Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
The barn still hummed long after the livestream ended. The crew moved in slow, tired waves, wrapping cords and lowering lights, the sharp edge of adrenaline fading to relief.
Jami sat on the edge of the small stage, a towel around his neck, a half-drained water bottle in his hand. His voice was rough, his throat raw, but the crowd reaction online had been everything they’d hoped for. Comments were already flooding in, full of heart emojis and praise for the new sound.
They’d done it.
Still, he couldn’t shake the weight in his chest. Carlene had smiled through the whole broadcast, calm and confident, but something behind her eyes hadn’t matched the smile.
He’d seen it too many times in himself not to recognize it.
Tony clapped him on the shoulder. “That was solid, brother. You hit every mark. We’re trending.”
“Yeah,” Jami said. “It felt good.”
Tony gave him a long look. “You don’t sound like it.”
“I’m just thinking.”
“About Carlene?”
Jami gave a wry grin. “You think?”
Tony chuckled, then sobered. “Vivian texted me. She wants a full debrief tomorrow morning. Said Carlene would fill us in after she meets with her tonight.”
Jami’s head came up. “She’s meeting Vivian alone?”
“Apparently. Why?”
He didn’t answer right away. “Something about that doesn’t sit right. Carlene’s been on edge all day. She said she was just tired, but…” He shook his head. “It’s more than that.”
Tony leaned against a speaker. “You think the label’s got something brewing?”
“Don’t you?”
Tony sighed. “Yeah. The sudden praise, the silence before that, the server lockdown. It’s all too neat.”
Jami stood and drained the rest of his water. “I’m going to check on her before she goes.”
Tony didn’t argue. “Try not to scare her off.”
He managed a quick smile before heading outside.
He jumped in his truck and drove to the hotel.
There was only one hotel in town, so guessing her location wasn't a challenge.
Though he grimaced as he realized he'd never asked her if the hotel was comfortable for her.
He had three empty bedrooms in his house.
She could have stayed in one of them. Though how he'd stay away from her was a puzzle.
The night air was cool and heavy with the scent of wet grass. Carlene’s car was parked under the old oak near the sidewalk. She stood beside the trunk, typing something on her phone, her posture tense.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
She looked up, startled, then forced a small smile. “What are you doing here?”
"I came to speak to you privately."
She straightened, "Okay."
They stood quietly next to each other. The sun was making its descent toward the horizon. The soft orange glow over them lent a beautiful glow to her hair and face.
As he racked his brain to figure out where to start, she broke the silence. "You sounded good earlier."
His heart beat faster. “Thanks. You, too. The whole thing looked flawless.”
“Flawless is the goal.”
He stepped closer. “Except you don’t look like someone who’s celebrating.”
She slipped her phone into her bag. “It’s nothing. Just logistics.”
“Vivian, logistics?”
Carlene hesitated. “She wants to meet tonight. Said she’d buy me dinner to talk about my ‘next project.’”
Jami frowned. “What next project? You work for Hart & The Hurricanes. We hired you. Vivian didn't. The label didn't.”
"I know. However, the reality, my reality, is that once we've fixed all the things we're working on with you, I can continue to be involved with you remotely, and I will need to keep new opportunities in my future plans."
His gut twisted painfully. He fought the urge to hold his stomach. Swallowing the large lump that now clogged his throat, he leaned against her car.
"And you think she'll be offering you something?"
“Not exactly. But she’s still a senior partner, and we need her on our side until the tour’s clear.”
“Do we?”
She met his eyes. “Yes. This is business, Jami. Whatever’s happening, we can’t afford to alienate her.”
He studied her, trying to read the truth behind the words. Her calm voice couldn’t hide the flicker of nerves she tried to bury.
“You don’t trust her,” he said quietly.
She gave a half laugh that didn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t trust anyone. That’s my problem.”
He wanted to pull her close, to tell her she didn’t have to keep doing this alone, but the look she gave him stopped him cold. It was that same mix of strength and vulnerability that had wrecked him from the start.
“Carlene?” he said finally.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Carlene.”
She looked up again, softer this time. “I’ll call you.”
He nodded. “Good. I'm happy to join you. I'll be your moral support.”
"Jami. We can't..."
He leaned in and kissed her lips. He didn't want to hear that they couldn't do anything. He'd already decided. That thought slammed into his heart, and his stomach flipped. He'd decided.
Her lips shook slightly. Her fingers slid into the nape of his head and held him. He could feel the shaking in her fingers. It matched his. His breathing was stilted as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.
Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding along hers. His heart pounded in his chest.
She pulled away slightly, and her name slipped from his lips. "Carlene."
"Jami. This is getting far too personal."
"No, it hasn't. It's already gotten there. It's personal for me. You've slipped beneath my skin, Carlene. I think it's personal for you, too."
"But..."
"But what? We're adults, Carlene."
He watched her throat as she swallowed the emotion he knew lay at the surface. Her eyes glistened in the waning sunlight. She stared into his eyes. "But..."
"What will it take for me to break through those walls, Carlene? We want each other."
Her chest rose as she inhaled deeply. He took the moment to kiss her again.
This time, their kiss deepened quickly. Her hands roamed his chest, his back, his shoulders.
His hands, in return, pulled her body close to him, removing any space between them.
His body roared to life, and he pulled her into him solidly so she could feel what was happening.
She moaned from deep in her chest. A car drove into the parking lot, and he stopped groping at her as the realization slammed into him that they were out in public and behaving in a way that gave anyone driving by the opportunity to confirm the rumors they'd so carefully planted.
He lifted his head and stared into her gorgeous eyes. "Shit."
She smiled softly. "That was quite unprofessional of me."
"Fuck that, Carlene. This isn't about professionalism anymore. This is about two adults confirming the feelings that have been growing between them."
The occupants of the car strode past them at a distance, grinning like kids who'd won a bag of candy.
Carlene stepped back. "I have to go meet Vivan. I'll call you when it's over and I get back."
"Come to the farm."
"Jami, you know where that will lead."
"I certainly do."
She swallowed. A soft smile creased her lips, and she inhaled deeply. "Okay. I'll come to the farm."
He nodded and swallowed the knot in his throat. His brows creased as he tried to be clever with his comments.
She chuckled. “Don’t worry, Jami,” she said, her tone light but her eyes uncertain. “I can handle Vivian.”
He didn’t believe that for a second, but he forced a small grin anyway. “Yeah. I know.”
She drove off, taillights glowing red against the pavement until they disappeared around the curve.
Jami stayed there for a while, listening to the crickets. Something in his gut twisted tighter with every passing second.
Carlene was walking straight into something, and he knew it. He pulled out his keys and climbed into his truck.
His phone rang and he pushed the button on his steering wheel. "Hey, Tony. What's up?"
“Where are you?” Tony asked.
“In the truck, on the way to dinner.”
Tony sighed. “You don’t even know where she’s meeting Vivian.”
“It's not like there are many options here in town. The logical place is the Sandbar.”
He turned onto Hospital Road and quickly made the left onto Sunset Beach Road. He didn’t know what he’d say when he found her, but he knew one thing for sure.
If Vivian wanted a private meeting tonight, it wasn’t to offer Carlene congratulations, and he'd be there for her, no matter what.