Page 82 of Banter & Blushes

This is a song I’ve never heard before. It must be brand new.

The longer he sings it, the more I question its meaning. Obviously, it’s a love song, but some of the lyrics are so specific, it’s like he wrote them to me. Did he?

I turn to Genesis, wearing a huge grin across her face.

“What?”

She steps aside so I can see outside the window. I’m afraid there’s a long line waiting on food. Nope. Only one person.

Colt.

I drop the spatula in my hand and hurry outside. He’s standing in the sand with a beautiful bouquet of pink roses.

“What are you doing here?”

“I hope that’s a happy-to-see-me question.”

I hug him, and he laughs. Then he hands me the flowers and kisses my cheek. I smell and admire the roses.

“I needed to take a little drive for song inspiration.”

“So you drove seven hours south?”

He smiles. “I wanted to see if you heard my new song.”

I hook my thumb back toward the truck. “I did. Just now. Did you know it was playing?”

“I have a friend with a connection to the Mobile country station who could play it at a certain time.”

“So you planned that?”

“I did.” He shoots an eyebrow up. “What do you think about it?”

“I loved it.”

“Good, because I love you.”

I blink. He takes my hands. “You don’t have to say it back yet, but I had to let you know how I feel.”

I wipe a tear away with my forearm. Genesis reaches out the window and takes my flowers. “I’ll put these in water.” She winks, and I nod.

I wipe more tears with my free hand. Colt’s face goes pale.

“No, it’s good,” I reassure him. “I feel the same way, but I’m fighting it because we’re so far apart.”

“What if we didn’t have to be?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I’ve already made up my mind that no matter what, I’m not moving to Nashville.

“I got a lease on a condo.”

My stomach buckles. Surely he isn’t going to ask me to move in with him. I would be against that on so many levels.

“It’s in that tall white building across the road.”

“What?” My eyes pop open.

Colt points to one of the newer condo buildings across the street.

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