Page 46 of Nashville Lights

He hands me my phone. “You left it on the kitchen counter.” Welcome back to reality. “I didn’t look,” he smirks. “But it’s lighting up.”

Just then, another text comes through. From Dakota.

Are we sisters yet???

I sigh and show Nate. “I guess she’s okay with it then.”

Nate sets the tray down on a table and brings me a mug of coffee. “We don’t care what anyone else thinks. We’re fully-functioning adults. What we do is up to us.”

“I know. We just happen to have extremely over-interested, meddling families.” I scroll through all my messages. “Aaand, it looks like the Boone-Tucker grapevine has already spread the news far and wide. I’ve got missed calls from both Travis and Vaughn and a whole bunch of messages from both of them telling me to call them ASAP.”

Another text comes through from Vaughn.

ANSWER YOUR PHONE OR WE’RE COMING OUT THERE, SUNSHINE

I don’t bother showing Nate that one, but I send a quick reply—in shouty all-caps, like he did, to emphasize my point—even though I’m sure it’s an empty threat.

I’M FINE. GO WRITE ANOTHER ALBUM

Nate goes into the bathroom and turns on the shower. “They’re going to have to get used to waiting until after I’ve given my girl another round of orgasms. We’re making up for lost time. Come with me, Roxie Tucker. Time for another one.”

17

I takeher empty mug and set it on the table. Then I lift her and carry her into the shower, which I designed for this exact purpose. It’s huge, with four detachable shower heads and a cedar bench that runs the length of it. I’ve put two towels along it so it’s comfortable for her.

The shower’s full of steam now, like a tropical mist, to make sure she’s warm and relaxed. I set her down on the bench and lay her back on it, resting her head on my lap. Taking some shampoo, I carefully wash her hair as she watches me.

“I thought of you every day, you know,” she whispers.

“I thought of you every day too, darlin’.”

I detach one of the shower heads and rinse her hair. The perfection of her face makes my chest ache. Her blue eyes, with long lashes spiked from the water, are blinking atme. Roxie’s eyes are like rare sapphires in the sun, always catching shards of light. Her lips are pink and plump. Her long, thick, shiny hair is wavy and lush, lightly coiled at the ends.

I’m so fucking in love with her I feel almost insane with it. I wasn’t prepared for this. I missed her, I knew that much. I knew I loved her from afar but I guess a part of me had come to terms with the fact that it wasn’t meant to be. But the second I saw her again, she hit me like a fucking wrecking ball. I wasn’t prepared for the intensity of it. My body is on fire for her. My soul feels bloody and hot with obsession.

And rage. She was out there this whole time and I didn’t fucking chase after her.

Usually, I’m the peacekeeper. The guy who keeps everyone steady and everything afloat.

But I’ve just found my limit.

Let them try to keep us apart.

She’smine. I’ll fucking kill to keep her. I’ll fight for her with everything I’ve got.

I can take any one of the Tucker boys. Maybe not all three at the same time, but then again, I’ve got eight years of regrets fueling me. Anything’s possible at this point.

I get their doubts about me. We all ran wild together when we were young. We were sowing our wild oats and discovering how easy it was to get women to fall in love with us—or at least in serious lust. It’s something Luke and Leoare still doing and, as far as I know, so were Travis and Vaughn until not too long ago.

I’m not proud of any of it. I used women to slake my rage—which I was too hot-headed to realize was all about the fact that I couldn’t have the one girl I truly wanted.

That’s the version of me the Tucker boys know best and it’s the reason they wouldn’t want me going near their little sister. Not like it’s a thought that’s probably ever entered their head—that I might want to. They considered me a brother.

They still can. But times have changed. I’m not the punk I used to be. And Roxie isn’t fifteen anymore.

They’re just going to have to get used to the idea. Because I’m done worrying about them.

I run my hands over her body. Rivulets cascade from her breasts like she’s some kind of otherworldly nymph who, on Friday night, just happened to step out of my wildest fantasies. “You and me are going to make the absolute most of each day from now on. The past doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re together now. We’re going to figure out how to make things happen exactly the way we want them to.”

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