Our Now and Forever(73)

“You are.” He gave her hand a squeeze for encouragement. “And you’re going to blow him away.”

“I don’t know. I’m a bit rusty.”

“Darling, even on your worst day, you’re still the best singer I’ve ever heard.”

She tucked in close against his side. “That’s complete BS, but I love you for saying it.”

“It’s the truth,” he said. “And I love you, too.”

They stopped and stared at each other, both realizing what the other had said. Caleb looked as if she’d smacked him with a two-by-four, and Snow felt the same.

“Did you just . . .” he started.

Snow’s chin bobbed up and down. “And you did, too.”

Lifting his wife off the ground, Caleb kissed her until she was dizzy and gasping for air.

“Are y’all done with your lovers’ spat?” Cooper asked from the front of the building. “We gots us a pregnant woman in need of the little girls’ room out here.”

“By all means,” Caleb yelled, dropping Snow back to her feet, “let the woman pee!”



Several minutes after entering the bar, Snow was still reeling. She’d said she loved him, and Caleb said it back. Without hesitation. And then he’d kissed her with unmitigated joy as if she’d given him the best present ever.

As Lorelei would say, shit just got real.

“I can’t believe how empty this place is,” Lorelei said. “Wes Tillman might not be ruling on the radio much anymore, but I’d expect a bigger crowd for a guy who’s won pretty much every award out there.”

Wes Tillman was a superstar. And Snow was about to sing with him.

During her time in Nashville, she’d met a few big names. It was impossible not to when living in Music City. She’d also dealt with her fair share of wannabe stars, or worse, people who fancied themselves star-makers. Those were the worst.

Usually older men with an eye for the new young thing in town and the hope that she was naive enough to fall for the well-worn “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.” Snow’s coloring and look stood in sharp contrast to the Southern debutantes with their wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. One exceptionally greasy character had referred to her as “exotic.”

Snow hated being called exotic.

So though she loved being onstage, doing so for a living never really held any appeal. In fact, the thrill had gone long before she’d met Caleb, but Snow had been too scared to admit as much at the time. Who wouldn’t want to be rich and famous with the world at her fingertips?

Snow didn’t, that was who.

“Do you see Wes anywhere?” Lorelei asked. The guys had gone to find a table while Snow and Lorelei waited for Carrie to reappear from the ladies’ room.

Scanning the bar, Snow said, “That’s him over there, isn’t it?” Wes had played the Ruby festival in October. Lorelei had dealt with him directly as the organizer of the event, but Snow hadn’t gotten a personal introduction.

“Whoa,” Lorelei said. “Is that guy he’s talking to his bodyguard or something? I’ve never seen a guy that big.” The man had to be six foot seven at least.

Before Snow could say she didn’t know who the guy was, Caleb approached the two men at the bar and exchanged greetings. Neither Wes nor his buddy looked put out by the intrusion, which was good, since she’d hate to see her husband stomped into a speck of dirt by the potential bodyguard.

When Caleb motioned for Snow to join them, she grabbed Lorelei’s hand. “You’re coming with me.”

Lorelei stumbled behind her saying, “I guess I am.”

“Mr. Tillman,” Caleb said as the pair approached, “this is the woman I’ve been telling you about.”

Snow took the older man’s hand and tried not to look like a swooning moron. Wes was even better looking in person. Tall and lean with broad shoulders and the baby blues that donned every album cover he’d ever had. A bit of gray showed along his temples, and was likely more prevalent beneath the black Stetson. He smelled like a masculine waterfall, if that was possible, and most of all, the man looked genuinely happy.

“It’s nice to meet the little lady I’ll be singing with tonight.”

Lorelei took that opportunity to smack Snow on the arm. “Are you shittin’ me? You sing?”

Why was she friends with this woman again? Snow held on to as much dignity as possible as she said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tillman. This is my friend Lorelei. I believe you know each other.”

“Hi,” Lorelei said, looking like a twelve-year-old meeting her favorite boy band. “We worked together on the Ruby festival.”