Cinnamon’s Courageous Heart: Sweethearts of Country Music, Book 5 Read online

  She reached her driveway, twisted around one bend and stopped next to Silas’s blue truck. She got out and searched the field for Galoot. He might be over the rise and hadn’t heard her vehicle. Next she searched the white tent for Silas. He could be inside, hard at work. She started for the porch, passing Gunner under the tent. She stopped to scratch the dog’s ears and grinned at his enthusiastic tail wag.

  “Hey, boy,” she whispered. “Where’s your daddy?”

  “He’s right here.”

  She slammed upright, butterflies taking off in her stomach and her pulse racing simultaneously. Silas stood at the bottom step of the porch with his Waylon hair, ball cap, tight t-shirt and worn jeans. She wanted to smell him. He met her gaze and stepped off, came to her, and took her hands in his. They were warm and rough. She inhaled and smiled. He smelled of sawdust and musk.

  “Welcome back, Cinnamon,” he greeted as he rubbed his calloused thumbs along her fingers. “Allow me to apologize for my behavior during our first Skype call.”

  She shook her head, feeling tears prick her eyes. Who knew one apology could reduce her to crying? “You already did. It’s no big deal. It’s hard to talk privately on a bus. We all have troubles like that.”

  “No matter. I’m sorry for acting like a juvenile. I’d like to make it up to you with dinner tonight. Something better than pizza.”

  She grinned at the memory. She’d never eat an anchovy again. “Okay, that sounds good. I need to settle in, check on Galoot and,” she ducked her head trying to peek in her front door, “see what you’ve been doing to my old gal.”

  He smiled, big and bright. “Galoot’s fine. Karen’s been by every day, twice a day, to exercise and feed him. You never told me she originally owned him and practically begged you to buy him once you bought this place.”

  Karen told him all that? She was surprised her friend would confide so much in someone she didn’t know personally. Had Silas’s charm smitten Karen too?

  “Yes, Karen and I are old friends. She owns the stable where I worked part time. She saw how I fell in love with Galoot and held him until I had a place for him.”

  “So she said. Come on in and I’ll be happy to show you what I’ve been up to.”

  Cinnamon felt as if she were walking onto the set of one of those make-over shows Nick watched. The homeowner was about to be blown away. Too late, Silas’s apology and offer of dinner already blew her away.

  The porch looked the same, with a few dusty footprints marring the gray paint. The foyer looked mostly the same. Drop cloths covered the table, bookshelf, and chair. How very thoughtful of Silas. Her heart hammered like C.C.’s drums as she wondered what else he had in surprise. Then they turned and entered the kitchen. Her jaw dropped.

  “Oh my stars! Silas, this is . . .”

  “Acceptable? Good? Not bad? Okay?”

  She inhaled. “All of the above, and more.” She ran her hand over the deep kitchen farm sink, feeling the cool porcelain finish. Next she stroked the long marble countertops. White running with streaks of rosy quartz. Perfect. Like he’d plucked the image from her mind. She stepped over to the breakfast nook.

  “Wainscoting halfway up in the dining area. And I love, love, love that nook. It’s so . . . cozy.” Like it was built for two. Had that been in the budget? He’d also knocked out the wall separating the kitchen and the dining room, which always made the kitchen feel like a dark box to Cinnamon. Now, it opened up to the breakfast nook, and the windows beyond.

  She stepped over to the dining area, which lead to the living room. Again, the boxy walls were gone, and archways provided barriers, but simple partitions replaced solid walls and invited an open, flowing feel. Further proof he fully understood her vision for the house.

  “Well, I’ll stop here, and I’ll be back to pick you up for dinner at five.” He grinned as his gaze traveled over her. She wondered how she looked after over a month on the road with bunk head and yesterday’s clothes.

  “Dress nice,” he requested. “Not as nice as you did in Vegas, but nice.”

  He spun around and was gone. Vegas? Had he seen their show? He’d never heard of them before. She heard his truck and stepped to the window and looked out, watching the taillights. He must have found footage from somewhere. He took the time to Google her and the band?

  She slowly made her way around the house. He’d cleaned up all the broken sections of drywall, covered everything with drop cloths, and removed some more sections of walls. Studs were everywhere. It felt like a see-through house, with massive chunks of walls missing. Well, Nick and Silas had warned her it had to get worse before it could get finished. Except she now had more faith in Silas to follow through after having seen the kitchen. Piles of lumber and drywall, and buckets of drywall mud were scattered throughout the rooms. In the corner of the living room, on more drop cloths sat his various tools; massive brushes and flat blades of every size and more stuff she couldn’t even begin to label.

  Everywhere she looked was exposed wiring with missing switch plates, like gaps of missing teeth. Random lights were gone, the electrical guts protruding from the ceiling and walls. Some new walls had fresh drywall but no paint or paper. Some cabinets lacked doors and they all were without hardware. A part of her was disappointed, not sure exactly what she’d see. But the sink, countertop and new dining nook were perfect.

  She went upstairs and peeked in her bedroom and was surprised to find it untouched. Not even a drop cloth in place. Interesting.

  Inspection complete, she went down to the barn to find Galoot. She had texted Karen that she’d be home in time to give him his evening feed. She grabbed a bucket of oats and a handful of carrot cubes and headed out to the pasture. She whistled and called his name. Like a well-trained dog, he soon appeared, racing over the hill with his black mane and tail flying. He slammed to a halt a couple of feet from her, dirt flying from his hooves.

  “Hey, baby. Did you miss me?” She crooned to the horse as he buried his head in the bucket. She loved the sound of him crunching oats and how the muscles in his huge head moved as he chewed. She stroked his neck. “Mama’s been out on the road, doing all these shows, meet and greets, and interviews. It’s been fun, but it’s been crazy. Not like hanging around a barn all day, waiting on Karen to come spoil you.” He finished the oats and looked at her.

  Those liquid black eyes just melted her heart. But so did Jasper’s green ones. She’d wanted to bring Jasper home for the ten days she was here, but Silas had texted he was still hauling things in and out and the risk for escape was potentially there. And the kennel had said he was doing great and had sent her some pictures of him playing and getting brushed. He looked happy.

  “Okay, sweetheart. Let’s go back to the barn so I can get ready for Silas.” She handed him a carrot cube and giggled at the smacking sound his lips made as he reached for it. Maybe they could record that as a background sound. She snagged his halter. “Mama’s got a date with Mr. Black.”

  Once she got Galoot stabled and fed, she grabbed her bags from the Tracker and went back upstairs. She showered, wrapped herself in a towel and bee-hived her hair in another towel. She headed downstairs to start the first of many loads of laundry. Then she had to go back upstairs to find something nice, but not as nice as the glamourous gown she wore at the Awards in Vegas.

  She settled on an emerald green A-line dress with a matching cardigan. It brought out the red highlights in her hair, and as pleasant as it was in the daytime for January, the evening would be cold so the cardigan would be handy.

  She brushed her hair, added a few curls reserved for special occasions, spritzed on a lavender, vanilla, and warm cinnamon perfume and applied only the barest of evening makeup. The grandfather clock downstairs chimed five when she was ready. Glancing out, she spotted headlights coming up the driveway. Grinning and feeling excited, she snatched up her cardigan and pocketbook and went to meet him. The first thing she noticed was the big work truck was gone and instead she saw a shiny gray
Dodge sedan.

  She stopped at the edge of the porch, almost not recognizing Silas as he stepped out of the car. The Waylon waves were trimmed, the ball cap was gone, as was the dark scruff. He stood, clean shaven, bare headed, and wearing a blue and gray pearl snap shirt and crisp blue Wranglers. He was just as hot and yummy cleaned up as he was any other day.

  He let out a low whistle. “Don’t you look wonderful?” he said, as he came to greet her on the steps.

  She laughed. “I was thinking the same thing. You clean up well.” He smelled of spice and leatherwood. “Where’s your truck?”

  He laughed as he took her arm and led her to the passenger side of the car. “I have this for those occasions I don’t want to use the big beast. I like those curls in your hair.” He opened the door. “My lady.” He tucked her in and carefully closed the door.

  “So, where are we going?” she asked when he got in.

  “We have six o’clock reservations at The Melting Pot.”

  “Nashville?”

  He nodded as he turned the car around. “Hope you’re hungry.”

  9

  “Wow, just look at this place,” Cinnamon whispered as she followed the host along the stone-covered walkway. “It smells fantastic in here.” Cheesy, and sweet, and more scents teased her as they passed tables. But Silas still smelled better in his rugged musk and spices. Heavy without being overpowering. His hand was resting on the small of her back, gently guiding her along. She was surprised to find she liked the feeling. From the dim lighting to soft music to privacy between tables, the place oozed a romantic ambiance as much as it oozed cheese.

  “Everyone I talk to, just loves this place.”

  They reached their table, a cozy one bench seat flanked by high partitions and a personal cooktop. The host gave them a big smile. “Jose will be with you shortly.”

  Cinnamon slid in first, followed by Silas. He stretched out with a satisfied smile and draped his arm along the back of their seat. He picked up a menu with his free hand and Cinnamon did the same, shocked that she missed his hand resting on her back. She considered putting her arm over his but decided against it. Instead she concentrated on the menu.

  She’d just made up her mind when Silas replaced his menu and turned to her with a grin. “So, tell me about your tour. What’s it like so far?”

  It was a good ice breaker. She laughed as memories of the last month swamped her. It had been intense.

  “It’s been a lot to deal with. Headlining is a lot more involved than just being an opening act. I never realized all the extra stuff involved with being the stars of the show. We have to make the stage ours, not just borrow someone else’s. Our crew is the best. They never complain, they keep us looking and sounding perfect every night.” She stopped for a moment. “I really want to do something special just for our road crew when we wrap up in Asheville later this spring.”

  “That would be nice. Any ideas of what to do?”

  Cinnamon shook her head. “No. I mentioned it to the rest of the girls, and they all agree it would be good to do. And that’s where we stop. Nice idea, but no suggestions of what.”

  Jose arrived, his gaze going from Cinnamon to Silas. “Welcome to The Melting Pot. Which anniversary are we celebrating tonight?”

  Cinnamon’s jaw dropped. Anniversary? “N . . . none,” she stammered. “This is our first date.”

  Jose blushed. “I’m so sorry to assume. You both have the look of a couple that has been together a long while. My mistake. May I take your orders now?”

  Cinnamon felt heat creep through her face, and she didn’t dare look at Silas just yet. She could almost feel his smile. “I’ll have the house salad season-crusted Ahi Tuna entrée with the cheese fondue. And a sweet tea with lemon, please.”

  “Excellent. And for dessert?”

  “Bananas Foster fondue, please.”

  Jose looked to Silas. “Sir?”

  “Caesar salad, teriyaki marinated sirloin, Bourguignonne, with cheese fondue, and a sweet tea.”

  Jose left and Cinnamon turned to Silas. He was wearing an extremely satisfied smile. “How about that?” she said. “Anniversary.” She looked for something to fiddle with but there wasn’t anything.

  “Yeah. That sort of makes a person wonder.” He rested his arm on the table. “I mean, we barely know each other, have only been out publicly to Rounders, yet a total stranger thinks we look like an established couple. It makes me curious if there’s something connecting us that others can see.”

  “Or he’s really bad at reading people.” That earned his chuckle. It was a pleasant sound that made her toes curl. Why was everything about this guy so darn appealing? The way he looked, the way he smelled, the way he laughed. It wasn’t fair!

  “It seems to me we should spend tonight getting to know each other a little better and see if there really is a connection. I get the basics. You like animals and so do I. We have similar taste in house design. We like the same things on a pizza.”

  “Except anchovies.”

  He laughed, throwing his head back this time. “Yes, except that. But you can see where I’m going with this, right?”

  “Yes,” she reluctantly admitted. “Since we’re on the topic of houses, I really like what you’ve done so far.”

  “But you’re wondering about when the wow comes.”

  She dusted the table off. “Yes. I guess you’d call it that.”

  “It comes at the end of a project. The hard work is planning and preparation and that’s going on now. The wow is the light fixtures, flooring, and cabinet hardware. All those little things that make a person go wow. They’re usually the last things to be done.”

  She supposed that made sense. “I feel like I know you from your resume. And my whole life seems to be out on the internet for anyone who takes the time to look.”

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “Confession time. I admit I did some Google searches. I was curious about you and the band and hunted around. You’re very talented and should be proud of what you’ve collectively done.” He reached over and covered her hand with his. “But that’s our professional lives. I’m more interested in our personal ones. What makes us the people we are?”

  She studied his calloused hand on hers, not inclined to pull away. She sought his gaze. “You mean things like I used to run away when I was a kid?”

  “You did?” His brows rose into twin peaks of surprise. “Why?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Kid logic. It started when I was about five or six, all the way through my teen years. I’d slip out when no one was paying attention or sneak out late at night. The kicker is it was always Nick who came after me. He knew where I was every time.”

  “You and Nick sound very close.”

  She nodded. “We are. Do you have any siblings or family you’re close to?”

  “I had two sisters. One passed away three years ago and the other is married and lives in Maine. We don’t see each other much. Our parents divorced when we were out of our teens and went their separate ways. I suppose they only stayed together for our sake and once we were out of the house, they had nothing else in common.”

  Maybe that was why he was looking so hard for a connection between them. “So now it’s just you and Gunner?”

  “Yes.”

  Something in his eyes, in the tone he used, caused goosebumps to rise along her arms. A chill slid over her. Despite his contented persona, she saw a raw loneliness. Well, if she didn’t have Nick, wouldn’t she be the same way, using Jasper and Galoot as filler family?

  She looked down at their hands, his still covering hers like it belonged there. She leaned closer, inhaling his cologne. Would he kiss her? He leaned closer; eyes fixed on her lips. She held her breath. Her eyes drifted closed.

  “All right, your first course is here.” Jose broke the spell as he set the dishes down. Oblivious to the moment he just destroyed, he set about serving the drinks.”

  Silas removed his hand and she felt wholly
alone.

  * * *

  Three hours later Silas drove Cinnamon home. He walked her to the porch steps and stopped.

  “I had a really good time tonight.”

  He grinned. “That’s not just some line is it?”

  She smacked his arm. “No! I really did. Why else would we hang out in a restaurant for three hours? They were ready to throw us out of there.”

  “Good point. What do you have planned for tomorrow?”

  She looked toward the barn. “I want to take Galoot for a ride. Finish my laundry. Take a long bath. Not necessarily in that order. Why?”

  “Could you fit in time for a picnic with me? I know this good spot up by the railroad tracks.”

  Cinnamon realized she liked that idea. More time with Silas sounded good. “I think I can fit you in my calendar.”

  His smile was big and happy. “Super. I’ll pick you up around lunchtime. Be hungry.” He closed the distance between them. He took one of her hands in his and gently cupped her chin with his other.

  Cinnamon had been kissed before. She considered herself a fair kisser. Her breath hitched and her pulse raced as Silas moved near. Her lips parted and she felt herself leaning close to him. His musky cologne filled her senses. The light scruff around his face brushed her skin.

  Their lips touched and heat poured over her. His gentle grip held her, but it was unnecessary. She had no desire to move. Her eyes closed and she lost herself in the moment, and the delicious cheesy taste of him. She removed her hand from his grip and shifted it to wrap around his waist, keeping him close. Even beneath his pearl button down shirt she felt his corded muscles.

  He changed the tilt of their faces, and she followed accordingly. Like experienced dance partners, they led and followed with ease. The kiss deepened. It felt like he was burrowing into her very soul.