Page 10 of Forever Country (Forever Bluegrass #24)

A nnaleigh was still smiling when the next song started. She turned to leave the dance floor only to see Benton and her parents waiting for her. That was not something she wanted to deal with right now. Annaleigh spun around and walked deeper onto the dance floor.

“Neal!” Annaleigh called out as Neal Cooper parted from his dance partner and began to walk off the dance floor. He looked surprised when she called out to him and stopped moving as the woman he’d been dancing with walked off the floor. “I was looking for you. Do you have a moment to talk?”

Neal held out his hands in a gesture to dance and Annaleigh stepped into his arms. He was rigid beneath her touch as the faster-paced music meant they spun around the floor more. “I’m surprised you want to talk to me.”

“You know I feel horrible about what my father did. I think you’re very talented. In fact, I hope you don’t mind, but I sent your information to a friend of mine and she’s interested in meeting with you to discuss representation.”

Neal looked down at her, suspicious clear in his gaze. “Why would you do that? Your family tried to ruin me.”

“I know, but you know me. You know I’m not like my family.”

Neal snorted with angered amusement. “Right, which is why all your family is talking about is how you secured Holt Everett as a client by playing a damsel in distress. It’s pathetic if you ask me, Annaleigh. And beneath you.”

“They’re saying what?” Annaleigh hissed. Anger unlike anything she felt coursed through her.

“Yeah, it’s all over town. It’s obviously true too. Look at how Holt can’t keep his eyes off you. Someone should warn him he’s walking into the Astore’s web. You walk in, but only a husk of your former self walks out.”

“I’m so sorry, Neal. I wish it hadn’t happened like that. And, not that it matters, but Holt isn’t with Astore Entertainment. No matter how much my parents want him to be.”

Neal sighed as the song came to its end. “Thanks for passing along my information.”

“You’re a great singer, Neal. Good luck. I’ll be rooting for you for New Artist of the Year.”

Annaleigh dropped her arms at the same time Neal did.

Her family had hurt him. She hoped she had helped him out enough to make up for it.

Now to deal with her parents. Anger caused her smile to falter as she walked around the ballroom.

Neal was correct. Everywhere she turned she heard whispers of how she slept her way into landing Holt as a client.

Annaleigh wanted to scream. She wanted to yell, curse, and break down.

However, she did what every good southern lady did.

She lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and walked with class and dignity from the ballroom and into the nearest private hallway to have a private breakdown for thirty seconds before getting things done.

The narrow hallway appeared to belong to various storage closets and was perfect for what she needed to do.

Annaleigh closed her eyes, mentally screamed, took some deep breaths, then pulled her cellphone from her small wristlet and searched online for a contact.

She placed the call and was thankful when an actual person answered.

It was an after-hours answering service, but it was better than just a machine.

Hanging up, Annaleigh pulled up her social media account and grimaced at the number of mentions tagging her as sleeping her way into clients. She was about to type up a statement when her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Miss Astore, your ears must have been burning. I was just talking about you.”

Annaleigh wanted to curl up and die. This was not the reputation she wanted. “It’s all false. I wanted to call to give you my word I’m not trying to poach your client, Mrs. Davies.”

The woman laughed and Annaleigh let out a breath.

It wasn’t a mocking laugh, but one of actual amusement.

“I’m not worried about these rumors, Miss Astore.

And please, call me Morgan. I was talking just now to Holt’s mother about you.

Since we both know Holt would never join your parents’ agency, that means only one thing. ”

“That my parents are underhanded?” Annaleigh guessed.

Morgan laughed again. “I would never say something mean about your parents, but I won’t correct you either. I am referring to the photographs, Miss Astore.”

“Please, call me Annaleigh. But, what photos?” Annaleigh asked. A second later her phone buzzed with a text message.

“The second these hit my inbox, I began my research. And not just me. So did Taylor. We were talking about what we’ve learned,” Morgan told her as if they were friends catching up.

Annaleigh clicked the image and stared. It was a picture of her and Holt dancing. He held her close to him and they stared at each other as they both smiled. The photo somehow captured a very intimate moment in a very public place. “Oh,” she said on an exhale.

“Exactly,” Morgan replied. “Both Taylor and I found everything we needed to know about you in less than twenty minutes.”

“You want me to stay away from Holt because of my parents. I understand.”

Morgan laughed again. “No, Annaleigh. We both heard you are nothing like your parents. That you’re well respected in the industry, kind, compassionate, and believe in mentoring and supporting up-and-coming artists.

You don’t have a reputation for dating singers or celebrities, and we were both told there would be no way you were using Holt.

In fact, many of the people we talked to hope the story of you two being an item was true. ”

“Annaleigh. There you are.”

Annaleigh spun and took in Holt’s worried look.

“Don’t worry, Holt,” Annaleigh told him, pointing to her phone.

“I’m talking to Morgan now. I was about to ask her to put out a statement refuting my parents’ claim.

I was going to do the same on my social media.

I’m going to put you on speaker, Morgan. ”

Annaleigh pressed the button and held the phone between her and Holt. Holt was frowning as Morgan began to speak. “I was thinking a statement along the lines—”

“The statement will be simple,” Holt said, not taking his eyes off Annaleigh’s. “It’ll say that Holt Everett doesn’t comment on rumors about his girlfriend.”

“Holt,” Annaleigh gasped. “You can’t say that. That will only fuel the fire that I poached you.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t give a damn what the newspapers say. I only care about you.”

Morgan sighed. “Your mother is going to be thrilled. But seriously, am I hard-launching you two?”

“Yes,” Holt said at the same time Annaleigh said, “No.”

“Why don’t you two discuss this and let me know in the next half hour. It was a pleasure to talk to you, Annaleigh. Holt, I will drop you as my client in a heartbeat if you mess this up.” Then the line went dead as Annaleigh first gasped and then laughed.

“Oh, I really like her.”

Holt used his body to move Annaleigh a couple of steps until her back was against the wall. “And I really like you.”

Oh goodness. Annaleigh felt like swooning. Holt gave her an intense look as his body leaned in and his hand came up to her neck. His thumb brushed her jaw as he glanced down at her lips. “I’m sorry about my parents.”

“Well, they at least got one thing straight.”

“What’s that?” Annaleigh asked in a whisper.

“That I’m seduced by you.”

Holt applied enough pressure on her jaw to tilt her head up to meet his lips.

His other hand wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him as he deepened the kiss.

His mouth was warm with a hint of bourbon as he tasted her.

Her hands caught up to the kiss as she wrapped them around his waist. The kiss was all-consuming.

She felt it in every nerve ending from her lips to her toes and definitely everywhere between.

Annaleigh didn’t know how long they kissed. The outside world ceased to exist. It had melted away until it was only the two of them with their whole world centered on where their lips met.

Holt pulled away and Annaleigh had to take a minute to blink herself back to the present. “See, you totally seduced me.”

Holt loved the way Annaleigh laughed. Her body was relaxed now.

The fear was gone from her eyes. If he’d ever doubted her, finding her out in a hall talking to Morgan to make sure he didn’t suffer from the rumors her parents were passing around, sealed the deal.

Annaleigh was a good person. However, he already knew that.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He was tempted to leave it, but not many people had his number. It meant it was someone from Keeneston, since the others who would text him were in the ballroom right behind them.

Holt pulled his phone from the inside of his tuxedo pocket. “It’s Morgan.”

“What does it say?” Annaleigh asked.

“That’s one way to settle the hard launch debate,” Holt said, reading the text out loud as a photo loaded. The reception was crap, but then the photo filled the screen. He immediately whipped around, but didn’t see anyone.

“What is it?” Annaleigh sounded worried.

Holt smiled and turned the phone. Annaleigh gasped as the picture of them holding each other tight as they kissed in this very hall moments ago filled the screen.

It looked as if it had been taken right before he’d kissed her.

“It’s apparently already on the gossip sites.

I’d say we’re official now, sweetheart. That is, if you want to be.

If you don’t want that, I’ll stop it right now. ”

Annaleigh looked flustered. “How would you do that?”

“I’m the co-host and therefore I have access to the microphone.”

“You would do that?”

Holt brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I told you I’d protect you. Just tell me what you want, Annaleigh.” Holt wanted to kiss her. He wanted to beg her to take a chance on him, but that wouldn’t be fair to her. It needed to be her decision.

Annaleigh took a deep breath, but then she leaned her face into his hand. “I want to give this thing between us a chance. But I have a condition.”

“What’s that?” Holt asked, trying not to push her. He was on the cusp of getting what he wanted—her.

“We will always be completely honest with each other. If it’s not working, if it’s too fast, if my parents are too much—you have to tell me. What do you think?”

“I think I’d like to have another dance with my new girlfriend before I walk her to her car and kiss her goodnight then follow her to make sure she gets home safely.”

Holt held out his hand and felt like a freaking hero when she put her hand in his. People stared as they walked into the ballroom. But then again, he was staring at Annaleigh too. She was stunning and here she was on his arm. He was the luckiest man here.

The slow song began to play, and ignoring all the stares and whispers, Holt led her onto the dancefloor. Holt brought their joined hands to his chest and pulled her close as they danced.

“Aren’t you two cute.” Holt and Annaleigh looked to their side and Holt grinned at Maddie as she danced with a guy Holt didn’t know.

“I knew you two would be.” Maddie leaned forward and stared him right in the eyes.

“And if you hurt her, I will personally castrate you in the middle of Broadway in front of God and everyone. Got it?”

Holt had to bite back his smile. He could respect that. “I promise, Maddie. I’ll hand you the knife myself if I do.”

“Good, and nice touch with the press release about your relationship,” Maddie said with a grin. “I’m guessing we’re not going out after this dance to grab pancakes?” she asked Annaleigh with a wink.

“Did you say press release?” Annaleigh asked, ignoring the question about pancakes as they all moved off the dance floor.

The guy dancing with Maddie smiled, but bowed out of their conversation.

Holt saw Annaleigh pulling out her phone and seeing the picture of them dancing from earlier, staring into each other’s eyes, on his own social media page.

“The look of love,” Annaleigh read the caption out loud.

“Wow, Morgan didn’t just launch us with a little push.

She launched us with enough explosives to reach the moon. ”

Holt tossed back his head and laughed. “That’s Morgan for you. Come on, love of my life, let’s get you home.”

They said goodbye to Maddie and ignored her parents’ attempt to get their attention. They left the ballroom with their heads held high and their hands clasped together. “Did you valet?” Holt asked as he handed his ticket to the valet.

“No. We were running late and the valet line was too long. I parked a couple of blocks down.”

“I’ll drive you then.” Holt kept their hands linked as the valet ran off to get his truck. “Do you want to go home or do you want some pancakes?”

Annaleigh smiled and shook her head. “The last thing I want to do is go to some diner dressed like this.”

“How about my kitchen? I make some really good pancakes.”

The valet was approaching in his truck. Holt didn’t wait for the valet to open the door for Annaleigh and opened it himself. “In that case, pancakes sound delicious.”

Holt closed the door and couldn’t believe how he felt like a teenager in love for the first time as he walked around to his door. Everything about this felt different from all other dates. It was... exhilarating. Each look she gave him. Each touch. They all set his heart into flutters.

“Turn right here. I’m parked in this lot in the back right. I’m the white car.”

Holt’s headlights turned down the last row of cars and the flutters turned to rocks. “Annaleigh, is that your car?”

Now illuminated by his headlights, the profusion of broken glass seemed to sparkle like jewels on the asphalt. Someone had broken out every window of her car.

Holt put his truck in park and reached for Annaleigh’s hand. Her body was shaking, her face was pale, and her eyes were wide and not blinking. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll take care of this.”

Holt pulled out his phone and called 911. It was time for someone to take this threat seriously.