Page 15 of Major Love

No doubt about it. Definitely baby pink.

Chapter 3

Sunday

I place my mug on the coffee table and settle down on Casey’s armchair, retying my fluffy ponytail before leaning forward and opening my laptop.

I tentatively open my email app and tap warily on the message at the top.

Then I sit back in the chair, exhaling shakily over what I’m being offered.

When I decided to sell Cash’s Bar, it hadn’t crossed my mind that other businesses in Nashville would want to hire me. So when I received ahugejob offer before stepping one cowgirl boot out of Tennessee, I was almost too stunned to speak.

A job, at another bar, doing exactly what I’ve been doing for over a decade.

Managing, networking, building connections with the biggest country music stars.

All of that, for the highest salary I’ve ever seen.

I told them that I was too busy to consider it at this moment in time but after a couple of days out of the city I can’t help but peek at the details they’ve sent over. The role that they’d like me to take up, and the huge sum of money that they’re happy to pay me.

And that isn’t even including the ridiculous bonuses listed underneath.

Plus, they’ve outlined the ways that Cash’s Bar inspired their desire for an overhaul, going for classic, cosy and country, instead of who can be the rowdiest bar on Broadway.

And, honestly, I’m totally touched – because the whole point of Cash’s Bar was to share a personal message. To share a lifestyle with likeminded people in the hopes of making my tiny corner of the world a better place.

So to see the influence that I’ve had on a multi-million-dollar country bar, especially when it’s in testament to the love of my mom and my step-dad? It makes my heart swell for a moment, the offer too incredible to ignore.

If only Cash could have seen the impact of his favourite Nashville hideaway now.

I scroll down to the bottom of the email, seeing the deadline by which they’d like an answer.

They’ve been generous with their time-scale, but that in itself is pretty alarming – because it shows me that they aren’t expecting the press’s interest to die down.

In fact, my ‘relationship’ with Riley is undoubtedly half the reason why they’re being so generous, hoping that I’ll come back to Nashville and flood their bar with media attention.

I swallow down my nerves and sign out of my emails for now.

One thing at a time, I remind myself. I don’t need to make any big decisions yet.

Then I slide my eyes over to the piece of paper beside my MacBook, and I pull Casey’s bank statement into my lap.

And my jaw freaking drops the second that I see my brother’s outgoings.

When Casey deploys, he has me check his accounts super briefly, and that’s solely to make sure that all of his finances are secure.

So after four months away from home I thought that it was time for my little check-in, and I almost tripped over my cowgirlboots when I saw the payment he’d made before his latest mission.

What in the hell did you spend six figures on, Casey?

Half of me wants to just call his ass and demand a straight-up answer, but Casey has never been secretive in the past so I have no idea why he’d start being like that now.

I chew nervously on my lower lip.

Unless he’s in some kind of trouble.

If I had to use one word to describe Casey, it would one-billion percent be ‘selfless’, which immediately makes me think that whatever he’s gotten himself into is to help someone else.

---