New Beginnings (10 page)

“I swear to you. I had no idea. I was told you didn’t want anything from me. Why didn’t Marisa say anything to me about it?”

She sighed, sliding onto the leather sofa. “I didn’t want to get your family involved in our settlement. It was hard enough for them, trying to come to terms with the divorce.”

He settled beside her on the couch, dropping his head in his hands. “God, what a mess.”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anymore. It would have been nice to have some money at the time. It would have allowed me to finish my degree without working nights and I would have had seed money for the foundation, but it all turned out for the best.”

His gut clenched with guilt and remorse. “You had to work nights to finish your graduate degree?”

She smiled. “It wasn’t so bad. I waited tables at an upscale restaurant in Oklahoma for the last year while I worked on my thesis. The tips were good; people were nice and getting out helped me to stay sane.”

“I hate that you had to do that, sweetheart.” He took her hand, expecting her to pull away, but was relieved when she didn’t. “If I’d known, I would have ensured you had a generous settlement, house, car, cash, whatever you needed.”

She looked at him. “I have to admit, it didn’t seem like you to be so spiteful. I knew you were hurt and angry about the divorce, but I couldn’t believe you despised me enough to want me to wind up homeless.”

The thought of her living in a shelter, alone and destitute, made him cringe. He would find out who was responsible for this and make them pay. “Please tell me it didn’t come to that.”

She laughed and squeezed his hand. “No, but it was pretty close. I was only able to afford this tiny studio apartment for the first couple of years. It was the size of my dressing room in this house.”

“And now? Do you and Eric live together?” He prayed that was not the case.

“No. Eric has asked me to move in with him, but I like having my own space. I was able to buy a little condo downtown last year. It’s not very big, but it suits me.”

“Pick the house of your dreams,” he said, impulsively. “Anywhere you want. I don’t care how much it costs. I want to buy it for you.”

She threw her head back and laughed. “You’re crazy.”

He turned toward her, sliding his arm along the back of the couch behind her. “I’m serious. I want to do this for you. You deserved a decent settlement and I want to make sure you get it. And the house is only the beginning. You deserve so much more than that. I’ll make sure my lawyer draws up the paperwork tomorrow.”

She flattened her palm against his chest. “No, Trey. I don’t want your money.”

He tried to think straight with her hand resting against his chest, but his mind kept wandering, wishing she would bridge the gap of fabric so he could feel her hands on his bare skin again.

He couldn’t help himself. He grabbed her hand and slipped it inside his shirt, popping two of the decorative snaps. He felt her pulse quicken under his fingertips, but she didn’t pull away.

“We’re talking about a lot of money,” he whispered, sliding closer until his knee butted against hers.

“I don’t care about your money,” she murmured, her eyes fixed on his lips.

He slid his other hand into her mass of silky hair.  “What do you care about, baby?”

“You. I care about you.”

He leaned in and she could detect the familiar scent of the candy mints he favoured. Everything about him felt so familiar, so right. Being in his arms felt like coming home, but that sense of familiarity also scared her because nothing was the same now as it had been then. She was different. He was different. Their lives had changed in so many ways.

Before she could decide whether to melt into his arms and savour the kiss she had been craving, the entry door slammed open, hitting the doorstop with enough force to make it bounce back.

An angry-looking Luc filled the doorway, a scowl on his handsome face. “So, it is true.” He glared at Sierra. “You’re back.”

Trey bounded off the couch. “Get the hell out of here before I throw you out!”

Luc pointed at Sierra. “Not until I say what I came here to say.” He sliced his hand through the air. “This is a bad idea. A public relations nightmare.”

“I don’t think anyone asked for your opinion, Luc,” Sierra said, smiling sweetly. She despised her ex-husband’s best friend and the feeling was mutual.

“I get millions to make it my business, sugar. What about you? What are you getting out of this?”

“None of your damned business!” Trey shouted. “I said get out!”

Sierra held up her hand. “It’s okay, Trey. He’s going to find out eventually. Trey has agreed to be the spokesperson for my charitable organization, The Rainbow Fund.”

“Like hell he is,” Luc said, glaring at her.

Trey shoved him, getting his attention. “Who the hell do you think you are? I make my own decisions. If I want to be the spokesperson for this charity, I will. Is that understood?”

Luc stalked over to the bar and poured scotch into two highball glasses. He passed one to Trey.

Trey set the glass down on the bar without taking a drink. “Look, I know you have your reasons, but so do I. This cause is important to Sierra, and it’s important to me too, man. You’re just going to have to get on board or stay out of my way. Got it?”

Luc threw the scotch back and poured another.

Trey consulted his Rolex watch. “It’s not even noon, man. Go easy on that stuff.”

“Don’t lecture me.” He belted back the second shot and grimaced. “You have no idea what I went through last night.”

Trey leaned against the bar, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m listening.”

“I got a text from a friend about your little performance at Jimmy’s. I went over there to do a little damage control and guess who was there?”

Trey responded, tongue in cheek. “No idea.”

Luc gripped the empty glass until his knuckles turned white. “Your sister. And do you know who she was cozying up to in a dark corner after you left?”

Trey shrugged, feigning innocence. “I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”

“Josh. She was making out with Josh!” he shouted. “Can you freakin’ believe that? We pay him to watch your ass, not my girlfriend’s.”

“Ex-girlfriend,” Sierra said, stretching her legs and propping her booted feet on the coffee table.

“You were the one who didn’t want to make a commitment, remember? Did you expect her to wait for you forever?”

He thrust a finger in her direction. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re the reason she broke up with me, lady.”

Sierra scrolled the new e-mail messages on her phone. “I simply told her to stop wasting her time with boys and find a real man.” She giggled to spite him. “So glad to hear she took my advice. Josh is definitely a real man.”

Trey held his hands up. “Enough. I don’t wanna waste any more time listenin’ to you two go at it. Luc, I’ll see you tonight.”

Luc glanced in his direction, clearly not ready to end the argument. “That’s right, it’s your old man’s birthday party tonight. Is your sister bringing a date?”

Trey rolled his eyes. “What is this, high school? How the hell should I know?”

Sierra had her thumbs poised over the keypad on her phone. “Should I text her and tell her to bring Josh?”

“Do you get off on pushing my buttons?” Luc asked.

She grinned. “You betcha.”

He set his empty glass down beside Trey’s untouched glass. “Nice to see you haven’t matured at all in the last five years, sunshine.” He crossed the room to the door.

She laughed. “Right back atcha, cowboy.”

“Trey, I’ll see you tonight.” He gripped the door handle and turned around to face his friend.

“Hey, you bringin’ that hot little redhead? What’s her name, Megan?”

Sierra had to admit, he hit his target. Luc rarely left a room without getting the last word. Except this time. “No, he’s taking me, Luc.” She wiggled her fingers in a wave. “See you there.”

Luc slammed the door behind him, rattling the doorframe.

***

Trey resisted the urge to pull up to the hotel’s valet parking area, slipping into a nearby guest parking spot instead. He wasn’t in the habit of allowing a date to walk down to his car unescorted. Of course, Sierra insisted this wasn’t a date; she was attending the party as a family friend. As long as she was willing to spend time with him, he refused to dwell on semantics.

He kept his eyes on the front doors of the hotel, watching anxiously as the uniformed doorman ushered patrons onto the walkway. He jumped out of the Porsche as soon as he saw her flash a smile at the young man. The poor kid knocked his hat off in the process of tipping it, turning three shades of red as it landed at her feet. Not that Trey could blame him; he probably would have reacted the same way.

She looked stunning in a fitted silk dress with a shark-bite hem that resembled a kaleidoscope of blue and green. The best feature had to be the shoes, Trey thought, biting back a groan. Silver, sexy, strappy, with a four inch spiked heel.

He took a deep breath and tried to slow his stride.

Trey reached her just as she stepped off the sidewalk. “Hey, beautiful.” He brushed a kiss across her cheek, just as the wind picked up to deliver a powerful whiff of her perfume. He closed his eyes briefly, fighting the urge to draw her into his arms and bury his face in the delectable hollow of her neck. He was getting turned on just thinking about it.

“Hey, you okay?”

He opened his eyes, embarrassed he’d allowed himself to get lost in the fantasy. “Yeah, sorry. I was just thinkin’ about...”

She frowned, drawing a crease on her forehead. “Thinking about Megan?”

He laughed, attracting the attention of passersby. “She’s the last thing on my mind, sweetheart.” He took her hand and led her toward the car.

She looked around nervously. “People are staring, Trey. I told you I would meet you in the car.”

He cast a glance at the curious onlookers, hoping they would reach the car before he was bombarded by autograph seekers. “I wish you’d just stay at the house, Sierra. I have half a dozen guest suites and you have to admit, it would be more convenient.”

“Right. And Eric would have a coronary.”

“One can only hope,” he muttered, squeezing her hand.

“I heard that.”

He grinned as he opened her car door. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

Once they were settled in the car, she turned toward him. “I called your mom and asked if she minded that I was crashing the party. Of course, she did extend an invitation a few months ago when we were talking on the phone, but I declined. I didn’t think I would be in Nashville at that time and I thought it might be awkward, you know, with us.”

He pushed a button to select his favorite satellite radio station and the car was infiltrated with the sound of his voice. He lowered the volume.

She laughed and turned it up. “Hey, I love this song.”

He groaned. “I’m sick of the sound of my own voice.”

She reached across the gearshift and squeezed his leg. “I happen to love the sound of your voice, so indulge me.”

“Whatever you like, sweetheart.” He glanced at her. She was tapping her manicured nails against the armrest, bopping her head and singing along to the up-tempo party song. God, he loved everything about this woman.

When the song ended, the disc jockey went on to talk about the upcoming release of Trey’s new album and how much his fans were looking forward to it.

Trey gripped the steering wheel. “No pressure or anything.”

“Hey,” she said, touching his arm. “I thought we made good progress today, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, sure.”  In fact, he had written more today than he had in the past year. No obstacle had ever seemed insurmountable when she was by his side. “Enough about my career. What did my mother have to say?”

“She said they would always consider me part of the family, and I was more than welcome.” She looked out the window. “Your parents were the kind of parents I wished I’d had. They were always so supportive, never judgmental.”

He grabbed her hand. “Hey, I know it wasn’t easy for you, baby. With your father’s problems and your mom dying when you were so young, you had to raise yourself and your kid sister. I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for you.”

“It was hell. That’s why I wanted to give our baby the kind of childhood I never had: stable, loving, secure.”

He kissed her hand. “We would have.”

She sighed. “I like to think so, but that wouldn’t have been easy with your career and...”

He knew she was thinking about his drinking. “I went to an AA meeting after you left today.”

She looked up at him, seeming surprised. “You did? That’s great, Trey.”

It was exactly what he needed to refocus on his sobriety. He’d stayed behind to talk to his sponsor, explain his relapse, and acknowledge his motivation for getting sober. Of course, his sponsor told him he had to make the decision for himself, not because of undo pressure from others. He also warned against the perils of getting involved in a relationship when his sobriety was still tenuous. He knew if things with Sierra fell apart, he would be at risk of falling into old patterns again, but he had to take it one day at a time and hope for the best possible outcome.

“I’ve also been thinking about what you said about counseling.”

She squeezed his hand. “Really?”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. I do need help letting go of the past, coming to terms with everything. Obviously, I haven’t done such a great job of that on my own.”

“I think you’re making great progress.”

“We’ll see how it goes.” He didn’t want to think about the past tonight. He wanted to enjoy the present. “Speaking of your sister, how is she?”

Sierra smiled, her eyes lighting with pride. “Lexi’s fantastic. I’m so proud of her.”

Trey thought back to the shy, insecure teenager Lexi had been when he and Sierra first met. It was hard to reconcile that image to the successful real estate investor she was today. “Still raking it in, is she?”

“She definitely has a knack for it.” Sierra slipped her phone out of her small designer handbag.