Page 56 of Pink and Country

“That sounds amazing. I’ll let you go get ready for tonight then. Always a pleasure to talk to you, Carter. Have a great show.”

“Thanks, Mark. Have a good one.”

“That was Carter Hills, folks. All y’all ready for tickets? I—” I tuned out and hung up. I sighed, a small smile grazing my lips.

My entire team believed getting back on the scene with a pop-up concert would help deflect the attention my love life had gained lately.

Fans would love the intimate concert.

I trusted my team. And my guts.

Apart from the Savannah fiasco my label orchestrated, I had no major reason to battle with my management team in the past. We’d had our share of disagreements over the years, but nothing compared to that clusterfuck. Dating Savannah Prince was one of the worst things I agreed to. The low point of my life. And my career.

A tightness rooted in my chest every time I wondered why I rolled with the idea. Deep inside, I knew the reason.

I saw this as an opportunity to try something new. Man, was I wrong. So wrong. Ever since everything went to hell with my band and my brother, I’d tried to give my life a new direction. I craved some change. I wanted to explore new avenues. For a moment, I thought dating Savannah could be it. The change I’d been looking for.

My mind wandered back to the Smokies.

Dahlia. Moving on with her life.

Jack. Growing up without a dad.

I. Stuck and unable to commit and do something worthy with my life besides my music.

Fame. Which had its perks, but oh, so many downsides.

April.

How, with her pink hair and quick wit, she brought a wave of fresh air into my life.

How she infuriated me but also mesmerized me.

Her freedom. Her sass. Her magnetism. Her unconventional way of doing things.

At the mere thought of her, my body relaxed. My thoughts got sorted out. Never had I expected a woman to have that much power over me.

I needed her energy in my life.

It soothed all my inner demons. My doubts. My insecurities.

Amid everything I put her through, photos leaked to the press, becoming fodder for the gossip mags, April deserved to have some fun tonight.

My team booked each of us a suite in City Garden, one of Nashville’s finest hotels. There’d be a small after-show party in mine later. I hesitated between staying at my penthouse facing the city line or the hotel. Somehow, I feared inviting April to stay with me at my place would scare her away, which sounded ridiculous. After all, we’d already been living together for almost a week now. If we would’ve stayed in town for more than a night, I might have offered her the choice. Not this time, though.

Deep down, I hoped she’d stick around long enough for us to come back here. Together.

I wanted to avoid any weirdness between us but also didn’t want her to feel all alone, so here I was, staying at City Garden too.

After soundcheck, I called June.

“Hey, how is it going with April?”

“Drove her to the hotel half-an-hour ago. We had a great time. My bitch radar didn’t detect anything suspicious. Still, be careful. You don’t need a repeat of Savannah Prince’s story.”

“I’m not asking your permission.” I clenched and unclenched my fists. I knew June meant well. “All I’m asking is for you to treat her with respect.”

“Will do, Carter. No worries.”