— —
Liana had steppedinto the recording booth more than a hundred times, at least, but this time it felt different.
This time she didn’t have any fears about what would happen to the song once they cut it. If she’d face backlash or repercussions. She wouldn’t, because behind the producer stood Karen, and she had a big ass grin on her face.
Watch out, Nashville. The women have a plan.
Liana had stopped at her favourite boutique and picked up matching Dolly for President t-shirts for them to wear today. It seemed fitting.
Karen leaned in and pressed a button on the control panel. “Ready to do this?”
“Am I ever.” She flashed a quick thumbs up and pulled on her headset.
— —
Nerves riotedthrough Dean’s gut as Zander parked his truck in front of the small two-bedroom house one block off Main Street. His wife Faith and their son Eric were waiting on the porch swing.
Dean had been proud of that swing when he’d bought it last year. He thought it made the house look cute, but now it just looked small.
Because he was bringing Liana home, to his home, and suddenly he feared it didn’t stack up. It wasn’t anything like her bungalow in East Nashville, freshly renovated and magazine perfect.
It wasn’t even anything compared to his friends’ homes.
It was clean and neat and fine for a bachelor, but now through the eyes of a man who very much didn’t want to be a bachelor anymore, it was…lacking.
He helped Liana out and introduced her to Faith. Then he busied himself carrying their bags onto the porch.
“Dani’s making a big group dinner tonight,” Zander said. “It’s not exactly a command appearance, but she is seven months pregnant, so if you don’t show up, then pretend I didn’t tell you, okay? I don’t want her wrath.”
Dean wasn’t sure what to say to that.Thanks for driving five hours to pick us up at the airport, now go away? I can’t handle the thought of people right now, I just want to get through showing my famous girlfriend my embarrassing little house, thank you very much.
Liana gave Zander a beaming smile. “That sounds awesome. Can we bring something?”
Shit. He didn’t have anything to bring. He hadn’t been home in two months and Matt said he’d cleaned out the fridge, but did he trust the standards of a twenty-nine-year-old man who didn’t have any life plans beyond the expiry date on his next jug of milk?
“Just bring Dean.” Zander winked and hoisted Eric up onto his shoulders. The kid was getting a bit big for that, but neither of them seemed to care. Faith murmured her own hope that they’d come and then his partner was gone.
“So this is your place,” Liana said, looking around with big eyes.
“It’s not much.” He stuck the key in the lock and turned the handle. He wanted to step in first and make sure his brothers had in fact not had a party, but that was rude, so he stepped back and gestured for her to step over the threshold.
She gave him a little smile as she moved past him, then a surprised sound as she stepped inside.
His heart stopped. What?
He followed her in—and found flowers on the table.
“Those are so pretty!” She turned and squeezed his hand. “You have the nicest friends.”
He was going to have a heart attack. This had been a terrible idea. He stepped outside and sucked in a big, deep breath that did nothing for his nerves, then he picked up their bags.
He found her looking at his bookshelf. With a happy sigh, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek on his chest.
He patted her back. Fuck. He was messing this up.
She glanced up at him. “Are you okay?”
“I’m…” He stroked his fingers through her hair. The long dark waves were loose today. God, she was so pretty. And his. And he was fucking nervous about that, not the house. “I’m fine.”
