"Brock seems
pretty sure of himself. He'll do just fine."
"It would help if you had given him a little more
encouragement back there."
"I'm not going to lie, Will, and Brock can come to
his own conclusions without my help."
He gave her a hard, cold look as they reached the
clothing store door. Josie put her hands on the metal bar
to push to the outside, but Will caught her upper arm.
"Are you sure about that?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I've seen the way he looks at you. You've been on
the road. You know how it works. It's important for
Brock to play to the crowd and that means the women
too. Is that something you can handle?"
Annoyance rose up like bile in her throat. She pulled
her arm from his grip. "You don't really care what I can
handle, Will. You and I both know that. You just want to
make sure I stick around and play nice until we reach
Nashville."
He laughed, but there was an edge to his voice that
held a warning. "This is important."
"I know." It was important to both of them.
"I can't have him losing confidence because of how
starry-eyed he gets around you. I went along with his
insistence that you work in the studio with him and it
worked out just fine. We got a fine demo. But I don't
want to lose sight of what the goal is here."
"That's not going to happen."
Will was right. She knew how it was on the road with
a band. She'd been there before. Josie wasn't going to
do something as stupid as make a scene if an overzealous new fan ran up to Brock and gave him a kiss.
She didn't come on this road trip to find a boyfriend or a musician to marry. There'd be plenty of time for finding a solid relationship once she'd settled in Nashville.
And when she did, it wouldn't be with a music man.
No. Sweet kisses and warm embraces didn't only
come from musicians. No matter how much the kiss
she'd shared with Brock had stirred her soul, she
wouldn't let it go that far between them.
"I just wanted to make sure we understand each
other, Josie. Brock wants you here and that's why
you're here." The implications of Will's words didn't
escape her and pulled an old wound open, stinging.
"You've got your agenda, Will, and I have mine.
Let's just leave things like that."
Josie pushed out the door and left Will to stare at her
back as she made her way to the bus. She wasn't about
to let him get the best of her even though her pulse
hammered at her temple and her head felt as if it was
about to blow sky high.
She was here because Brock wanted her here. In
Will's mind, it wasn't her ability or that Brock saw
something in her skills as a sound engineer that he
wanted for his music. To Will, Josie was Brock's girlfriend and in the way of everything he'd been putting in
place for his rising star.
When would it ever not be an uphill battle for her to
be seen for what she could contribute and not just an
add-on because the star performer had the hots for her?
Old wounds were always hard to close, but Josie
tried as she took her first step up the stairs of the bus.
As soon as she did, she immediately wanted to turn
around and run back out to the sidewalk.
Today was the day for confrontations. Raised voices in the back of the bus spelled trouble. But Dexter was
also back there. He didn't like confrontations and usually hid with loud noise. She couldn't leave him alone
in the middle of an argument with people he hardly
knew.
Miles and Roy were arguing where Josie and Brock
had been earlier. Where they'd both been standing
when Brock had kissed her. What they'd shared was
heated, but not the same as what was happening now.
"I turned my back for a second to pay the check and
you moved in to score," Roy was saying, pointing a
burly finger at Miles' chest.
"She was interested in me, anyway."
Roy huffed. "No way. You're a pity date."
"Oh, give it a rest, guys," Josie said wryly, reaching
down to retrieve Dex, who'd curled up in a ball at the
end of her bunk. She nuzzled
pretty sure of himself. He'll do just fine."
"It would help if you had given him a little more
encouragement back there."
"I'm not going to lie, Will, and Brock can come to
his own conclusions without my help."
He gave her a hard, cold look as they reached the
clothing store door. Josie put her hands on the metal bar
to push to the outside, but Will caught her upper arm.
"Are you sure about that?"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I've seen the way he looks at you. You've been on
the road. You know how it works. It's important for
Brock to play to the crowd and that means the women
too. Is that something you can handle?"
Annoyance rose up like bile in her throat. She pulled
her arm from his grip. "You don't really care what I can
handle, Will. You and I both know that. You just want to
make sure I stick around and play nice until we reach
Nashville."
He laughed, but there was an edge to his voice that
held a warning. "This is important."
"I know." It was important to both of them.
"I can't have him losing confidence because of how
starry-eyed he gets around you. I went along with his
insistence that you work in the studio with him and it
worked out just fine. We got a fine demo. But I don't
want to lose sight of what the goal is here."
"That's not going to happen."
Will was right. She knew how it was on the road with
a band. She'd been there before. Josie wasn't going to
do something as stupid as make a scene if an overzealous new fan ran up to Brock and gave him a kiss.
She didn't come on this road trip to find a boyfriend or a musician to marry. There'd be plenty of time for finding a solid relationship once she'd settled in Nashville.
And when she did, it wouldn't be with a music man.
No. Sweet kisses and warm embraces didn't only
come from musicians. No matter how much the kiss
she'd shared with Brock had stirred her soul, she
wouldn't let it go that far between them.
"I just wanted to make sure we understand each
other, Josie. Brock wants you here and that's why
you're here." The implications of Will's words didn't
escape her and pulled an old wound open, stinging.
"You've got your agenda, Will, and I have mine.
Let's just leave things like that."
Josie pushed out the door and left Will to stare at her
back as she made her way to the bus. She wasn't about
to let him get the best of her even though her pulse
hammered at her temple and her head felt as if it was
about to blow sky high.
She was here because Brock wanted her here. In
Will's mind, it wasn't her ability or that Brock saw
something in her skills as a sound engineer that he
wanted for his music. To Will, Josie was Brock's girlfriend and in the way of everything he'd been putting in
place for his rising star.
When would it ever not be an uphill battle for her to
be seen for what she could contribute and not just an
add-on because the star performer had the hots for her?
Old wounds were always hard to close, but Josie
tried as she took her first step up the stairs of the bus.
As soon as she did, she immediately wanted to turn
around and run back out to the sidewalk.
Today was the day for confrontations. Raised voices in the back of the bus spelled trouble. But Dexter was
also back there. He didn't like confrontations and usually hid with loud noise. She couldn't leave him alone
in the middle of an argument with people he hardly
knew.
Miles and Roy were arguing where Josie and Brock
had been earlier. Where they'd both been standing
when Brock had kissed her. What they'd shared was
heated, but not the same as what was happening now.
"I turned my back for a second to pay the check and
you moved in to score," Roy was saying, pointing a
burly finger at Miles' chest.
"She was interested in me, anyway."
Roy huffed. "No way. You're a pity date."
"Oh, give it a rest, guys," Josie said wryly, reaching
down to retrieve Dex, who'd curled up in a ball at the
end of her bunk. She nuzzled
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