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Her father liked to be in control. She had learned from her brothers very early to never let Bart have the upper hand. Only to let him think that he did. It didn’t take Bart long to find out about her interest in Dylan. When he’d asked her about him, she’d seen no reason to lie and had told him that yes, she was in love with Dylan.
Bart had surprised her when he suggested she invite Dylan to dinner so he could meet her family. Her brothers Cash, Sloan and Maverick had been there. Garth had been away in the military and Jess had been out of town on a business trip.
She should have known her father was up to no good, but for once she’d hoped he would behave like a decent human being. Over dinner, however, Bart told Dylan in no uncertain terms that Charm was too young to have a boyfriend. As her father, he was officially putting an end to any budding romance between them. He’d called it utter teenage nonsense, and further stated that his future plans were for Charm to marry well and not become involved with some two-bit guitar player who would never amount to anything.
Then to make sure she didn’t see Dylan anymore, Bart ended her piano lessons, which had brought them together. She and Dylan managed to see each other anyway. The one thing they agreed not to do was let Bart dictate anything about their “budding romance.” They were in love and were committed to staying together, no matter what. It wouldn’t be easy with Dylan attending school in New York and her in Anchorage, over four thousand miles apart, but they’d come up with a plan to keep their romance a secret and had successfully done so for two years.
“Charm?”
She glanced over at Ola. “Yes?”
“Are you still staying here a week after the wedding?”
“That’s the plan.”
Ola chuckled. “Must be nice to have a job with your family’s company where you can take off whenever you want, make your own hours and write your own job description.”
“Whatever.”
“Come on. I think they’re ready to start the games now,” Ola said.
Charm hooked her arm in Ola’s and answered, “Yes, it’s time for the fun to begin.”
Dylan Emanuel smiled as he listened to what the drummer in his band was saying. He and Graham Ives had been best friends ever since the Ives family had moved into his Memphis neighborhood when they’d been in their early teens. After discovering they both had a passion for music, they’d bonded.
Graham and the rest of the band members were enjoying their break from touring by spending the summer in Dublin, Ireland. At any other time, Dylan would have been with them, but he’d been using this time to write several songs that would be included on their next album. Lodged in a villa in Cancún for two weeks, he’d finally finished the project last night.
“We’re having a grand time, Dyl. Groupies, you gotta love them. Now that you’ve finished working, you might as well hop on a plane and join us.”
A part of Dylan wished he could, but he knew that wouldn’t be happening. “When I leave here, I’m headed for Idaho. You know the promise I made to my grandparents, and Ren has called already to make sure I’m coming.”
Renshaw Burgess was the foreman of his family’s cattle ranch in Davenport, Idaho and had been for as long as Dylan could remember. The one-hundred-and-fifty-acre ranch had been willed to him by his grandparents. Although it hadn’t been stipulated in writing, they had wanted him to make the Red Flame Ranch his primary home when he wasn’t touring.
“You’re flying out to Idaho today?” Graham asked.
“No. Since I’m booked at this resort for another week, I plan to stay and enjoy myself. Unwind, rest and relax.”
The only time he’d left the villa was to run on the beach every morning and again in the evenings. All his meals had been delivered by room service. Now, with nothing to keep him locked inside, he was ready to get out and enjoy himself with plans to keep his identity hidden as much as possible. He loved his fans but they could be intrusive when it came to his privacy.
Hearing music, Dylan wanted to investigate where it was coming from and told Graham he would talk to him later. After sliding open the glass door, he stepped out onto the balcony. He was three stories up and from the looks of things below, a wedding was taking place on the beach.
Dylan would admit the sunset and ocean backdrop made for a beautiful wedding...if you were inclined to get married. He wasn’t. His first experience with falling in love had been his last. Music was his only true love and always would be. It would never let him down. Not like a certain woman had done.
Dylan was about to turn to go back inside when he went still at the sight of one of the bridesmaids walking down an aisle of grassy turf lined with a bevy of yellow roses. Although it had been ten years since he’d seen her, he recognized her immediately.
Charm Outlaw.
He was certain it was her. Naturally she was older, but she was as beautiful now as she’d been back then. What were the odds? Just seconds ago he’d thought about the one time he’d fallen in love and the woman who’d let him down. Now she was here of all places, taking part in a wedding.
His gaze locked on the woman who’d caused him so much pain when he had been too young to know better. His father and grandfather had warned him that an Emanuel man would recognize the woman destined to share his life the moment he saw her. His parents, grandparents and great-grandparents had all been high school sweethearts. Even with all their challenges—his parents had even gone to separate colleges—their love for each other had survived because they’d been determined to make things work. Long marriages ran in his family.
Dylan had seen no reason why a long-distance romance wouldn’t work for him and Charm as well. The moment he’d seen her, she had staked a claim to his heart. He was convinced he had met the one and only girl for him. The one he would marry. Who would have his children. Share his life. Grow old with him. Love him until the day he died.
Memories of that summer in Alaska came back with vivid clarity. He’d been a couple of weeks shy of his eighteenth birthday and music had been his only love. Until he’d seen Charm. It had been love at first sight for him.
He’d been warned by some of the other music students that she was the spoiled and pampered daughter of one of the most ruthless businessmen in Alaska and if he was smart, he wouldn’t get mixed up with her. He had ignored their warnings. Now he wished he hadn’t. He doubted he was capable of loving another woman the way he had loved her.
Two years into their romance, she had ended things, saying she didn’t want a long-distance relationship any longer. He hadn’t seen it coming.
