Jennifer snapped my photograph, and I threw my hands up.
“Stop it!” I cried through a laugh.
“I wanted the honest reaction!” Jennifer said as we both stared up at the new exterior of the winery. “You really haven’t been here since they started working on it?”
I shook my head. I really hadn’t been here. Before the last week of Jordan being MIA, I’d been too busy at the hospital to come over. He’d mentioned that they were doing new construction work and gutting the interior. That Hollin and Julian were heading up most of the renovation work and hiring people. But I hadn’t imagined this.
The barn had been reinforced and stained a lush brown. The drive, which had previously been gravel, had been paved a solid black, and there was a new parking lot with freshly painted white lines. All the walking paths had been cleared, and a coat of small rocks filled them all. They were lined with flowers and carefully tended bushes. And the pièce de résistance was the enormous sign erected at the entrance—Wright Vineyard.
“It’s stunning,” I told her. “I really love it.”
“I knew you would. Julian had me come in earlier in the week and take photos for the website.”
“I bet he did,” I said with a wink.
Jennifer flushed. “It’s not like that.”
“It could be.”
“He’s dating someone.”
I laughed. “I’m just messing with you.”
“Anyway, he’s trying to convince me to be the on-site wedding photographer.”
“Oh my God! Would you want to do that?”
“Well, I’d love to still travel for elopements. They’re my favorite. But I wouldn’t mind something more stable. As much as I love to travel, it’s hard being gone all the time.”
“Well, I, for one, would love to have you home more.”
Jennifer grinned. “Same. Plus, Hollin’s sister, Nora, is graduating this semester and coming on as the wedding planner full-time. So, I’d like the people I’d work with, too.”
“Did Nora plan the party?”
“Yeah, and wait until you see what she did inside. She’s so talented.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
And my boyfriend.
I followed her across the parking lot and into the barn. My jaw fell open with shock. I’d been inside this barn more times than I could count when this place was West Texas Winery. It had been a rickety, ramshackle mess. But this was something else altogether. A fully-functional stage had been erected against the far wall for weddings or small concerts. The dirt floor had been replaced with smooth hardwood planks, polished and shiny. The rafters had been strung with crisscrossing lights that lit up the high-beamed ceiling. Two crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, bringing everything together. It was refined, sophisticated, and gorgeous.
“Nora did this?”
“She did!” Jennifer gushed.
“Hey y’all,” Nora said, appearing then. “Heard my name.”
Nora barely grazed five feet with bleached-blonde hair and a warm, welcoming smile. She was only twenty-one and the baby of our circle, so I hadn’t had much interaction with her except when she showed up to our soccer games.
“This is so stunning!” I told her. “You did an amazing job.”
She beamed. “Thanks, Annie. Just glad to get to do what I love. And to have both of my big brothers here!”
“Campbell’s here?” Jennifer whispered. “I didn’t see him come in.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “He was carted in, in secret. He thinks he’s hot shit or something.”
“He kind of is,” I admitted.
“Ugh! Not y’all, too.”
I laughed. “I like Cosmere’s music. Campbell went to a different high school. I didn’t ever know him before he left. So, he just feels like a rockstar to me.”
“Same,” Jennifer added. “And their music is so, so good.”
Nora sighed heavily. “Fine. I’ll introduce you.”
“Really?” I gushed.
“Rein in the excitement. His ego does not need to get any larger.”
I laughed. “I think I can manage.”
My eyes swept the room. There were a dozen people still putting up the final decorations for the room. And another dozen who were already here for the event, mostly Wrights in attendance to support their cousins. Emery with her pregnant belly standing with Heidi and Julia as they pointed out the decorations. Jensen and Morgan with their heads bowed. Landon, Austin, and Patrick were laughing near the dessert table. The event was friends and family only, and already, it was filling up.
“Have you seen my boyfriend?” I asked.
Nora nodded. “He’s in the back with my brothers.”
“Oh, well, good. Two birds with one stone.”
Nora showed us the way through to backstage, which was much smaller than I’d thought it would be. It was more like one large room with a private suite that Nora explained was going to be used for brides, but right now, it had been commandeered by Campbell. She rolled her eyes a lot at how much of a diva she thought he was. I only saw the love she felt about it all.
Jordan, Julian, and Hollin stood together, discussing the event. Jennifer snapped a few pictures, which she declared to be men hard at work. She winked at me, and I slunk forward to interrupt.
“Hey,” I said.
Jordan glanced over at me and something flickered in his face that I’d never seen before. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it almost looked like…dread?
I knew things had been weird between us since he’d found out about his mom, but I didn’t know what this was all about. Was it just more grief? I wished that he’d just talk to me.
“Hey, what do you think?” Julian asked, stepping in when Jordan didn’t say anything.
I swallowed back my fears. “It’s all so incredible. I never in a million years would have imagined that this barn could look like this. It used to be a piece of junk that I thought needed to be torn down.”
“We almost did,” Hollin said with a laugh.
“It was touch and go for a minute,” Julian admitted. “But Jor wanted to keep it. So, we kept it.”
I smiled up at my boyfriend. “I’m glad you did.”
“Yeah,” he said with a tip of his head. “Excuse me. I have to go check on something.”
Then Jordan turned on his heel and walked away. My eyes rounded and the guys tried not to look like they were shocked by his behavior. I gritted my teeth and dashed after him.
When we were far enough away from the rest of the group, I snagged him by the elbow. “Hey, you, wait a sec.”
“I’ll be right back,” Jordan said.
“Jordan, come on.”
He looked as if someone had kicked his puppy. I didn’t know what the hell to do about it.
“I haven’t heard from you all week.”
“I’ve been busy. I’m busy right now.”
“Okay. Can I come with you?”
“I’d rather you stay here. Shouldn’t be long.”
I huffed. “Jordan, what’s going on?”
He closed his eyes as if he were in pain before meeting my gaze again. “Can we just talk about all of this is over?”
I bit my lip. “Can you just tell me what’s wrong now?”
“After,” he insisted. “I’ll explain when this is over.”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead and then strode away without allowing me a word in edge wise. I sighed heavily and shook my head. I tried to remember Sutton’s words. That I couldn’t help him fix anything. I just had to be here when he was ready. And clearly he wasn’t ready yet.
With another sigh, I turned back to the group. Everyone was looking anywhere but at me, trying to pretend they weren’t eavesdropping. Jennifer especially looked distraught. She took a step forward as if to comfort me, and I quickly plastered on a fake smile.
“Well, I think it looks spectacular,” I said. “Y’all did a great job.”
“And Nora did the interior work,” Hollin said hastily, grabbing his little sister and roughing up her hair.
She slapped his hand away and worked at smoothing the French twist. “Don’t be an ass.”
“I usually leave that for Campbell.”
And just then, the door to the bride’s suite opened, and out walked Campbell Abbey.
Despite my frustration with Jordan, I still went into complete and total fangirl mode at the sight of the lead signer of Cosmere. When I’d said that I wouldn’t help his ego, I’d really meant itI’d been following Cosmere since their big break two years ago. They had skyrocketed through the charts, hitting number one with “I See the Real You,” the first single off of their second album. And then subsequent number ones with the next four songs. They’d been on a worldwide tour the last year. And I couldn’t even believe he was here right now. It was surreal enough that he was from Lubbock.
I smacked Jennifer’s hand. “That’s Campbell.”
Jennifer nodded vigorously. “Holy shit!”
We were idiots. Neither of us cared.
He wore ripped black jeans, a black V-neck T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. His dark hair was short on the sides and long and slightly curly on the top. He looked like he’d just walked off of a photo shoot.
But before either of us could say anything else stupid, Hollin started laughing. “What the fuck are you wearing?”
Campbell looked down at his clothes and then back up at his cowboy of an older brother. “Clothes?”
“You look ridiculous.”
“Why thanks,” Campbell said with the smile that made girls’ panties melt all over the world. “We call this rockstar chic.”
“Let me get my hat,” Hollin said jokingly. “It’ll really complete the do.”
Campbell rolled his eyes at his brother and joined us. “Sure. Cowboy hat goes perfectly with this jacket.”
“Oh,” Julian said with a laugh. “So, Hollin is this much of a dick to everyone, huh?”
Campbell chuckled. “Pretty much his MO.”
“Good to know,” Julian said.
“Hey!” Hollin said.
I covered my laugh with my hand to try to keep from laughing. We stood around and chatted for a while longer until the noise from the other side of the stage became practically oppressive.
“I’ll check on it,” Nora said quickly. She scurried off with her clipboard and came back a minute later, eyes wide. “How many people did you invite again?”
“About a hundred,” Hollin said.
“Why?” Julian asked.
“The place is already packed,” Nora said.
“What?” Julian asked in confusion. “How?”
Campbell frowned and looked between them all. “Shall I guess?”
They all looked back at the casual rockstar in their midst.
“Oh,” I whispered. “Someone leaked that Campbell was going to be here. It probably got back to Tech, and all the students showed up to see him perform.”
Campbell shrugged helplessly as if this were his every day. Which…I suppose it was.
Nora bit her lip. “I guess I should have anticipated this. My jerk of a brother always ruining things.” But she smiled when she said it.
Campbell just laughed easily. “It’s fine. You hired security, right?”
Julian looked at Hollin. “We did. Right?”
“Um…”
“Oh shit,” Campbell said.
The night was definitely going to be interesting.
“Maybe you should go out there before there’s a riot,” I said with a laugh.
Campbell nodded. “Good idea. Let me get my guitar.”
While Campbell headed back into the suite, I left with Jennifer to check out what was happening. My eyes rounded in shock. It certainly was more than the hundred people we’d anticipated. I could see some familiar faces—Blaire, Piper, Sutton, the rest of the Wrights—in the crowd, but for the most part, it was a sea of unfamiliar people.
They’d all crowded the stage and taken up a chant. “Cosmere! Cosmere! Cosmere!”
“Well, I think the guys are going to have their hands full for the night, dealing with this,” Jennifer said.
I nodded. “I think so, too.”
Jennifer put her hand on my shoulder. “Is everything okay with you two?”
A soft sigh escaped me.
“I honestly don’t know. Everything was going so well. Too well.” I glanced over at her. “I should have known that if things looked too good to be true they probably are.”
“No way. You and Jordan just make sense.”
“I thought so too. But he hasn’t talked to me all week. He’s actively avoiding me. And then did you see the way he looked at me just now?”
Jennifer bit her lip. “Yeah. That was weird. What did he say?”
“Just that we’d talk after the party. That’s not a good sign, right?”
“He just seemed stressed,” Jennifer admitted. “Honestly, I don’t think his mind was on anything but work.”
“Probably. Or at least, hopefully, and now, with this…” I gestured to the rapidly growing crowd.
“He’s probably twice as stressed.”
“Just what he needs.”
Jennifer cringed. “Just don’t think about it until later. I know that’s hard, but it’ll be fine. I’m sure of it. Go hang out with the girls and enjoy the show. I know you like Cosmere as much as I do.”
“I do.” I hugged Jen. “Thanks for being so awesome.”
“It’s just who I am as a person.”
I gasped and hip-checked her. “Was that a joke, Jen?”
She grinned. “You’re rubbing off on me. Now, go.”
With a shake of my head, I headed back out onto the main floor of the barn. After careening through a group of giddy undergrads discussing Campbell, I found Blaire, Piper, and Sutton standing just far enough away from the desperate gaggle of college kids.
“This is crazy,” I said when I finally reached them.
“I’m not surprised,” Piper said. Her eyes swept around the barn, scrutinizing the new interior. “It was bound to get out that Campbell was performing. They should have gotten security, had a guest list, et cetera. It’s an amateur mistake.”
Sutton chuckled at Piper. “Just because you hate Hollin doesn’t mean that you have to hate the winery.”
Piper softened. “I don’t hate Hollin or the winery. I think it’s stunning. They did excellent work. I honestly never would have thought this place was capable of looking this good. But…it’s still the competition,” she said with a wink.
Piper was easily the most competitive person I’d ever met. Sinclair Cellars was her baby. I could understand why she might be worried about a Wright opening a winery in this town. Their name was gold, and she didn’t want to lose business, even as an established brand.
“So, what are they going to do?” Blaire asked. She had her arms crossed and was avoiding looking at the stage. “Are too many people here? Are they going to have to cancel the show?”
“No, the guys went to handle it, and Campbell is going to go on right away to avoid riots.”
Blaire sighed heavily. “Great.”
Man, I wanted to ask. I really wanted to ask. But I had my own problems. Might as well leave Blaire to her own since she clearly didn’t want to talk about it.
Just then, Campbell stepped out onto the stage with an acoustic guitar strung around his neck. The crowd went wild. He shot them that same panty-melting smile and held his hand up as he approached the microphone.
“Hello, Lubbock!” he cried.
Everyone screamed and cheered and stomped their feet. The noise in this barn was louder than I’d ever heard it…even when it was a nightclub.
“Man, it’s good to be home. I’ve missed you.” Campbell tuned his guitar by hand while he said it, not quite looking out at the audience. When he was satisfied, he played up to the crowd again. “I wasn’t expecting this big of a turnout, but it’s Lubbock! We know how to turn out for our own, am I right?”
Another round of screams.
“Well, why don’t I kick us off then?” His fingers moved across the guitar as if he were caressing a woman’s body, and the opening chords to their breakout hit filtered in through the speakers.
The crowd erupted over just those chords.
“This one goes out to every girl who’s ever felt different,” he said seductively, leaning into the microphone. “This is…‘I See the Real You.’ ”
Blaire made a gagging sound. “I think I’m going to be sick,” she said, ripping out of our group. “I’m going to just…go home.”
“Blaire,” I said with concern in my voice.
She shook her head. Her hand went to her stomach. “Seriously, I must have…eaten something that didn’t agree with me.”
Why did I doubt that?
“Okay. Be safe.”
“I will,” she said and then all but ran out of the room.
“She’s been acting like this all day,” Piper said with worry in her voice as she watched her best friend. “Actually, I’m going to go check on her. I’ll be back.”
Then Piper disappeared, too. Sutton and I exchanged a glance. We’d been friends long enough to be able to read each other’s thoughts. Something had happened with Blaire and Campbell. I just didn’t know what.
Campbell finished off the next song and went into his latest hit. I tried to let the stress of the evening go. I couldn’t do anything about Jordan until he was ready. Even if it made me more anxious than I’d been in a while. I just wanted enjoy the music. I really did love Cosmere. But as Campbell moved into the next song, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around to find Chase Sinclair standing there with his hands stuffed into his pockets. “Hey, Annie.”
God, I didn’t have time for this. I didn’t care that he looked…rough. Like he hadn’t been sleeping well or eating. That wasn’t my problem.
“I have nothing to say to you,” I said, turning back around.
Sutton bit her lip as she glanced between us.
“Can I just apologize?” he asked.
“No, you cannot. You can go away.”
“Annie,” he breathed, moving between me and Sutton. “Come on. We’ve known each other our entire lives. You’re my best friend. I can’t lose you. Please just hear me out.”
Sutton frowned. “Chase, maybe now isn’t the time.”
“I’ve been messaging and calling all week,” he continued, ignoring her.
“Yeah, and you’d think that you’d get the hint that I wasn’t responding.”
Chase reached forward and turned me to face him. I broke out of his grip and tried to avoid the earnest gaze he was shooting my way, the one completely full of regret. He was hurting, and I hated when he was hurting. But he’d done this to himself.
“Annie, please…”
“I really…” I began, but then suddenly, Jordan appeared out of nowhere.
He pushed between us, shoving Chase backward.
“Jordan,” I cried.
They were practically nose to nose as they stared each other down.