams to go in hot chocolate?” he asked.
“I did.” She still didn’t move, and Kyle didn’t either. He let the silence settle around them, and then the lights went out with a loud clunk!
Maddy smiled as the darkness entered her eyes. She felt completely blind for a moment, and she turned toward Kyle and took a long, deep breath of him. He smelled like dirt, horses, sweat, and adventure. Maddy wanted to commit him to memory, and she vowed she wouldn’t let a day go by where she didn’t talk to him.
