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“Because she’s hotter than hell.”

“Yeah, I know.” Lee had spent the better part of the day thinking about her. She blew his mind and made him wonder if their meeting was fate, like J.T. suggested. “But there’s more to a relationship than that. You have to be compatible.”

“And you and Indie aren’t compatible?”

Lee thought about that before he responded. He and Indie had both had their share of bumps in the road, but they were tough enough to overcome them. They valued family and friends, worked hard, loved kids… Maybe they were compatible. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe you should find out.”

“You’d really be okay with that?” Lee asked. “Assuming Indie would think about giving me another chance?”

“Yeah, I would.” He regarded Lee carefully. “The fact that you were willing to cut ties with her just because of me tells me all I need to know.”

“Then we’re good?” Lee felt as though the pieces of his life were falling into place. Except for one very important piece: Indie.

“Yeah, we’re good.” Donato made his way back into the living room/bedroom. “Hey, you said something about a job. What was that about?”

“I’ve decided to buy Jimmy’s bar.”

“No way! That’s awesome, man. Congrats.”

“Thanks,” Lee said. “I’m not gonna lie. I’m nervous about it, but it feels like the right time to shake things up.”

“Because of what happened with Indie?”

Indie was a big part of the reason Lee wanted to make some major life changes, but she wasn’t the only reason. “It’s a lot of things. I just need a fresh start.”

Donato sank onto the sleeper sofa with a sigh and pointed to the lone chair. “Take a load off. I should’ve asked before—you want a drink or something?”

“No, I’m good, thanks.” Lee sat on the edge of the chair. His next stop was his brother’s place, and he wasn’t looking forward to that visit.

“You thought working for your brother was gonna give you a fresh start. I guess it didn’t?” Donato asked, tipping his water bottle back.

“Not really. I mean, I’m glad I did it.”

“Yeah, you may not have hooked up with Indie otherwise.”

Everything seemed to come back to Indie. Lee wanted to know what she would think of his plan to buy Jimmy’s, but since she wasn’t answering his calls, he would have to wait to ask her opinion. “True, but it’s more than that. Since the divorce, I’ve been kind of drifting, trying to figure out where to go from here.”

“And?”

“I think Jimmy’s is the first step. But I can’t do it alone. I need good people in my corner.” He smiled. “What do you say? You want to come on board?”

“Seriously?” Donato asked. “You’re offering me a job?”

“Yeah, why not?” In spite of their recent argument, they’d always gotten along well. Lee trusted Donato, which was more than he could say about a lot of the people. Besides, no one deserved a break more than Donato. “You can start off waiting tables, see how that goes. Maybe when school lets out, I’ll put you behind the bar, if you think you can handle it?” They both knew that Lee wanted to be clear about alcohol being off-limits before he gave Donato the job.

“Sure, I can,” Donato said. “You just wait, I’ll make you proud.”

“You already have, kid.”

Lee showed up on Drake’s doorstep the next morning. He’d been too tired to face his brother and sister-in-law after he left Donato’s place, so he’d headed home to call Indie one more time and get some much needed shut-eye.

“Hey,” Cassidy said, pulling the door open wider. “This is a nice surprise. What brings you by so early?”

“I was hoping to talk to you guys before Drake heads into work.” Lee wanted to include Cassidy in his conversation with Drake.

“Sure, he’s just having breakfast. Have you eaten?” Cassidy led him into the kitchen.

“Yeah, I grabbed something at home, thanks.”

“Just coffee then?” Cassidy asked, holding up the carafe.

“That’d be great, thanks.”

Drake swallowed a forkful of scrambled eggs before he asked, “What’s up, bro?”

“Uh, I need to talk to you,” Lee said, sitting down next to his brother at the table.

Cassidy set a mug of steaming brew in front of Lee. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

Lee closed his hand around her wrist. “Actually, I was hoping you could stick around. This kind of involves you too.”

“Okay,” she said, taking a seat on the other side of her husband.

Drake narrowed his eyes at Lee before glancing at Cassidy. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be bad?”

“It’s not,” Lee said. “At least I don’t think it is.” He’d never wanted or needed his brother’s support more, and he hoped Drake could see that.

“Okay.” Drake wiped his face with a paper napkin before rolling it up and tossing it on his empty plate. “Let’s hear it.”

“Drake, I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to come work for you. It means a lot that you’re able to trust me again.” Taking a sip of his coffee, Lee thought about how to break the news gently.

“But it’s not where you want to be, is it?” Drake crossed his arms and pushed his chair back. “I’m living my dream, but that doesn’t mean it’s yours.”

Cassidy closed her hand over her husband’s forearm and gave him a subtle smile. Obviously Cassidy had warned Drake that may happen.

“I thought it was,” Lee said. “I thought working alongside you, putting out great music, would be like living the dream.”

“But it’s not.”

“I need more.” Lee had written a song last night about the push-pull of trying to make others happy while following his own path. The song came from a place of truth and vulnerability he’d been afraid to uncover. “Music is a part of me. It always has been. I thought being a sound engineer would keep me in the business and give me a steady paycheck to support my family.”

“But it hasn’t turned out the way you thought it would?” Cassidy asked.

“I love making music,” he admitted for the first time in what seemed like forever. “I love singing, strumming my guitar, playing in front of an audience.”

Drake frowned. “You want to be a musician? That’s how you intend to make a living?”

“No, I just want access to a stage and a crowd.”

Drake swiped a hand over his face. “I’m not following you. How is that going to pay the bills?”

“It’s not; it’s just a part of the equation that makes this whole idea more appealing to me.” Lee’s stomach churned as he tried to find the words to tell his brother what he was planning.

“What idea?” Drake asked, sounding frustrated.

“J.T. offered to sell me Jimmy’s, and I’ve accepted.”

Drake stared at him as though he was trying to process what Lee had said. “You what? You can’t be serious. A recovering drug addict buying a bar? That’s just asking for trouble.”

Cassidy touched her husband’s shoulder. “Drake, why don’t we let Lee finish? I’m sure he’s thought this through. He can probably give us a dozen reasons why this is a good fit for him.”

Lee appreciated his sister-in-law going to bat for him, but he knew that once Drake had made up his mind, there was little anyone could say or do to change it. “I know it may seem crazy. What the hell do I know about running a bar, right?”

“Right,” Drake said as a muscle jumped in his jaw.

“But Jimmy’s isn’t just any bar. It’s a bar built on a foundation of country music, and that is something I know a thing or two about. J.T. didn’t know shit about running a bar when he bought Jimmy’s either. He made it work.”

“Is that what he told you?” Drake asked, scowling. “Did he paint you a rosy picture of how easy it would be? Well, he was lying to you just because he wants to dump the place. Take it from someone who knows, running a business is hard. Even harder for someone with your history.”

Lee was too stunned to respond at first. When Drake pushed his chair back, Lee knew he’d better say something fast. “I didn’t come here to ask your permission. I came to tell you what my plans are. I accepted the job with you on a trial basis. I tried it. It didn’t work for me.”

“Fine.” Drake clenched his fists on the table top. “But when this blows up in your face, don’t expect me to rescue you. Those days are long gone.” He stomped through the house to the back door and left.

Lee grimaced. “Well, that went well, don’t you think?”

Cassidy gave him a sympathetic smile. “You know what a hothead your brother can be. Give him a little time. He’ll cool off.”

“I hope you’re right.” Lee sighed. “I don’t want this to cause a rift between us, but I can’t do what he thinks I should just to make him happy. It’s my life. I’ve gotta make myself happy, don’t I?”

“Of course you do,” Cassidy said, gripping his arm. “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you for taking a risk.”

“It’s worth a lot.” Lee never thought he’d see the day when Cassidy was the one supporting him. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She handed Lee a basket of fresh muffins before taking one for herself.

“Think he’d have security throw me out if I passed by the studio to talk to Indie?” Lee asked, biting into his blueberry muffin.

Cassidy’s butter knife paused in mid-air. “Uh, I guess you haven’t heard. Indie called this morning. She’s taking a leave of absence.”

Lee struggled to swallow, fearing he might choke on Cassidy’s words. “What? What are you talking about?”

“She told Drake she was dealing with some family issues,” Cassidy said, trying to appear nonchalant.

Lee leaned in. “But she told you the whole story, didn’t she? Cassidy, tell me what she said. Did she leave because of me, because of what happened between us?”

“She didn’t say,” Cassidy said, looking sympathetic. “She just said she was called home to deal with something.”

“Is it her sister? She didn’t take a turn for the worse, did she?”

“I don’t know,” Cassidy said. “Her sister asked her for a favor Indie said she couldn’t refuse. I assume that’s the reason she left town so abruptly. Unless…” Cassidy gave him a pointed look. “Do you want to tell me about what happened between the two of you?”

“How much do you know about her history?” Lee asked, not wanting to betray Indie. “The reason she left home so young?”

“She told me the whole story,” Cassidy said. “I have to admit I’m a little surprised she confided in you. It’s not something she liked to talk about. You two must have gotten close.”

“We did.” Lee rubbed the spot where his wedding band used to be. He couldn’t imagine walking down the aisle again, but it was even harder to imagine letting Indie go. He wanted to be the guy she needed, but the divorce under his belt told him he wasn’t.

“You were intimate?”

Lee didn’t want to talk about what had happened, but he needed Cassidy’s help. “We were.”

“Wow,” Cassidy said. “I had no idea things had gotten that serious.”

“Serious may not be the right word.”

“Trust me, if Indie was willing to take things that far, it’s because she was serious. If you weren’t, you shouldn’t have—”

Lee raised his hand to ward off the lecture. “I didn’t mean to imply that. She’s amazing. I care about her a lot.”

“But you don’t love her?”

Love.
That word carried so many implications, not the least of which was commitment, family, and forever. “I don’t know how I feel. I know I like spending time with her.”

“I suggest you figure out how you feel about her in a hurry. Your time may be running out.”

“What do you mean? Did she say something that led you to believe she wasn’t coming back?”

“It’s not what she said, but what she didn’t say,” Cassidy said. “I could tell she wasn’t happy, and a woman like Indie won’t settle for being miserable. She knows life is too short and too precious for that.”

“But she has commitments here: her job, her friends—”

“She has a family there, one it seems she wants to rebuild a relationship with. That may be the only reason she needs to stay, especially if you can’t give her a reason to come back.”

“She won’t answer my calls.”

“Why is that?” Cassidy asked, breaking her muffin in half.

“I said that what happened between us was a mistake,” Lee admitted, hanging his head. “I shouldn’t have said it, but—” He stopped himself from offering some lame excuse.

“So are you gonna make things right or what?”

“I left her a message trying to apologize, and I’ve called a few times. She doesn’t want to talk to me. What am I supposed to do? I don’t even know how to get in touch with her, aside from her cell.”

Cassidy reached across the table for her phone. “I may be able to help you with that. Has she ever mentioned her cousin, Penny, to you?”

“Sure, but you really think she’d help me find Indie? I’m sure she’s told her cousin all about what happened.”

“You may be right,” Cassidy said, consulting her cell phone before scribbling something on a paper napkin. She slid the napkin across the table. “But you’ll never know if you don’t try. Indie gave us Penny’s contact information in case of emergency. If you really want to talk to Indie, go see Penny before it’s too late.”

***

Lee was standing on Penny’s doorstep with his finger poised to ring the doorbell when she opened it.

“Oh sorry,” she said, laughing. “I thought you were delivering a package I was expecting.”

“Penny?” he asked. She and Indie shared many physical characteristics, starting with that breathtaking smile.

“Yes?” She looked puzzled.

“I’m a friend of Indie’s. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.” Lee noticed the small suitcase in the foyer. Apparently he’d caught her just in time.

“What did you say your name was?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

“I didn’t, I’m sorry.” He extended his hand, smiling. “I’m Lee Elliot. Cassidy Elliot gave me your address. I hope you don’t mind that I stopped by without calling first.” He had been afraid she would hang up on him.

“I don’t have a lot of time to talk,” she said, gesturing to the suitcase. “I’m headed out of town for a couple of days.”

“I won’t keep you long. I was hoping you could help me reach Indie, or at least give her a message for me?”