Outlaw Country (17 page)

Gracie felt like she was fourteen again. Her debut album was being recorded, and she relied on her mother for everything. Gracie had no concept of the music business. She just wanted to sing for people. Five years later, Gracie would’ve given anything to be on her own. Despite Kathleen’s words, Gracie saw nothing good in what her mother was doing.

Kathleen had said that it was for Gracie’s own good, which made Gracie sick to her stomach. Social media had taken the rumors and turned them into a hurricane. She knew that responding to them would only make things worse, so Kathleen had forced Gracie to put her social media on hiatus.
 

Their relationship had frozen over with ice so thick it wouldn’t crack. Gracie was furious with her for forcing Colton off the tour. Kathleen was tired of trying to explain that a man like Colton was no good. She couldn’t explain that twenty years earlier, Eric had done just about the same thing. He had come in and blown Kathleen off her feet, and before she knew it, she was knocked up and alone. Kathleen would die before she saw that happen to Gracie.

Kathleen was dealing with her own relationship woes, too. When Roger had called her back, he didn’t mention anything personal. They discussed business, the recording studio, and the number of songs that Gracie would bring in with her. There was no mention of Nashville or the message Kathleen had poured her heart into.

It hurt, but Kathleen had too much on her plate to worry about it. She wanted to get Gracie through the recording process as cleanly as possible. Once the record company had the album, everybody could go their own separate way, and the drama would come to an end.

 
Both Hart women had grown used to the frigid silence between them. Gracie would stare at the passenger window for the entire length of a drive, no matter how long. It was four hours to the recording studio in Gatlinburg, and she stuck to her guns for the entire trip. Kathleen did her best to stay calm and keep the rising blood pressure at bay. She was beyond anxious and would have given anything to call off the recording session. She didn’t want to see Roger, and she certainly didn’t want to see Colton.

The studio was modern and much larger than Muscle Shoals. That gave Kathleen room to keep their parties separate. The plan was to have Gracie record with her band in a separate sound stage as much as possible. If Kathleen could keep the two singers apart for the entire process, she’d call that a win.
 

The engineer’s booth, alone, was larger than the studio that Colton and Gracie had recorded “Jackson” in. It had a wall lined with couches and tables for relaxing and listening back the recordings. When Kathleen walked in, Roger was there to greet her like an instant migraine.

He nodded to her. “Kathleen. How are you and Gracie doing?”

She hated how mechanical his voice sounded. She hated that he had gone from basically professing his love to pretending it never had happened. Kathleen kept telling herself to just make it through the recording session.

“We are well, thank you.” She tried to match his cold tone, but she fell short.

Kathleen was caught completely off guard when Roger grabbed her and pulled her against his body. Her eyes went wide as she pulled her in for a kiss. Her heart sped up in an instant, her mind completely blank. All she could feel was Roger’s strength and power as he planted his lips on hers. For a split second, Kathleen tried to push him away. It didn’t last long, though. Soon, her arms were wrapped around his back. She was holding on with everything she had. It was such sweet release.

 
Roger bent forward, leaning Kathleen back. She had never felt so swept off her feet in her entire life. Part of her was angry, but part of her jumped for joy and screamed inside of her. Kathleen had let her anger block out the fact that Roger’s words had taken over her heart.

When Roger pulled back, the two of them opened their eyes. Kathleen had fully prepared to scream at him, but the kiss…it was powerful. It was just the thing that Kathleen needed. She needed to see Roger man up and take the chance. She could see in his eyes that he
had
to take the chance.

Kathleen’s mouth closed, and her eyes narrowed at him. “Just what in the hell do you think you’re doing?”

She twisted in his arms until Roger pulled her to her feet. Kathleen pushed him away and turned her face. The cautious part of her was trying to put up the wall. It was trying to make sure she wouldn’t get hurt. Her heart was fighting back, though. Kathleen had never felt a kiss like that in her life.

That feeling.
How long had it been since Kathleen had been swept up like that? She couldn’t remember, and she took that as a sign that it had been too damn long.

The rational part of her jumped back into the fight, reminding her that she had a daughter to look out for. A daughter that was
very
upset with her but still needed her, anyway. The last thing Kathleen needed was her own relationship. Relationships took time and energy. For the past five years, every single bit of her energy and time had gone to Gracie.

“Hey.” Roger’s voice was everything she thought it could be: warm and soft, wrapped around her more powerfully than his arms. “We both needed that. How long has it been since you were impulsive? How long has it really been you did something just for you, Kathleen? I don’t know how long it’s been for me, but I’ve wanted to kiss you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

She turned back to them. The logical part of Kathleen had been squelched. She wanted Roger, no matter how messy and complicated. That kiss was better than any mess or any complication. In a strange way, it also made Kathleen realize how unfair she had been to Gracie.

A smile came to Kathleen that she couldn’t overpower. She looked from the floor up Roger’s body. He was a good-looking man, and it was clear that he kept in decent shape. He was successful, and he knew what life in the music business meant. Kathleen couldn’t think of a better match.

“Do you know what I wanted to do the moment I laid eyes on you?” She noticed his hazel eyes seemed to get younger and her question.

“What?”

Kathleen bit her bottom lip, feeling younger herself. “I wanted to smack you across the face.” She loved the surprised look he gave her. “You were hours late. I don’t think I’ve ever been so mad in my entire life. Then I saw you drag that zombie into the recording studio. You looked proud and ashamed at the same time. It was…refreshing.”

Roger’s eyebrows knitted together. “How in the hell is that refreshing?”

“Everybody treats musicians like they can do no wrong. You don’t do that with Colton. You own up to his mistakes, even when he doesn’t. I don’t know anybody else who does that. Everybody else in this industry just makes up excuse after excuse about their stars. I’ve tried to raise Gracie better than that, and it seems like you’re doing your best with Colton, too.”

A door opened behind Kathleen, and she spun around. Even though the kiss between the two of them was over, Kathleen still felt like they were being caught. Roger really had made her feel younger. She felt like a wild teenager, again.

The producer that Moonshine Records dropped a backpack on the floor beside a mini fridge. He looked up at the two managers and smiled. His London accent was thick, “Kathleen and Roger, I presume.”

She smiled and cleared her throat, overcompensating, “You are correct. We’ve talked on the phone, but this is our first meeting in person, Jonathan.”
 

Jonathan Tillman wouldn’t have been Roger’s first choice for producer. Some people held the belief that an Englishman couldn’t produce a country record, but Roger was more concerned with Jonathan’s hands-on approach. He had a tendency to add instruments in after the musicians had gone. It wasn’t bad per se, but she didn’t want to compromise Gracie’s creativity.

Roger extended a hand to meet Jonathan’s. He tone was professional after the personal tone he’d taken with Kathleen, “We’re both excited to work with you. I think this album has the potential to be something very special.”

He tried to make his words sound cheerful, but in reality, Roger was pissed off that he and Kathleen had been interrupted. That kiss was just the start. Roger had far worse things in mind for Kathleen.

 
Normally, Colton would’ve arrived long after the band set up in the studio. His guitar technician would have his axe all ready for him, and that usually gave him an extra hour or two for drinking or fucking. Not anymore, though. Colton needed to prove he was a changed man. He needed to prove to himself, Gracie, her mother, and, hell, everybody.

When Colton parked his pickup truck, he saw a Roger’s rental and one other SUV. He took a stab in the dark and guessed the SUV belonged to Gracie and her mother. Colton had a vague memory of that SUV peeling out of another studio driveway. He hoped it was one in the same.

He was a mess. His pulse was racing, he couldn’t think straight, and Colton had to talk himself out of bolting. He even had to laugh at himself after lifting an arm to make sure his deodorant was working.
 

After looking over the recording studio, Colton knew he couldn’t put it off any longer. He gave a heavy sigh and started in. He had a lot of making up to do, and it was a boulder that he dragged behind him.

Through the doors, Gracie was the first person he saw. She was a sight for truly sore eyes. Nothing could stop the smile on Colton’s face. Gracie’s hair was up in a victory curl, and she wore a dress that could have come straight out of the ‘50s. Colton stood for a moment and took her in. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, she threw her arms around him.

Their lips met, so eager and hungry for each other. Pain and heartache gripped at Colton as he pulled Gracie in close. In that moment, he couldn’t understand how he had lived without her. He couldn’t understand what had held him back. One of his hands moved up Gracie’s back, and when it reached her neck, a manly groan escaped his lips.

She was right there to catch it. Colton could feel her body react to his. It was empowering to him. Gracie was a prisoner of love, and he was her escape. He was her way out. He was her freedom. Letting go of Colton was the same as the slamming cell door. There would be no letting go.

She pressed her body up against his. Breaking the kiss, she looked into his baby blues. “It’s been hell without you.”

Colton was getting used to being surprised by Gracie. She was never what he expected. He
wasn’t
getting used to being speechless around her. All his wit and dark humor vanished in her presence. His mind may not have been working, but his body was. He was on fire for her.