“First of all, please call me Max.” He handed Patsy to Landon, who held her at arm’s length like she was a wriggling snake.
“Don’t you worry, Landon, she’s all bark and no bite,” Max said, clipping her leash onto her collar. “Just don’t try to take off her sweater—she hates that. And keep her on leash, at all times.”
Landon nodded, looking nervous. Patsy gave Max a look that suggested she felt betrayed to be left in the care of such a novice.
“See you soon, girl,” Max said. “Have fun with Landon.”
Neither the assistant nor the dog seemed to think this was possible, but Max couldn’t worry about that. He had to shift gears; it was time to betheMax Brody people were expecting to show up. As he climbed the few stairs to the main stage, he noticed Sadie Hunter watching him. He offered her the Brody smile, which disarmed even the grumpiest of folks, but she narrowed her eyes, her mouth set in a tight line.
“Whatever,” Max grumbled under his breath, holding her gaze. He didn’t have the time or energy for drama. He wasn’t going to let anyone, including Sadie Hunter, distract him.
2
Sadie
Nashville, Tennessee
December 1
Sadie Hunter closed the equipment locker door behind her and sank down to the dusty floor. She pulled out her phone and opened the meditation app she had recently downloaded, then popped in her earbuds. The soothing sound of a flowing river began. She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose, as the velvet-voiced narrator instructed, then out through her mouth. But when the voice gently urged her to clear her mind, she ran into trouble. As usual, her mind became a chaotic vortex of worries.What if I don’t win? Am I going to have to go back to Wisconsin again? If I stay here, what am I going to do about money? How will I pay my rent?
Sadie had quit her job waiting tables at a busy meat and three in the Gulch after earning a spot onStarmaker. Now she had a chance to vie for the five-hundred-thousand-dollarprize—including the opportunity to record an album with star producer Cruz McNeil, which for Sadie was perhaps the most alluring part—but that prize was only a long shot. She had now spent a solid seven years of her life working toward her big break—and on days like this, even though she was in the middle of taking one giant step forward, she could feel the yawning chasm behind her. If she didn’t win, she’d have to go back to playing small gigs anywhere she could find them. Touring college venues and trying to convince herself that singing the national anthem to rowdy crowds waiting for a game buzzer was going to get her somewhere.
Or she’d have to give up.
Sadie increased her phone’s volume, but it didn’t do any good. The persistent voice in her head just got louder, asking how she was ever going to be happy if she gave up on her dream. Plus, the river was now loud enough to remind her of whitewater rapids. Sadie squeezed her eyes shut against the cacophony.Clear your mind. Clear your mind.
Instead, she found her mind filling with thoughts of Max Brody. She had seen him chatting casually with Tasha Munroe earlier. Tasha was one of Sadie’s musical idols. That morning, Sadie had noticed Tasha standing nearby, listening to her practice—and now she imagined Tasha had been telling Max that Sadie was no competition for him, that he had nothing to worry about when it came to her.
What was Max Brody even doing onStarmaker? He couldn’t possibly need money or to win a recording contract. He was Nashville royalty already. He was used to getting whatever he wanted—and treating people however he wanted. When their eyes had met as he passed by the soundstage earlier she hadn’tseen a hint of recognition in his expression. But they had met, years earlier, the first time Sadie had tried to make a go of it in Nashville—before she had run out of money and been forced to temporarily move back home. Meeting Max Brody was a memory she tried to suppress, and one Max had clearly forgotten. Sadie wondered if she was the only person who knew that underneath his handsome, charming exterior, and despite the fact that he carried the most adorable dog around with him wherever he went, held doors, and minded his Southern manners, the truth was, Max was a jerk.
She slid her phone out of the pocket of her baggy sweatshirt and turned off the meditation app, then hit the FaceTime icon and held her breath. Soon, her gran’s face would appear on-screen and she’d have a few moments of being reminded that she needed to believe in herself and her lifelong dream.
But it wasn’t Gran who answered.
“Sadie! What’s wrong? You look upset!”
“Mom.”Sadie quickly wiped under her eyes, but knew she couldn’t magically erase the stress-induced dark circles there. “I’m fine. I’m just...” But she knew if she told her mom how she was feeling, Lynn would insist that the solution was simple: come home. Forget about the dream that had done nothing but cause her years of disappointment. Forget, even, about the exciting long shot that wasStarmaker. Lynn spent a lot of time worrying about her only child’s well-being and had decided long ago that the music industry was a dangerous place for Sadie. A place where a person could easily get hurt.
“Is Gran there? I wanted to say a quick hi to her, that’s all. See if she’s recovered.”
“She’s here but she’s just lying down,” Lynn said, and for amoment Sadie thought she saw a flicker of sadness cross her mother’s face. But then there was a commotion in the background and Sadie smiled as she heard her gran insisting she was perfectly fine. Seconds later, Gran’s face appeared, first sideways, then upside down.
“Hello? Can you hear me? Is this thing on?”
“Loud and clear, Gran.”
“This contraption you gave me so we could keep in touch when you moved back to Nashville actually works!”
“It’s not a contraption,” Sadie said, still smiling. “It’s a smartphone.”
“Well, itisthat. Smart as a cookie.” Gran squinted into the screen. “Where on earth are you right now, Sadie Jane? A closet?”
“We-elll—”
“Sadie JaneHunter!Please tell me you aren’t having one of your episodes. What happened with the meditating? It works for Lady Gaga.”
“Doesn’t work for me,” Sadie muttered.
