A Winter Wedding(39)

“You sure know how to show a girl a good time,” she teased.

He shifted into Reverse. “I did the chopping. You get to do the decorating.”

“Fine,” she said. “Do you have any ornaments?”

“Come to think of it, I don’t,” he replied. “But I’m sure my mother has some she’ll let us use.”

“Your mother? Or Brandon’s?”

“Brandon’s. My stepmom.”

“What happened to your own mom?”

“She died of an amniotic fluid embolism when I was five.”

“I’ve never heard of that...”

Kyle couldn’t decide whether or not to explain it. He didn’t want to frighten her away from the idea of having children at some point. “It doesn’t happen very often.” He hoped she’d leave it at that, but she didn’t.

“So what is it?”

“Like I said, it’s rare. It’s a complication of childbirth.”

“She was having a baby? Did the baby make it?”

“’Fraid not. For whatever reason, she went into labor early. They were struggling to save what would’ve been my younger sister and then, without warning, my mother went into cardiac arrest. We lost them both.”

“That’s terrible! I’m so sorry.”

“I wish it’d never happened. But it was a long time ago, so don’t feel bad.”

His phone rang as he was about to pull off the narrow dirt pathways onto the main road they’d taken to get to this remote place. It almost transferred to voice mail before he could get the darn thing out of his pocket—and then he wasn’t sure whether to answer.

“It’s Derrick.” He stayed where he was, letting the engine idle as he showed her his caller ID, which indicated a Tennessee area code.

Lourdes bit her lip. “Why would he be contacting you?”

“No idea. Maybe he figured out I’m the country magazine reporter who called him up and he’s pissed off.”

“Don’t answer it,” she said, but he brought a finger to his lips to ask for silence, since he’d already pressed the button.

“Hello?”

“Kyle?”

“Yes?”

“This is Derrick Meade. Lourdes’s manager.”

“I guessed as much when I saw your number. What can I do for you, Derrick?”

“I haven’t been able to reach Lourdes today. I was wondering if...if you could swing by and check on her.”

Kyle glanced over at the woman in question. “Sure. But is there any reason I should be concerned? Have you tried her cell?”

“I’ve tried to call her—and I’ve texted her several times—but I haven’t received a response.”

“I see. I’ll drop by and take a peek.”

“I’d appreciate it.”

“No problem.”

After Kyle hit the end button, he dropped his cell between the seats.

“What’d he want?” Lourdes asked.

“Said he hasn’t heard from you. Wants me to go by and make sure you’re okay.”

“Why didn’t you tell him I’m sitting right here in the truck beside you?”

“I thought it might make him realize that call we made was bogus and we were in on it together—since you’re supposed to be in seclusion and writing your next album.”

She pulled off his gloves and hat. “I’ll text him,” she said, but she didn’t volunteer what she was going to say.





11

Kyle stopped at the Gas-N-Go to get Lourdes some hot chocolate. Then he swung by his parents’ house, hoping to borrow their extra Christmas decorations. But when he pulled up, both his father and Brandon were outside, hanging lights—and they immediately turned at the sound of his vehicle, so it wasn’t as if he could drive on past.

“Shit,” he muttered as his father waved, confirming that he’d been instantly recognized.

“Oh, my gosh! That’s Brandon, isn’t it?” Lourdes’s eyes skipped over his father to his stepbrother.

“Yeah. I’m sorry. I never dreamed anyone would be outside.” At the Gas-N-Go, he’d said he would just run inside and grab what they needed while she waited in the truck.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Unless they listen to country-western music, they probably won’t recognize me.” She turned the rearview mirror. “Yikes! They might not recognize me, anyway. I have hat hair and no makeup. Plus, I’m wearing your coat? and I’m drowning in it.”

Maybe his father wouldn’t realize who she was, but Brandon would. Kyle had told him and their friends at Black Gold that she was in town, so Brandon would guess who she was without having to recognize her. “You can still stay in the truck. I’ll tell them you’re my renter, and that I’m helping you get a tree. My folks will be fine with that.”

Lourdes seemed reluctant to accept the out he offered her. “I don’t want them to think I’m rude...”

“They won’t.”

“Of course they will.”

“What does it matter?”

“I don’t want anyone to think badly of me.”