“If you do, I can’t promise you’ll wake up to a song you actually want to sing.” Max glanced over at her, glad to see her smile at the joke, even if it was short lived. “Maybe we should skip dinner, huh?”
“No way. I may be exhausted, but I can always eat.”
They were seated on a bench inside the vast Opryland Hotel atrium, Sadie nursing a hot peppermint tea and Max a hot chocolate. The memories had hit Max when they’d first walked through the front doors of the hotel a couple hours ago. The Opryland Hotel at Christmas was something else—a must-see for visitors to Nashville during the holidays—and it had been an annual tradition for the Brody family. He had especially enjoyed seeing it from Sadie’s perspective, as someone who had never experienced the hotel’s over-the-top holiday extravaganza.
It was like Christmas had exploded inside the massive atrium: there were floor-to-ceiling twinkle lights, including hanging panels that gave the impression of a Christmas lights rainstorm; festive greenery and brilliant red poinsettias had been placed throughout the space, in between palm trees and emerald green palm fans that made it feel like you were in the tropics during the holidays; oversized Christmas ornaments made of tiny white lights hung from the ceilings, and garlands of evergreen with red bows were woven around light posts andrailings. It was beautiful, if not slightly overwhelming for the senses, as the place was also overflowing with Nashville residents and tourists alike. If there was somewhere to “be seen,” this was it.
They had already strolled the space, enjoying the lights and the decorations, stopping at the impressive Christmas tree for a few photos and to sign autographs for fans. Then Sadie convinced Max to take the riverboat “cruise,” which traveled the indoor river that snaked through the hotel’s atrium. It was packed, and they sat shoulder to shoulder. The boat was filled with a group of seniors on a tour, so miraculously no one recognized them. At one point Sadie yawned discreetly, then rested her head on Max’s shoulder. It was the best fifteen minutes of the day, as far as Max was concerned.
But he could see Sadie was fading. Her voice was a touch better, thanks to the copious amounts of warm tea and the throat-rescue lozenges she’d been popping all day, but he could tell she needed to rest.
“How about dinner in bed?” Max asked, once they got off the boat. Sadie raised her eyebrows.
He laughed. “That came out wrong. Let me try that again—why don’t we get a room instead of going out for dinner?”
“I’m not sure that’s better, Max,” Sadie replied, giving him an amused look.
“Third time’s a charm. I’m going to get us a room here for the night. We can order room service, and you can sleep, and I can keep an eye on you. In case you spike a fever, or need a peppermint tea at three a.m.”
“I guess thatisthe ultimate ‘be seen’ move, right? Stayinghere overnight? Bobbi and Amalia would probably approve.” Sadie paused. “Okay, let’s get a room.”
Max held out his hand, which she took. But as they walked toward the front desk, she turned to face him. “Don’t you think they’re sold out?” she said, looking around the packed atrium. “This close to Christmas?”
Max chuckled. “Have you met me? I have the last name Brody and this is Nashville. There isn’t a thing I can’t make happen in this town.”
“Too bad you’re so insecure,” Sadie said sarcastically. “Maybe you should work on that?”
Max, happy with the easy peace between them at the moment, tugged on her hand again to follow him to the front desk. “I’ll try,” he replied. “But only because you asked so nicely.”
—
Ten minutes later, Max and Sadie walked into the hotel room. It was an enormous suite, with a dining room table and six chairs, a living room area with a couch and two stuffed armchairs, a full bar, and a separate bedroom.
“Wow,” Sadie said, looking around. “This is bigger than my apartment.”
Max had grabbed some cold medication from the hotel’s sundries shop (they didn’t have nondrowsy, but Sadie said she was fine with something to help her sleep tonight), and after Sadie took a dose they ordered room service—a fried chicken sandwich for him, hot chicken noodle soup for her, and pints of ice cream for dessert. Soon after, Sadie started yawning.
“Let’s call it a night.” Max tugged back the duvet, and fluffed up the pillows on the king-size bed.
“I don’t have a toothbrush,” Sadie said. “Or anything to wear.” Max wanted to quip that not long ago that wasn’t a problem—in fact, not having clothes on had been abonus—but he simply opened the closet.
“Here, you can wear this.” He handed her a monogrammed robe. “And I bet there’s a toiletries kit in the bathroom.”
“Thanks,” Sadie said, her fingers brushing his as she took the robe from him. A shot of electricity moved through Max, and he cleared his throat and took a step back.
“Why don’t you get ready first?” Max said. Things felt different between them here—far more complicated than they’d been in his little cabin in the mountains.
Sadie agreed, shutting the bathroom door behind her. Max tried not to think about the fact that she was changing out of her clothes and into the robe...
He pulled out his phone to distract him.You need to focus on the music. On the song. That’s it.
He texted Bobbi to update her, and she let him know the day had been a success. There was tons of chatter in the media about Max and Sadie’s Nashville staycation. He checked Instagram—finding screen after screen of tags—and scrolled the photos (he and Sadie snuggling on the boat cruise, him laughing at something she’d said; the two of them in front of the Christmas tree, his arm around her shoulders and grins on both their faces). They certainly looked like a couple who couldn’t stand to be apart. A couple in love.
The bathroom door opened and Sadie stepped out in a robe far too big for her. She laughed as she held out her arms, the fabric hanging far beyond the tips of her fingers.
Max helped her roll up the arms of the robe. Then he foldedthe bedding down and patted the mattress. Sadie obliged, sliding under the Egyptian cotton sheets and letting Max tuck the duvet up around her shoulders.
“You can be such a gentleman.” Her voice was weak and she looked exhausted, but she gave him a smile that reached her eyes. It made him feel damn good.
