Page 49 of Thaw My Heart

For the last twenty minutes, she’s wanted to know all about me. My favorite musicians, my favorite color, my favorite song, and other random bits and pieces. Eventually, she asked about why I came to Aspen Hollow. But telling Averie the truth about why I moved here… the truth about my past… well, I just can’t.

At least not yet.

She’s a rockstar, and my story feels too small and too sad. I want to be the version of Sadie that people gravitate toward. Wild. Sexy. Fun. Carefree. A contradiction in blue cowboy boots.

A Sadie I invented to keep myself from drowning.

“There’s not much to tell,” I murmur, glancing out the window at the soft falling snow. “Aspen Hollow is my home now.”

Her eyes seem to soften. “Well, I’m here if you ever want to talk about it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I smile, but I’m happy to keep the past in the past. Where sad little Emma North became a forgotten name, a forgotten existence.

No one would miss her anyway.

“So...” Averie starts, a slow smile forms on her lips. “What about you and Kit Harlow? Did anything happen after he took you home?”

“Not really,” I stifle a laugh, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. “He likes to pretend that he doesn’t like me, but I know it isn’t true.” Except, the insecure part of me is starting to think that he doesn’t like me at all. That I’m only drawn to him because he’s wrong for me. The only kind of man I gravitate towards. A lump forms in my throat. “I just don’t think he knows what he wants.”

And neither did I.

She grabs her coffee mug, holding it close to her glossy pink lips. “Maybe it’s time you played hard to get. I’m a firm believer in making a man work for your affections.”

“That does sound tempting.” Seeing Kit work for my attention would be pretty damn hot. “But I don’t know. Kit’s… confusing.” And that’s putting it lightly.

“Men don’t often know what they want. Sometimes you have to dangle yourself in front of them and see if they bite,” she winks.

I clink her glass with mine. “Words to live by.” Even though I kind of already did that. Multiple times, and he still hasn’t had the nerve to do anything about it. My heart sinks. “So, what about you, are you seeing anyone?” I switch the conversation back to her.

Averie smiles, brushing a lock of blonde hair away from her face. “I’m dating Josh Jennings,” she states like I’m supposed to know that name. “He’s an actor.”

“An actor?” Damn, she really is a rock star. “Is he in anything I would’ve seen?”

“Nothing major. He did a low-budget movie last year, but he recently got an audition for a TV show.”

For the next hour, we talk about what it’s like to live in Nashville. It seems so different and vibrant from anything I’ve ever experienced. Her career is finally starting to take her places, a dream that she’s had since she was eight years old. Over the last few years, she’s been on a few tours—just small ones. And at the moment, she’s on a break until New Year’s Day before she needs to go back.

“I came home for some new inspiration,” she gestures around us. “And well, to see my parents,” she laughs. “I’m hoping to write a hit song during the holidays.”

“You write your own songs?”

“Yeah,” she smiles. “It’s probably my favorite part of the process, besides playing the guitar.” Her eyes fall to her manicured nails. “I just need some good material, and well, lately, I’ve been struggling in the big city.”

A smile crosses my face. “You should come to the ranch. There’s lots of open land, horses, and plenty of hot cowboys. The perfect recipe for a good country song.”

Averie stares at me for a moment in thought. “You love it, don’t you?”

“Ranching?”

She laughs. “Being a cowgirl.”

“It’s the best job in the world,” I answer proudly. For the first time in my life, I’m doing something I love. Something that makes me forget all the pain and horror from my past life. I inhale the sweet, minty scent of my coffee after taking a sip. An indulgent treat I was never allowed to have in my past relationship. “Truth is, I’ve never really felt like I fit anywhere. But Lone Pine… it feels like home.”

“That’s how I feel about singing,” she smiles.

There’s a pause between us. I realize how vastly different we are. She’s a rising star, chasing her dreams in the capital of country music. And then there’s me, a cowgirl who would love nothing more than to stay in a small town forever, chasing cowboys. “You find me boring, don’t you?”

She snorts. “Don’t be ridiculous. I find you refreshing.”