Page 83 of A Country Kind Of Love

“Are you sure?”

“What is there to say? She’s moved on. I haven’t. It’s no less than I deserve, I guess.”

“Hey...” Jesse leans back, breaking the hug so he can look her in the eye. “Don’t say that. Why are you still beating yourself up about it? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Didn’t I? I ask myself daily, and I put myself in Cleo’s shoes. I go back to the studio, to the things I said, to the way I let myself be so easily influenced, and I rehash every conversation, every opportunity I had to tell Cleo, and I hate myself for being foolish.”

“A little ingenuous maybe, but foolish? No. You didn’t set out to hurt anyone.” Jesse puts his arm around her shoulder and walks her towards the sofa. “You didn’t intentionally go behind her back to try and become a big superstar singer. You started working in a coffee shop for god’s sakes. If your intention was to use her to climb to the top, you would’ve taken Shonda’s offer the first time around.”

Peyton knows in her heart that’s the truth, but the distrust from Cleo makes her question herown motives.

“I wish Cleounderstood.”

“She will.”

“When?” Peyton sighs.

“One day.”

“It’s too late.” Peyton’s stomach churns at the thought of Cleo with someone else. She saw the way they laughed together at the winery. It makes perfect sense now.

“Just give it some time. From what I know of Cleo, she is very black and white... but there is always a grey area in life. She has to wantto see it.”

Peyton isn’t sure how to take that.

Jesse jumps up and grabs his phone from the worktop. “Now, do you want to hear somegood news?”

“Yes, please.”

He sits across from her on the coffee table flicking through his phone until he stopson an email.

“Remember last week when you forced me to be your manager?”

“Forced is a strong word.”

“Coerce, compel, force,same thing.”

Peyton rolls her eyes. “You love beingmy manager.”

“I know.”Jesse grins.

He’s only a week into the job; he still isn’t sure what he should be doing, but he knows how to articulate himself on the phone, and he has her best interests at heart. Peyton thinksit’s a win.

“Get to the point,” Peyton urges.

“I have never been a manager before, unless you count managing my band, but I split that with Charlie. He does most of the gig booking, etc. I didn’t know where to start. I Googled how to be an artist’s manager. Do you know the first requirements it listed?” Jesse waitsin suspense.

“What?”

“It said passion, connections in the music industry, andthick skin.”

“Okay.” Peyton smirks.

“I have all three of those. Wouldn’tyou agree?”

“Absolutely.” Peyton tries to peek at his phone. He pulls it away. She’s impatient.

“I started with connections. I think go big or go home, right? Why start at the bottom when you can go right for theholy grail.”