Chapter 5
Alexandra
Itake another sip of steaming coffee, impressed at my accommodations.
It’s a lodge built in the same style as the rest of the ranch, a mix of limestone quarried from the area with modern wood accents.
There’s a library and a small dining room as well as a conference room, which makes business with out of town employees and business partners easy for everyone.
It’s innovative as hell and something I’m going to bring up to Cage. Magnum is scouting land and buildings to expand its Nashville division, and having its own mini hotel would be a great perk for high earning artists.
Even though the idea is great, my shoulders tense. Normally, I’m excited at growth and the promise of new things. I need to dig deeper into this hesitation I’m feeling, but I push it back for now.
My room here at the lodge has a private balcony, which overlooks the vast property. I’m sitting in one of the wooden rockers and reach for my coffee that’s on the small table next to me. I’m up early. I can’t help being an early riser; it’s in my DNA.
Back home in Nashville, I watch the sunrise from my back porch whenever my schedule allows it. The community doesn’t allow fences, and though my driveway wraps around to the back, I don’t have complete privacy. The screened porch gives me the perfect compromise: solitude while still being outdoors.
But I just can’t get over the view here at Echo Ridge.
The Texas landscape rolls in hills toward what looks like mountains in the distance.
Since I’ve been here, I’ve seen deer, cattle, and fireflies dancing at night.
It’s such a special place; I can see why Rebecca and Capri chose to move onto Nash’s and Zane’s ranches instead of wanting something completely new.
As I take another delicious sip of heaven, one of the two cell phones on the table next to me buzzes to life. It’s my work cell, so I pick it up to see that it’s Nash.
Nash: You wanna see the sunrise this morning? Rebecca and I are heading to the ridge.
Me: I’ll be ready in five.
I put on joggers with a matching zip hoodie along with a concert tee and my spring sneakers. I don’t bother with makeup because there’s no time. As I pop my hair into a messy bun, my walkie-talkie crackles to life on the charger in the other room.
“E5 to Boots.”
“That’s B1 to you, E5.”
“I’ll be at your door in two.”
“No need. Just wait in the lobby.”
“Already there.”
“Copy.”
Ugh. I wish he would stop using that stupid nickname.
All it does is remind me of an embarrassing moment when I attempted flirting, and it backfired.
Except, it wasn’t really all that embarrassing afterward.
And yesterday, we didn’t really have time to connect.
Cas showed us around the artists’ compound, and after the llama debacle, I spent the rest of the day catching Cal up on all things festival related.
I giggle and shake my head at Cal. He’s a good guy and a great employee. The way he ran after Leo was admirable.
But there is something about Nash and his wife Rebecca that turns my assistant into a puddle of fear. Nash once told me Rebecca put Cal in his place after being a ‘mysoginistic wannabe preppy’ because his buddies pulled a prank on him, so maybe that’s it.
And what’s with Caspian being so much of a gentleman that he insists on coming to my door? I can find the lounge by myself.
He doesn’t just do it for me, though. Cas takes his hat off whenever he goes indoors, unless it’s a bar, and he stands when a woman leaves the table we’re sitting at. I didn’t know I would be attracted to manners like this, but it isn’t helping my little crush.
Yes, I have a crush on Caspian, and I know he has a crush on me. Nothing can happen because we work together, and we both understand the unwritten rules.
But I sure wish we didn’t, because the things I would let him do to me would make my mama turn red and my daddy chase him out of the house with a shotgun.
At the firm knock on my door, I grab my work phone and sunglasses, then open it to find Caspian looking especially gorgeous today.
He’s wearing a denim shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the Stetson from the first day.
The ensemble makes his eyes pop, and instead of being steel-blue, they match the denim.
He’s also sporting some morning scruff. I’d love nothing more than to sit on his bathroom counter and carefully shave that stubble away.
Lost in my thoughts, suddenly we’re at the UTV. Huh.
“You alright over there? You’ve been awful quiet.”
“I haven’t had enough coffee this morning.” The lie’s plausible enough.
The stars shine brightly as we make our way to the ridge along a dirt path worn from tire tracks.
A cool breeze whips around us, making me glad I grabbed my baseball cap when I walked out the door.
We drive along mostly flat grassland, passing the occasional bush or tree.
The inky black horizon now has a purplish hue, the billions of stars still shining overhead.
Cas stops the UTV and throws off the lights. “Do you see the herd to our right?” His voice a whisper, he motions to the open field where thirty or more deer are grazing in the moonlight.
It’s amazing just how far I can see even though the sun isn’t out.
Reminds me of the canyons in L.A., and for the first time in years, I miss home.
I’ve been back to visit my family, and I’m in L.A.
regularly on business. But I miss the freedom to hike, the peace the nature brings, and the feeling of being with family without taking a Zoom call.
We watch the deer for another minute, a peaceful expression on Caspian’s face. I can see how much he loves this, making him deliciously attractive. There’s something about seeing a cowboy in his element that makes a woman swoon.
When he starts the engine back up, the herd freezes before running off.
“I like that they’re still wild.”
“Sounds a little like you, Boots.”
“I could say the same about you.” I look at Caspian’s strong jaw and full lips, wondering how it would feel to be in his arms.
“Like what you see?” He glances over at me, a wry grin on his face.
“That’s already been established, Cowboy. Along with the reason it’s a bad idea.”
His thumbs beat the steering wheel like he’s debating whether to pull over and do something we’ll both regret.
“Tell me about where we are on the ranch.”
His shoulders relax, my words breaking the spell. He explains that we’re about five minutes from the namesake of Echo Ridge. Zane named the area after his twin sister, whose restaurant will be catering meals for artists at The Boot Roost.
The dirt path eventually dead ends at a small limestone barrier about waist-high that sports a large sign that reads Caution: Drop-off Ahead. Just beyond it are four camp chairs set on a large ridge that overlooks miles of Hill Country.
“Glad y’all could make it.” Nash stands as we approach, shaking Cas’s hand and giving me a side-hug.
His wife, Rebecca, gets out of her chair to give me a hug, an act that surprises me.
I’m not generally a hugger, but she and I have a lot in common.
We were both born into families with connections and high expectations.
We’re both driven. She’s an attorney and is opening her own girls’ camp out here somewhere. Her hug feels good and genuine.
“I brought you a blanket. It gets cool up here.” She nods to the plush leopard print throw that matches her own. “Nash brought the coffee.”
He hands me a thermos and an insulted bag filled with a variety of creamers.
“You’ve done this before.”
Rebecca nods. “It’s one of my favorite things to do. Capri and I drag the guys here as often as we can.”
As I mix my coffee, I see that Nash brought a thermos for Caspian, too. It’s obvious that Nash has a lot of respect for Cas and vice versa. Otherwise, why would Caspian escort me out here when he could be sleeping another hour?
We visit as the first tinge of pink hits the horizon, contentment filling me as we look out over the ridge to the river below.
“I’m curious why we’re here and not at Twisted Whiskey?”
Nash laughs. “This was closer to you.”
“And Zane doesn’t mind?”
Nash looks over at me. “Trust me, he’s storing this up as ammunition for the next time he wants a favor.”
“Don’t listen to him, Alex.” Rebecca flicks her hand at her husband’s shoulder. “These guys share a gate between the properties and each have first right of refusal to buy the other’s property if either wants to sell.”
“Which has roughly the same odds as hell freezing over.” Caspian raises his mug in a mock salute toward Nash.
Nash chuckles.
“Is that the Blue Canyon River?” I picture it running right through Caspian’s property, and when I look over, he’s hiding a slight smile behind his coffee cup.
Nash sets his mug down and gestures toward the water below. “Yep. Zane’s creek runs right into it.”
“It’s breathtaking.”
“Makes you want to move here, doesn’t it?”
When I silently nod and look over at Nash, the vibe instantly changes at the interested looks on his and Rebecca’s faces. Nash takes a deep breath and leans forward in his chair.
“I want you to come work with me.”
Quirking my head to the side, I sigh. “Another festival? You’re trying to kill me, Nash, aren’t you?”
Rebecca grins behind her thermos.
“Naw. Murder isn’t my style. I want you to open a label with me. Here.” He motions a sweeping hand toward the landscape. “In Cobalt County.”
“You want to open a record label with me?”
“Yes. We would be equal partners. I want to work for myself. I want to have my own deadlines, work with new talent, and own my music catalog.” He leans forward, elbows on his knees, the rising sun casting his face in warm light.
“It would be a small indie label that’s as big or as small as we want it to be.
Between the two of us, I know it will be a success. ”
To say that I am stunned is putting it mildly. If the offer were from anyone else, I wouldn’t even consider it. But I can tell that Nash is serious. He’s not only a talented a singer, he’s an astute businessman. The fact that Rebecca’s on board tells me they’ve already run preliminary numbers.
“When are you looking to start?”
“As soon as you are available.”
My contract is yearly, and my attorneys are about to start negotiations, so his timing is impeccable.
I remain quiet for a few minutes, allowing myself to think. With each second that passes, the idea gains weight. My goal since graduating high school has been to run a record label. And now that I am VP of Magnum, the thought of running a major label doesn’t sound as attractive as it once did.
My travel would increase along with the pressure. I can’t even take my sacred five days off anymore. What’s the point of any of this if I can’t live my life with a free breath every now and then?
“Nash, I’m genuinely honored that you’d want me as a partner in something this big. The fact that you trust me with your vision means everything.”
“Trust goes both ways, Alex. I’ve seen what you can do, and I need someone who knows the industry inside and out. That’s you. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think we’d both come out winners here.”
Rebecca nods along silently as he speaks, pride blooming on her features.
The love those two have for each other is rare, and for some reason, I’m a little envious.
It must be incredible to have a partner who believes in your dreams as much as you do.
I mean, she left a law career to open a girls’ camp with Nash’s full support.
If that’s not loyalty, it doesn’t exist.
“When would you like an answer?”
“Take your time and think about it. I built in time this week so that Cas can show you around the area.”
I chew my lip, my mind already racing through possibilities. “I wondered why I was in Texas so early. Cal could have easily come without me.”
I turn to Caspian, whose expression remains detached. If he knew about this, nothing in his demeanor says so.
“That sounds great.”
As the pinks turn to orange, we watch the sun rise over Echo Ridge. And I can’t help but feel like I’ve stumbled onto something rare here: everything my carefully planned life has been lacking.