Page 20 of Forever Country (Forever Bluegrass #24)

A nnaleigh groaned as Holt massaged her foot.

The game had been a nail-biter and she had been jumping up and down and screaming for most of the second half.

She’d somehow forgotten about the vile comments on social media about her.

She’d talked to Maddie, who was giving her all the Nashville dirt on the photos, but had told her most of the people they actually knew were happy for Annaleigh and Holt.

Annaleigh turned off her phone after scheduling the meeting for tomorrow with Maddie.

Now she was back in Holt’s small apartment and didn’t want to turn it back on.

However, if Maddie needed anything, she wouldn’t be able to get hold of Annaleigh.

“Can you hand me my phone? I need to see if Maddie needs anything.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Holt asked. “Give me her number and I can text her.” Holt offered even as he handed her the phone.

“Thanks. If it’s too overwhelming I’ll turn it back off.”

Annaleigh turned on her phone as Holt rubbed her feet. Messages poured in. Annaleigh only opened ones from friends, leaving the ones from her parents, brother, and Benton unread.

“Oh,” Annaleigh said as a smile tugged on her lips.

“What is it?” Holt asked.

“Mary Ellen from the Opry messaged me to tell me how happy she was to see two of her favorite people together. That’s really nice.” Message after message from her friends and contacts in the industry relayed the same message.

Then she opened the long list of messages from Maddie. Most were links to stories about her and Holt or pictures of them smiling and cheering in the stands. But there was one link that when Annaleigh pressed on it, she almost kicked Holt as she jumped up.

“What is it?” Holt asked, his face full of concern.

“It’s Nashville Tea’s gossip column. It says, ‘This reporter asked Paisley Collins, Nashville’s most respected artist, if she was surprised or concerned that her friend and frequent collaborator, Holt Everett, was in a relationship with Annaleigh Astore, whose parents are attempting to poach Holt to their agency,” Annaleigh read from her phone.

“Paisley laughed at the question, saying ‘Holt would never join Astore Entertainment’ before telling this reporter that Holt had already talked to her about his feelings for Annaleigh, so it was no surprise. Paisley further commented that she couldn’t have picked a better person for Holt than Annaleigh since they were both known for their kindness and their support of up-and-coming artists in the music industry.

Paisley then pointed out that ‘we’ve all seen pictures of them together. It’s clear they’re in love.’”

Annaleigh looked up to Holt with a mix of excitement and confusion. “This is the queen of country music. She doesn’t know me except for some mentoring programs we are both active in. But by doing so, she just solidified us as a legitimate couple. Why would she do this?”

“Because it’s true.” Holt looked up as he smiled up at her. “I told her about you and asked her if she knew you. She told me just what she told the reporter.”

“I guess you do like me a little bit, huh?” Annaleigh said playfully. The fact that she knew he talked about her before they even got together made her heart skip a beat with excitement. Annaleigh was falling for him hard and if Holt was already talking about her, the feeling might be mutual.

Holt leaned forward from the bed and grabbed her, pulling her down on top of him onto the bed.

“It’s more than a little, sweetheart. I took one look at you drowning in the rain and knew you were the one for me.

You were so brave in the face of danger.

Then I got to know you more and everything I know about you makes me love you more and more.

Well, besides the fact that you like cilantro. But no one is perfect.”

Annaleigh had stopped breathing as soon as Holt called her “the one.” She’d thought she had been in love before, but nothing had ever been like this. She didn’t dare take another breath out of fear of missing a single word Holt was saying.

“You were almost perfect, but then you ruined it with your hatred of cilantro. Mexican food isn’t real Mexican food without it,” Annaleigh said as if his confession of his feelings for her wasn’t a big deal.

Holt smiled up at her and she felt his body shake with silent laughter underneath her. “Is this our first fight, sweetheart?”

“I’ll let it slide this one time because I love you too, Holt.”

Annaleigh didn’t wait for him to kiss her. She lowered her head, her hair forming a curtain around them as she kissed him. Holt’s hands trailed down to her hips, pulling her to him. Annaleigh couldn’t stop moving her hips as Holt deepened the kiss.

Holt’s hands roamed her body, learning it, as she reached for the bottom of his shirt.

Annaleigh shoved his shirt up before running her hands over the ridges of his pecs and down each individual ridge of his abs until she was unbuttoning his jeans.

Annaleigh only stopped long enough for Holt to pull her top over her head and then she was back to kissing him.

Holt kissed with a mix of passion and emotion.

He was both assertive and romantic at the same time as he grabbed her hips and flipped her over on the bed.

“You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this. I think we were made for each other,” Holt whispered to her as he kissed his way down her neck.

An image of the sheets of paper on the coffee table after Rose Sisters’ tea episode flashed before her.

He’s written a song titled Made for Each Other .

Tears almost threatened to spill as she wiggled her hips while Holt pulled down her jeans.

Tears because she was so full of love for Holt she thought she might burst.

“Show me that we were made for each other,” Annaleigh whispered as she shoved his pants down over his hips.

Holt only stopped touching her long enough to kick his jeans off and then he wove his fingers into her hair as his lips descended on hers once again.

Annaleigh kissed him back, her nails running down his back caused him to groan into her mouth.

Holt removed a hand from her hair and gave her hip a squeeze before running it up her side to cup her breast. Annaleigh arched forward, moaning herself this time as her kiss grew frantic.

Holt’s fingers and arms were rough and strong from playing the guitar and knew exactly how to play her body. Before long, she was panting his name over and over as he found all the right notes with her. All Annaleigh could do was hang on as Holt showed her exactly how they were made for each other.

“Maddie’s here!” Annaleigh said with excitement after reading the text from her best friend. “How far is the bed and breakfast?”

Holt was working on his music, but set his guitar down and looked toward the windows. “See that street that goes up the hill?”

Annaleigh walked over to the window and nodded. “I see it.”

“The bed and breakfast is up the hill on the right.”

“Oh good! We’re having the meeting at Mr. Abel’s office right down the street. I can go see Maddie then walk down with her while you go to your meeting with Morgan.” Annaleigh was already grabbing her things when Holt stopped her.

“I can drive you.”

“It’s right up the street. You can watch me from the window if you really want to. But you need to get to your meeting with Morgan. Maddie just happened to get in early.”

Annaleigh saw Holt’s jaw tighten, but then he nodded. “I’ll watch as I get ready.” Holt stood up and gave her a quick kiss. “But text me so I know you’re okay.”

“I will. I’ll see you after our meetings.”

Annaleigh had silenced every text or call except for any coming from Maddie.

She didn’t want to ruin her afterglow from last night or deal with her parents.

However, seeing her best friend would be the start of something brand new.

Today was the first day of the new chapter of Annaleigh’s story.

The chapter where she was in charge of the writing, not her parents or anyone else.

Annaleigh hurried down the back stairs, cut through the kitchen because she knew that would make Holt happy, then looked up at the windows once she crossed the street. She waved to Holt, who was buttoning up a shirt, as she walked up the hill toward the bed and breakfast.

She didn’t have to guess which house it was. The first hint was the sign. Second was her friend jumping up and down on the big porch. “This town is adorable! There were fresh baked cookies in my room.”

Annaleigh hugged Maddie the second she walked up the couple of steps to the porch. “I’m glad you like it. The people who run it also run the café in town and their food is really good.”

“Now, can I tell you something and you promise not to get mad?” Maddie asked as Annaleigh noticed the satchel on one of the porch chairs.

“I haven’t had a good history with surprises this past week. Why don’t you go ahead and tell me?”

“Things didn’t work with Dallas. Not that there was anything officially going on to begin with, but I didn’t want to get in too deep and have it affect you and Holt since he’s besties with Holt,” Maddie told her.

“You didn’t have to do that!”

Maddie gave her a little wave of her hand as if it weren’t a big deal.

“We had fun the night of the gala. We hung out afterward, eating pancakes and talking, but there was no spark. We left on great terms, friendly terms, I swear. It won’t be weird if we hang out or anything.

I hope you’re not upset. Plus, your circle is really tight right now, and I don’t know Dallas well enough to trust him with your life, friends with Holt or not. ”

Annaleigh laughed and Maddie looked confused. “That circle got blown up by everyone in Keeneston. Let me tell you about the last twenty-four hours.”