Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 435(@200wpm)___ 348(@250wpm)___ 290(@300wpm)
“Actually, there’s something else,” he began, hearing how his voice changed, how it carried a new weight and the excitement he couldn’t ignore.
She raised one dark eyebrow.
Should he tell her? But somehow she seemed like the one person he really wanted to know about his new interest. “I haven’t told anyone about this, and I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself for now, but… jazz,” he said at last. “I’ve been playing around with some jazz rhythms. There’s this pull, you know, toward the sound. It’s hard to explain.” He suddenly felt foolish. Now that he’d said it out loud, the idea of a rock star transitioning to jazz sounded crazy.
“Jazz, huh?” she mused, her tone devoid of judgment. “It suits you—unexpected and complex.”
“You think so? Because it feels like jumping without knowing if there’s a net.”
“Isn’t that what jazz is all about? Improvisation, taking risks?” Crystal encouraged him as she always had. “You’ve always pushed the boundaries with your music, Damien. Why should this be any different?”
“Because it’s not just a new sound for me—it’s a whole new world,” he confided, his admission laced with a mixture of excitement and fear. “It’s like I’m setting off on a journey without a map.”
“Sometimes the best discoveries are made off the beaten path,” she reminded him. “You’re Damien Davenport. You don’t need a map—you create the route as you go.”
He met her gaze again, so appreciative of her understanding that he knew he’d been right to tell her. “You really believe I can do this?”
“With every fiber of my being,” Crystal affirmed. “And hey, if it turns out to be a detour or a dead end, so what? It’s the exploration that counts. That’s where the magic happens.”
The corners of his mouth stretched into a genuine grin. “Thanks, Crystal,” he said, his voice steady now. “For believing in me when I’m struggling to believe in myself. You always have.”
“And I always will,” she said quietly. “I always will.” As if catching herself, she quickly changed her tone to one more upbeat. “So then, buddy, what shall we do today?”
He tried not to feel disappointed by how quickly she’d changed the subject. How she had used the word buddy. He forced himself to smile. “How about we work out in the gym here, then swim in the pool?”
“That’s a lot of exercise.”
He grinned again, this time at a memory. “Then we close all the blinds and watch a movie. Like old times?”
She grinned right back at him. “I love that idea.”
Chapter Six
Twenty-four hours had passed since Crystal and Damien had hung out like they were still teenagers and spent an entire day watching movies and eating snacks. Okay, so she’d polished off a bag of tortilla chips with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, while Damien munched raw veggies and hummus. And first, he’d made her work out. Naturally, he had workout gear and swimwear on hand to fit her. It had been a glorious day, like old times, but also different somehow.
She had loved every minute of it, but a small part of her couldn’t relax, wondering where it was all heading. The chemistry between them was undeniable. At least, she couldn’t stop her own mind from dancing around some seriously sexy thoughts. She’d loved watching his toned body swimming and lifting weights when he couldn’t see her peeking. But watching him at work in his studio, trying out a jazz tune, had sent her spinning.
Her crush on him was like a familiar song that never faded, no matter how many times it played in the background of her life. But, though he was her friend, she had to face facts. He could never really be hers. For so many reasons.
Saturday, Crystal found herself headed to breakfast again with Damien—this time, for the family breakfast that brought all the Davenports together, or whoever happened to be in Carmel. Partners and friends were always welcome. She knew, as an event planner, how difficult it was to cater without knowing the exact number of guests, but she’d never seen Betsy run out of food. She suspected there were emergency rations in the deep freeze, but whatever her secrets, breakfast always expanded to feed whoever turned up.
Crystal didn’t often make it to breakfast, though with Erin and Damien as two of her besties, she wasn’t exactly a stranger. Today, however, she’d all but been commanded by Mila to show up, and curiosity, as well as the desire to see a family she loved almost as much as her own, had her walking into the familiar family home.
She loved this house. It was gorgeous, but down-to-earth too. Kind of like the Davenports. The comfortable home was an oasis where time slowed, and the rush of everyday life outside faded. A place where the love between the siblings ran deep, binding them in ways that only those born into a large family could understand. And also where they bickered.