Having a spectacular view of Nashville was distracting at times, especially when Trent Walker had so much on his mind. He had a stack of clients he needed to approve in front of him, but instead, his eyes kept wandering to the skyline as he thought of Bree and hoped she was doing better today.
She hadn’t seemed to be doing well at all lately. He knew she was struggling with getting her hand to cooperate, and it was like a knife in his chest every time he saw her cry. He desperately wished he could take her pain away, could fix everything for her, could go back in time and stop Cat from ever hurting her to begin with.
Her fingers were sore from practicing so long, the strings cutting into the tender flesh of her fingertips, but that didn’t prevent Bree from making dinner. Most of the time since the fire, they ordered out, or Trent would make something when he got home, but since she’d done so well practicing earlier, her spirits had lifted. It wasn’t anything fancy, but her mother had taught her to make a mean eggplant parmesan. She’d just popped it in the oven to bake when she heard Trent’s keys in the lock.Setting the timer, Bree went off to greet him, a smile on her face. “Hey, babe!” she called, anticipation of showing him later how well she&rsqu
Concentrating was easier now that Trent was assured that Bree’s hand was on the mend. Hearing her play the guitar again was music to his ears, even if it wasn’t quite the way that it used to be. She made more mistakes. The music wasn’t always smooth. But it was still wonderful to hear her getting better all the time, and after a few weeks of practice, she’d decided today was the day she was going to get the band back together.It was a bit of a distraction waiting for her to call to let him know how practice had gone, but he knew she wouldn’t be done for another few hours, which let him focus on his work. It seemed the firm was acquiring new custome
Sitting in one of her favorite restaurants, sipping a glass of wine, Bree waited for Trent to meet her. He’d texted a few minutes ago to let her know he was running just a few minutes behind, thanks to traffic, but she was so glad they’d decided to meet right after work, rather than having him go all the way home and then come back downtown. She was so excited to tell him about the tour, she couldn’t help but smile. After rehearsal, she’d gone home and put on one of her favorite dresses, a red number Trent really liked. Her hair was up in a twist with loose curls framing her face, and she’d put on some diamond earrings Trent had gotten her a few months ago. She knew she looked great, and with everything finally going her way again, she felt great, too.
Concentrating usually wasn’t an issue for Bree, particularly at band practice, one of her favorite places in the world to be, but the next day, after she’d given Trent her good news, found out his, and realized life isn’t perfect, she was having issues keeping tuned in. While she hadn’t let it actually affect her performance while she was singing, in between songs, her mind wandered back to the conversation she’d had with Trent, and she wasn’t hearing a damn word her bandmates had to say.“Let’s take a coffee break.” That, she heard, as Zach said it loudly, right next to her. Bree watched as the rest of the band scattered, in
Picking out an outfit to wear for her big show was harder than Bree would’ve thought. Even after hiring a personal stylist to take her shopping a week or so before the show, she still wasn’t sure what to wear. It made sense to her now why so many famous people had a team of people that dressed them, did their makeup, and always had them looking on point. Standing in front of her full-length mirror in the bedroom, Bree wasn’t sure if she looked edgy in the new outfit she’d put on or just out-of-sorts.“That’s a different outfit,” Trent remarked, coming into the room and looking her over before he headed to the closet to start getting read
The limo slowed for a traffic light, and Trent wished he could see out the tinted window better. He thought they were almost to the location of the awards ceremony, a theater in the main part of downtown Nashville, but it was hard to tell with his limited vantage point.Next to him, Celia was chattering nervously. She hadn’t stopped talking since she’d gotten in the car, almost a half hour ago. She looked stunning in a long red and silver gown with her hair pulled up in a clip on the back of her head. He hadn’t thought her short hair was long enough for an updo, but clearly it was, and she looked even more elegant than usual. But the fact that she wouldn’
The butterflies in her stomach were the kind Bree relished, the kind that gave her fuel. The roadies were done switching out their equipment, and now, all she had to do was wait for her band to be introduced, and she’d finally be taking the stage again. “Are you ready?” Shawna whispered in her ear, a huge smile on her face. “So ready,” Bree replied, smiling and squeezing her keyboardist’s hand. She’d gotte
“The winner of the New Entrepreneur of the Year award is… Trent Walker of Walker Accounting Services!”Applause rang out across the room at the MCs words. Trent stood and buttoned his jacket, making his way the few steps to the podium, imagining the clapping was as much for the fact that his award was the last one of the evening and everyone would be able to get the hell out of there as soon as he finished speaking. He didn’t plan to talk for long. A beautiful woman in