The Duet(19)

Derek stripped his cowboy hat off his head and set it on the center console so that he could brush back his dirty blonde hair. Not that it was dark blonde, just actually dirty from work. Hopefully they had showers at the ranch.

“Nah, he’s probably private to you LA people, but Jason grew up in town and I knew him from high school. He’s four years older than me, but he was friends with my older brother.”

Interesting. I wanted to pick Derek’s brain about Jason forever.

“Do you like working for him?” I asked, leaning over.

Derek slid me a sideways glance. “Of course. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“So he’s a nice boss?”

His brow quirked and I knew he was starting to get suspicious of my inquisition.

“Aren’t you guys friends? Isn’t that why you’re collaborating on this song?” he asked, effectively bursting my balloon. I sat back in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest.

Luckily, I wasn’t forced to answer his question because his phone rang and he had to take the call about lumber or something equally country-ish. Our turn off the highway came up on the right and Derek pulled off onto a thin gravel road. The gravel was uneven and the truck’s suspension was put to the test as we journeyed farther from the highway.

I had a sudden realization that I hadn’t checked Derek’s credentials or questioned him at all. What if he was just driving me to some random location in the backwoods of Montana so he could kill me? Oh, dear God, I just got into a car with a stranger.

When I peered over at him from under my lashes, I didn’t get the sense that he was a serial killer. He was still talking on the phone so I quickly texted Cammie from mine.



Brooklyn: If I hypothetically get kidnapped soon, I love you.

Cammie: You are so weird. Should I call the cops?

Brooklyn: Not yet.

Cammie: Should I call Hannah Montana?

Brooklyn: You’ve been sitting on that one since I told you I was coming here, haven’t you?

Cammie: Yes…..But, seriously, I’m never letting you go to Montana by yourself again. Please don’t die.



I couldn’t respond to her because my signal cut out for good.

Oh, well. Time to welcome death. I wonder who they’ll get to play me in the movie adaption of my life. Hopefully Jennifer Lawrence even though we look nothing alike. With my luck, it’d be Miley.

When I glanced up, I saw a clearing in the woods a few miles ahead of us. Even though Derek had finished up on the phone, we sat in silence as he rounded the curve on the county road. Light seeped through the trees ahead of us, but I couldn’t see anything until he crested the top of a hill.

As soon as the cabin came into view, I held my breath. It was beautiful; a secluded oasis in the middle of the Montana woods. There were mountains spanning the backdrop behind the house, but trees sprouted up everywhere, blocking out the first floor of the cabin completely.

The sun was still up, but it was nearing the top of the mountain ridge, painting the sky with colorful pink and orange hues. It was breathtaking, but that wasn’t where I focused. I was completely enamored by the top story of the cabin that was bathed in a warm glow. When I thought of a cabin in the woods, I thought of a one story, one bedroom house. This was a cabin on steroids, and as we drove closer I could see even more details.

Stone bricks made up the base of the cabin, but the top floor was open, with large windows bordered by massive logs. A wraparound porch opened up the house even more, and at the very top, on what looked like the third level, there was a small balcony completely secluded away from everything else.

Martha Stewart would have coveted this place and I was more excited than ever to have Cammie come for a visit so she’d get to see how amazing it was. No wonder Jason wrote his songs here. I’m surprised he ever left.

Derek pulled up into the gravel driveway behind a black Jeep Wrangler and cut the engine.

“You made it,” he said, glancing over.

I smiled. “Thanks so much for the ride.” And also for not being a murderer.

“Why don’t you go on up and I’ll bring your bags.”

I hopped out of the truck and stretched out my limbs. Every part of my body was sore from a day of travel.

Once Derek grabbed my bags, I turned to the cabin in time to see Jason step out onto the small balcony on the third floor. He was barefoot, wearing a worn t-shirt and jeans. His hair was mussed up and from where I stood, it looked like he hadn’t shaved in the last few days.

When our eyes met, he didn’t smile or nod. We just stared at each other for a moment in silence and I felt a shiver of something run down my spine. That was probably my body’s physical reaction to the hate signals he was trying to send my way.