Page 105 of Playing With My Heart Strings

But then Baylor walking down the steps and matching my attitude during our first conversation flashes in my brain. Therecord store. Kissing her, exploring every inch of her body, learning how to make her fall apart under my fingertips. Aspen revealing her identity to the world, and Baylor making it up to me by writing a song with my band.

I know what I have to do.

“I’ve made my decision, Jarrod.” I take a deep breath, knowing what the label expects of me. What the production company expects of me. Hell, even what America expects of me.

“Who do you want to make music with, Dusty? Which of these ladies are you going to take on tour with you? Who didyouform a connection with over the past couple months?” Jarrod asks, no doubt to raise tension and anticipation in the audience and anyone who is watching on TV, but what he doesn’t realize, is at the end of the day, itisabout me.

Everyone expects me to do the right thing. To choose the girl that production has set up as a winner the past few weeks. The expectation has been made crystal clear.

The thing is, what Craig said is right. And I’ve hardly ever been one to follow other peoples’ expectations.

“I’m choosing…” I trail off to look at Valerie and Baylor.

Baylor is looking at the ground as if she knows it’s not her. Valerie’s looking at me. She’s classy. Kind. Confident.

A powerhouse of a performer. The perfect choice.

“Baylor.”

Gasps spread across the auditorium. I turn my head to the right wing of the stage, where Rob Acerra throws down his clipboard before stomping on it and snapping it in two.

But the world around me freezes when Baylor opens her mouth.

“What are you doing?” She rushes over to me as the producers lead Valerie off the stage. “Valerie, she wasright there. You need?—”

I lift a finger up to her lips. “As much as I tried last week, I can’t stop thinking about you. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that first day of interviews when I couldn’t get my shit together and you were watching the whole thing. You’ve completely captured my attention, and there’s no one else, Baylor. You’re it for me.”

“But…why? Why would you choose me when the girl your label wants for you is right there?”

I grab her hands and look into her eyes. “Someone once told me she’s only ever done what others expected of her. What she thoughtother peoplewanted. She thought she had to prove herself to be worthy. Until she realized what she actually wanted and she went for it. Head first, no fear.

“Youhelped me see the light, Baylor. Hell, I came on this show because the label wanted me to, you know that. But coming here, toHeart Strings, led me to you. And now I’m taking matters into my own hands, and I’m doing whatIwant. Not what Rob Acerra or Ace High Entertainment or America wants. WhatIwant. And what I want—who I want—is you.

“I never thought I’d find someone on this show who matches me so perfectly. You see me for who I am. Not the persona that I put on. Not the famous country singer. You don’t see Dusty Wilder, you just seeDusty. And I’ve fallen head over heels for you because of it. None of this matters if you’re not here by my side. They could take this all away tomorrow, and I wouldn’t care. Because it’s you. It’s always been you.”

“Dusty…”

“Let’s make this official, Baylor. You and I, together.”

Before I can say another word, she wraps her hands around my neck and crashes her lips to mine. I don’t care about the cameras, or Jarrod Stone, or anyone else at this moment. It’s just me and the girl I’ve somehow managed to fall madly in love with in ten weeks on a reality dating show.

When we finally break apart, she whispers, “I love you, Dusty Wilder.”

“I love you, too, Baylor. Let’s take on the world.”

On one of the biggest stages in country music, with the woman I know I’m meant to create music and start a life with, I can say with confidence that I’ve made it.

epilogue

Forever After All

baylor

one year later

“Nashville, you look gorgeous tonight!”Dusty greets the crowd when we walk on stage. “Thank you so much for coming out for the final night of the Playing With My Heart Stringstour. We couldn’t be more thankful to be ending our first tour in the city where it all began.” He looks at me with stars in his eyes.

It took us about four months to record our first album, by the same name as our tour. The first month with Ace High Entertainment was challenging, to say the least. Eventually, I won over many of the executives, even if Rob Acerra and I are still working on things. But I get the impression that he’s working on things with many of his artists, Dusty included.We’ve talked about leaving Ace High to start our own label with Craig, but that won’t happen until the tour ends.

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