Page 39 of Among the Stars

Chapter Ten

Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 blared into the silence, jerking Veronica upright in bed.

“What the. . .” muttered the man beside her.

“It’s my phone,” she mumbled. Fumbling for the cell, she held it close to her face with one eye open to see Ash’s name on the screen. “This is supposed to be my day off.” Veronica swiped to reject the call and dropped back to the pillow. “Go away.”

Cam dropped a kiss along the top of her breast. “Was that Beethoven?”

Veronica smiled but kept her eyes closed. “It was.”

“Nice choice.”

The song blared again, and the same name appeared on the screen. “This better be an emergency.” She swiped the other way. “What?”

“I can’t do it,” Ash said, clearly in a panic.

“It’s cold feet,” Veronica replied. “Happens all the time. You’ll be fine.”

“I don’t mean that. I can’t write this song.”

He’d called her over a damn song? “What are you talking about?”

Cam tugged the sheet down and flicked her nipple with his tongue. “Hang up.”

The gasp crossed her lips before she could stop it, and Ash said, “Are you okay? Did you stub your toe or something?”

“Or something,” she mumbled. Cam’s thigh covered hers, and he pressed his knee between her legs. “Can I call you back?”

“Ronnie, this is an emergency. I’m trying to write a song for Jesse, and I can’t make it work. I need your help.”

For fuck’s sake. “You’ve written a million songs. Pick one of those.” Cam kissed the spot behind her ear, and Veronica nearly dropped the phone.

“This is a song for my wedding. I can’t flip through the archives and pick just anything.”

Referencing the wedding as if it was his only wedding annoyed her. Pressing a finger against Cam’s lips, she mouthed, “One minute.” His face turned to stone. As he spun away, Veronica grabbed his hand. Cam looked back, and she whispered, “I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

He surrendered with a nod, but as he settled back on his pillow, another cell phone went off, this time with an actual ring. Cam rolled his eyes and left the bed to find his phone, which he located in his pants pocket. Watching him stand at the foot of her bed, stark naked and looking like a masterpiece carved by Michelangelo himself, stole her breath away.

“Ronnie, are you listening to me?”

“I’m here,” she said, only half listening. Cam answered his call, and she was curious who was on the other end.

“Can you come over here?” Ash asked.

“Today?” Veronica had earned this day off, and she’d much rather spend it exploring the gorgeous man pacing around her bedroom than her needy ex-husband.

“Yes, today. The wedding is two days away.” As if she needed to be reminded of that.

“We can’t wait until Tuesday,” Cam snapped to his caller. “We need that cheese on Monday night.”

Uh-oh. Monday was the wedding. With a Mexican buffet. Veronica knew things had been going too smoothly.

“Have you called anyone else?” she said to Ash. You couldn’t swing a hula hoop in this town without hitting a songwriter, and Ash knew all the best ones. Surely someone else could help him.

“This is too important. I can come over there if that helps.”

“No,” she said. “Don’t come over here. I’ll come there.”

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