Page 119 of Ever With Me

Kayla’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Cormac let out a low whistle. “I don’t even want to know how much that costs. You still keeping the chef?”

Brooks shook his head. “Nah, I’ll figure the food part out. But you all are invited to stay as long as you want.”

Cormac turned off the burner and set a plate of bacon on the table. “I would, but I have to get back to Nashville. I’m in the studio this month doing some recording for my friend Elle Winnick.”

“Oh, I love her,” Kayla said with a grin. “She’s got such a great voice. Maybe you can introduce us. Logan likes country, too, right, hon?”

Wow.The ease with which she’d said that caught Brooks off guard. He liked that Logan made her happy—he just wasn’t sure any of this should be happening so fast for them. Especially with Audrey involved.

Logan seemed to sense the direction of Brooks’s gaze, and his eyes darted to him. “Yeah, country’s great. Not that I don’t listen to rock, too.”

“I’m not offended if you hate it. Music is personal.” Brooks crossed the room toward the plate of bacon, which was calling his name. “Any coffee left? Maddie was asking for some.”

“Miss Maddie is here?” Audrey asked, looking from Kayla to Brooks.

Amazing how quickly old, generational guilt could come back. Mom wouldn’t approve. In all Mom's time as a single mother, she hadn’t once brought a man back to the apartment to spend the night. She’d said she didn’t want to introduce anyone unless it was forever. She didn’t want them to get attached to people she couldn’t guarantee would stay in their lives.

Even though Brooks wasn’t Audrey’s father, he still felt the weight of the example he needed to set for her weighing on him heavily. His eyes met Kayla’s, and she looked away as though she knew what he was thinking.

“Um, well, much as I’m going to make it a point to come back here in the next month, I have work. So Audrey and I have to go back tonight. But we can come visit occasionally.”

He hadn’t really considered the idea that it might just be him up here in this giant house for most of the month. Alone. Maddie had a life to live, too. And while he was determined to spend as much time—and nights—with her as possible, she couldn’t always be here.

Brooks was about to grab a piece of bacon when his phone rang.

Ava.

Dammit.

He needed to deal with this sooner rather than later.

Excusing himself, he went out to the back balcony and shut the door behind him.

“Brooks, imagine my surprise when I saw you in the news again today.” Ava’s voice was startlingly warm.

“That so?” His eyes flicked out toward the lake. Despite the sun today, it wasn’t exactly warm out. He’d need to get more clothes if he was going to stay here.

“Well, I think it’s an excellent strategy. You, settling down in a small town with a slice of American pie? Absolutely. The public loves those star meets girl-next-door arrangements. Makes them feel like if they dream hard enough, it could happen to them.” Her laugh was caustic. “So when do we meet her? We need to brief her on her role, of course, and get her to sign an NDA. We’ll need a new single release on the books for you in the next few weeks, roll her into the press junket.”

Of course.

He almost laughed.

Of course.

Ava would think this was staged.

He’d promised her a well-thought-out plan to deal with his problems and had no idea he hadn’t given it the slightest bit of consideration.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen, Ava.”

She cleared her throat. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not feeding Maddie to the wolves. Ever. This isn’t someschemeon my part. I care about this woman.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, you have got to be joking. Are you going to tell me you’re inlove?”

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