Page 51 of Promised Love

Autumn’s gaze flies to mine, and after I give her a subtle nod, she replies to Maya, “I’ll try. What other ideas do you have?”

Maya grabs her phone from the table. “Andy’s nephew is going to be the ring bearer, and his brothers will be the best men.”

“I still can’t believe all the Bruno Bros will be here!” Autumn beams. “I know our staff at the inn is going to go crazy when they hear about it.”

Maya’s feminine laugh is gentle as she grabs Autumn’s hand. “What if I tell you there’s another surprise?” The drop in Maya’s voice and the twinkle in her eyes has me chuckling. For a celebrity, she’s really cool and down to earth. “Do you know Dreamcatcher?”

Autumn gasps, and even though my knowledge of bands is limited, Dreamcatcher sounds familiar.

“She’s Andy’s sister and my maid of honor,” Maya says in a hushed tone.

“But no one has ever seen her. There are even rumors that her voice is artificially generated through a computer.”

Andy snorts at Autumn’s breathless words. “That’s nonsense. Minnie is as real as you and me. She’s one of the best singers I’ve ever met.”

This new information suddenly piques my interest. “So, no one knows about her and your connection? How is it possible? From my research on you guys, your father was a popular singer in his time.”

The crackle of fire is louder as a sudden, strange silence surrounds us. Andy’s jaw tenses and he grits his teeth. “Minnie’s mother was a fan of my father. We didn’t even know about her existence until Dad died and she was mentioned in his will. My mom hired a PI in secret to find Minnie.” He grabs a fistful of his hair and tugs on it. “She was…alone, and my mom brought her to our home.” He pauses, pouring us all a second round before continuing. “We soon realized she had a soulful voice that was meant to be heard. But Minnie…”

Maya places her hand over his, and they share a look. Their intimacy and display of affection once again stirs some foreign, painful string in my heart. But when Andy clears his throat, my attention is back on him.

“She’s…shy, not comfortable with crowds and fame. So my mom suggested she use a stage name. All her albums are recorded by my brother Ty at our home studio. My mom’s PA coordinates with the record labels and has signed an NDA. There’s no link between Dreamcatcher and the Brunos…in public.”

“You have gone to great lengths to hide her identity. Is it just because she’s shy, or are the Brunos worried how her association with you will be seen by the public?”

“We don’t give a damn about the paparazzi. Minnie prefers to live a more quiet and protected life, and we respect that.” Andy downs the champagne in one gulp. “Even talking to you right now feels like it’s an intrusion of her privacy. And the only reason I’m sharing this is because you don’t hide anything from doctors, lawyers, and security.”

I nod. Not only because I agree to his last statement but I also understand living a double life. I know, people can have different reasons to hide.

“Don’t worry, Andy,” I assure him. “She’ll be Minnie at your wedding, and since no one knows her by any other name, it shouldn’t be a problem for us to keep her identity under wraps.”

Andy nods in response. His tense shoulders have relaxed a little.

“Dreamcatcher?” I can’t help asking. “That’s a very…strange name.”

“Only until you hear her sing.” Maya smiles and hits a button on her phone.

The soulful voice of a singer fills the space.

Forget your nightmares,

Let me be your dreamcatcher…

* * *

Maddy’s staff arranges our dinner, grilled turkey and veggies, on the patio table. There’s music in the background, though now we have moved from Dreamcatcher to the Bruno Bros.

This whole evening is so…different. Maybe because of the girl sitting next to me. Every time she shifts, her skirt touches my leg. When she moves her hands animatedly, discussing something she’s planned for the wedding, her two bracelets jingle, making a small sound barely audible over the music. I swear I’ve never observed such things before in any woman, but with Autumn, I notice everything.

Even the way her chest rises and falls when she breathes.

They’re discussing the music for the ring bearer when Maya asks, “Is that your wedding ring?” Her eyes focus on the ring on Autumn’s hand before it skids to mine. “It’s a pair. Isn’t it?”

Autumn looks up at me, and I wonder if she remembers that moment, when next to my Harley, just at her inn’s entrance, I’d slid that ring on her finger.

“Um…yeah. It was Lukas’ mom’s,” Autumn says. “She liked antique stuff.”

“Can I see it?” Maya places a hand forward, and my heartbeat accelerates.

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