Their engagement is a sham...

But their baby-to-be isn’t!

Country music stars Sawyer Stratton and Piper Starling are headed for the top of the charts. But then their course shifts unexpectedly...toward parenthood! The only way to keep Piper’s pregnancy from making the wrong headlines is to set the proverbial date. But how can Piper go through with a fake engagement when her feelings for Sawyer are anything but?

AMY VASTINE has been plotting stories in her head for as long as she can remember. An eternal optimist, she studied social work, hoping to teach others how to find their silver lining. Now she enjoys creating happily-ever-afters for all to read. Amy lives outside Chicago with her high school sweetheart turned husband, three fun-loving children and their sweet but mischievous puppy dog. Visit her at amyvastine.com.

Also By Amy Vastine

Grace Note Records

The Girl He Used to Love

Catch a Fallen Star

Chicago Sisters

The Better Man

The Best Laid Plans

The Hardest Fight

The Weather Girl

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Love Songs and Lullabies

Amy Vastine

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08493-2

LOVE SONGS AND LULLABIES

© 2018 Amy Vastine

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“I’m thrilled to present Piper Starling and Sawyer Stratton!” country icon Sara Gilmore exclaimed.

As the lights came up and the music started to play, Piper reminded herself that the stage was home. Nothing could hurt her here.

Piper sang the song, holding nothing back. The song was about fear—the fear of letting go. Piper was very much afraid, but this time of having to hold on.

As the song neared the end, her gaze locked with Sawyer’s. He stepped closer. Piper froze. At rehearsal, they had decided he would back away as the music faded. He was clearly changing the plan here.

Piper’s heart pounded. Sawyer pushed the guitar behind his back then reached up and cradled her cheek in his hand. The blood thumped in her ears. She had no idea what he was doing. As the lights began to dim, he leaned forward, his lips inches from hers.

The crowd gasped and then exploded into thunderous applause.

Piper blinked and everything went black.

Dear Reader,

I am so excited to finally get to share Sawyer and Piper’s story with you. The Grace Note Records series has been a joy to write because even though the books are tied to the same record company, every character faces different challenges.

When I started writing this series, I knew the combination of the Nashville music scene and the small-town setting would create a dramatic backdrop for romance. Thankfully, it delivered! This story takes us out of Grass Lake and into the world of country music. It was fun to explore the behind-the-scenes life of a country performer...and to throw some pretty huge obstacles at our hero and heroine. I hope you enjoy my latest love story and survive the roller coaster of emotion Sawyer and Piper experience along the way!

I love to hear from my readers. You can find me on Facebook at Facebook.com/amyvastineauthor, or you can visit my website, amyvastine.com, where you can sign up for my newsletter, receive release information, enter contests and giveaways, and learn about promotions. There’s also a list and link to all my backlist titles.

Welcome back to Grace Note Records. I hope to see you again!

Amy Vastine

For my dad.

Thanks for always being there for me and

teaching me the importance of always

putting family first.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, I’m pregnant?”

Piper Starling felt like she’d stepped outside her body. Her stomach rolled. The walls of the exam room inside Nashville General Hospital’s ER began to close in. This could not be happening.

“Miss Starling—” The doctor took a seat on the stool beside the exam table.

“You must be mistaken.” Piper tried to control the shakiness of her voice and hang on to the single shred of hope from which she dangled. “I’m here because I twisted my ankle. I’m waiting for an X-ray, not a pregnancy test.”

She had bumped into Sawyer Stratton onstage while setting up for rehearsal and twisted it. High heels and poor balance did not mix well.

The doctor scratched at his closely cropped gray beard and gave her a sympathetic smile. “I know why you came in, Piper. I think perhaps my nurse failed to mention a pregnancy test is part of the routine bloodwork we perform here in the ER.”

Piper crinkled the paper covering the exam table in her fists. Pregnant. This made the possibility of a broken ankle seem like nothing. She could barely absorb what the doctor was saying as he went on about soft-tissue damage and the necessity of prenatal vitamins and a more balanced lifestyle going forward.

A sharp knock on the door made Piper jump. Before the doctor could get to his feet, her father pushed it open. Piper’s heart flew into overdrive. She might be a grown woman, but her father’s opinion of her was still the most important thing in her life.

“Ah, so a doctor finally did show up.” Heath Starling handed Piper the bottle of water he had gotten her and began his rant. “We’ve been here for almost two hours. Are you here to take her to get this X-ray? You do know who my daughter is, right?”

“I know who your daughter is, sir.” The doctor rose and offered his hand. “I’m Dr. Michaels.”

Her father had no time for niceties. “We’re on a tight schedule today. If her ankle is broken, we have to know so we can make adjustments sooner than later. Why do hospitals have to be so inefficient?”

The doctor was about to respond when Piper slid off the table and gingerly put some weight on her foot. “No X-ray, Dad. I’m fine. The doctor was just explaining to me that he’s sure it’s a sprain and not broken.”

“Shouldn’t we check to make sure?” The concern in his voice made her feel guilty for not being completely honest, but all Piper wanted was to get out of here before someone let her current condition slip.

“It would hurt a lot more if it was broken. As long as I rest it, I should be fine for the awards show.”

She wished she could tell her dad the truth. What she wouldn’t give to hear him reassure her that everything would be fine, but she knew there was no chance of that happening. An out-of-wedlock pregnancy with a man her father had convinced her was the wrong choice had the potential to ruin everything.

Thankfully, Heath was not a fan of hospitals. “Great! Then we’ll make it to the radio interview after all,” he said.

“I’ll get the discharge paperwork together,” Dr. Michaels said. “I’ll have some instructions and recommendations for follow-up put in there for you, Piper. Good luck...with everything.”

Piper needed more than luck. She needed someone to come in and tell the doctor that the lab had made a terrible mistake.

How could this have happened? Until now, every move she’d made had been perfectly orchestrated. Her image was vital to her success, which was why she always did as she was told. Her father constantly emphasized how one misstep could ruin a career. Say or do the wrong thing and the world would know about it instantly, thanks to social media and smartphones. And for some reason, the public was always on the lookout for their idol’s fatal flaw.

Piper struggled to stop herself from trembling. A few months ago, she had fallen for Sawyer and his soulful brown eyes. She had let him woo her with his clever quips and gentle touch, but what she felt wasn’t real. She’d been tricked into thinking she was in love by the intense emotions that writing music together pulled out of her.

Thankfully, her dad had helped get her head out of the clouds without even knowing how serious things had become between her and Sawyer. It was the wrong time for Piper to invest in a romantic relationship given her current career goals. Of course, being someone’s mother could rock her career in a whole different way.

A nurse came in to wrap her ankle before they wheeled her outside to the car. Her father put a hand on her forehead.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little peaked.”

“I’m fine. Just worried about how to cover this up so people don’t notice tonight.”

“Piper, no one is going to give you grief about twisting your ankle,” her father promised. “I think the fans will forgive you for getting knocked over by that idiot.”

Would everyone forgive her for getting knocked up by him, though? She wasn’t so sure. Piper’s heart ached as much as her stomach.

* * *

THE K104 STUDIOS were in the heart of downtown Nashville. Piper’s ankle throbbed but was still the least of her problems. Her assistant, Lana, offered her a hand out of the limo.

“After your radio interview, you have about an hour and a half before you need to get to hair and makeup,” Lana said as they made their way inside. “Your dinner reservations with Dean and his fiancée are at five. Luckily, the restaurant is near the Bridgestone Arena since the best time to get the most red carpet exposure is around six thirty.”

The thought of being on display all night made Piper want to cry. Surely someone would know she was carrying around the secret of all secrets. She placed a hand on her stomach. Did she already have a baby bump? It was way too early for that. She was being paranoid. Pregnant and paranoid. The tension in her shoulders increased tenfold.

A representative from the radio station met them in the lobby. The young woman was tall and slender. She pushed her horn-rimmed glasses up her nose. “Piper Starling, welcome to K104! We’re so excited to have you and Sawyer here.”

Sawyer’s here?

Piper felt her cheeks flush. She’d known she would have to face him tonight but had hoped the few hours she had before then would help her figure out what to do. She had to tell him. Not that he’d be very excited. When she had told him they couldn’t be together, he had accused her of caring more about her career than the people in her life. But quickly after that, he had acted like it was a relief they weren’t going to be a couple. She glanced at her father, who apparently hadn’t expected Sawyer Stratton to be there, either, given the way he scowled at Lana before dialing someone on his phone.

“You made it!” Dean Presley, the head of Grace Note Records, turned the corner. He pulled Piper in for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay. We can deal with a sprain, right? A sprain won’t hurt the tour, and I have a very good feeling everyone will want to see Piper Starling live after hearing you tonight.”

Piper wasn’t nominated for a Country Artist Award this year but had two proudly displayed at home on her mantel. She was here to promote the new album she’d written over the summer with Sawyer’s help. He may have been a newbie to the country music scene, but he was also an excellent songwriter. Piper had spent too many years singing other people’s music and it had been Sawyer’s job to teach her how to write her own.

Tonight’s performance would be crucial in setting the stage for her break into mainstream pop music. The new album had great crossover potential thanks to Sawyer’s help. Of course, all of that was in jeopardy now. Her stomach rolled and her head ached.

Heath slipped his phone back in his pocket. “This is your doing, Dean? Hasn’t my daughter shared the headlines with this boy enough? She’s a platinum recording artist while he just released his first album.”

“Together, the two of them are magic. Their song’s success is proof of that. The more we showcase them together, the better for both of them. I think Nashville deserves a preview of Sawyer and Piper before the rest of America hears them at the CAAs.”

Her chest constricted at the thought of Dean’s disappointment as well as her father’s when they learned she had ruined her perfect image. She trusted Dean’s business sense and knew he believed in her, even if his trust had been misplaced. Keeping the facade up as long as possible, until she could figure out how to break the news to everyone, was her only option. There had to be a way to save her career from disaster.

Piper took a deep breath before she had a panic attack. “It was a great idea, Dean,” she said, putting her smile back in place. “We’re here to sell records. Mine and Sawyer’s.”

The radio station rep’s relief was evident. The earlier tension had not been lost on her. “Let me show you to our hospitality room.”

Heart pounding, Piper followed the woman down the hall, into the elevator and up three floors. She could do this. She could sit next to Sawyer and answer questions about music. They could sing together like they did while writing songs and recording her album. Singing with him was the easy part. Avoiding his brown eyes, resisting his charm, ignoring the way he made her feel when he was near—those things might prove more difficult. Especially now.

It suddenly felt very warm. Piper was thankful she had dressed in layers. She peeled off her sweater and handed it to Lana for safekeeping.

Sawyer’s voice reached her in the hallway. His playfulness was infectious as he sang and strummed a guitar. It was his lightheartedness that had gotten her in this trouble in the first place.

She steeled herself as she entered the hospitality room. Sawyer Stratton had accepted there wasn’t a future for the two of them. How would he feel when he found out they’d be forever connected?

CHAPTER TWO

“YOU HAVE GOT to be kidding me,” Sawyer said, setting his guitar down. “You are unbelievable!”

His friend and bandmate Hunter pushed the last grape between his lips. His cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk’s. He had somehow managed to get an entire bowl of grapes in his mouth. Hunter’s enormous cheek capacity was about to cost Sawyer ten dollars, and he was not a fan of parting with his hard-earned money.

“Impressive, but I can do better. If I can eat one of those sandwiches over there in one bite, you have to give me ten bucks,” Sawyer said, making his way to the counter full of snacks.

Hunter shook his head, unable to speak. He held up two fingers before slashing the air with both hands.

“Double or nothing?” Sawyer clarified. Hunter nodded. “You think you can eat this whole sandwich right after swallowing all those grapes?”

Hunter nodded again and picked up a water bottle. After a quick swig, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “If I do, you have to give me twenty bucks.”

The turkey sandwich wasn’t quite six inches long, but it was stuffed with all the trimmings and wouldn’t go down easy. Better Hunter fail than him. “Go for it.”

Hunter picked up the sub and took a breath before attempting to shove it all in his mouth. Sawyer couldn’t help but bust out laughing.

“We have some snacks and beverages for you,” a voice said from the doorway.

Sawyer turned, and there she was. Piper was always a sight for sore eyes. Her sunglasses rested on top of her head and her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Even though she wore the same pale pink blouse and skinny white jeans he’d seen her in at rehearsal, the woman managed to take his breath away.

“Are you okay? Can you breathe?” The radio assistant came running at him.

How could she tell? It had only been a second. “I’m fine,” he protested. He had known Piper was coming—he just hadn’t expected her to affect him the way she always seemed to.

The woman pushed past him and wrapped her arms around Hunter’s chest. Two seconds later, a chewed-up wad of Italian bread shot across the room.

Hunter coughed and gratefully took the water offered to him by his rescuer. “Thank you,” he choked out.

Sawyer shook off his embarrassment at misreading the situation and glanced at Piper. Her bright blue eyes were wide with shock, but her lips soon curled in amusement. Her father, however, stood behind her with his usual scowl.

“Perhaps Piper could have her own space to relax before the interview. These two—” Heath paused and glowered at Sawyer “—gentlemen seem to need some supervision we’d rather not be responsible for providing.”

“It was a bet,” Sawyer explained. “He lost. We’re done now. No supervision required. Hey, Piper. How’s the ankle? I’m so sorry about bumping into you.”

He went in for the awkward hug and kiss on the cheek. She felt stiff in his arms but returned the innocent kiss.

“It’s still a little sore. But I should be fine by showtime.” Her voice sounded different, colder if that was possible.

It had been awkward seeing her earlier today. Almost two months ago, he had followed his heart instead of listening to what his head had been telling him, which was that Piper would always put her career first.

He’d overreacted initially, but tried to cover up the humiliation he’d felt by pretending to be unaffected. They’d parted as friends, so why did Piper appear as if she’d rather be anywhere but in his company at the moment?

“Guess we get to perform our song two more times before we put it out to pasture,” she said. Her neck was as flushed as her cheeks. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was feeling all right.

Sawyer grabbed her a water bottle. “You saying we aren’t going to tour together the rest of our lives so we can sing it five nights a week?”

“Oh, we haven’t decided on an opening act yet.” Piper seemed to panic. “We were thinking about going in a different direction, though. You weren’t on our list. Our brands aren’t the same.”

Ouch. There was definitely no love there. Everything was always about her career, her brand. “Well, we wouldn’t want anything to tarnish your image, now would we?”

Clearly, Piper’s feelings for him had soured, but it was for the best. Her daddy already hated him for no good reason. If he ever found about that night on the farm, heads would roll—Sawyer’s and most likely Dean’s, since he was the reason the two of them had met in the first place.

“How about we move things along? Piper has places to be,” Heath said, placing himself between his darling daughter and the scoundrel he believed Sawyer to be.

“Great idea, Heath.” Sawyer’s use of his first name obviously irked the old man. That was as good a reason as any to make sure he used it all the time.

The radio assistant and Heimlich maneuver expert went to find out if the DJ was ready for them. Sawyer’s whole body was tingling with excitement. This was the first time Dean had invited him to do something like this. K104 was the most popular country station in Nashville, and this kind of exposure meant the world to a new singer’s career.

“Would it be okay if Sawyer and Piper signed some of our promo and took a couple pictures with Kelly first?” the woman asked when she returned.

“That’s perfect, Nancy.” Leave it to Piper to know her name. She probably knew if the radio station assistant was married or had children, where she’d gone to high school and college, and how she was spending the holidays this year. Piper was that kind of person—more interested in hearing about others than she was in talking about herself.

Sawyer followed them into another room and autographed everything they placed in front of him. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the fact that someone would want his signature. This was just the beginning, too. Kelly Bonner, the afternoon DJ on K104, came out of the studio and introduced herself. Sawyer knew who she was. She had jet-black hair and crystal-blue eyes that grabbed everyone’s attention when they drove by the billboard along I-65. He had also listened to K104 for years, never imagining one day they’d play his songs across the airwaves.

“Thanks so much for coming in, you two,” Kelly said. “I’m a huge fan.”

Sawyer had fans. His chest puffed out. He wanted to soak this all in.

“Piper’s on a tight schedule,” her father reminded everyone.

Clearly, Heath and Piper were not among those fans. In fact, Piper’s mission in life suddenly seemed to be to keep her distance from Sawyer. When they took a picture, she insisted Kelly stand between them. She nonchalantly moved her stool a few inches away from his when they got settled in the studio, and her eyes never left Kelly, even when Sawyer spoke.

“I heard that you two have spent quite a bit of time together the last few months. So, Sawyer, what was it like working with Piper not only on the duet for your album but on Piper’s new album, as well?” Kelly asked.

“I am so grateful to Piper for giving me the opportunity to work on some songs with her. I think we both learned a lot. I mean, for me, writing songs is a very personal experience. You leave a part of yourself on the page and then add some more later when you sing.”

Kelly raised a brow. “So, what did you learn about Piper?”

Piper finally glanced in his direction. Her face blanched.

Sawyer leaned in to the microphone. “I learned that Piper is one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. And I grew up on a horse farm, so that’s saying something.”

He’d chosen something true and completely unobjectionable. There was no way Heath or Piper could take offense.

“What about you, Piper? What did you learn about Sawyer?”

Piper swallowed hard and bit down on her bottom lip. “That’s a really good question,” she replied.

The way she fidgeted in her seat, one would have thought this was the most difficult question anyone had ever asked her. Sawyer began to fear what she might say.

“Why do I get the feeling she’s trying to come up with something really embarrassing?” he asked, hoping she wouldn’t share some of her less than positive thoughts about him.

* * *

PIPER’S MIND WAS WHIRLING. What did she really know about the man sitting next to her? He was going to be the father of her child, and she barely knew anything about who he was. He had a sister and a dog. His father had passed away a few years ago. She didn’t know anything about his mother. He had to have a mother.

“Come on, there must be something you can tell us about Sawyer. He’s worried you’re going to embarrass him. Does he have any annoying habits?” Kelly asked.

Radio interviews were so nerve-racking. Piper always feared she’d say the wrong thing. One comment could be spun a thousand different ways on Twitter. Sitting next to father of her unborn child wasn’t easing her anxiety.

Sawyer flashed her one of his magical grins, his dimples in full effect. “Go ahead, tell Nashville what irks you about me.”

“He smiles,” Piper answered. “All the time. I know that seems harmless, but sometimes when you’re having a terrible day and Sawyer’s smiling like he doesn’t have a care in the world, it can be annoying.”

Like right now. Piper was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders and he was thoroughly enjoying his first radio appearance. He had no cares...yet. He would feel differently once he knew what Piper knew.

“Can you blame me for smiling every time I’m around her?” Sawyer asked Kelly.

Kelly sighed. “You guys are so adorable. It’s killing me.” She let the listeners know Piper and Sawyer would sing after the commercial break.

Sawyer leaned over when the On Air sign was turned off. He brushed her knee with his hand. “Are we good?”

She froze. Not good at all. “We’re fine,” Piper lied.

Hunter brought Sawyer his guitar and they did a quick sound check. They got a thumbs-up from the producer on the other side of the glass.

Piper closed her eyes and tried to shut off her brain. Don’t look at him. Sing, she told herself. She did just that. Kelly whistled and clapped for them when they finished.

“I love that song. I really do,” she said. “I’ve got one more request before you two head out today.”

“Request away,” Sawyer said.

“You’re performing tonight at the Country Artist Awards. Like I said, I love ‘You Don’t Need Me,’ but I think I speak for everyone listening when I say we also love the chemistry between you two. I have watched that music video a hundred times. There is something so crazy good about the two of you together. Please tell me there’s a hidden romance going on that you want to make official right now, here on K104.”

Piper’s heart stopped. She was speechless. Had she even been asked a question? Kelly smiled, as if waiting for a reply. Piper’s entire face burned. She looked at Sawyer, who also seemed stunned by the insinuation.

There was nothing worse than dead air on the radio. Kelly was quick to end it. “I’m not going to let them answer so I can continue believing it’s true, but if all you shippers could see the way both of them are blushing right now, there would be no doubts.”

The panic cut off all the air to her lungs. Piper wanted to scream that there was no chance she and Sawyer would ever be together. Not the way she had once imagined.

“Thank you so much for stopping by,” Kelly continued. “Please drop in the next time you’re in town.”

Never again.

“Absolutely,” Piper said, finally finding her voice. All she wanted and needed was for this interview to end.

Sawyer simply nodded.

“All right. I’ve got a treat for y’all today,” Kelly continued. “We’ve got the first single from Piper’s new album that comes out at the end of the month. Sit back, enjoy the song and be sure to catch these two possible lovebirds tonight on the Country Artist Awards.”

As the song started, Piper took off her headphones. She noticed Sawyer’s furrowed brow. “I think Sawyer might be mad at you for spreading rumors that he’s anything other than single,” she told Kelly.

“I’m not mad,” he said. “I was caught off guard. You’re probably mad.”

“I’m not mad,” Piper argued. She wasn’t the only one who hadn’t wanted to pursue a relationship. “I just thought you were going to set the record straight, so I didn’t say anything.”

“I didn’t mean to put you two on the spot.” Kelly slid her headphones off her head and let them hang around her neck. “There’s something so heartbreaking about that song. The way you sing it makes me want to believe love will win in the end, even though you’re saying goodbye. Does that even make sense?”

“Boone Williams knows how to write a song,” Sawyer said, giving credit where credit was due.

Last summer, Dean had asked Boone to mentor Piper so she could learn to write her own songs. Boone had tried, but the Grammy-award winner didn’t have an abundance of patience, and writing songs had proved to be more difficult than Piper had hoped it would be.

He’d written most of “You Don’t Need Me” and was kind enough to give Piper credit for the very little input she’d offered. Even after all his hard work on the song, he’d opted not to sing on the track. Boone had given that honor to Sawyer—as well as the job of helping her write songs for her new album.

“Boone once told me that a good song makes people feel,” Piper said. “If our song made you feel like believing in love can win, then we did our job.”

“You did an excellent job.” Kelly smiled and saw them out. Heath and Lana were ready to leave as soon as the interview was over. Piper was ushered out of the station and back into the limo without a chance to say anything to Sawyer.

“Lana, make a note that the next time we go to K104, I’ll need to approve all the questions ahead of time.” Her father’s peeved expression left no question he was unhappy with the insinuation that Piper and Sawyer were a couple. He was not going to take the news of this pregnancy well. “This is all Boone’s fault. If he hadn’t backed out of the arrangement I made with Dean, we wouldn’t have to deal with this slander.”

Piper wished she could blame someone other than herself, but she was the only one responsible for this entire mess. “Hoping Sawyer and I are dating is hardly slander.”

“When the new album comes out, everyone will move on,” Lana said. “People see them sing a love song together and it makes them want the feelings to be real. When you go your separate ways, the fans will forget about it.”

“We can hope,” her father replied.

The sinking feeling was back. He could hope all he wanted. Sawyer would forever be a part of their lives. There was a baby on the way, and Piper needed to figure out how to break the news to her father and Sawyer. Sooner than later.

CHAPTER THREE

SAWYER BOUNCED ON the balls of his feet as he shook out his arms and rolled his head from side to side like a boxer psyching himself up for his prizefight. Bridgestone Arena was where Sawyer had attended his very first concert back when he was sixteen. His sister, Faith, had driven him and two friends up to Nashville to see Kenny Chesney. Even from their nosebleed seats, he had felt the energy coming off the stage.

Now he was only a few minutes away from performing on that very stage. Not in front of thousands of screaming fans but hundreds of country music’s elite. That was somehow more intimidating than the millions of people who would be watching him on their televisions at home.

“Is Piper ready?” Sawyer asked as Dean entered the dressing room, followed by Faith. “We’re supposed to go on in a few minutes.” Dean’s eyes were glued to his phone. He hadn’t stopped looking at that thing since they’d arrived at the arena.

“She’ll be ready. Goodness, Facebook and Twitter are all over this.”

“All over what?” Sawyer tried to sneak a peek over Dean’s shoulder.

Dean spun around. “I think I have a way to make you a household name, little brother.”

Sawyer’s sister put her hand over her heart. “Aw, that’s the first time I’ve heard you refer to him as your brother.”

“Let’s not call each other brother yet. You two aren’t even married.” Sawyer didn’t mind that Dean would soon be his brother-in-law, but it wasn’t something he wanted anyone to focus on too much. He feared people would accuse him of only getting ahead in this business because he was family. “What’s happening on social media?”

“Ever since the radio interview, you and Piper have been trending on Twitter in Nashville with the hashtag #PipermakesSawyersmile.”

Sawyer choked on the water he was drinking. It could not possibly be a good thing for anyone to think there was a romance going on between him and Piper. Not when she had made it clear they were better off as friends.

He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “Exactly how is that going to make me more famous? Piper and I are friends, but not even good friends. Barely friends. We’re more like coworkers. Acquaintances maybe. Nothing more than singers on the same label. What will people think next? That I’m in love with Boone Williams?” Sawyer tried to laugh the whole thing off.

“Wow, from friends to only singers on the same label? Way to downplay your relationship. You act like it’s inconceivable. You’d be lucky to date someone like Piper,” Faith said. “She’s beautiful, talented, ambitious and sweet on top of it all.”

“Sounds like you’re in love,” Sawyer replied.

“Piper still hasn’t signed off on an opening act for her first set of tour dates. You also have an album to promote,” Dean said as his grin widened.

“And we’ve been talking about me doing a small-venue tour across the South this winter.”

“Which was a great idea until another great idea came along.”

Sawyer knew exactly where this was headed. “What? That I join Piper’s tour?”

What Dean couldn’t know was that when Piper had squashed the idea of being a couple, her support of his career had probably gone right along with it. She’d been mortified earlier when he suggested this not be the last performance they’d ever do together.

“I’m going to run it by Piper first, but I think if we play this right, we could create a buzz that sends you both to the top of the charts.” Dean’s excitement would have been contagious if it wasn’t for the fact that he thought he could convince a woman who didn’t even want to sit by Sawyer to let him open for her.

“What if Piper says no?” There was no if, only when. Piper wouldn’t go for it. Most importantly, her father would never go for it, and he called all the shots in her career.

“She likes you. I saw how you two were on the farm. You helped her write the songs for this album. She owes you one.”

Sawyer tugged at the collar of his shirt. He had ruined his chances of getting a hand up from Piper by getting too close. Dean could try to sweet-talk her, but the chances of her giving him a spot on her tour were slim. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Stop worrying. I’ll make this work for both of you. One more thing,” Dean said, rubbing his hands together. “I think you should do something at the end of the performance tonight, but you can’t tell Piper it’s coming.”

* * *

“CAN I GET you anything?” Lana asked from the other side of the bathroom door.

Piper wiped her mouth. “I’ll be out in a second.” How she wished she hadn’t eaten dinner. She’d heard of morning sickness, but it was after seven o’clock in the evening. Why was she throwing up now?

“They’re ready for you onstage. This thing is a well-oiled machine. They can’t get backed up.”

Piper washed her hands and checked her reflection in the mirror. She looked tired. Even with all the makeup magic her stylist had used to make her red-carpet ready tonight, she could see the exhaustion written all over her face.

No rest for the weary. Piper pulled open the door. “Let’s go.”

The anxious-looking stagehand behind Lana radioed to someone that they were on the move. All Piper had to do was sing “You Don’t Need Me” one more time and then she could tell Sawyer about the baby. Once he knew the truth, maybe he would know what they were supposed to do.

Someone handed her an earpiece and a microphone as they approached the stage. Sawyer’s hair was like spun gold under the glow of the stage lights. With a guitar strapped across his chest, he wore jeans and an oatmeal-colored henley, while she was tortured in a dress covered in red sequins. He had the shoulders of a man who had lifted hay bales his whole life. He was so strong and sturdy.

He reached for her hand when they were directed to head out during the commercial break. Like a stupid moth drawn to the flame that had no goal but to zap the life out of it, she took his hand and let him lead the way.

“I’m so nervous,” he admitted. “Tell me everything’s going to be all right.”

Sawyer was usually so full of naive confidence. It always seemed like he had no idea whom he could disappoint. In front of this crowd, however, he was obviously humbled.

“Almost everyone out there has been on this stage and knows it’s not easy. They’re more forgiving than you’d expect. But we’re going to be better than all right, so no worries,” she assured him. At least she knew they would survive this performance. Afterward, things didn’t look as promising.

“How’s your sprain?”

She’d almost forgotten about her ankle. Had it not been for twisting it earlier today, she might not have figured out she was pregnant until much later. She wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

They had offered to let her sit on a stool for the performance, but she had refused. She would tough it out because she needed to knock this out of the park if she was going to have any hope saving her career from complete ruin.

The lights went down and the orchestra under the stage began to play. Commercial over. Piper felt her own set of butterflies, only they weren’t flying—they were swimming some rough seas in her stomach. Closing her eyes, she prayed she wouldn’t throw up onstage—on television—in front of millions of people.

One song. One last time pouring out her heart to a man who was about to find out their time together had major consequences. This song had brought them into each other’s lives and yet was all about saying goodbye.

“I’m thrilled to present Piper Starling and Sawyer Stratton!” country icon Sara Gilmore exclaimed as the lights came up and the music started to play.

Sawyer strummed his guitar and let what he did best guide him out of the fear. Piper reminded herself that the stage was home. Nothing could hurt her here. This was where she shone bright.

Piper sang the song, holding nothing back. She let her real emotions fuel the performance. The song was about fear—the fear of letting go. Piper was very much afraid, but this time of having to hold on.

As the song neared the end, their gazes locked. He sang about goodbye, and sadness tightened her throat. He stepped closer. Piper froze. At rehearsal, they had decided he would begin to back away as the music faded and the lights dimmed. He was clearly changing the plan here.

Piper’s heart pounded as he stood in front of her. Sawyer pushed the guitar behind his back so there was nothing between them. He reached up and cradled her cheek in his hand. The blood thumped in her ears. She had no idea what he was doing. As the lights began to dim, he leaned forward, his lips inches from hers.

The crowd gasped and then exploded into thunderous applause. Piper blinked and everything went black.

CHAPTER FOUR

SAWYER TRIED NOT to panic as he scooped Piper up. The stage was dark, but there was little chance no one had noticed her faint. Her head fell back as she lay limp in his arms.

“Piper, wake up. Please wake up,” he said as he carried her offstage. What was wrong with her? Fear mixed with the adrenaline coursing through his body was similar to what he’d felt when he found his father on the floor after his heart attack. “Piper, you need to wake up.”

Hunter, drumsticks still in hand, was the first to join him. “I can’t believe you made her pass out with one kiss.”

“I didn’t kiss her.”

A bearded stage manager was waiting in the wings to help. He cleared a space for Sawyer to lay her down.

Sawyer put his face close to hers. He could feel her breath on his cheek, thank God. She felt warm to him, though, and her skin was covered in a light sheen of sweat.

“Come on, Piper. Wake up. Please, Piper.”

“What happened out there?” Heath came barreling through the small crowd that had gathered.

“She passed out,” Sawyer explained, although he knew that wasn’t what Heath was curious about.

“Why were you in her personal space?” her father demanded. “What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything to her.”

Piper’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze landing on Sawyer first, then her father, then her surroundings. It was clear the moment she became aware she was lying on the ground instead of standing onstage. Her cheeks turned as red as the barn back at the Strattons’ horse farm.

“What happened?” she asked as she tried to sit up. Both Sawyer and Heath reached out to help.

“You’ve done enough!” Heath’s harsh tone was enough to get Sawyer to back off. “Can we keep the press away? I don’t want any pictures of her like this.”

Sawyer rolled his eyes. The only thing that man seemed to care about was Piper’s public image. God forbid she get sick or have a human moment in her life.

“Piper, are you okay?” Dean appeared over Heath’s shoulder.

Sawyer wanted to shake Dean for coming up with the terrible idea of surprising her with what was supposed to look like a kiss. It had been nothing but a stupid publicity stunt. Why had he done it?

He’d done it because Dean had told him this was what the public wanted. Sawyer had to give people what they wanted if he was going to make it in this business.

It had also felt like the most natural thing in the world. Because when he’d listened to her sing, he had heard the pain in her words and wanted to take it away. Because when he’d looked at her, he had seen how vulnerable she allowed herself to be in front of not only everyone in the crowd and watching on television, but in front of him.

Sawyer got to his feet and took a couple steps back. Those were dangerous feelings. Piper had a way of drawing those out.

“I’m fine,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “I don’t know what happened.”

“Let’s get her to her dressing room.” Heath helped Piper to her feet, but she cried out when she tried to put weight on her bad foot.

Instinctively, Sawyer reached for her again. She steadied herself on one foot with his help. Their eyes met, and she bit down on her bottom lip. The desire to kiss her was immediately overwhelming. Sawyer picked her up instead and carried her to her dressing room.

Piper’s arms stayed wrapped around his neck even after he set her back on her good foot. She wasn’t helping him repress those feelings he was trying to avoid.

“You should sit,” he suggested.

Her blue eyes stayed locked on his. “Why did you do that?” she asked.

“Because he’s an idiot,” Heath said, swooping in. He led her to the chaise lounge in the corner of the room. “Come lie down over here.”

Piper’s entourage, as well as several CAA employees, began to fill the room. Sawyer quickly became claustrophobic. He slipped out and found his sister and Hunter waiting outside.

“I can’t believe you made Piper Starling pass out,” Hunter teased. “Just the thought of having to kiss you knocked her out.”

Sawyer shot him a look. “This isn’t funny. She’s hurt and obviously something is wrong.”

“She’s going to be fine,” Faith promised him. “I heard Lana say she was sick before the performance. You know this really isn’t your fault, right?”

“I know. I’m just worried.” He tried to shake off the fear that still lingered. “When she started to go down, my heart stopped.”

Faith patted him on the back. “It was a good thing you did what Dean told you to do. She could have been hurt much worse if you hadn’t been there to catch her.”

Dean came out and placed a hand on Sawyer’s shoulder. “We’re going to need you to talk to the press. Tell everyone Piper’s fine. Don’t confirm or deny anything between the two of you. Be as coy as possible.”

“What? I don’t know how to be coy. I’m a straight shooter. You know this.”

“Trust me,” Dean said. “If you play this right, you and Piper will be the headline story tomorrow.”

Headlines were what the business of being famous was all about. This was Sawyer’s chance to prove to Dean how much he wanted this.

“When they ask you if you’re dating Piper, say something like, ‘Wouldn’t you like to know.’ Then smile and they’ll go nuts,” Hunter suggested.

“Sawyer Stratton?” A frazzled-looking production assistant interrupted them. “We’re ready for you in the pressroom. I need you to come with me now,” he said.

Dean gave Sawyer a thumbs-up before slipping back into Piper’s dressing room. How would she feel about Sawyer leading the world to believe there was something going on with them?

Full of reluctance, Sawyer shuffled behind the man, praying she wouldn’t be angry with him for doing what was best for his career.

The assistant pushed open the door and held it so Sawyer could enter in front of him. “Just head on over to the microphone. They’re pretty good about not all asking questions at once. I’ll signal you when your time is up.”

“Wish me luck,” Sawyer said over his shoulder as he hesitantly made his way to the mic.

The clicking and flashing of the cameras overwhelmed his senses, quickly overriding the quiet murmurs of the reporters. Before Sawyer had a chance to adjust the microphone to his height, the questions started coming. And no one was taking turns.

“What happened onstage tonight?”

“How’s Piper doing?”

“Does this have anything to do with why she was at the hospital this morning?”

“Are you announcing that you and Piper are a couple?”

“Was fainting part of the performance?”

“How long have you and Piper been together?”

All the blood rushed to Sawyer’s face. His hands began to shake, so he clasped them behind his back. He leaned forward toward the microphone and reminded himself that he only had to answer the questions he wanted to answer.

“Piper’s fine. It’s been a crazy day. She sprained her ankle at rehearsals this morning. With all the commotion, she didn’t eat much today and got a little light-headed up there onstage. She wanted me to pass on to everyone that she’ll be good as gold in no time. She’s ready to get out and tour her new album.”

The flashes from the cameras somehow seemed brighter. It was like standing in front of a strobe light. His answer had only sparked more questions about his relationship with Piper and the kiss that didn’t happen.

Sawyer waited for something he could answer. From the back he heard, “What are your plans for touring?”

He pointed at the young female reporter. “Thanks for asking. I plan on touring this winter. I don’t have all the details, but I am hoping to get out there and share my music with as much of America as I can.”

“Will you join Piper’s tour since you two seem to get along so well?” the reporter asked as a follow-up.

Of course he couldn’t dodge the Piper bullet. It was always going to come back to her. He could hear Dean’s voice in his head—be coy—but all he really wanted to do was set the record straight. There was no Sawyer and Piper. There would never be a Sawyer and Piper. For a moment two months ago, he’d thought he could let someone into his heart, but she’d quickly reminded him why he should stay single.

“If I was offered the chance, there’s no one else I’d rather tour with. Can you blame me?”

The crowd again exploded in questions about his relationship with Piper. Coy definitely got everyone talking and speculating the way Dean wanted.

Thankfully, the production assistant signaled to Sawyer that his time was up. He waved to the unsatisfied reporters and got the heck out of there.

He needed to check on Piper and let Dean know mission accomplished. Everyone would be talking about him and Piper tomorrow. He’d have to make sure he kept doing as he was told so his name stayed on their lips.

* * *

“WE NEED TO get a statement out before the press puts its own spin on this.” Piper’s father had not stopped pacing since they got in the dressing room.

Piper wanted this day to be over. She needed to get out of this arena and back to the hotel where she could hide. The press was sure to speculate about why she had fainted onstage, and none of their guesses would be helpful.

Lana handed her another bottle of apple juice. She couldn’t bear to drink any more. They had been pushing cookies and juice on her so much that her body tingled from the excessive amounts of sugar.

“Sawyer let everyone know she’s fine,” Dean said. “Social media is lighting up about it, but it’s all good.”

“Good? My daughter fainted onstage. We’re supposed to go on tour in a few weeks. People are going to question her stamina before she even begins touring.”

“No one is focused on her not being well,” Dean explained.

“What else would they be focused on?”

“Sawyer carrying her offstage. Everyone thinks it was part of the act, and they’re loving it. They love Piper and Sawyer together.”

Piper let that soak in. People loved her and Sawyer together. Everyone was thrilled at the simple idea of it. Except her father, of course.

“Ridiculous!” Heath scoured his own social media accounts to verify Dean’s claims.

“I think we should take advantage of this. You could have Sawyer join Piper’s tour as the opening act. As long as we don’t deny the possibility of a relationship, people will be scrambling to buy tickets to see for themselves if they’re a couple or not. It’s a win-win for both of them.”

“We were leaning more toward crossover performers for opening acts. Artists who aren’t only country.”

“I think Sawyer’s songs have a wide appeal, as well,” Dean argued.

Heath wouldn’t give in. “We were also considering female artists to avoid exactly what you’re suggesting we promote—rumors about my daughter and her love life.”

Piper saw it differently than her father for one very important reason. The baby wasn’t going to be a secret forever. Eventually, she would have to not only come clean to her father and Dean but also the world. Maybe Dean was giving her the answer she had been looking for since this morning. Maybe the feelings she’d had for him were more real than she’d thought.

Piper let her head fall into her hands. Her thoughts drifted back to right before she’d passed out. Instead of walking away at the end of the song, Sawyer had been drawn to her. He was going to kiss her. Maybe his feelings had changed. Her father would have to come around. Sawyer would always be part of their lives.

“I need to talk to Sawyer,” she announced. Everyone exchanged curious glances. “Now. I have to ask him something.”

Dean went to find him. Her father sat beside her on the couch. “Do we need to go back to the hospital? I know you were sick before the performance, but maybe it’s more than a stomach bug.”

The sincere concern in his voice made Piper’s guilt for keeping the secret resurge. Sawyer needed to hear the news first, however. “I’ll be fine. It’s nothing. Maybe I was more anxious about performing than I thought I was. I feel much better now, I swear.”

“We don’t have to include the Stratton boy in any of this. You know we can’t let him distract us from your ultimate goal. It’s not your job to sell his records, only yours.”

“The rumors have already started. I need to talk to him about what’s going on. I’m fully committed to making the crossover into popular music. I know what I have to do, and if Sawyer joins the tour, that’s not going to change.”

Piper couldn’t let her father down. He had given up his career to be her manager, to help her make her dreams of being a country-western music star come true. The pressure of supporting her family was plenty of motivation, and now their family would be expanding.

Dean and Sawyer entered the room with equally worried expressions on their faces. Sawyer tried to smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I need to talk to Sawyer alone,” Piper said. Although they looked confused, Lana and Dean left the room. Her father needed an additional push. “I’ll explain everything, I promise. Please give me a minute with Sawyer.”

Reluctantly, Heath followed the rest out.

“How are you feeling?” Sawyer asked, taking her father’s spot on the couch. He placed a warm hand on her knee. “You really gave me a scare there.”

Piper’s heart thumped double-time. Maybe everything was going to work out better than she’d imagined. “I’ll be okay. Thank you for holding me up and getting me offstage.”

“Anytime.” His trademark smile was back.

“I wanted to talk to you about what happened. About what was about to happen before I fainted.” Her stomach was in knots, but she had to know how he felt. If he had feelings for her, everything would truly be okay.

Sawyer stood up and rubbed the nape of his neck. “I am so sorry about that, Piper.”

She could feel her hope rising. “Don’t be sorry.”

“Dean thought it would be a more dramatic ending if you didn’t know it was coming. I wasn’t so sure about it, but I’m the new guy around here. I’m just trying to make a good impression.”

Piper’s heart sank. “Dean told you to kiss me?”

“He told me to make it look like I was going to kiss you. Obviously he doesn’t know about what happened between us, but he thought since Kelly Bonner was all about you and me being a secret item, we could really add fuel to the gossip fire.”

So it had all been for show. Not real. There were no hidden feelings being revealed. Piper felt a strange amount of anger build in her chest. “So, whatever someone tells you will help your career, you’ll do it. No questions asked, huh?”

Sawyer grimaced. He had basically accused her of the same thing a few months ago. “I should have clued you in on what was going to happen. Given the stuff that’s gone on between us, I should have told you,” Sawyer replied.

The stuff. Piper felt like a fool all over again. This didn’t change what needed to happen, though. In the end, there was only one solution to her problem.

With her heart in her throat, she stood up to look him straight in the eye. “Sawyer, I’m pregnant.”

CHAPTER FIVE

“EXCUSE ME?” THERE was no way Sawyer could have heard Piper correctly. The word pregnant could not have come out of her mouth. She had the stomach flu. Maybe she was delirious.

“The fans want us to be together, Dean said that going on tour together is the right thing to do for both of us, and the smartest move we can make is to give people what they want.”

Sawyer’s eyes couldn’t get any wider. His mouth snapped shut. What in the world was she talking about? He could have sworn she’d told him she was pregnant, but now she was talking about what was best for their careers?

“Did you just say you’re pregnant?” he finally managed to get out.

Piper began to flit around the room. Her arms flailed as she spoke. “I found out this morning at the hospital. Did you know they test for pregnancy without even asking? If you need an X-ray, they run a pregnancy test. Just like that. Then, the doctor walks in and drops the bomb—‘You’re pregnant!’—and you’re supposed to take that all in and leave with your prescription for prenatal vitamins like it’s no big deal. But let me tell you, it is a very big deal. It’s the biggest deal ever.”

“You’re pregnant.” Sawyer didn’t know what else to say. He needed to sit down. His mind was racing. He plopped down on the couch and stared straight ahead. Piper was pregnant and he was the father.

How were the two of them going to raise a baby? Sawyer didn’t have time to take care of his dog in this new life; how was he supposed to be a parent?

Piper kept moving like some sort of out-of-control Energizer Bunny. “I need to tell my father, but I thought you should hear it first. We need to convince him that this won’t ruin everything. He’ll know what to do so our careers stay on track.”

Sawyer’s brows pinched together. He didn’t need Heath Starling telling him what to do about his child. Heath might control Piper, but he was not going to control Sawyer, and he definitely wouldn’t be in charge of this child.

“This is our baby.” He pointed to her flat stomach, trying to picture it round and swollen. “We get to decide what happens. Not your dad.”

“I feel sick. I think I had too much sugar.” Piper sat down next to him. “My dad can help protect my image.”

“How can you think about your image right now?”

Piper didn’t flinch. “How can I not? I am financially responsible for my entire family, Sawyer. My career pays for everything, including my brother’s enormous medical bills. My family depends on me to uphold the image I’ve sold to the world.” She placed a hand on her stomach. “And I am thinking about this baby. This baby is going to depend on it, as well.”

Sawyer took a deep breath. “How is being pregnant going to ruin your image?”

Piper picked at the sequins on her dress. “Trust me. I’ve been at this longer than you have. I know how the business works. Country music is way more conservative than pop. I may be looking to cross over but my base is still country. Not to mention that my brand is good girl, girl-next-door, girl you can bring home to your mom. Good girls don’t get themselves in this situation. Good girls get married and then have babies. There are mothers out there who would not want their daughters listening to my music if they thought I promoted anything other than a clean lifestyle.”

Sawyer had issues with this logic but couldn’t deny he’d seen other celebrities take a fall when a scandal hit. A baby and a wife weren’t exactly part of his branding, either. He shook his head. How was he able to think about his image and career right now?

“Can I have a little more time to wrap my head around this before I have to deal with your father, who is probably going to kill me?”

“We have to tell him before I go meet with the tour promoters tomorrow to sign the contract. There’s no way I can go on a yearlong tour when I’m going to have a baby in less than nine months.”

The tour would have to be cut short. Sawyer hadn’t thought about that. Heath really was going to kill him.

They agreed to meet in the morning for breakfast. They would tell Heath together.

Sawyer left Bridgestone Arena feeling much less confident about his future than he had coming in.

* * *

“THE MORE I think about it, the more I can’t believe you’re okay with the world thinking you and Piper have a thing going,” Hunter said as they walked into their hotel. “Anyone who knows you is never going to believe it, and everyone who doesn’t, will. So much for me being wingman to the most eligible bachelor on tour.”

“I can’t talk about this right now.” Pretending to be dating Piper was the least of Sawyer’s concerns.

“Poor Hunter is going to have to find his own dates,” Faith teased. “And I’ll say it again, there are worse things than dating Piper Starling.”

Sawyer wasn’t about to let himself truly fall for someone like Piper. He’d been avoiding women like her his entire adult life. Why had he let his guard down? Piper had made it clear back then and tonight that her career was her number one priority. She reminded him of women like his mother, who’d left her husband and children without ever looking back.

Sawyer wanted to be like his father—a strong provider who put his family first. But how was he going to manage raising a child while building a career in music? How difficult would Piper and Heath make it for him to be part of their child’s life? He knew one thing for sure—he didn’t want his child raised by nannies.

“I need a minute with my brother,” Faith said, hooking her arm in his and pulling him in the direction of the stairs instead of the elevator. “We’ll meet you upstairs.”

She pushed the door open and motioned for him to lead the way. He might have grown up without a mother, but he had a Faith, and she knew him better than anyone.

“What’s going on in that head of yours? Ever since you got done talking to Piper, you look like your favorite horse just ran away.”

“It’s been a pretty stressful day.”

“Tell me what’s really going on. Is there something wrong with Piper? Does she not want you to go on tour with her? What did she need to talk to you about?”

Lying to his sister was impossible, and right now he needed someone to talk to more than ever. “What if I told you it’s not so far-fetched that Piper and I could be together? What if we were together a couple months ago?”

Faith didn’t buy it for a second. “I was there when you two were working on her album. You were living under my roof. You might have been flirtatious, but there’s no way you were sneaking around having a secret romance. I would have noticed.”

Sawyer side-eyed her as they made their way up the stairs. She was one to talk. Faith and Dean had carried on a secret romance for an entire summer over a dozen years ago when she was only eighteen.

“Right, because no one has ever gotten away with a secret relationship on our farm before.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. Dad knew about me and Dean. I didn’t know he knew, but he did. He told the Presleys about us.” She was quiet, probably thinking back to when things were starting between Piper and Sawyer. “I’ll admit, I noticed she looked at you like you hung the moon for a long time. I also noticed you were kind of loving all the attention. But those last couple weeks, it was different. It was almost like you were avoiding each other.”

They had been avoiding each other, but that was no longer a possibility. Piper would be a part of Sawyer’s life forever. “What if we were in love? Or thought we were.”

Faith laughed. “If you were in love, I would know, because it would change you. And you have been the same ol’ Sawyer since she left Grass Lake.”

“Well, I’m not the same Sawyer I was a couple hours ago.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, trying to keep up with him. “What is going on? If you want me to tell Dean to back off this idea of you and Piper leading the rest of the world on, I will. I don’t want you to feel like you have to lie about who you love or don’t love.”

“What if I don’t have a choice?”

“What?” She tugged on his shirt to get him to stop. “Why wouldn’t you have a choice?”

Sawyer pressed his back against the wall and pulled at the front of his hair. “I messed up, Faith. I messed up big-time.”

“She’s not sick.” Faith stopped. He could imagine the gears turning in her head as she put everything together. She grasped the railing. “She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

Sawyer nodded.

“Oh, my... Sawyer.” She wrapped her arms around him. He dropped his head on her shoulder. “We have to tell Dean,” she said.

Sawyer straightened. “We can’t. You can’t tell Dean until Piper is ready to tell him. She is freaking out right now.”

“How far along is she?”

“I would say about six weeks.”

“When I was in Memphis for that horse show,” she said, shaking her head. “Okay, six weeks. Has she made plans to see a doctor? She fainted today. Someone needs to make sure everything is okay with the baby.”

“I don’t think so. I think she’s so overwhelmed, she doesn’t know what to do.”

“I know a midwife here in Nashville who would definitely be discreet.”

Faith always knew what to do. Her level head had kept him out of trouble more times than he could count. “We can talk to her about it in the morning, when we tell her dad.”

“I still think we should tell Dean.”

“We can tell Dean when we tell Heath. Maybe the more people in the room, the less likely I’ll end up dead. Heath is going to hate me.”

“Don’t worry about that. You’re taking responsibility. That’s all he can ask of you right now.”

“What does being responsible mean? Do I marry her? Send her a check to help pay for expenses? I have no idea what to do. She thinks this is going to ruin her career. Is it going to ruin mine?” Sawyer was about to hyperventilate.

“Relax. Calm down.”

“Faith, I found out I’m going to be a dad a few hours ago. I’m pretty sure when I wake up tomorrow, I’m going to need you to remind me this wasn’t all a bad dream.”

Faith frowned. “I hate that neither of you is thinking of a baby as a blessing.” She placed a hand on her brother’s cheek. “I know the timing sucks, but you’re going to be a dad. That’s the most important job you’re ever going to have.”

“Dad would be so disappointed in me for getting in this situation.”

“Dad would be ecstatic about becoming a grandpa. He never would have judged you. You’re both twenty-five years old. Our parents were younger than you when they had me.”

“Yeah, but we’re terrible parents already. Piper’s freaking out. I’m terrified.”

“If that makes people terrible parents, then everyone is a terrible parent. It’s going to be okay,” Faith assured him. “We’ll figure it out. That’s what family does.”

Sawyer took a deep breath. He wanted to believe his sister, but who knew what Piper would think in the morning...or the lengths Heath would go to keep Piper’s career on track.

CHAPTER SIX

PIPER’S HANDS TREMBLED. She sat on them to keep them still. Waiting for Sawyer to show up was torture. All she wanted to do was tell her dad what was wrong and let him fix it.

“Dean wasn’t kidding,” her dad said, lifting his eyes from his phone screen for a second. Heath had the country music TV station on in their suite while he scrolled through his social media feeds. “Everyone is talking about you right now. I haven’t seen buzz like this since you met Prince Harry.”

Sawyer wasn’t the first guy the world had wanted Piper to date. A year ago, a very vocal group of fans had desperately wanted her to become a princess. At the time, she’d thought it was ridiculous. How she’d love to go back to laughing off the silly whims of some teenagers.

Piper jumped at the knock on the door. Her nerves were completely shot. “Remember to be nice, Daddy.”

He smirked. “I’m always nice.”

“If by ‘always’ you mean ‘never,’ I concur.”

“Lana, I can be nice, can’t I?”

Poor Lana froze as she arranged the room service breakfast they had ordered. “Of course, Mr. Starling.”

Piper shook her head. There was no way Lana could answer that question honestly even if she wanted to. They all knew if there was one person who took the most of her father’s abuse, it was poor Lana. “You’re too nice, Lana.”

She opened the door for Sawyer. Behind him stood Faith and Dean. Sawyer had texted her last night to tell her his sister had interrogated him until he broke. Faith was well aware of what was about to be discussed, but Dean was not.

“You ready for this?” Sawyer whispered as he greeted her with a hug.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. You?”

“Let’s do this,” he replied.

The presidential suite at the Berkshire Hotel had two bedrooms, a spacious living room and an adjoining dining room. The living room had two sitting areas filled with plush couches and wingback chairs. A large flat-screen television hung on the wall above the fireplace.

“I figured we’d eat while we talked,” Piper said. The table was covered in pastries and family-size portions of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon and potatoes. There was a large platter of fresh fruit in the center.

They all sat down and everyone dug in except for Piper and Sawyer. Piper inhaled deeply. She’d never done anything to make her father angry with her. Growing up, she was the kid who did what she was told and never stepped out of line. Her brother’s illness had given their parents enough grief.

Sawyer took her hand and held it under the table. The contact made her stomach flip and her skin tingle. As much as she appreciated the support, it was more distracting than anything else.

“So, Sawyer and I talked last night. We are both completely on board with touring together.”

“That’s great,” Dean said. “I think it’s a really solid business decision. You two are meeting with the tour promoters today?”

“This afternoon. Are you sure about this? We talked about a lot of other options,” her father reminded her.

“There’s a reason why I think it’s a better idea to take Sawyer on tour,” Piper replied.

Faith folded her hands in front of her. Her engagement ring caught the light and sparkled. Piper wished it was Faith and Dean making this announcement rather than her.

Everyone stared, waiting for Piper to go on. Surely they could all hear her heart thundering inside her chest.

“Do you plan to share?” Heath asked.

“When Sawyer and I were writing the songs for my album, we...thought we were in love. And foolishly, we acted on those feelings and—” Her voice cracked as her eyes darted from person to person. She didn’t want to make eye contact with any one of them for too long.

“Piper is pregnant,” Sawyer said. “We found out yesterday. We weren’t sure how everyone would take the news, so we waited until this morning to tell everyone. Especially you, Mr. Starling.”

Piper’s father dropped his fork with a clang. “You have to be kidding me. Tell me he’s kidding, Piper.”

“I’m sorry, Daddy. I know this isn’t what you want to hear right now, but I swear to you, I will do whatever it takes to make this okay.”

Her stomach clenched as she waited for him to say something, anything to give her a clue as to what he was thinking.

“I suspected something was going on when I had to leave to help your mother with Matthew,” he finally said. “I trusted you to not to do anything stupid, but I guess that trust was misplaced.”

Piper squeezed Sawyer’s hand as her shoulders stiffened.

“I don’t think falling in love with my brother is stupid,” Faith said, jumping to her brother’s defense.

“Love?” Heath scoffed. “They were not and are not in love. They barely know one another.”

“Okay, everybody needs to take a breath,” Dean said. “Piper’s pregnant. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Not the end of the world?” Heath’s voice shook. “She has a reputation to uphold. She’s about to start a yearlong tour across the US. This is a public relations nightmare.”

“You’ve been drooling over all the positive press about me and Sawyer today even after I fainted on national television. Last night should have been a complete public relations nightmare, but we have everyone rooting for us to be together instead. Maybe there’s a way to salvage this,” Piper said.

Her father covered his eyes with one hand. His chest rose and fell with frustrated breaths. He dropped his hand, and his glare zeroed in on Sawyer. “There’s only one way to salvage this. You will marry my daughter.”

* * *

MARRY PIPER? SAWYER felt nauseous. The only Stratton getting married anytime soon was Faith. He glanced at Piper and those baby blue eyes. She had this sweetness about her that sucked him in. Maybe he had believed for half of a second that Piper could be the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, but she’d quickly proved she was not. She wasn’t as innocent as she looked. She was as conniving as her father.

“I won’t make Piper do any of this alone because this baby is my responsibility, too, but I can’t get married. To me, people should only get married when they plan to stay married.”

“I don’t really care what your feelings on marriage are. You will make an honest woman out of my daughter before the press finds out.”

Dean interrupted, “Heath, you can’t force him to get married. Let’s be reasonable about this.”

“I am being reasonable! Aren’t you the one who wanted to force my daughter to pretend she was in love with this boy? How is my request any less reasonable?”

Dean had no comeback.

Piper spoke up instead. “I know you’re not in love with me,” she told Sawyer, letting go of his hand. “I know you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with me, but we are having a baby. We are going to be parents. My image can survive a divorce from the father of my child. I’m not sure it could withstand the beating it will take if the truth comes out.”

There were a million things he would do for her, but marriage was off the table. “I can’t marry you. We have to come up with another plan. What if being honest won’t be as bad as you think? Our time together wasn’t as meaningless as your father is acting like it was. I care about you.”

“It will be just as bad as, if not worse than, I think it will be. You say you care about me. I care about you, too. Isn’t that enough?”

Sawyer couldn’t believe she was this afraid of hurting her career. A loveless marriage was not worth all the success in the world. “Marriage should be based on love. I’m not in love. I like you, and I respect you too much to marry you knowing we’re going to get divorced a couple months later.”

Piper’s shoulders slumped. “Do you really believe I want to marry someone who doesn’t love me? This isn’t about what I want, it’s about what I need. I need you to do this for me, for the baby.”

Faith pounded the table with her fist. The plates clattered and everyone’s eyes turned on her. “My brother is not getting married. Period. You need to come up with a different plan. I don’t care what it is as long as it does not include my brother making a vow in front of God that he does not intend to uphold. That is not the way we were raised.”

“Well, I am pretty sure that God would take issue with him getting my daughter pregnant before making those vows.” Heath raised his voice.

Sawyer had to stop himself from storming out. This was getting them nowhere and people were going to start saying things they didn’t mean.

“Can we find a compromise?” he asked. “Can we say we’re dating? Heck, I’ll even go along with a fake engagement. I won’t go through with a fake marriage, though. That’s the line I won’t cross.”

“Engaged. Publicly?” Piper clarified.

Sawyer took a deep breath and nodded. “Publicly. And once enough time has passed, we call the engagement off.”

“Are you sure about this, Sawyer?” Faith asked. “You don’t have to agree to anything. We can think about it. Give everyone time to cool off.”

“An engagement would be better than dating,” Heath mused aloud without any apparent concern for Sawyer’s certainty or lack thereof.

“Everyone on social media already thinks we’re together,” Piper added. “They’ve handed this to us on a silver platter. No one will doubt it.”

Sawyer stared across the table at his sister. She had to know what he was thinking. He was just about to embark on a new life. One without any responsibilities tying him down. He was going to spread his wings and focus on himself. He’d spent his life working on the family’s therapy farm, doing what his dad wanted and then helping his sister run Helping Hooves after their dad died. This was supposed to be his time.

He couldn’t think like that. He had been raised by a father who was the rock to their mother’s roll. A father who always put his children first despite their mother’s selfish desire to be free.

He would never be his mother. “You’re right. The ball is already rolling in that direction. Let’s go with it.”

“It works in your favor, really,” Piper said. “In return for going along with this, you get to go on tour with me, get your music in front of more people than you could on your own. You can take advantage of the love my fans have for me, fans who will surely melt for the guy I tell them I want to marry.”

He couldn’t deny the positives that would come from being connected to her a little longer. Ever since Dean had suggested it, he couldn’t stop thinking about how much exposure he’d get joining her tour. Raising a child was a lifelong commitment. But maybe he wouldn’t lose every part of the new life he’d been building for himself.

“Don’t do it unless you’re absolutely sure,” Faith said, trying her best to throw Sawyer a lifeline.

“It’s not a bad plan,” Dean said. Faith frowned. “I mean, it’s not good that they have to lie, but it will help them both professionally. The better they do, the better they’ll be able to support the baby. The sales will be off the charts. People are going to listen to every song on Piper’s album, trying to figure out which ones are about you falling in love with one another. Then, they’ll all turn around and buy a ticket to the show to see the lovebirds up close and in person.”

Leave it to Dean to be able to put a positive spin on this whole thing. Sawyer wished he had his optimism.

“We’ll need to come up with a story,” Heath said, switching into business mode. “How you met, how you fell in love, how he proposed. All of that needs to be consistent whenever you talk to anyone.”

“Sawyer and I will work out the details,” Piper said. “We’ll keep it simple so we don’t get tripped up.”

“I have a couple of conditions, as well,” Heath said, raising two fingers in the air. “No one else can know the engagement isn’t real, including Piper’s mother.” He fixed his gaze on Sawyer. “That means you will not flirt with any other women. You will appear completely devoted to Piper at all times, but public displays of affection will be kept to a minimum. Second, when the time comes to call it off, you will break the engagement, not Piper.”

“Why does it matter who breaks it off?” Faith asked.

“Because if he does it, it makes Piper more sympathetic. We can’t have her come off like an insensitive heartbreaker. Sawyer’s much more appropriate for that role.”

Sawyer tried hard not to roll his eyes. “Make me the bad guy. I really don’t care.”

“Well,” Dean said, taking the napkin off his lap and setting it beside his half-eaten plate of food, “I guess all that’s left to say is congratulations.”

He stood up and walked around the table to give Piper a hug.

“Thank you, Dean,” Piper whispered.

“Marriage or no marriage, this baby makes you family,” he said. “And the Stratton family is a good one, I promise.”

Piper’s eyes watered. “Thank you.”

“I think it’s time everyone goes,” Heath said. “Piper and I have some things to discuss before we meet with the tour company and inform them we will only be signing on for a six-month tour. She also needs to call her mother and tell her the...news.”

Piper’s face paled. She had so many more people to answer to than Sawyer did. He stood and took her by the hand.

“It’s going to be okay. And in the end, you’ll have plenty of material for a great song about the jerk who broke off your engagement.”

She managed to crack a smile for the first time since he’d arrived. “That’s one way to look at it.”

Sawyer reached up and brushed her cheek with his thumb. She leaned into his touch.

Heath cleared his throat. “I believe I said we have things to do.”

Sawyer dropped his hand to his side. When the time came, it would not be difficult to convince the world they’d broken off their engagement because of her overbearing father.

“See you soon, Heath. Betcha can’t wait. Maybe I can start calling you Dad. Yes? No?”

Heath pointed at the door. Dean grabbed Sawyer by the elbow and guided him out into the hall.

“Let’s not poke the bear, okay?”

“I can’t believe you are okay with this,” Faith said to Dean as they entered the elevator.

“I don’t think anyone was really that interested in my opinion in the first place,” he said, showing his palms.

Sawyer rubbed his forehead. “Don’t be so hard on him. It’s not like he knew we were going to drop a bomb on him.”

“Well...” Faith cringed. “That’s not totally true.”

“I may have been informed last night,” Dean confessed.

“You promised me you wouldn’t tell him! What if Piper hadn’t been okay with you two coming to breakfast this morning?”

“This is how I know you aren’t ready to be married,” Faith said, stepping forward. “The first rule of a good marriage is don’t keep secrets. I think Heath is wrong to keep this from his wife. Honesty is the best and only policy. Lying by omission is still lying.”

Sawyer should have expected his sister wouldn’t be able to stay quiet all night. She and Dean had been through enough because of secrets and lies. It had been wrong of him to ask her to keep him out of the loop.

She was also right about him not being ready to get married. Hopefully he’d be able to pull off playing the doting fiancé. Everyone back home would be a tough sell.

As they exited the hotel, a handful of paparazzi appeared out of nowhere. The rumors had begun and the press was dying for more to the story. Cameras were rolling and the questions were, too.

“Secret rendezvous with your girlfriend?”

“How’s Piper doing?”

“How long have you two been together?”

“Why have you been keeping this romance a secret?”

Sawyer ducked his head as the three of them ran for the car. He kept his mouth shut and could already imagine the look of dread on Piper’s face when she found out reporters were circling the place like vultures.

“What does Heath Starling think about the two of you together?” someone shouted.

Even the paps knew who was in charge of Piper’s life. Sawyer opened the passenger door for his sister and climbed into the back seat. Heath was going to do everything he could to control this situation. Sawyer needed to rise to the challenge.

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