“Well, what did you want to do before? You never did tell me.”
“Don’t laugh, all right?” he warned before getting up off the couch.
“Okay,” I said slowly as he walked away.
Tatum reappeared and sat on the couch with an acoustic guitar in his hand. “I love to play. My dream was to write and produce music,” he confessed, and I was dumbfounded. I had never seen this coming. Tatum had never even hinted at me that he loved music or wanted to have anything to do with it.
“Have you written anything? How well do you play? Do you sing too? Will you play something for me?” The overload of questions spilled from my lips as my curiosity and excitement built.
Tatum settled the guitar on his lap and began to strum a hauntingly beautiful melody. Lyrics filled the space between us as he sang along to the words he wrote, although not always loud enough for me to understand. I sat there staring at him, the red feeling inside me starting to burn. This incredible man who had been through so much had the most beautiful singing voice and talent, and I’d had no clue.
When he finished playing, I closed my mouth and smiled. “Tatum, you have an amazing voice. You can really sing.”
He lowered his head briefly before looking into my eyes. “Thanks, but I don’t like singing and I’m not comfortable singing in front of an audience, obviously. But I love writing the melodies and sometimes the lyrics. The way everything comes together and creates this piece of music that no one’s ever heard before…” His eyes danced with excitement. “It fires me up.”
“I can tell.”
“So, what did you think?”
“You’re incredibly talented. And I’m not just saying that because I like kissing you. I really mean it.”
He leaned forward and sat his guitar on the floor. “You like kissing me?” he teased, his lips inching closer.
“Did I say like?” I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth. “I meant love. I love kissing you,” I said before pressing my mouth against his. My tongue darted between his lips and met his as I moved toward him. He lifted me out of the chair, his hands splayed across my ass and my lower back, and I wrapped my legs around him.
Tatum moved us to the couch and I sat straddling him. I pressed my hips against the hardness growing beneath me, my body yearning for his. Our mutual confessions made me feel closer to him, and I wanted to shred every bit of clothing that kept our skin apart, but even I knew it was too soon. My hips moved faster as our mouths matched the rhythm I was setting. I silently wondered how far he’d let me push him before he told me to stop.
I didn’t have to wait long. “Damn it, Paige. You’re so distracting,” he said as he moved his lips away from mine.
“Me? You’re the distracting one with those blue eyes and those lips.” I licked and nipped at his bottom lip.
“Get your hot little ass back over to that computer and pick a college. Or two. I don’t care, but narrow it down and figure out where you want to go. We’re on a mission.”
I refused to move. Folding my hands across my chest, I arched my eyebrows at him.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” he complained.
“I’ll go look at colleges on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“That you figure out what to major in, or how to put that amazing talent to work.”
He dropped his chin and closed his eyes. “Don’t make this about me, Paige.”
“This is about both of us. About not giving up on dreams we once had.”
“I don’t remember those dreams anymore,” he said, sounding convincing, but I refused to believe him.
“Don’t lie to me, Tatum. But most of all, don’t lie to yourself.”
He huffed out a long breath. “I think I’d like to write and produce music, but I’m not a hundred percent sure. I’ve never done it before, but if I had a passion for something, I think that’s where it lies.”
“Tatum, that’s brilliant! I know people. I could introduce you to Walker Rhodes or anyone else in the business you wanted to meet.” My enthusiasm echoed throughout the small place. “Except Colin McGuire because, you know,” I paused, “screw him. Don’t sell him any of your songs either, or I’ll disown you.”
He put one hand in the air as he shook his head. “One step at a time. And I don’t want your help. If I ever do something like this, Paige, I have to do it on my own.” He reached for his guitar, and I noticed his hands shaking.
“Don’t be so proud. I didn’t want to give you a handout,” I lied. I’d totally give him a handout if it meant he could follow his dreams. I’d owe favors to Walker, Madison, or anyone who could help him. Even Jayson. “I simply meant that I could introduce you to people who might have some helpful tips and realistic feedback to offer. They’ve been in the business, so they can speak from experience and give you the rundown on what to expect. That’s all.” I sent up a silent prayer, hoping my words would calm him down.
“I’m sorry.” He sat down next to me and placed his hand on my knee. “Thinking about doing this is scary. Hell, just thinking about it is terrifying.”
“No kidding! How do you think I feel? I’ve wanted this for so long, and it’s always been out of reach. I think subconsciously I always thought that’s where it would stay. Out of reach, just a dream, something I wanted but would never get to have. And now that I’m actually thinking about pursuing it, it’s scary as hell. What if I fail? What if I hate it? What if this, what if that?” I grabbed my head with both hands and squeezed, overwhelmed by the mere thought of achieving this goal that had been nothing but a pipe dream for so long.
Tatum reached around my shoulder and pulled me against him. I breathed in his scent and instantly relaxed. “You’ll be great,” he said. “And if you hate college, then you’ll stop going and it won’t be a big deal. You will have tried the one thing that’s been haunting you for years. It’s a hell of a lot better than never trying and never knowing. You’re not wimpy, Paige Lockwood. You’re one of the bravest girls I’ve ever known.”
No one had ever said those words to me before. At least not in a way that made me feel like I could no longer breathe, or that my heart might explode. My eyes welled up as I fought to keep the tears at bay.
“No crying, babe. I can’t take it,” he said with a smirk as I swiped at my eyes. “Not from you.”
“Then stop saying things that make me emotional,” I choked out, trying to smile.
“Never.”
Tatum leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine, and all thoughts of college, dreams, and goals were wiped from my mind in an instant.
Dinner with Mama
Paige
After everything Tatum and his mom had done for me, I wanted to treat them to a meal in town. Part of me wanted to cook and show off what Mrs. Montgomery had taught me, but the realistic part didn’t want to risk my screwing it up. If Tatum’s mom had to save me in the kitchen, that would have blown the whole point of me trying to do something nice for her. She happily agreed to going out, and Tatum didn’t seem to care where we ate as long as we did. I decided right then and there that guys never stop growing.
Without leaving town, we only had one option: the café. I hadn’t eaten there, but I’d seen it from a distance and knew it was small and homey. I dressed for comfort in a pair of ripped jeans and an oversized tan Diesel tank top. Mrs. Montgomery let me keep her boots in my room so I pushed my feet into them, smiling the whole time. Somewhere in this escape, I’d become the kind of girl who had fallen in love with a pair of cowboy boots. Grabbing my long hair, I swept it up into a ponytail and left wispy pieces falling around my face. I felt like a country girl when I looked in the mirror, and I had to admit that I liked it.
Heading into the living room, I spotted Mrs. Montgomery sitting on the porch, rocking back and forth in one of the wicker chairs. Buster sat at her side. I joined her as we waited for Tatum.