Lead Me Home Read online

  Lead Me Home

  Nashville Country Dreams Book 2

  ID Johnson

  Copyright © 2020 by ID Johnson

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For Erin

  Contents

  1. Monica Calling

  2. Plans

  3. Making the Band

  4. The Elephant in the Room Plays Guitar

  5. Waking Up Together

  6. Don’t Mess with My Girl

  7. Rescue Me

  8. Confrontation

  9. Rock Star

  10. Part of the Band

  11. Dinner and Decisions

  12. Practice Makes Perfect

  13. Office Space

  14. Night on the Town

  15. So In Love

  16. Get It Together

  17. The Other Woman

  18. Wildest Dreams

  19. Secrets

  20. Confession

  21. First Show

  22. Can’t Stay

  23. Talk it Over

  24. Confiding in Celia

  25. Side Piece?

  26. Maybe You Should Be Worried

  27. Mistake

  28. Always Tell the Truth

  29. Life is a Zoo

  30. Apologize

  31. Making Up

  32. Solution?

  33. Is She the One?

  34. Set Up

  35. Cat Fight

  36. Miracle

  37. Up and Away

  38. Quitters Never Win

  39. Cat’s Out of the Band

  40. Light Up the Dark

  41. Cops

  42. Firemen

  43. Paramedics

  44. Doctors

  45. Surgery

  46. Waiting Room

  47. Recovery

  48. Where’s the Culprit?

  49. Sleep

  50. Fix Her

  51. OR

  52. News

  53. Still Beating

  54. Line Up

  55. Together

  56. Always Be Mine

  A Note From the Author

  Also by ID Johnson

  Monica Calling

  It was no surprise to Trent that Monica called; he was just surprised that it took her almost three days to do it. By then, Trent and Bree had begun to settle into a routine of sorts. He spent much of the day exploring the market for starting a new accounting firm in Nashville and went to see her play her gigs at night. They’d eaten breakfast together each morning and dinner together every night, and he could see himself fitting into her world, especially when she was on stage, playing her heart out, and he was sitting on the front row, cheering her on.

  Then, Monica called, crying, and Trent was forced to rethink everything.

  Not because he was considering getting back together with her but because Monica was so demanding. “What are you thinking, Trent? You can’t possibly think this will work with her, do you? You know she’ll just put her career in front of you, like she always has before.”

  “You were going to do that,” he pointed out to her, no longer feeling the need to be nice to the woman who had cheated on him with his best friend.

  “I never would’ve done that!” she exclaimed. “I thought you supported my modeling career!”

  Realizing there was no point in arguing with her, Trent let out a sigh and said, “Monica, what did you want? Other than to tell me what an awful person I am?”

  “I didn’t call to tell you you’re an awful person. I called to tell you that I love you, that I want to give it another try. Please, Trent. I’ve changed. I’ll never, ever cheat on you again. I’ll never lie to you again.”

  “Sorry, Monica. I don’t give second chances to people who break my trust the way that you have.”

  “But Trent… we have a life together!”

  “Had,” he said. “We had a life together. We don’t have one anymore. I’ve gotta go, Monica.”

  Trent hung up and put his phone back on the table. He was in a cafe, looking at the newspaper and trying to decide whether or not a few properties he’d seen recently would work for a new firm. He also wondered if any of the people who currently worked for him would be willing to relocate from Louisville. He thought some of them might be, but for the most part, he’d be hiring a brand new staff. It would be a lot of work, but it would be worth it if it meant he got to spend all his free time with Bree.

  He hadn’t been studying the properties long when his phone rang again. Assuming it was Monica, he moaned, but then he saw that it was Bree and his face lit up. “Hey, what are you up to?” he asked with a smile.

  “Well, my record company just called and asked me to come in tomorrow. They’ve decided it’s time to take things to the next level.”

  He could hear the excitement in her voice. “What does that mean, exactly?” He couldn’t help but grin, knowing how happy she was.

  “I think it means… they’re putting together a band for me! So that when I play live gigs, I’ll have an entire backup band. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, I’ve worked with different musicians in the studio, but it’ll be different to be on stage with them.”

  “Wow--that’s awesome!” He knew this had always been a dream of hers. “How does that work, exactly?”

  “I don’t know. My manager just said there were a few people they wanted me to meet. I guess I’ll just come in, listen to them play, maybe play with them, and see what we think. This is Nashville, so there’s got to be a million musicians just waiting to be put in a band with the potential this one has, now that they’re booking such large venues for me.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’ll find some really talented people.” Trent couldn’t get the smile off of his face, he was so happy for her.

  “Would you… want to come with me?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Tomorrow? To listen to them?”

  “Yeah. I’d really appreciate your opinion.”

  “I’d love to come with you, Bree. I just… don’t know that much about music.”

  “Sure you do. You know what sounds good, and what sounds bad, right? That’s all that matters.”

  “Will they mind if I’m there?”

  “No, I asked my manager if you could come, if you wanted to, and she said that would be great, that she’d love to meet the man who inspired my hit song.”

  “Cool. Sure. I’d love to. I’ll be there.”

  “Awesome. Thanks. I guess I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Bye.” Trent hung up, still smiling on her behalf. It was amazing to see Bree’s dreams finally coming true, and the fact that he was getting to be part of it made him feel completely blessed. It seemed like everything was finally going right, and he was excited about what the future might bring for both of them. Now, if he could just get lucky enough to find the right personnel for his accounting firm, they’d be all set.

  Plans

  Sleep had been elusive since Bree had started sharing her bed with Trent, but that was okay with her. Listening to his heart beat beneath her ear, his arms around her, made her feel safe and settled in a way she’d never felt before, even if it meant she was tired most of the day.

  Her gigs usually didn’t end until midnight, which meant she’d get home around 2:00 in the morning, earlier or later depending upon how far away they were. Then, she’d
try to fall asleep for an hour or so, finally manage for a bit, and get up with him around 9:00. She knew that was sleeping in for him, that he’d be happier getting up with the sun, and the fact that he was willing to rework his entire schedule for her was just one more reason why Bree felt so unbelievably happy that Trent was finally her man.

  She was up before him that morning, though, ready to get to the studio and see what Zelda had in store for her. Her entire life, Bree had wanted to be part of a band. When she couldn’t get even Sam, her ex-boyfriend who used to play gigs with her, to stay loyal to her, she’d sort of thought it might never happen. Now that she was finally starting to make a name for herself, it was a necessity, and she couldn’t wait to meet the musicians she’d be partnering with for the next several years.

  Trent adjusted underneath her. Bree watched as he blinked a few times, and then his eyes opened. “Hey, what are you doing awake so early?”

  “How do you know what time it is?” she asked, leaning her head on her hand so that she could stare down at him.

  “By the sun,” he replied. “I’m guessing it’s not seven yet.”

  Bree glanced at the clock. He was right. It was 6:53. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Too excited about your big day?”

  Nodding, Bree trailed her fingers along his bare chest. They hadn’t gone all the way yet, though they’d been close, and she thought she was ready, but she didn’t want to rush him. Maybe before they headed to the studio…. She pulled her thoughts off of that. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  “No, that’s okay. You know I’m a morning person. Want me to make you some breakfast while you get ready?”

  She smiled. He was so sweet. And thoughtful. And perfect. “That would be awesome.” She kissed him, letting her lips linger a little longer than she’d initially planned, and then headed off to the bathroom.

  When she was done showering, she headed to the kitchen, following the scent of bacon. Trent had gone to great lengths to make a wonderful breakfast, and Bree’s stomach growled in recognition of his efforts as she dug into eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice. Once they were done, Trent went to get cleaned up, and then at a quarter until 9:00, they headed over to the studio.

  Bree would’ve been lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. Picking her bandmates was critical. She knew she wouldn’t have the final say; there’d be executives from the record company there, as well as Zelda, and who knew who else. Probably some sort of marketing experts who could tell them what sort of vibe their look gave off. All she knew was she wanted talented people who were easy to get along with. The last thing she needed was more drama in her life.

  If Trent was nervous, she couldn’t tell. He had to be uncomfortable, she figured. After all, he was entering a world he’d never had any interaction with. She imagined she’d feel out of place if he asked her to help him pick new accountants. But he knew he was mostly there for moral support, and she felt so much more calm with his hand in hers than she would’ve if she’d been doing this alone.

  Trent pulled into the parking lot outside of the studio a few minutes before she was meant to be there. “Are you ready?” he asked.

  “I think so. Thanks, Trent. You’re amazing, you know that?”

  He grinned, shrugged, and ran his hand across the back of his neck as he always did when he was nervous. “I try.” He looked up at her, and she couldn’t help but slide over and kiss him. “Come on. Let’s go put the next great band together.”

  Laughing, she climbed out of the vehicle, excited to see where this would lead. Nothing could get her down at this point. Nothing.

  Making the Band

  Zelda wrapped her arms around Trent the moment she saw him, leaving Bree laughing. “There he is! The man who inspired the song that has inspired so many love birds! It’s lovely to meet you in person!”

  “Thank you,” Trent said, his face a little pink from the attention. “It’s nice to meet you, too. I’ve heard so many nice things about you.”

  Zelda looked at Bree and smiled. “That’s good to hear. Bree is one of my favorites.” She wrapped her arm around Bree and pulled her close.

  As soon as Zelda let her go, the manager was back to business. “Come with me,” she said, waving her arm and leading Bree and Trent back toward one of the studio rooms. “I’ve got some folks assembled I’d like for you to meet. We have auditions scheduled for the next few hours. We’ll have the prospective candidates come in, play for a few minutes in the studio so we can talk without them hearing, and then we’ll arrange call backs for anyone we’d like to hear play together. While it’s important that the individual musicians sound good, we need them to sound cohesive as well, as I’m sure you know.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Bree noted. “When are call-backs?”

  “Next Monday,” Zelda said. She pulled open the studio door and gestured for them to go through ahead of her.

  Two men and a woman Bree had never met before sat behind the panel in the small recording space. They all stood as they came in, and Zelda stepped up to introduce them. “Bree, Trent, this is Alvin Cook, one of the chief music engineers here at Sonic Music. This is Sally Henderson, executive in charge of new musicians, and Jordan Right, chief sound engineer.”

  Bree and Trent shook all of their hands, and they all exchanged pleasantries. She was glad Zelda had introduced him because she wasn’t sure if she should use the term boyfriend or not, but Zelda just said he was the inspiration for Bree’s most famous song, “Meant to Marry Me.”

  Once they were all settled into chairs facing the currently empty recording stage, Jordan said, “I really love the soulfulness of your music. It definitely comes across in your recordings, and it’s even better live.”

  Bree could feel her face pinking at the compliment. “Thank you,” she said, smiling. “I really appreciate that.” She was shocked someone of his caliber had gone to hear her live.

  “What are you working on now?” Sally asked.

  “I have several songs that I’m ready to record. Of course, with a band, we might make some changes, but I’ve got six I’m completely happy with.”

  “Excellent,” the executive said. “Any hits?”

  “All of them--I hope,” Bree said, which got a laugh out of everyone.

  “This first guitarist has worked with several other recording artists on albums but hasn’t been in a band for a few years. I think you’ll like him.”

  “Great,” Bree said, picking up the clipboard they’d set in front of her. It had information about each of the musicians they’d hear. They’d certainly worked a lot into the schedule. In the two hours they had available, they had forty musicians to listen to.

  The door to the studio opened, and a man who appeared to be in his late twenties, possibly his early thirties, walked in. He gave a wave and then stepped over to one of the microphones. “Hi. Kell Spinks.” He was carrying a guitar case and quickly got out a Fender Telecaster, running a few scales before he plugged it into an amp and stepped up to the mic again. “Ready?”

  “We’re ready when you are,” Alvin said into the microphone in front of him.

  Kell looked pretty calm as he began to play. The song was “Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix, one of the most difficult songs to play on guitar, but he not only played it well, it sounded great with just the solo guitar.

  When he was done, Alvin turned the mic back on. “Thank you, Kell. Can you play a bit of one of Bree’s songs?”

  “Sure,” he said, shaking his blond hair out of his eyes as he began to play one of Bree’s more complex songs, called “Night Life.” He played several measures before Alvin stopped him.

  “Thanks a lot, Kell. We’ll be in touch.”

  Kell gave a wave and unlooped the guitar strap from his shoulders. He carefully put his Telecaster back into its case and then waved again on his way out.

  Everyone took notes on their clipboard, except
for Trent, and Bree couldn’t help but smile at him. She knew he didn’t think his opinion counted, but it did to her. She liked Kell a lot. He seemed a bit shy, but definitely laidback, which was important to her. She didn’t want anyone who was going to be anxious or start drama.

  The next musician walked in a few minutes later. Bree assumed there was a secretary or someone walking them back, but she didn’t know for sure. This was a drummer, a tall man without much hair on top but plenty down his back. He was great, and Bree really enjoyed listening to him. She wrote only positive notes next to his name, though she hoped it wouldn’t be a problem that he was so much older than her.

  For the next two hours, there was a parade of musicians coming through the door, one right after the next. Most of them were great. A few were so nervous, they didn’t perform as well as they might have otherwise. Bree liked all of them, but a few stood out to her. They were down to the last person, and she thought she had a pretty good idea who she would recommend to come back to play together, though she wouldn’t have minded listening to all of them play again.

  “This is our last guy,” Sally said, looking at the paper. “Zach Scott.”

  “Cool,” Bree said, not sure what else to say.

  A few seconds later, the door opened and a man carrying a Les Paul case came in. Bree’s eyes bulged, but she tried to hide it. If she hadn’t been sitting next to Trent, she probably would’ve let her mouth fall open, too.

  He was hot--that was the only word she could think of to describe him. Tall, muscle bound, with tattoos. His dark hair hung over one eye, and when he brushed it away, she noticed his eyes were a shade of gray she’d never seen on a person before.

  He didn’t say anything at all, only took his guitar out of the case, set it aside, put the strap over his head in one fluid motion, and then began to play.

  Bree recognized the song immediately. It was “Eruption” by Van Halen, arguably the most difficult song to play on guitar, and Zach was killing it. The entire room was silent as the captive audience listened to him play. When he was done, Zach just looked at all of them again without saying anything.