Nashville by Heart: A Novel (11 page)

“Don’t
I know that?” Everyone chuckled. “I’m so glad she found someone like you, young
man.” A long beat of silence followed. Nobody was going to comment on what the
real meaning of her mom’s comment might be.

“And
Dorothy too,” her mom said. “Is Dorothy there?”

Dorothy
saved them. “I bet you’re wondering what this call is all about Ms. Heart?”

“I
was
wondering. And please, it’s Louise.”

“Louise,”
Will broke in. “Let us introduce you to some of Gillian’s new friends.” He
introduced each music executive one by one. Gillian watched her momma’s eyes
grow wider with each introduction.

“Now,”
he said. “They’ve offered this record deal to Gillian, and she wanted to share
the big moment with you.”

On
screen, Louise was holding her hands over her mouth to keep from crying. Will
gave Gillian a meaningful look, and her heart brimmed with affection. If that
man asked her to marry him right on the spot, she’d say yes just for doing
something as nice as this for her momma. Maybe he would’ve made sure any
client’s momma was live-streamed in the middle of a deal if they wanted it, but
something told her probably not. It took her a minute to shift from Will back
to the deal. Somebody handed her a pen. She noticed it was black and shiny with
the record company’s logo on one side. She hoped they wouldn’t care when she
put that pen in her purse later.

Dorothy
patted Gillian slightly on the arm. “Let’s keep it together, girl. Sign it.”

Gillian
decided she owed Dorothy a nice lunch after this for keeping her together.
She’d been practicing her signature, something she and Tasha had been doing for
fun. And with a scratch-scratch up and down and a few twirly loops, Gillian
signed the contract that would make her dream a reality.

One
of the executives, the highest ranking, if one could tell by the quality of his
suit, leaned forward to shake her hand warmly.

“We’re
so very happy to have you, Ms. Heart. I’m sure your father is going to be over
the moon. Isn’t he?”

There
was an audible silence in the room except for the small gasp from Gillian’s
mouth. She looked at Will who ran one hand over his scruffy chin like he always
did when he was thinking, but even under pressure, he still managed to look
casual about everything. It was only the blue depths of his eyes that ever gave
anything away to her. She noted the concern in them now.

The
executive shaking Gillian’s hand continued to smile, waiting for her answer. He
obviously hadn’t received the memo to keep quiet about Cooper Heart.

She
smiled and nodded, understanding the importance of remaining professional, even
though nothing had ever felt more personal. Her heart had burst open at the
mention of her dad, reminding her that he wasn’t there, he didn’t know, and he
probably didn’t care. And all right in front of her momma.

“He
is,” she said, even though she had no idea.

“We
look forward to working with you, Ms. Heart. Who knows? Maybe one day you and
your father might collaborate on something for us.” He looked at the others for
approval. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”

Everyone
whole-heartedly agreed, except for her momma on the screen. To anyone else, her
smile might have looked like she had the same opinion as the executive, but
what Gillian saw in her eyes was a determined message that said the same thing
Dorothy had whispered earlier.

Keep
it together, Gillian
.
So she took a deep breath and nodded.

Will
gave her a sympathetic look, but she couldn’t meet his stare. She wanted to be
angry that he’d obviously made her dad part of his negotiations on her behalf,
even though she’d asked him not to. But a part of her was all too aware of the
truth. Dorothy was wrong. It wasn’t the relationship with Will that she should
be worried about when it came to work. It was the one with her dad that had the
power to drain her confidence and topple her career before it ever got started.

Gillian
hadn’t said anything since they got back to the office, which worried Will. She
should’ve been dancing and singing in celebration. The glasses and bottle of
champagne sat outside his office door on Josie’s desk, untouched. He hated how
the executives had mentioned her dad right in the middle of the deal, but he
had tried to warn her. The truth was, he wouldn’t have done his negotiations
with the record company any differently.

He
was a damn good agent, and he’d poured everything, and a lot extra, into
getting her a deal. He would’ve used Cooper Heart’s name all over again if he
had to. The suggestion of Gillian and her dad collaborating had been a surprise
to him too, but it’d made him want to stand up and whoop. It was more than he
could’ve bargained for, and any other client would have been elated, but
Gillian wasn’t any client. He was in love with her, and he sure hated the way
she sat in his office right now, looking like someone had just punched her.

“I’m
so sorry, darlin’. But you have to understand. Sometimes a small thing like
that can make the difference between a record company signing one client over
another. For all we know, there might’ve been another person in the race, and
your dad’s connection was simply the tie-breaker.”

She
finally looked at him, her eyes filled with sadness. “He’s my dad. Our
relationship isn’t a story for someone to use to get their way.”

“Yes,
it is.” He was matter-of-fact, even though he wanted to sweep her up in an
embrace to block her pain. “And I used the story to get
your
way. The
record deal you’ve been dreaming of all your life just happened, and I worked
my ass off back there to get it for you. The least you could do is say thanks.”

Her
head snapped up. “You should’ve warned me.”

His
face went hot with renewed frustration. “Gillian. They loved everything about
you. Did you know that even though they asked you to sing for them, they’ve
already been out watching you at different venues?”

She
shook her head, her eyes filling with surprise.

“Every
time we schedule a gig, Dorothy and I let everyone know. Sometimes they show,
sometimes they don’t. They showed more than once, and they were this close to
signing.” He held up his thumb and forefinger. “And all they needed was one
little promise.”

“And
what promise was that?” she said, her eyes stormy and gorgeous, but never mind
that.

“The
promise that your talent is real and lasting, because it’s in your blood. By
telling them about your dad, I promised them it was a legacy for you. And it
is.”

“I
get talent from my mom too, Will.” She shook her head in frustration. “I’m not
ready to deal with my dad.”

The
problem was, outside of work he could listen to her talk about what a jerk
Cooper Heart was all day long, but as a manager, he didn’t have time.

“Gillian
Heart, you aren’t working this right. Get some counseling, call your dad and
tell him off, cry into your pillow at night, but by all means, darlin’, grow
up, and think about your career.”

She
flinched like he’d slapped her. He felt like a jerk, but he wasn’t saying
anything he wouldn’t say to any of his other clients. The only reason it
mattered was because he was in love with her. Damn it. He leaned back in his
chair.

“I
need to grow up?” she asked.

He
nodded, hating himself. “This isn’t Gold Creek Gap.”

“So,
you think I’m some young innocent girl from a small town who can’t handle any
of this?”

He
didn’t need to answer. That’s exactly what he thought, except she was no girl.
She was all woman, and she drove him crazy, and it was making his job very hard
at the moment. Dorothy had been right when she offered to take Gillian on.
She’d warned him, and he should’ve drawn stronger boundaries than he had, but
it was too late now. He couldn’t rein in his feelings any more than he could
rein in a storm.

He
took a deep breath, running his hand over his chin. The sight of Gillian
glaring at him from her seat reminded him of his sisters and his mom. They were
kind and sweet like Gillian, but they, too, had fire.

“I’m
sorry I hurt your feelings.”

She
sniffed.

“Forgive
me, please,” he said.

She
swiped at a loan tear.

“I
do,” she said, and he let out the breath he’d been holding. “I know you did
your job. And I’m grateful.”

His
face flushed. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he liked hearing her
say so. How many times had he seen her on the verge of tears earlier that day?
She’d visibly struggled to keep them in, and now, thanks to him, she was about
to leak all over the place. He couldn’t stand it any longer. He shoved back his
chair.

He
was by her side in a heartbeat, kneeling with his arm around her.

“I
was hoping that once you had time to think about it,” he murmured, “you’d
understand.”

She
took a shaky breath and squeezed his hand, and he took that moment to offer her
what he hoped was a comforting hug, although it felt awkward with her stiff
posture.

“Maybe,”
she said, “if you’d explained beforehand, I could’ve had time to get used to
it.”

“Would
you have listened?”

She
shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m not an idiot, Will. You could’ve tried.”

His
breath left in a whoosh. “I did, darlin’. Every time I brought it up, you were
clear about wanting nothing to do with your dad, even to get a deal. Then, when
this opportunity came up, I couldn’t risk losing it. Time was of the essence.”

“I
have a cell. I’m sure you could’ve made time to call about something that
important. You certainly have time to answer every single time Audrey calls.”

Will
stood and ran his hands over his face. “No, I don’t. Not when I’m in a meeting
with record executives. And the difference between you and Audrey is, she
trusts me to make decisions for her on the spur of the moment. Negotiating is
not for the weak, Gillian. That’s why the clients aren’t involved. That’s why
you have me.”

She closed
her eyes, then stood.

“Now,
darlin’. Can we move on? Let’s have some champagne.”

“I
know you’re right,” she said, her shoulders drooping. “I’m being ridiculous. I
probably do need to see a shrink.”

“That’s
not what I meant, sweetheart.” He regretted saying that, even if it was
probably a good idea. He remembered all the times he’d approached his preacher
dad’s office door, only to be turned away because someone just needed to talk
about things.

She
gave him a resigned look, and he was reminded that even though she’d been
living in Nashville on her own for a while by the time they met, she was still
very sheltered. While she’d struggled with abandonment and being on the verge
of poverty in Gold Creek Gap, the way her mom had protected her had kept her from
having to be tough on her own. Everything in the past few months had happened
more quickly than she could’ve ever dreamed. Maybe it was wrong to expect her
to be able to handle everything at once.

“Come
on,” he said. “Let’s go have a toast.”

“Can
we do it later?” She gave him an apologetic look. “I don’t feel so hot right
now.”

He
would prefer they celebrate, but he’d noticed she did look a little green.

“Of
course,” he said. “You’ve had a long day. Go home and get some rest.”

He
morphed back into her boyfriend and stepped closer to her, gathering her into
his arms. She came willingly, much to his relief, but he still sensed
uneasiness. He tried to relax her by rubbing her back, kissing the top of her
head, pulling her close.

She
reached up and kissed him on the cheek, and he sighed with relief. Maybe she
wouldn’t hate him. Desire opened up, and he wanted to take her home and
celebrate in a better way, smooth away all her worry and hurt, but he knew it
would only be a temporary fix. She needed more, and he hated that the only way
he could think to comfort her was to take her to his bed.

“I
think I want to go home and call Momma. I need some time. I’ll be fine
tomorrow.”

He
sighed. Of course that’s what she wanted and needed. Who can replace a mom?
Smiling, he stepped back, putting space between them.

“Are
you angry with me?” He hated how it made him sound weak, but he wanted to know.

She
shrugged. “Maybe a little, but not really. I’m just sad. I wish Cooper Heart
wasn’t my dad. If my life were normal, this wouldn’t even be happening.”

The
door clicked softly shut as she left, but the sound of it reverberated around
the room and through his hollow heart. If Cooper Heart wasn’t her dad, she
probably wouldn’t be in Nashville, and she never would’ve bumped into him in
his lobby. He didn’t like the thought of not having met Gillian, but he hated
not being able to fix her broken heart.

He
buried his hands in his hair and paced. He hoped Cooper Heart did come back to
town soon. As soon as he saw him, he wanted to punch his face. He wanted to
throw him across the room and hurt him for hurting Gillian. After pacing for a
minute or two, he stopped beside the trophy case, opened it and grabbed the
Grammy. He didn’t know if it was because he was angry at himself, or Cooper
Heart, but without thinking he flung it across the room, shattering the glass
of a gilded picture frame.

Josie
suddenly appeared in the doorway. She saw the Grammy lying on the floor and
knelt to rescue it, checking it over to see if it was OK. She looked at Will
with a sadness in her eyes that made him feel bad for the second time that day.

He
brushed past her to pick up the mess himself.

“Don’t
worry,” he told Josie. “I’m sorry. I’ll get this.” She left quietly as Will
placed shards of glass in the trash can. Afterward, he picked up the phone and
dialed a number he knew by heart.

“Fresh
Picked Flowers,” sang the cheerful voice on the other end. “How may we help
you?”

“It’s
Will Adams. I need to send flowers.”

“To
your secretary, Josie?” He ordered often enough that they already had his
information.

“She’s
my assistant,” he corrected. “But yes, please. And also to one of my clients.
Gillian Heart.”

“She’s
new?” the girl asked. He rattled off Gillian’s address.

“And
what are the occasions? Josie first.”

“For
me not appreciating how she puts up with my crap.”

The
lady on the other end snorted. “And the second?”

“Apology.”

“So
you want the doghouse package times two?”

He
laughed in spite of his frustration. “Is that a thing?”

“It
is, Mr. Adams.”

“Then
yes, because I think I’m in the doghouse with everyone today.”

“The
package comes with roses and chocolate. Is that OK?”

He
thought for a minute. Every woman wants roses, right? But when he thought of
flowers for Gillian, he thought of something light, colorful and breezy.

“Can
you do something really nice with daisies for Gillian?”

“You
betcha we can. Something summery and lush?”

“Sounds
perfect.” Just like her.