The Song in My Heart
Read The Song in My Heart Online
Authors: Tracey Richardson
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Synopsis
Fame and money rained down on Dess Hampton like a monsoon. She couldn’t imagine needing more—until her golden voice was silenced. Now her quiet days are filled with her guitar and she savors every sunrise. Curious, and as a favor to a friend, she emerges to hear a rumored superstar in the making.
Music pours out of Erika Alvarez through her voice and her fingertips. She’s awed that the reclusive Dess Hampton wants to hear her sing, and then blown away when Dess agrees to sit in for a few gigs.
Dess can tell that Erika is destined for the life that she once had and wants no part of, ever again. But can the magic of the music they make together, and the growing love between them, trump Erika’s ambition and Dess’s fears? How much are they willing to sacrifice for it—and for each other?
Table of Contents
Other Books by Tracey Richardson
"The Song in My Heart" by Elaine Dark
Copyright © 2015 by Tracey Richardson
Bella Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 10543
Tallahassee, FL 32302
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
First Bella Books Edition 2015
eBook released 2015
Editor: Medora MacDougall
Cover Designer: Linda Callaghan
ISBN: 978-1-59493-444-5
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
Other Books by Tracey Richardson
Blind Bet
The Campaign
The Candidate
Side Order of Love
No Rules of Engagement
The Wedding Party
Last Salute
Acknowledgments
There are so many individuals deserving of my thanks over the years, that the list would almost be as long as the novel, so I’ll keep things simple.
Readers, you always come first in my heart…without you, the rewards would be few!
Bella Books, thank you for operating such a first-class organization dedicated to books for and about lesbians… I firmly believe Bella is the best at what it does.
Thanks to my fellow writer buddies and supporters, both abroad and those close at hand…you guys keep me inspired, and you help me put out a better product. And speaking of putting out a fabulous product, thank you to the wonderfully talented Elaine Dark (www.elainedark.com) for writing and performing the song especially for this book. Please take time to visit Elaine’s web page or Facebook page (Elaine Dark Productions) to listen to more of her work. In the hands of my editor, Medora MacDougall, my work is always vastly improved, and for that I am very grateful. Brenda F., your website work has been awesome over the years, and Karen H., your book trailer videos rock!
My infinite gratitude to my partner, Sandra, for eagerly accepting my early semi-retirement so I can spend more time writing novels, yay!
About the Author
Tracey has written seven other novels published by Bella Books, including Lambda Literary finalists
No Rules of Engagement
and
Last Salute
. Tracey worked as a daily newspaper journalist for more than twenty-five years and lives in the Georgian Bay area of Ontario, Canada, with her partner and two Labrador retrievers. Visit Tracey on Twitter @trich7117 and at www.traceyrichardson.net.
Dedication
For music lovers—makers and listeners.
Chapter One
Dess Hampton had no idea how she was going to say no to the woman who once—okay, way more than once—had saved her life.
The question—whatever it was—hadn’t been asked yet, and a stammering Sloane Somers was doing her best to stall. Which could only mean she was going to ask Dess to do something she was
not
going to want to do at all.
Dess sighed loudly into the phone. “Sloane, you know I love you. But spit it out already, will you?”
It wasn’t like Sloane to verbally dance in circles and certainly not with her best friend. Close to fifteen years in the music business together—touring, collaborating, providing each other a shoulder to cry on through breakups, illness, disappointments—had bound them like sisters. They could and did talk about anything and were brutally honest with each other. Which was why the fine hairs on the back of Dess’s neck were now standing on end. Her greatest fear was that Sloane would try to lure her back into the music business. And that was absolutely
not
going to happen.
“Okay, fine, wait,” Sloane implored, as if reading her mind. “Erika Alvarez. The Latina singer I mentioned a few weeks ago?” Sloane stalled for more time. “Well, she’s not only good, Dess. She’s fucking amazing. You gotta believe me.”
“I don’t
gotta
do anything,” Dess muttered childishly.
“No, you don’t. But I’d really like you to listen to her sing. And when you do, I really think you’ll want to help.”
Sloane was too cynical by nature, too been-there-done-that to rave about someone undeserving. Sloane being impressed with someone happened about as often as the government deciding it was tapping you for too much income tax. For that reason alone, she had Dess’s attention. But capturing her attention wasn’t the same thing as caring that this Erika-whatever was the next big flavor of the month. Or even the next one-name wonder like Cher, Madonna, Beyoncé. “Okay, fine. She’s fucking amazing. So are at least ten thousand other young wannabe singers out there.”
“No, I’m serious. She really is going to be the next big thing, Dess. I’m not shitting you. I
know
it. And hell, you know my instinct about these things is fucking bang on. Remember Lori Stanners?”
“Oh God, how could I forget her. And yes, I’m sure her stardom would have known no bounds if she hadn’t ended up in jail for shooting her boyfriend.”
Sloane laughed. “I was right about her talent at least. I just didn’t know she was such a head case. But Erika, she’s the real deal. She’s got nothing but upside. She’s got a voice that could rock the dead, she’s drop-dead gorgeous and she’s a phenomenal piano player.”
“Okay, okay, so you’ve picked out a diamond in the rough. But you’re not a concert promoter or a record label mogul, last time I looked.” Sloane’s annoyingly obvious interest in the young talent was puzzling. And she still hadn’t gotten around to what the point of all this was. “Wait, did you forgot to tell me you’re moonlighting with
American Idol
? Is that what this is all about?”
Sloane’s laughter bubbled up like a slow geyser. “Oh God. Just kill me now.”
“Ah, I get it. You’re sleeping with this girl, right? You want to help out your little bedmate? You old cougar, you!”
Sloane’s indignant screech was like the protest of nails on a chalkboard. “Of course I’m not sleeping with her! Although…It’s not a bad idea, come to think of it. Ah, Dess. Seriously. She’s a good kid, and my motives are entirely driven by the desire to hear some better fucking music on the radio. Half the shit out there is exactly that. Shit.”
“Good point, but you didn’t answer my question. The one about why you care enough to get personally involved. And you also haven’t explained why
I
need to know about Erika Alvarez and her endless talents.”
“Can’t I just make a simple declaration about discovering the most talented voice I’ve heard since you?”
Dess sucked in her breath, reeling from the spots mottling her field of vision. More than six years after her involuntary and abrupt exit from the music business, the pain remained every bit as raw and searing in moments like this. Moments when she was reminded of what she once was, of all the promise she’d fulfilled and surpassed and the promises she would never fulfill now. But that special and crazy time in her life was over, and most days that was okay with her. But not right this second. Right this second it was a lance through her heart all over again.
Dess coughed to dislodge the lump in her throat. “Of course you can make a simple declaration about someone’s talent. But you’re not telling me everything, are you?”
They could read each other effortlessly, even now, when they seldom saw each other. Sloane remained busy touring and recording as a very talented and much-in-demand drummer. And Dess, well, Dess was busy doing a whole lot of hanging around her Chicago condo in the winters and her Michigan cottage in the summers, fooling around with her collection of guitars, writing songs that nobody was ever going to hear, going for endless walks with her chocolate Labrador retriever Maggie and reading a quantity of books that would be the envy of any reviewer.
