Caden shook his head. “No. I knew Amelia years ago. I trust her, so I trust you. Willow Brook is so small, you wouldn’t make any money if you weren’t good at what you did, so I’ll trust that you’re good as well.”
Beck cracked up at that, and even Lucy smiled. “Well, we have an office down the street. We’re not there very often, but it is handy for meeting.”
Caden shrugged. “Can you come out to my place? We can go over the work I need. I’m going to be here for a few weeks, but after that, I’ll be scarce, so you won’t have to worry about accommodating my schedule.”
Beck waggled his eyebrows. “This is probably going to be an expensive renovation. You’re gonna need to pay top dollar.”
Caden chuckled. “I planned on it.” He looked back at Lucy. “Sound good?”
She glanced among the group and shrugged. “I suppose so.”
Maisie stood from her chair. Before I could say anything, Caden asked, “Mind if I sit?”
Even Maisie was getting amused at the interaction. She cast me a sly grin as she replied, “Absolutely not.”
I bit the insides of my cheeks as I looked from her to Caden. “Good to see you,” she added. “I need to get back to work. Are you going to meet us for cards night?”
“I think so. Why don’t you text me the details?”
Maisie gave me a thumbs-up just as Beck reached for her other hand, lacing his fingers through hers. “Good to see you around,” he commented, his eyes on Caden. “We should get together one of these nights while you’re here.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’ll see you around.”
Beck and Maisie left. Lucy gave Caden her number, which he punched into his phone, and then she hurried off to order coffee, leaving me alone with Caden. Well, alone, if you didn’t count what felt like all the eyes in the café on us. It might’ve taken a few minutes, but it appeared most everyone had deduced who Caden was.
I looked across the table at him. “Everyone’s staring at us, you know.”
He shrugged. “They’ll stop.”
“Did you see Janet yet?” I asked.
“Of course. She took me in the back. We had coffee, and I got a popover.”
“Oh.”
Ugh. It was going to be annoying if I couldn’t get my heartbeat under control around him. I felt like I’d been thrust back into high school when we first started dating, and I was all nervous and aflutter. Now, he was a bona fide rock star, and I honestly had no clue why he was trying to rekindle something with me.
“Where are we having dinner tonight?” he asked.
I gritted my teeth, a flash of annoyance rising inside. “You didn’t answer my text.”
For a moment, I felt the full beam of Caden’s fame. He stared at me intently with an edge of insouciance. I’d never quite seen him like that. Well, except for what I saw in the tabloids and in stories online and elsewhere about the band and his legendary cool arrogance mixed with sexiness.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said sharply.
My words surprised me. For a moment, it literally felt as if the air around us cooled. Caden dropped his forehead into his hands. His shoulders rose with a breath, which he let out in a gust as he lifted his head again and brushed an errant lock of hair away from his face. “I’m sorry.” He looked genuinely abashed. “See, that’s why I needed to see you again.”
“So I could tell you not to pull your sexy rock star vibe on me?” I countered.
I couldn’t help the insecurity that chased through me. I wasn’t feeling good about my life and about romance at all. I’d sworn it off. I was not going through that again.
“No. Because I missed you. I miss feeling like I can just be myself. I’m sorry,” he said so solemnly that I almost laughed.
I felt a burn over the surface of my heart, the sting reminding me I wasn’t immune to him, as much as I wished I were. I wondered what it must’ve been like for him to feel he couldn’t be himself with most people. I wasn’t famous, so obviously, I didn’t know. I could imagine it was a big trade-off. Everybody wanting a piece of what I projected out to the world.
“It’s no big thing. You just gave me a look. One that I imagine usually gets you what you want when it comes to women,” I said dryly.
He rolled his eyes. “Don’t believe what you’ve read about me,” he added.
“You’re a rock star, Caden. I’m sure you get plenty of action. No judgment from me on that account.”
He shook his head quickly. “I don’t.” Bitterness dashed through his eyes. “Yes, I suppose I could.” He paused and did something that made my heart turn over in my chest. He bit the corner of his bottom lip and ducked his head just slightly. His dark glossy bangs fell over his eyes, and that motion was so familiar it almost physically hurt to see.
His eyes lifted to mine again. “When we first got big, I won’t lie, I definitely had some fun, but it didn’t turn out to be much fun after all. Nobody wanted me for me. They wanted me for some kind of image. I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s a feeling more than anything.” He drummed his fingertips on the edge of the table, another motion that clued me in to the fact he was nervous.
Awash in a tangle of nostalgia and emotion, I swallowed through the thickness in my throat. “You don’t have to tell me all the details of your life. After you moved away, you went on to live your life, and I went on to live mine. Circumstances changed for both of us. Who’s to say we would’ve even stayed together if you hadn’t moved away?”
Caden’s eyes darkened, and butterflies twirled inside my belly as my pulse skittered wildly. “Oh, we would’ve.”
I wasn’t quite ready to believe that, no matter how much my hormones were applauding. “Caden, that’s sweet and romantic, but it’s never that simple. You got famous and discovered superficial sex isn’t all that great. I’ve already been married and divorced, and I’m not a fan of romance. I’m not the girl you remember.”
“Janet mentioned your husband took you to the cleaners in the divorce. If you’d like—”
I shook my head quickly. “Oh, God, no. I don’t need you riding into my life like a savior. It’s over. That’s what I wanted.”
“For it to be over?” he pressed.
“Yep. I could’ve fought harder in court, but I didn’t want to drag it out. I didn’t have the stomach for it, and it was exhausting.”
“Maybe I don’t have all the details, but he’s a fucking asshole,” Caden said, his tone low.
I didn’t like to admit I experienced a little thrill at his protectiveness and anger on my behalf.
“I appreciate that, and I completely agree. No need to dwell on that little chapter in my life.”
“Brynn.”
I had looked down to fold my napkin, frankly because I was nervous and restless. I lifted my eyes to find his boyish gaze on me. It was so strange to see him again like this. There were moments when he seemed world weary and cynical, and others when he seemed boyish and so earnest I didn’t quite know what to do with it.
“What?”