A Winter Wedding(101)

Taking his hand, she drew him over to the couch. “Have you told Olivia and Brandon?”

“No. My phone’s dead, remember? After Chief Bennett put her in his squad car, I came straight home. But I’m sure they’ve heard. Noelle’s probably called her parents by now, and her parents have called Brandon and Olivia.”

Lourdes tried to imagine what it would be like to hear that one of her sisters had set fire to someone’s business—and couldn’t. “I feel sorry for them. Bad enough finding out she’s guilty of arson, but doing what she did to someone else they know and love? They’re definitely going to have mixed emotions.”

“Brandon won’t. He pegged Noelle for a sociopath from the start. He won’t feel bad to see her get what she deserves. But Olivia? She’s always felt guilty for being popular and well liked when her sister wasn’t. That’s why she’s cut Noelle so much slack and tried to get along with her.”

“Do you think this is the end of it? That Noelle will leave you alone from now on?”

He ran a hand over his face. “Who can say? While I was there, she mentioned how long Phoenix has loved Riley—that Phoenix hung on through all those years in prison—which makes me a little nervous.”

Lourdes smiled ruefully. “I can see why, especially since she won’t have to spend as long behind bars as Phoenix did, will she?”

“No. Chief Bennett said it could be two to six, depending on the judge. But he’s guessing it’ll be at the lower end of that range, because no one got hurt.”

“That means she’ll be back one day.”

“Whoa!” He held up a hand. “Let’s not talk about her coming back. Let’s enjoy the fact that she’ll be gone for a good, long while.”

“Okay.” She snuggled up to him, content just to feel the warmth of his body, to hear the sound of his heart beating so steadily beneath her ear.

They sat like that, in silence, for several minutes. Then he said, “We’re down to one more day.”

Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his waist. “Let’s not talk about that, either.”

*

When Lourdes woke up the next morning, Kyle was gone. Assuming he must’ve had to deal with something connected to the fire or Noelle’s arrest, she clasped her arms around his pillow and relived the tender moments they’d shared during the night.

She’d never been like this, she realized. Never been so head over heels. Given her situation, it didn’t make a lot of sense that she could fall so deeply in love. She’d come to Whiskey Creek firmly believing she was in love with someone else. And yet there was no denying how she felt. She could only hope she’d be so busy in Nashville that her enthusiasm for her work would take some of the sting out of leaving Kyle behind.

Throwing back the blankets, she sat up and searched for her phone. Derrick had texted her several times yesterday. He’d tried to call, too, but she hadn’t answered. That could wait until tomorrow, when she hit Nashville, or later in the week. But her mother had also called, to confirm the time she’d be arriving.

Lourdes spoke to Renate for a few minutes, then propped herself against the headboard as she went through the other texts and emails she’d ignored.

There were a few business items from Derrick. He’d spoken to her old label. They were interested in a demo of the new song. That was encouraging. She never should’ve left Boondock Records to chase the dream of becoming even bigger by switching to pop. Had Taylor Swift not made it look so easy, she probably wouldn’t have.

Anyway, Derrick was putting out a few other feelers and had generated some interest.

Crystal had texted her, too.

I’m so glad you’re coming home. Is there any chance we could have lunch?

Lourdes didn’t like that Derrick had communicated her plans to the woman he’d cheated with, didn’t care for the fact that they were still in close contact. She wasn’t jealous; it just made her feel odd that they were all carrying on as if nothing had happened. But she supposed lunch with Crystal would be smart from a professional standpoint. It would go a long way toward letting people know they weren’t feuding over Derrick, as some might expect.

Sure. I’ll give you a call when I’m settled, she wrote back, then climbed out of bed to wash her face and brush her teeth and hair.

When she was done with that, she picked up her guitar. Kyle’s song was turning out to be even prettier than the one Derrick had purchased for her, and she was eager to finish it.

She worked on it for another hour, until she heard Kyle’s key in the lock. Then she set it aside to meet him at the door.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

He grinned at her. She could tell he hadn’t taken time to shower this morning. He’d thrown on his clothes and a ball cap and left, but she liked him a little scruffy. “I had to pick something up.”

“What?”

He looked slightly embarrassed. “Maybe we should eat first.”

She studied the sack in his hand. It had the Black Gold Coffee emblem. “You bought breakfast?”

“An array of muffins.”

“That sounds delicious but...are you trying to make me fat so I won’t look good onstage?” she teased.

“Would it make you stay?” he asked.