The Downfall of a Good Girl (14 page)

Connor played a quick progression of notes. “Trust my mom to keep it in perfect tune.”

Mrs. Mansfield looked ready to burst with pride and pleasure.

“This is the Musical Association, so I should probably play some Chopin or Liszt. If I remember correctly, Mrs. Gilroy loves Rachmaninoff.” He played a few bars.

Now Mrs. Gilroy had the same expression as Mrs. Mansfield. Vivi focused her eyes on an oil painting above the piano and took slow breaths.

“But I’m a bit out of practice on the classics, ladies—sorry. I’m actually here to get your collective and esteemed opinion on a new piece I’ve been working on.”

Vivi could feel the pleasure of the members.
Spare me
. Connor had these women eating out of the palms of his very talented hands. She knew the feeling.

“It’s actually a song inspired by our own Vivienne LaBlanc.”

A gasp fluttered though the crowd.

“We’ve spent quite a lot of time together the last few weeks, as you know.”

I hate him
. Did he have to have the last word, humiliating her in front of people she’d known her entire life?
If I ever get out of here, I’m moving to a cabin in Wisconsin
.

“It’s funny how coming home can bring you full circle. One of the first songs I ever wrote was for Vivi. We were in junior high and, while the rest of the class enjoyed it, it didn’t go over very well with Vivi herself.”

No, I’ll kill him first, and then move to Wisconsin
.

“I hope she likes this one a bit better.”

Vivi was so focused on not looking at him, not completely losing it in front of all these people, that the music didn’t register at first. Then shock moved through her. Sixteen notes that she knew by heart. The sixteen notes that he’d taught her that first night they were together.

She remembered sitting inside the circle of his arms while he helped her find the keys, and then the way he’d made the music around her. The memory brought a physical sensation that bordered on pain. Her eyes began to burn, and she quickly swallowed the lump forming in her throat.

Connor’s voice rolled over the room like a rich blanket, and pain streaked through her soul.

Vivi could feel twenty pairs of eyes on her, but she refused to take
her
eyes off the painting above the piano.

The music grew louder and Connor’s voice grew stronger.

Although she didn’t want to, Vivi couldn’t stop herself from risking a peek at Connor. His eyes bored straight into hers.

Vivi’s feet finally unfroze, and she moved quickly to the door. She was nearly blinded by the tears in her eyes, but she made it down the porch stairs without falling and headed for the gate.

Connor caught her before she had it open.

“Vivi, where are you going?”

“Anywhere but here. I can’t believe you just did that.”

Connor’s eyes went wide. “That?
That
was my attempt at an apology.”

Vivi had been hit with too many things in the last few minutes. She said the first thing that came to mind. “You had to do it in front of the Musical Association?”

There was an awkward pause. “Well, you don’t have a piano at your house.” He half smiled at her. “And I didn’t think I could get you to come to Gabe’s. This was the only place.”

His earlier words finally filtered through. “Wait. That was an apology? To me?”

“Yeah. It’s still a little rough in places, but I generally do better with words set to music.”

“An apology?” She couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.

“For being a jerk. For not being honest with you—not at the beginning, and not the other night.”

She couldn’t quite keep up. “About what the other night?”

“If I’d been honest, I’d have told you that I love you.”

The world swam for a moment. When it righted, Vivi couldn’t believe she’d heard him correctly. “That doesn’t make sense.”

He nodded. “You’re right. And yet the weird thing is that it still manages to be true. I don’t know why I didn’t figure that out years ago.” Shrugging that off, he reached for her hands. “Of course, you’ve never accused me of being particularly intelligent.”

“But…”

“I don’t understand it either, Vivi. All I know is that you are the strongest woman I’ve ever met. You’re smart and beautiful and you don’t let anyone—including me—stand in your way. You care and you have a good heart. You make me want to be the kind of man who deserves that kind of woman.”

Her breath caught in her chest and her lungs squeezed her heart in a vise. His words made her actions the other night all the more inexcusable. “I’m the one who owes
you
an apology. I was way out of line and I overreacted.”

“All things considered, though…it’s understandable.”

“I’m still really sorry.”

“Me, too. Old habits die hard.”

“Yeah.” Then she looked up at him. “But is it weird to say that I’m happy anyway?”

“Not at all.” He rubbed his hands over her arms. “You know what would make
me
happy, though?”

“What?”

He cleared his throat. “I said something kind of big and important a second ago, and you haven’t said it back. The suspense is bordering on painful.”

Her heart gave another small squeeze. “For someone who’s made a lot of money—and made a lot of women swoon—with love songs, you’re a little unknowledgeable of the particulars. If I didn’t love you—hadn’t loved you—I wouldn’t have cared what you said or did.”

“Really?” Connor looked quite pleased.

She returned the smile. “Really.”

“Good, because I’m realizing I’m a bit of a sore loser, too. At least when it comes to losing you.”

Connor’s mouth found hers, and Vivi felt whole for the first time. It didn’t make sense, but that didn’t make it any less right.

The sound of applause brought her back to reality. Heat rising in her cheeks, she peeked over Connor’s shoulder to see the entire Musical Association membership crowded on the Mansfields’ front porch.

“Do you always draw an audience?” she asked.

“It happens.” Connor laced his fingers through hers and squeezed her hand. “You know, there’s a whole other verse to that song. Want to hear it?”

“Maybe later. If you hadn’t noticed, I was on my way out when you stopped me.”

Connor’s smile dimmed slightly. “Oh? Where are you going?”

“Wherever you’re willing to take me.”

That brought back Connor’s smile, and it carried a promise that sent shivers down to the soles of her feet. Opening
the gate, he pulled her through without so much as a farewell glance at the ladies on the porch.

His car was parked at the curb, and the lights blinked as they approached. Opening the door, Connor gave her a quick kiss and a wink. “Then you better hold on to your halo, Saint Vivi.”

“Saints and Sinners is over,” she told him. “You even got the trophy.”

“Forget the trophy. I got the girl. And that’s far better.”

Her heart turned gooey and melty at his words. Connor helped her into the front seat and then got in the other side. As the engine roared to life he reached out to take her hand. He was right: it might be crazy, but it still made perfect sense.

“I was right. There were no losers in this competition.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.”

A thought flashed across her brain and it must have shown on her face, because Connor looked at her funny. “What’s wrong, Vivi?”

I can’t. I shouldn’t. But he was the one who’d brought it up
.

“If we’re both winners, and you only wanted the girl anyway…?”

“Yes…?” he prompted.

“Can
I
have the trophy?”

Connor was laughing as he kissed her.

All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention.

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First published in Great Britain 2013
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of Harlequin (UK) Limited.
Harlequin (UK) Limited, Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road,
Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR

© Kimberly Kerr 2013

**Copyright notice: “Whiskey and Honey” © 2010 C. Lynn;
“Rainin’” © 2010 C. Lynn; “Service Your Heart” © 2011 C. Lynn.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

ebook ISBN: 978-1-472-00168-9