Page 89 of Hope & Harmony

His posters graced the walls of my bedroom, and no one had cried harder than me when we’d heard about the bus crash. It had been so sad. Now I felt a little guilty for talking about it at all.

“Were you surprised to see Harley and Tommy get back together?” Ross asked, surprising me with his bluntness.

“No,” I replied honestly. “They’ve always been in love. They’re just finally figuring out how to make it work. Love is complicated, especially for them. Personally, I don’t think rock and roll is conducive to true love, but what do I know?”

His eyes were suddenly shrouded. “I can tell you with absolute certainty you’re wrong about that, Wynter.”

CHAPTER 3

ROSS

I’d always been a sucker for hazel eyes, and Wynter’s were mesmerizing. They were a soft brown, more of a caramel color than brown, and had little flecks of gold in them. When she fixed them on me, I couldn’t help but stare.

There was something raw and honest about her, something I really liked.

How long had it been since I’d been attracted to a woman this way? Where I wanted to sit and talk to her, even after she’d said something that annoyed me. It wasn’t her fault, though. I kept a low profile for the sake of the band, but it wasn’t like I could lie about who I was. Certainly not to someone like Wynter.

“If you believe in love, why are you still single?” she asked after the silence had stretched out a bit.

“I work a lot,” I replied. “And when you’re on the road as often as I am, only staying in each city a day or two at a time, it’s hard to make that kind of connection. I’d be open to it, though.”

I’d obviously caught her off-guard because she blinked a few times, as if she hadn’t heard me right.

“Why do you look so surprised?” I asked, laughing.

“I guess I didn’t think guys in the music business were interested in relationships,” she admitted, looking a little sheepish.

“Forty-two-year-old guys who’ve been in the industry a long time definitely get tired of the game. It would be nice to have someone to go home to.” I paused. “You know, if it was the right person.”

“Have you ever been married?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Was engaged a long time ago. But you probably know that.”

She nodded. “The stories about you are out there.”

“After Clara died, I couldn’t even think about falling in love again.”

“I obviously didn’t know her, but if she loved you the way you obviously loved her, then I don’t think she’d want you to be alone. That won’t bring her back.”

“Ten years ago, I would have said you were crazy. But you’re probably right.”

“I’m divorced,” she said after a moment. “Got married right out of college. It was a disaster. Most of the time, I wonder if I’m better off on my own. But once in a while, I think about falling in love, maybe having a kid.” She lifted her coffee cup, holding it in front of her mouth with both hands.

“I think about it too, but I don’t know how realistic it is considering what I do for work. What kind of dad will I be on tour for two years at a time?”

“The guys in the band seem to be doing it,” she said softly.

“Yeah, but they’re multi-millionaires. I make a respectable salary, and I have plenty in my retirement fund, but I can’t afford to bring a family on tour full-time. And it wouldn’t be fair to my wife for her to be stuck in a hotel room with a baby while I’m off doing what I do.”

“I think where there’s a will there’s a way.” Her eyes met mine. “If you really want something, you can make it happen. And every good relationship takes compromise.”

God, she was pretty when she was pensive.

Was that why I was staring at her like a lovesick teenager?

“So.” I cleared my throat, trying to find something else to talk about so I didn’t blurt out anything stupid, like, “Will you marry me?” It might be time for me to find a lady to take my mind off the one in front of me.

Right?

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