A while later my cell phone rings from inside the house, interrupting my solitude and general contentment with the world. Levering myself off the chair, I cross the porch and push open the door to grab it off the counter and answer it.
Obviously, I’m hoping it’s Crey. But it’s not—it’s Tana.
“Hey, girl, what’s going on?” I haven’t talked to her since I told her why I left New York the second time just before I headed to Gold Haven.
“Have you seen the papers or the gossip sites today?”
My stomach drops to my feet. “I’m not going to like what you have to say, am I?”
“Oh shit. You haven’t.”
“Nope. No tabloids on my front porch here.” I swallow back the rising apprehension and drop into a chair. “How bad is it?”
“It’s pretty bad, babe. Your mama sold a tell-all exclusive to Yapper that they posted about ten minutes ago. And this morning, the news also broke about your husband being sued by his own shareholders for corporate fraud or something like that. That was in the Wall Street Journal, not Yapper, but I didn’t know about it until I read the Yapper article and they linked to it. Your names are on everyone’s lips today.”
“What?”
I’m glad I’m not holding my coffee cup any longer. It would be shattered on the floor right now.
“You know how they say no publicity is bad publicity? Well, today let’s really hope that’s true for your sake.”
I shove out of the chair and stride to Gran’s bedroom, and sure enough, all of Mama’s stuff is gone. Stumbling back against the warped oak door, I slide down it and drop my head between my knees. My hand shakes so much, I can barely hold the phone to my ear.
“What did she say?” I whisper.
Disappointment, disgust, and anger well up inside me, my stomach twisting and flopping. I gave her the benefit of the doubt like the sucker I am. What was I thinking?
Tana sounds almost hesitant as she speaks. “I think Creighton probably got the worst of it. I had no idea he was married in college. The whole thing was buried. Rumor has it the girl faked a pregnancy to snag him, and then when she realized he wasn’t getting a dime from his uncle, pretended to lose the baby. Everything about you just mostly makes you sound like a girl crazy in love with her husband.”
The sick feeling multiplies as my neck and cheeks grow hot. I’m responsible for Creighton’s personal business being spread all over the pages of a rag—personal business I knew nothing about.
Annika was pregnant? Or at least pretended to be? He left that out, along with the fact that he was going to get sued. Did he know that was coming? I remember the tense set of his shoulders when he answered the call from Cannon. He must have known. But why didn’t he share that with me?
“Tell me about Creighton getting sued.”
“You really didn’t know?”
Tana’s question comes out as shocked, and a small sliver of me can’t help but wonder what else Crey may not be telling me. I hate that kernel of doubt.
I bolt up off the floor, and begin pacing the room. “Please, Tana? I wouldn’t be asking you if I knew.”
“Shit. And here I thought you were just the fucking queen of keeping secrets.”
“What are you talking about?”
My crazy feelings crash into each other like cars at a malfunctioning stoplight. Frustration wins out, and I want to reach through the phone and shake it out of her.
“He bought Homegrown fucking Records, Holly. For you.”
Blood rushes through my ears, deafening me.
“What?” I whisper.
“Holy fuck, you really didn’t know?”
“No, I didn’t know.” My voice is getting louder as the shock turns to confusion and disbelief.
“Shit,” she whispers. “That’s kinda huge. How could he not tell you?”
I drop my head back against the wall.
“What else hasn’t he told me?” I mumble.
“I don’t know, babe. He’s your husband.”
“So, what do I do now?” I don’t know if I’m asking myself, Tana, or the universe in general. Luckily for me, Tana has an answer.
“Get your ass back to Nashville. Come to my place and lay low.”
My phone beeps with another incoming call. I pull it away from my face, once again expecting to see Creighton’s name on the screen. But it’s not. It’s Chance.
“Shit. Chance is calling me too. I better take it.”
“He’s gonna tell you the same thing that I am. Get your ass back to town, and your people will circle the wagons.”
“Thank you for the heads-up. Now to do damage control on my life.”
“You got this, babe. Love you.”
I hit the button to flip over to Chance’s call.
“You heard the news that you’re news?” he says without preamble.
“Yep. Just now.”
“Good. Get yourself back to town. You’re gonna lay low and finish your songs. Boone says he’ll put you up so you’re out of the public eye. I’ll send you Garcia to get the songs finalized, and then you and the band can practice at Boone’s. We’re going to cut that album as fast as we fucking can.”
It’s so much information to take in, I’m reeling. “Slow down, Chance. This is all—”
“No time to slow down, kid. As of this morning, you’re the girl everyone’s talking about. We need to ride the wave before it goes south.”
I should appreciate his opportunistic business sense, but I need a second to breathe. “It’s my goddamn life, Chance. Not a fucking wave.”