Prologue
REED
“How is the best thing to happen to country music since George Jones?” Katie teases when I answer the phone. I roll my eyes.
“Damn, is this really you? How long has it been, Katie?”
“Too long, but if we’re keeping track, it’s been almost a year. Which, by the way, is not my fault. Turns out when you become a huge country music star, you’re hard to get in touch with.”
“Not really. You have my cell—you’re using it right now,” I point out.
“That goes both ways, Ryker Lane.”
“God, I hate that name,” I bellyache.
“I don’t know. It’s been good to you.”
“Yeah, it has,” I admit. I can’t really deny that. It’s been five years since Callie pushed me out of her life, and while I’d kept track of her through Katie and Jeff, the last year I’d let it go. There comes a time when you just have to say it’s done. That’s where I’m at. I kept hoping Callie would miss me enough that she would come back to me. If she could have just taken a chance…
She didn’t, and I had to let go completely. I didn’t have a choice.
“Which brings me to the reason for this call,” she murmurs. The tone in her voice sets off mild alarm bells.
“What’s wrong?”
“Why does something have to be wrong for me to call you, Reed?”
“It doesn’t, but it has been a year, and you seem to have something on your mind.”
She lets out a heavy, long, drawn-out breath.
“Katie?” I prompt, really starting to get worried now.
“Okay, fine,” she huffs, confusing the hell out of me. Until now, I’d been reclined back in my chair, legs kicked back on the top of my desk. I’m supposed to be picking out songs for the new album, but none of them are speaking to me. Honestly, and this sounds fucked-up as hell, music has lost its appeal the last couple of years. Trisha says I’ve gotten too accustomed to having money, and now that my accounts are full, I don’t care. That could be it, I guess. Nothing much seems to make me feel alive these days. The most at ease I’ve felt was when I traveled to Junie’s new digs to help her celebrate. She looked like a completely different woman and was extremely happy. I never thought she’d be the type to settle down with a cop, but it looked good on her.
I bring my feet to the floor and sit up, sensing this conversation with Katie needs more concentration than I anticipated.
“Are you going to spit it out soon? I feel like I’ve aged twenty years during this one conversation.”
“Jeff and I want you to come to our wedding.”
“Jeff and… Holy fuck, Katie! You’re getting married!”
“Yeah,” she laughs.
“But how? When? I thought you two broke up?” I ask, thoroughly confused.
“We did. But he was miserable, Lennon was miserable, and I missed him. We may not have a conventional relationship, but I love him.”
“And Jake?”
“Is a closed book. I saw him at Christmas. He barely spared Lennon a look. He can’t even remember his damn birthday.”
“To be fair, he thinks Lennon is just a nephew.”
“To be fair, Jake has been an asshole for a long damn time, Reed. I’m tired. I’m not getting any younger. I’m finally at the point where Jake doesn’t factor into my relationship with Jeff—and that’s always been his choice. This time the choice is mine. I want to be happy. After five years, I think I deserve that.”
“When’s the wedding?” I ask.
“In three weeks,” she adds, bashfully.
“Damn, thanks for the notice,” I criticize. “I kind of have commitments here, you know.”
“I know. I’m sorry. When we decided, it was kind of spur of the moment. I want Lennon to have a little brother or sister. I’d like it to be before they’re spaced apart so much that they hate one another.”
I could tell her it doesn’t matter how close their ages are, that could still happen. I don’t. I try not to think of Mitch at all. The only time I do is when I fly Mom out for the holidays. She lives in Florida now. Although she went a long time not talking to me, all that ended when she discovered the magic of having a multi-millionaire for a son.
It’s damn funny how that works.
“I’ll clear my calendar.”
“Good. Jeff will probably call you tonight when he gets in from work. He wants to ask you to be his best man.”
“Not Jake?”
“Nope. You were always his choice. Jeff did ask him to be a groomsman, but Jake told him he’d be in Cheyenne competing for the championship.”
“Okay. I’ll be expecting his call.”
“Uh…there’s one more thing, Reed.”
“What’s that?” I ask hesitantly.
“Callie is obviously my maid of honor. You’ll be required to be around her some…”
“It’s okay, Katie. We’re grown-ups, and it’s been five years. I think we can manage to get through your wedding.”