Page 1 of Mine

ONE

PEPPER

The best adviceI ever received was to never go into business with someone you loved.

It was damn good advice, but I didn’t take it.

Rosethorn Records wasmycompany. As the founder and CEO, it was my vision that came to life, and my taste in music which led to our rise in success. Over the last fifteen years, I’d become one of the most successful women in the music industry. I wasreallygood at two things—finding unique talent and making a shit ton of money with them.

Rosethorn was mine.

But it was alsohis, too.

If I could go back in time to my younger, bright-eyed twenty-two-year-old self—I would have told her many things.

Don’t marry Jeff. Don’t let him be your business partner. Don’t make him the president of your company, because then you’ll have to see how fucking happy he is without you?—

My ex-husband lifted up his two-year-old daughter and perched her on his lap, his eyes full of stars.

Ellen shot me a grim look before shutting the door to the massive meeting room. Glass walls surrounded us, and Nashville stretched out below, the morning sun flooding the windows. The four other members of the board sat around the oval table, steam curling from clutched coffee mugs. Tommy was our vice president and director of artists and repertoire, or A&R as the music industry called it. Kendra, our director of marketing. Lee, our director of promotions. Scott, our director of legal.

All of their eyes were on Jeff and Paisleigh.

She wore baby pink today with an oversized glitter bow, her cheeks rosy, blue eyes piercing and bright and full of so much happiness that it made my chest ache.

What kind of name was Paisleigh? Seriously. I would have never?—

And you never did, because you never had kids with him, and he traded you in for the sexy intern who’s now happily married to him, with a daughter and baby number two on the way.

“Hope you don’t mind, Pepper,” Jeff said as Paisleigh giggled, grabbing hold of one of his pens to scribble all over his meeting notepad. “Ally had a doctor’s appointment and the nanny was sick with the flu.”

All attention shifted to me. It was times like this when I hated that we all were on a first name basis. I hated hearing him say my name. I hated knowing they all pitied me.

Actually, Jeff, I do fucking mind because two years ago you would have fucking lost it if someone else brought their kid to work, but here you are?“No worries. We’ll get started.”Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath.“Rosethorn Records has had a strong start to the year. Our projections are right on track, and even trending slightly above what we predicted. What today’s meeting is about is who we are at our core and what we’re doing to further the company.”

Years of practice at being the boss sank their teeth in, and I relaxed fully. I’d come a long way from the small-town girl who could barely speak above a polite whisper.

“We need something new and fresh. I know we have a roster of artists we’ve been keeping an eye on, but weneedsomeone who will make waves in the industry. We’ve done it twice already, I know we can do it again. What have we got? I know?—”

“I have an idea,” Jeff interrupted.

My temper flared, but I smothered it as best as I could.

“I think we should bring on someone who will appeal to the apps. Like, whatever it’s called. Instagram. Tiktok. That stuff.” Paisleigh leaned forward, attempting to grab his coffee cup. He successfully steered her away from it, making her giggle again.

Kendra’s expression flickered with annoyance. She glanced up at me, clearly biting her tongue.

“Obviously we’re going to bring someone on who appeals from a marketing perspective, Jeff,” I said patiently. Fifteen years of being married to the idiot had given me that skill. “I’m talking about sound. Music. The heart of?—”

Paisleigh knocked over his cup of coffee. Chaos unfolded as Jeff jumped up, rescuing her from getting any spilled on her dress. But it splashed everywhere across the table, across his notes, the papers sprawled at the center. Everyone jumped up to help him.

I stood up, every muscle rigid as I pressed the intercom button. “Ellen, please bring some paper towels, there’s been a coffee spill.”

Deep breath, deep breath, deep breath.

Paisleigh started to cry.

This was how I knew I’d never be a good mother. There was a tug in my chest—but it wasn’t maternal.

---