“Dawson,” she answers matter-of-factly.
“What?” I half-jump out of my chair. Except, where exactly do I plan to go? I sink back down in my seat. “Why would he do that?”
“We had a long discussion. I understand he feels guilty about all of this. Glenna being his ex and all.” Miranda shrugs. “Does it matter?”
I guess it doesn’t. I side-eye Rooster and he nods.
“Thank you, Miranda.” Even though the situation is weird, my momma raised me with manners after all.
“The agent and lawyers will probably want a percentage but you’ll work that out,” she says.
Great. More people taking a cut of what I work my ass off for.
Why is this so complicated? I don’t want to prance around in jeans. I want to sing songs.
And buy my momma a house one day.
“What do you think?” Rooster asks after we log off the call with Miranda.
“That was…exciting and a little weird.” I’m still staring at the computer monitor which is just a screen saver of a Harley now. “She’s intense.”
“Chaser says she has a good reputation and a long list of A-list clients.”
“Thank you for setting that up.” I slap my hands on my thighs. “Damn, you’ve been busy. Buying vehicles and sorting my career—”
“It’s not my intention to interfere with anything. I wanted to help.”
I grab his hand between mine and hold his gaze. “I know that. I’m trying to thank you. Sorry if it didn’t come out that way.”
He rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. “It scared me and pissed me the fuck off that Glenna had a part in this but somehow she could make you look bad. Ruin all of your hard work. I don’t want to take any chances.” He clenches his jaw tight. “After what you went through. What that psycho did. No one’s taking your career away from you or fucking with it, Shelby. The security stuff, I can handle. I will handle it. But this—” he waves his hand at the screen. “I can’t do a damn thing for you on that end.”
There’s a whole lotta love and faith running through all his words. I’m so close to tears, I bite my lip to hold them back. “Thank you.” After a few seconds, I’m calm enough to ask my next question. “Did you ask Dawson to cover her fees?”
“Hell no. I got her name from Chaser. But since he’s not really in the country music ‘scene,’ I asked Dawson for his opinion. He knows her and must’ve spoken to her. I was going to cover whatever she charged until you get rollin’.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t.” He cups my cheek and rubs his thumb over my bottom lip. “I don’t like letting another man take care of anything for my girl. But I also feel like he owes you. So for now, it’s fine. The second you feel there might be a conflict of interest, though, you fire her and we’ll find you someone else. Okay?”
I’m impressed with Rooster’s mercenary attitude.
There’s a knock at the door, drawing our attention away from our moment. I rip off the few pages of notes I’d taken during the call and stuff them in my back pocket.
The door opens and Anya’s gaze pings between the two of us. “Is now okay, Rooster?”
“Yeah, we just wrapped up.” He waves her inside. “Sorry,” he says to me in a low voice. “I promised Ice I’d finish up here and Anya needs me to help her with something.”
“Oh. Of course. No problem.” I stand, feeling sort of awkward.
Anya flashes a quick, warm smile. “You don’t have to leave, Shelby. It shouldn’t take too long.”
“No, I, uh, that’s okay.”
Rooster works his jaw from side to side. I can’t tell if he’s annoyed with me or the situation. His fingers fly over the keyboard, tapping hard enough to bend plastic. Within a few seconds a log-in page pops up on the screen.
A few more clicks of the keyboard and we’re all staring at what must be Anya’s porn site. It’s a lot slicker and more professional-looking than mine, I’ll give her that. A lot more skin on display too.
I move behind the chair I’d been sitting in, offering it to her. “Maybe you should sit here.” I motion toward the small love seat against the wall closest to the desk. “I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Shelby.”
Rooster clicks through a few pages, enters some more info. He’s so focused and intent on each action. Finally, he arrives at a screen with nothing but rows of numbers and charts.
“Yes!” Anya bounces in her seat. “This is what I didn’t know how to access.”
Rooster walks her through the process slowly. She grabs the notepad I’d used earlier and diligently writes down everything Rooster explains. He’s a patient teacher. Doesn’t get annoyed or act superior when she asks him to repeat a few points like a lotta techy guys would. He glances at me over her head and raises an eyebrow, checking in to make sure I’m okay with all of this.