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“That’s a tough problem to have,” Lee said, grinning.

“Hey, I’m not complaining.” Tucker looked around. “I think this place needs a music man, not some shirt-and-tie, to take over. It needs someone who recognizes real talent, who knows that country music is the lifeblood of this city. Some of the guys J.T.’s been talking to are from L.A. and New York. What the hell do they know about life in Nashville, am I right?”

“You’re right.” For as long as Lee could remember, he’d been breathing music. From his garage band in high school to working as a sound engineer in Nashville, he was all about the music. Looking up at the stage, he thought about getting up there with his guitar, taking center stage, and playing some original material. “It’s all about the music.”

“You’d be a great fit,” Tucker said.

Lee was so caught up in his vision of sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar that he almost missed Tucker’s comment. “What’re you talking about?”

“I know you’ve got your own gig, but…”

Lee tried to wrap his head around his friend’s suggestion. “I don’t know anything about running a bar, man.”

“Neither did J.T. He learned as he went along. Hell, he didn’t even know all that much about the music business. At least you’ve got that going for you.”

“Yeah well, like you said, I don’t have the time with my job and all.”

“If you did, would you consider it?”

In a heartbeat.
“I don’t know.” Lee tried to act nonchalant, but his heart was racing. “Never know.” With a self-conscious chuckle, he said, “It’s not like I could afford this place even if I did have the time.”

“J.T. has a great manager, you know. He says the place practically runs itself.”

Lee frowned. His friend was ignoring the biggest obstacle. “It’s not like a bank is gonna give a guy like me a loan to buy a bar.”

“Why? Are you gonna go in there wearing your ‘I’m a recovering addict’ T-shirt?”

“Smartass.”

“Come on, man. Nobody gives a shit that you battled drugs. We’ve all got our demons. The only one who can’t let it go is you.”

Lee sucked in a breath and hung his head. He’d been attending meetings for years. He was even a sponsor now, but that didn’t mean he thought he deserved a gold star for being one of the lucky ones. “You can’t just forget, Tucker. Not about the people you hurt, the lives you wrecked. It’s always there, in the back of your mind.”

“Huh, so is that why you hide out in the studio and watch other people living your dream? You’re punishing yourself?”

“No, my days of punishing myself are over.” Denial came easily, but Lee knew Tucker’s words had a painful ring of truth.

“You’re telling me you haven’t been sitting in that studio watching some artist belt out a song with everything they had and wishing it were you?”

“That dream died a long time ago.”

“Right around the time you started using?”

“I guess.”

“Some dreams can be resurrected.” Tucker stood when he saw his wife walk in. “About the bank, you probably wouldn’t even need one. J.T. told me he’d be willing to work out a deal if the right buyer came along. I have a feeling you might be the kind of buyer he’s waiting on.”

Lauren walked up to them with a spring in her step and kissed her husband. “How is it I just saw you at the office, and I was missing you already?”

Tucker chuckled and drew her into his side. “That’s because I’m irresistible, sugar.”

Lee smiled in spite of the twinge in the chest. Every time he saw a couple as happy as Tucker and Lauren, or Katie and Chris, it reminded him of how alone he was. “Nice to see you, Lauren.”

“You too, Lee. How’s that beautiful little girl of yours?” Lauren asked, linking hands with Tucker.

“Getting prettier every day, just like her mama.” In spite of the divorce, Lee loved his ex-wife for giving him Hannah, and he would always count Katie among the angels who’d helped save his life.

“That’s so sweet,” she said, smiling. “I’m gonna hit the ladies’ room. You wanna join us for dinner, Lee?”

“No, I already ate with my brother. Thanks for the offer though.”

“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Lauren dropped a quick kiss on her husband’s cheek before making her way to the restroom.

“Speaking of my brother,” Lee said, “he offered me a job tonight. A full-time gig, not just freelance work. I’d be crazy not to take it. It would mean being able to buy a little house, put money away for Hannah’s education.”

“Sounds like you’re trying to talk yourself into taking it,” Tucker said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the post supporting a coat hook.

“Why wouldn’t I take it?” Lee shouldn’t even be thinking twice about it. It was a good offer. The best he was ever going to get.

“You love what you do?” Tucker asked.

“Sure, I do.”

Tucker narrowed his eyes. “What do you love about it?”

“The music.” Lee thought that much would be obvious.

“Remember when we were working late at Chris’s, finishing up some of the trim work upstairs?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Chris talked you into running home and getting your guitar while we polished off that pizza.”

“I remember.”

“Man, I’ve been lucky enough to hear a lot of superstars sing, some right up on that stage,” he said, hooking a thumb over his shoulder. “But I’ve never heard anything like I did that night.”

Tucker wasn’t the first person to tell him that.
Unique. Raspy. Soulful.
All those words had been tossed around to describe Lee’s voice. Lee shifted uncomfortably.

“You must’ve had a few too many beers.” He tried to laugh Tucker’s compliment off, and he hoped Tucker would do the same.

“I didn’t have a drop to drink.” Pushing off the post, Tucker reached for the leather jacket he’d tossed on the seat. “It seems like a damn shame to waste a gift like that, if you ask me.”

“I didn’t.” Lee didn’t mean to sound harsh, but he didn’t need anyone trying to convince him to chase his dreams. He had a daughter to raise, which meant he needed a steady paycheck.

“I’m just saying, think about it,” Tucker said, seemingly unaffected by Lee’s tone. “Don’t do something just because you assume you’ve got to make up for something or prove yourself to people who aren’t asking you to.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Your brother? Your daughter? You want to prove to Drake that you can be responsible, that you can hold down a job and stay clean. You want to be somebody Hannah can be proud of. I get that; I’m a father too. But there’s more than one way to do that.”

Taking a deep breath, Lee hoped breathing slowly would help him hold his temper. Tucker was only trying to help, but he didn’t get it. He’d never hit bottom, never almost destroyed everyone who’d ever loved him.

“You can follow your passion and prove to Hannah what can happen when you take a risk. I can’t think of a better way to set the right kind of example for her.” Tucker didn’t wait for Lee to respond before he walked away.

“You can’t be serious,” Indie Eaton said, glaring at her boss. “Why the hell would you want to hire your brother, of all people?” After what Lee had done to Cassidy, Indie didn’t think he deserved a second chance. Cassidy claimed she forgave him for taking advantage of her, but Indie knew better. Some sins were unforgiveable, and that was one of them.

“What have you got against my brother?” Drake asked, looking more amused than annoyed.

That only incensed Indie more. If there was one thing that set her off, it was being patronized. No one knew that better than Drake.

“You said yourself he can’t be trusted,” she reminded him. She was trying to keep a tight rein on her patience. Even though she considered Drake and Cassidy her friends, he was still her boss, and it was his company to run as he saw fit.

“That was a long time ago,” Drake said, lowering his voice when someone walked by. “People change.”

“Not people like that.” She could barely contain the shudder rippling through her. Men like Lee were takers, incapable of changing unless it suited them.

Narrowing his eyes, Drake leaned forward and laced his hands on the desktop. Indie edged away and sat in the chair across from him.

“We’ve never really talked about this,” Drake said. “How much has Cassidy told you about what caused the rift between us?”

“Not a lot,” she said, clenching the wrists of her black sweater in her fists. Indie didn’t want Drake to think his wife had overstepped by confiding in an outsider.

A few weeks after Indie had accepted the job as Drake’s administrative assistant, Cassidy asked if she could take Indie out to lunch. Indie assumed Cassidy was going to put her on warning about getting too friendly with her husband, but then she realized that Cassidy was just about the sweetest person she’d ever met. Cassidy chose to see the good in people, even people like Lee.

“I don’t believe you,” Drake said. “I think she must have told you the whole story if you feel so strongly about a guy you barely know.”

“I know him,” Indie said defensively.

Their paths had crossed dozens of times over the past four years. If she hadn’t known his history, she may have thought he was handsome, sexy, even charming. But Indie knew Lee better than he thought she did, and she would never be stupid enough to be taken in by him. Not that any man could turn her head.

“You’ve barely said two words to him. Unless I’ve missed something?” Drake leaned back, tilting his chair. “Has he said or done something to offend you?”

How could she tell him the truth without betraying Cassidy’s trust? Drake’s wife hadn’t asked Indie to keep their conversation a secret, but she owed it to Cassidy to keep her mouth shut. Lee was Drake’s brother and they’d obviously made amends, meaning his loyalties were split. Her boss was one of the few men she respected, but Indie couldn’t stomach the thought of Drake letting Lee off the hook, especially knowing how devoted Drake was to Cassidy.

“No, I’ve kept my distance,” she said.

“He’s not a monster, you know.”

“I can’t work with him.” Indie knew she was offending Drake by subtly attacking his twin, but she wouldn’t pretend to feel safe around him.

“You can’t or you won’t?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Indie held her breath, wishing she could take back the veiled threat. Drake wouldn’t rescind his job offer to Lee just because she wasn’t comfortable with the idea. She loved her job, and she loved Drake and Cassidy. They were like family and she didn’t want to lose them, but no matter how she felt, Lee was Drake’s family. She was just an employee. “I’d rather not,” she said, softening her position. “You may think he’s changed, but how do you know for sure?”

“No one knows him better than I do.” Drake’s voice took on a steely edge he rarely used with her. “I saw him hit rock bottom, and I was beside him during his descent. I never, ever thought I’d get my brother back, but I have. And no one, not even you, will convince me there’s a chance in hell he could go back to being the selfish bastard he was when he was pumping his body full of garbage.”

Indie didn’t want to argue about something that was obviously a sore spot for Drake. It was personal, and Drake had clearly just drawn a line she would be crazy to try to cross. She smoothed her hands over her black knit skirt to dry her damp palms. “You’ve obviously made up your mind about this. Just don’t come crying to me when he disappoints you again.”

“He won’t.”

“Fine, whatever you say.” Indie stood to go outside for a breath of fresh air before returning to her desk. She needed to clear her head, to figure out how she would handle seeing that man every day, knowing what he’d done to one of her closest friends.

“Indie, wait,” Drake said when she reached the door.

Clenching the doorknob, Indie didn’t turn around. “Yes?”

“I want this to work. Having Lee here, working alongside of me, means a hell of a lot to me. I won’t let anyone screw that up. Not even you. Is that clear?”

Indie swallowed her tears. Drake had just reiterated what she already knew—Lee belonged here, and she was dispensable. “Crystal clear, boss.”

***

Lee was crossing the parking lot when he saw a slight dark shadow in the alley between the buildings. He figured a person who was down on their luck had come by hoping for a handout. Since Lee knew what that felt like, he made a point of helping people in need, even if it meant giving them the last few bucks in his pocket. He could always hit an ATM; they didn’t have that luxury.

“Hey, are you—” The question died on his lips when he saw Indie. At least, he thought it was her. Her sleek brown hair was dishevelled, and her makeup, which was flawless, had been streaked.

She flattened her back against the brick wall. “Get away from me. I don’t want to talk to you.” She clenched her long sleeves in her fists and crossed her arms.

That was when Lee noticed she was trembling. He removed his blazer. “Here, at least take this if you’re not going back inside right away. You’re shivering.”

“I don’t want that!” she cried, stepping back as though he’d offered her drugs instead of a jacket. “Just get away from me.”

Lee knew if he was going to accept his brother’s job offer, which he was still on the fence about, he and Indie would have to co-exist. “You mind telling me what I did to make you hate me so much? You and I have barely said more than a few words to each other, yet you act like I kicked your dog. Why is that?”

Glaring at him, she swiped a hand across her cheek, which only served to smear her makeup more. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“What the hell has got you so upset?” He didn’t expect her to confide in him, but he couldn’t help being curious. The Indie he’d seen had always prioritized looking strong and put together.

“None of your goddamn business. Now get away from me.”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Lee said, “I’ll go in when you do.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s getting dark. I’m not leaving you in the alley by yourself. Especially when you’re this upset.”

“Like you care.”

“My brother cares about you. So does Cassidy. I assume that means you have some redeeming qualities, though I can’t say I’ve ever witnessed any.” Lee knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere by insulting her, but he was too tired to make nice with a woman who clearly despised him. He’d tossed and turned all night thinking about his talks with Drake and Tucker.