Page 37 of Country Music Cowboy

She nodded at the guitar. “Can you play it again?”

He’d barely played one note when she started singing. Head thrown back, eyes closed, she was all in. He kept on playing—watching her dark hair dance on the breeze and her pink painted toes tap out the beat on the top porch step. And words that made his head spin and his body stir.

You’ve got my body aching now.

I can’t say that I mind.

You tease me but you touch me.

One kiss, we’re intertwined.

It’s taken me forever to let you get this close.

I see you smile and my craving for you grows.

If tonight is all we have, then, boy, tonight you’re mine.

I’ll love you so good, you’ll try to slow down time.

But you’ll miss me, baby, and I’ll haunt you in your sleep.

My hands, my mouth, on you—you’ll want me close and deep.

She opened her eyes. “So?”

So?What the hell was he supposed to say. She got it. She had to sing this song. He was on fire for her.

But the applause from the back door alerted them to their audience.

“Holy shit, Trav.” Krystal looked as shocked as she sounded. “That was wow. I mean wow. Am I right?” She turned to Jace.

Jace nodded. “Yep. And I wouldn’t mind so much if you handed the song over to me and Krystal.”

If Loretta turned down the deal, that’s probably what would happen. They’d do it right, of course. His sister and Jace practically melted the stage when they performed together as it was. But, deep down, he’d always know the truth. He’d written the song for Loretta—to sing with Loretta.

“Wow is right.” Emmy Lou was wide-eyed. “Forget coffee. I might need some ice water.”

“And a fan.” Krystal nodded. “When did this gem come to you?”

“Last night.” He chuckled. “Didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.”

“Running on fumes?” Jace asked.

“No. Still on a creative high, I guess.” Which wasn’t a common thing.

Jace nodded in understanding.

“Last night?” His father’s gaze bounced between the two of them. “I’m thinking I wasn’t paying enough attention at the IMAs. Because now I get why Wheelhouse is pushing this so hard.”

Travis glanced at Loretta. She was reading over the sheet music, her toes silently beating out the rhythm on the steps. It was a good sign, wasn’t it? That even now, when they were surrounded by friends and family full of praise, she was more tuned in to the song than anything else. Absentmindedly, her fingers pulled a strand of hair over her shoulder, twining it back and forth as her toes kept on tapping.

There was no denying she got to him. Not just as a woman, but as an artist.

For the first time since Wheelhouse had started their pitch, he realized how much he wanted to do this. All of it. The touring and singing and creating, just like this. This morning had given him a taste of how easy it could be between them. How seamless. How damn good. They could be something.

Sawyer arrived with breakfast tacos, and they all moved inside.

Conversation slowly drifted from the song to music to how his sisters decompressed to a not-so-subtle segue into the real reason his sisters were here this morning.