Harmony Read online

  Her head turns and she grins impishly. “We’re on the way to my house.”

  That gets my undivided attention. My brows shoot up. “What? Your house? You have a house here and you’re in a hotel? And why are we going to your house? How do they even know where to go?!”

  Summer turns her head and winks at me. “I’m in the hotel because that’s where we’re staying for the concert and press. Of course I have a house in Nashville. I am in a country band.” She chuckles and then sighs. “And we’re going to my house because I gave them the address before the zoo fiasco. I wanted to show it to you…

  “I guess they needed somewhere to go and my place is out of the way.” She shrugs and her hands tightens in mine. “I’m sure that that scene at the zoo didn’t go undocumented…”

  No, I’m pretty sure it didn’t. Not with all the cell phones in the air.

  I’d be willing to bet that the trash mags and gossip bloggers are already posing about it…

  Speaking of that, where is my cell?!

  I glance around the seat near me and then see my black iPhone by my feet. Grabbing it, I swipe and see that I have fourteen texts and six missed calls.

  Why didn’t I hear it?!

  Checking the little button on the side, I notice that it’s halfway between sound and silent.

  Well, I guess the fucker picked silent!

  But wait, Summer’s phone isn’t going off either.

  Looking up, I see her removing her phone from inside of her purse. Her nose wrinkles as she looks at the screen. “Well, I guess I have some calls to make.”

  Her eyes meet mine and I nod. “Yeah, me, too.”

  The first four texts are from Rafe. One is about not telling him I was going out with Summer. The next is to tell me not to be a dick. Then the next two are shouted messages in all caps asking me what the fuck just happened at the zoo.

  Russ, Xavior, Gavyn, our manager, Roman, the girl’s manager, our publicist, and a few other random texts make up the rest.

  Oh yeah, the incident with the woman is breaking news. Not that it’s new for me to be in the headlines, but this time Summer is affected because of me…

  God, sometimes I hate being me!

  Fucking vultures always wanting to be the first people to spread gossip.

  Another text pops up on my phone.

  “Rafe

  Seriously, Sean! One date with Summer and shit is hitting the fan. Only, my name is in this shit, too! Daisy is pissed AND worried about her sister which means I’m in the dog house! Here’s the link.

  Have Summer call Daisy before you need a new lead singer!”

  With trepidation, I click the link to the story. It’s grainy video, a few shitty photos, and a quickly written piece. Deciding to skip the video for now, I scroll through the photos and read the story.

  When I’m done. I punch the seat and Summer jumps. She looks over at me and I can tell she’s read it, too. She looks crestfallen.

  I frown. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you’re being dragged into this. I know this sucks for you. I’m used to it… it’s normal for me. But now, there’s speculation about you and me on top of the fact that I’m well-known for being a man with no morals and a lot of scandal.”

  She sighs and shakes her head. “Yeah, I saw… Jake–– Jake sent me the link…”

  Dammit… she doesn’t sound very happy about that.

  She pinches the bridge of her nose and grimaces. “I need to call him.”

  Of course she does.

  Nodding, I look out the window and clench my teeth before muttering. “Yeah, and call Daisy. Rafe is getting shit because of the story and the fact that Daisy is worried about you.”

  Chapter Eight

  Summer

  Jake knows that I’m with Sean.

  I just opened his text first when I saw his name.

  “Jake

  It doesn’t appear that your plans are going very well. This just popped up on Facebook and Twitter as trending.”

  It was a link to a TMZ story about the zoo fiasco. There was a video and several crappy cell phone photos from various angles. The one that stood out the most was the photo that captured my face as I stared at Sean with a mixture of humiliation and horror. He was turned to the woman Roger was holding back and the fact that his face was blank as if it was just a normal day. The caption said it all. “Summer Anderson of Sweet Southern Sass Humiliated When Presented With Conquest of Sean Scott of Destiny Fades To Blue, Her Apparent Tour mate/ Romantic Interest At Nashville’s Zoo Today.”

  Shit! Son of a bitch.

  I should have told Jake I was spending the day with Sean. It seems like I was hiding it and I wasn’t…

  Was I?!

  Shit, I was… And now he finds out because it’s the biggest news story on social media. Does he think I’m the kind of woman who juggles men?

  And Sean… he doesn’t look happy about that fact that Jake is who sent me the story.

  And now… Daisy is worried about me because I’m in some sordid news story with Sean; only her boyfriend, Sean’s best friend, is also named.

  What did you expect Summer? They are rock stars! You knew that! They are always in the tabloids and in the gossip columns. You saw what happened when Rafe and Daisy got together… And Rafe wasn’t as bad as Sean is…

  Oh my God… how did I get here? What the hell do I do now?

  Thankfully, my house comes into view and I sigh in relief. I need to call Jake, but I don’t want to do it in front of Sean. That’s not fair to either of them. Plus, I’m chicken shit.

  The car turns through the big gates and follows the curved drive before stopping in front of my small ranch style home. This is my house. It’s mine alone and I love it. I rarely stay here, but the fact that it’s mine and that it’s such a great investment fills me with pride.

  Glancing over, I see Sean staring at the place as the car rolls to a stop just in front of it. He looks at me in surprise. “This is your house?”

  I nod and wait for security to open the door. Roger circles the hood and opens it for me. We can’t open them for the inside and he can only open it when the driver flips the safety switch. Sliding my legs out, I scoot out of the car before leaning back in to answer Sean. “It is. This is my house. Just mine. Come on and I’ll show you around before making my calls.”

  Nodding, he slides out and straightens as he stands. He leans back and takes in the complete house. It’s a two-story ranch with a wraparound porch and two barns as well as an attached garage, which I added once I bought it. It’s white with deep blue trim.

  He shakes his head and says, “Damn, Summer. How much money do y’all make?!”

  Chuckling, I skip up the steps to the door, calling over my shoulder, “Enough. We make good money. But, so do y’all!” The door opens as I near it and my live in caretaker smiles at me.

  “Hello, Miss Anderson. I’ve laid out some snacks and drinks in the kitchen.”

  I smile back and thank her. “Come on, Sean.”

  He shakes his head again and follows me into the house. As we pass the caretaker, I introduce Sean and Mrs. Raina. “Mrs. Raina, this is Sean. His band is touring with us. Sean, this is Mrs. Raina. She and her husband take care of this place for me.”

  Sean smiles at the elderly lady and reaches out for her hand. She give it to him and he does that thing where he rubs the top of her hand with his thumb. She blushes as he says, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He glances around the foyer. “You apparently do a very good job. The house is beautiful and looks to be immaculately kept.”

  Watching him with her, I smile. But quickly realize I still have calls to make. Walking toward the kitchen, I call over my shoulder. “She’s a gem! Food is back here, Sean. Come on back. I’ll get you settled and head into my office to make my calls.”

  He doesn’t say anything, but I hear his tread on the hardwood so I know he’s following me.

  As we reach the kitchen, Mrs. Raina takes over. “I’ll keep
your friend company while you make your calls, Miss Anderson. Go on ahead.” Just like that, I’m dismissed in my own home.

  Sean doesn’t even acknowledge me, so I leave them in the cheery kitchen and walk down the hall to the other end of the house. My office doors are closed, so I open them before walking into the room that is my favorite in the house.

  There are floor to ceiling bookshelves on two walls. The back wall is glass and allows natural light into the room. My desk is against the other wall and I have a comfortable seating area in the middle of the large, open room. I absolutely love it. Copies of our number one songs on the charts are framed and placed behind my desk.

  Walking over, I plop onto one of the deep, plush couches and sigh as it molds to my body. Leaning back, I stare up at the beautiful chandelier overhead. When I bought the house, I thought it was a bit much and had plans to remove it, but as the room came together, I decided to leave it as it lent a rich opulence to the room. I thought it would make the room too formal, but I was wrong… it’s just perfect.

  The crystal teardrops catch the light from the windows and toss prisms everywhere like a disco ball, but not as tacky.

  Knowing I can’t put it off any longer, I grab my phone and call Jake. It rings only once and he answers.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Jake… It’s Summer… I wanted to call you… No, I needed to call you.” My hand is tightly clutching the phone and the other is curling into the seat of the couch.

  He sighs and then chuckles lightly. “Yeah, I see you’ve had kind of a crazy day.”

  I nod though he can’t see me. “I have… Look, I wanted to talk to you and I hate that I’m telling you over the phone… But, I spent the day with Sean. It was the first time and we were just at the zoo… I had a great time with you yesterday. I did. I like you, Jake. I should have told you before, but I didn’t… I don’t know how to date two guys… I’m not like this. I don’t do this…”

  He’s quiet for a minute and then he sighs again. “You’re dating Sean? Look, it’s ok. You and I, we just went out yesterday for the first time. I didn’t know you were seeing Sean. I wouldn’t have bothered you…”

  I have to cut him off. “No, I’m not… I mean, I wasn’t dating Sean. I wasn’t dating anyone. When you asked me, I accepted because I wanted to. I like you, Jake…”

  He chuckles. “You weren’t dating Sean, but we went out yesterday and now today you’re out with Sean. I’m confused, Summer. If you weren’t dating him or he wasn’t interested or you weren’t interested then how did you get to spend the day with him today?

  “I’m not trying to be an asshole. I’m just really confused here.”

  I’m going to have to tell him. My hand rubs my face and I want to scream.

  How the hell did I get here?!

  No, seriously?!

  Two days ago, I wasn’t dating anyone and now I’m seeing two guys and neither is happy about the other…

  What the hell happened to my life?!

  Taking a deep breath, I decide to spill it all. I hope I can get through it and that I’m not talking too fast for him to understand me. “I understand that you’re confused. I’m right there with you, Jake. And you’re not being an asshole. You’re the sweetest guy I’ve ever met in my life.

  “Ok, I’m just going to tell you everything and then you can do whatever you feel like you need to, ok?”

  He’s quiet and then says, “Yeah, ok.”

  Here we go. “Ok, when Cypress told us we were going to record a song with Destiny Fades to Blue, we thought they had lost their damn minds. We’re country… we’re female country and we’re about as wholesome as it gets. They are rock… they are hardcore rock. They have the stories and the scandal that you’d expect. But, then we met them. I was kind of shocked when Sean walked in. I had never been attracted to a man like him before, but for some reason, I found his wild hair, tattoos, piercings, eyeliner, and dark, rocker look appealing. It was crazy weird for me.

  “I flirted a little and he flirted back. We kissed a few times. But nothing ever came of it. I knew that I could never be ok with the way he lived his life. He was all about sex, partying, though he doesn’t do drugs, and rock and roll. So, I just got over it… then, you asked me out.

  “I accepted because I liked you and I’m attracted to you. But right after you asked me out, I ran into Sean. He saw you ask me out and he got weird.

  “Then, I went out with you yesterday and he was in the stairwell when we were in your car. He saw that whole scene and I was mortified. He gave me hell about it and I said some really mean stuff to him.

  “Then, last night… our rooms were adjoined. He knocked on the door and we had words again… but then, he kissed me. It was so unexpected. He asked me out and I said no… but then he asked me to give him a chance… and I like him, too… so I did…

  “We went to breakfast and then the zoo and well, you know what happened at the zoo.

  “I wasn’t seeing Sean when I accepted your date, Jake. I accepted because I like you. But I was with him today and I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you and that you found out the way you did…”

  I can hear him breathing on the phone, but he’s not saying anything. I hold my breath waiting for a response, but none comes.

  Finally, I ask, “Jake? Are you going to say something? Anything? Even if it’s to call me a bitch, which you have every right to think… please just say something…”

  Sean

  I just left Mrs. Raina in the kitchen and started wandering the house. I wasn’t intending to spy. I really wasn’t. I just wanted to walk off some of this nervous energy.

  I have no idea what’s happening right now. For the first time in my life, I’m at a complete loss.

  I like Summer. I really like Summer. I spent the day with her because I wanted to get to know her better and just spend some time with her. But then that stupid bullshit at the zoo happened and then we made out in the car after she said that she couldn’t deal with the shit that comes with me…

  I’m in her house now and I know damn well that she’s on the phone with Jake… and I don’t know where she and I stand…

  Should I just back off and let her be with Jake?

  He’s obviously better for her than I am. He doesn’t have the past or the likelihood of women he’s slept with coming up to him in every city.

  But, I don’t want to back off. For the first time in my life, I want to fight for a woman.

  Son of a bitch…

  I actually care about Summer Anderson… Like a lot.

  I care about this woman and she’s also involved with another man… a man who is a better fit for her, but a man I’ll be damned to just hand her off to.

  I saw her first.

  That is the stupidest shit you’ve ever said, Sean Scott.

  But, I did see her first. I kissed her first. It just took me a little longer to realize that I wanted something other than sex…

  It’s not like it’s ever happened before…

  I’m having a damned old conversation with myself when I hear her voice wafting from down the hall. My feet instinctively head in that direction. I wasn’t eavesdropping…

  But, I heard what she said. I heard the tail end of the conversation…

  She’s talking to Jake and he’s apparently not happy that she’s with me today… but she just said that she accepted my request because she likes me, too. Only now, he’s not responding to her…

  Is he going to be the one to walk away?

  Chapter Nine

  Summer

  Say something, Jake.

  Even if you’re about to tell me that I’m a bitch for what I did today, just say something.

  Finally, Jake answers me. “I’m not going to call you a bitch, Summer. You’re not a bitch. I get it… Sean is… well, he’s something. The ladies like him so I can certainly understand why you’d be interested.

  “We’re not exclusive. I can’t be pissed at you for going out with him. I do
wish I’d had a heads up before I opened my Facebook and saw the story. That might have been nice, but I’m not going to call you a bitch.

  “I am going to ask you something though and I’d appreciate an honest answer.”

  I nod again and clutch the phone tighter. “Of course I’ll be honest with you. Ask away.”

  He inhales and then exhales with a whoosh. His breathing sounds rattled through the phone. “What do you want here, Summer? I went into this wanting a relationship with you. Are you looking for a relationship… with either of us? Do you want a boyfriend or just to date casually? Are you going to be intimate with me? Him? Both of us? I’m just trying to get a clear picture here.”

  Do I want a relationship or a casual thing? Do I want Jake… Or Sean? Or both?

  Am I going to be intimate with them? Like have sex with both of them?

  I can’t do that.

  There is no way I can do that…

  My voice is breathless and shocked when I answer him. “Yes, I want a relationship. I’m not a casual kind of person. I’ve never had two men interested in me in my life, Jake. I–– I like you. I do. But, I like Sean, too… I can’t be intimate with both of you… I just can’t do that. I’d never be able to do that.” My head is shaking back and forth in denial as I say it.

  A sound at the door causes my head to whip around. Sean is staring there with an intense look on his face.

  He heard that.

  He heard what I just said.

  His blue eyes are focused on me and they’re blazing as his lips pinch together. I stare at him, unable to look away. Jake says in my ear, “Ok then. So, you’re going to what, date both of us until you pick one?”

  My throat is dry as I get lost in the intensity of Sean’s gaze. I hear what Jake is saying.

  He’s right… I have to pick one. But can I date him when my head, body, and heart are screaming at me that they’ve already made a choice?!

  I can’t do that to him. I can’t do that to me.

  I can’t do that to the man staring at me right now as if I’m the most important thing in his world.