“Nick really wanted to be here to help you move in, but he’s had this tour planned for months, and he’s wrapped up in rehearsals out in LA right now.”

Annie paused, the newspaper she was unwrapping from a glass vase crumpled in her right hand. “You’re talking to Nick?”

Brian placed another box on the countertop beside her and hopped up into a barstool on the other side of the kitchen island she was standing at. “Of course I’m talking to Nick. He’s... Nick. I’ve been calling him every Wednesday night to see what he’s up to since he was thirteen. Of course, you’d know that if you were talking to Nick.”

“Really? Even when you guys took that long hiatus?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not going to lie to you and say that I didn’t forget it was Wednesday a few times or that he didn’t blow me off occasionally, especially during the Dark Ages.”

She raised an eyebrow and shot him an amused glance. “The Dark Ages?”

“When he was with Paris,” Brian replied matter-of-factly.

Annie couldn’t help but laugh. “I see.” Then, she turned serious. “It’s just that the last time I saw you two together, it looked like you were about to kill each other.”

Brian sighed and leaned his elbow on the granite countertop, propping his chin up with his hand. “That’s what brothers do.” He shrugged. “We tell each other when we’re being jerks, swing a few punches, roll around on the ground like dogs, then scratch each other behind the ears, give each other ‘man-hugs,’ and make up."

Annie laughed. “Well, that’s an interesting way to put it.”

“It’s true.” He pulled his pocket knife out of his jeans and cut through the tape on the box sitting in front of him.

“You were, by the way.”

He held the box flaps open and looked up at her. “I was what?”

“Being a jerk.”

“You’re right. I was. First, it was you who told me, then Leighanne, then Howie pulled me aside and gave me a talking to, and I’m pretty sure he must have called Kevin, because he called and talked to me as soon as we pulled into the driveway at home that evening after the cruise. I got to sleep on the couch that night, by the way. It was Nick who really let me have it when I called him that Wednesday, though."

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah.” He blushed, the tips of his ears turning red as he traced his finger along the pattern in the granite before looking back up at her. “He’s really crazy about you, you know.”

Annie leaned across the counter and peered into the box Brian had just opened. "I think I'll put the sippy cups in the corner cabinet above the sink. The rest of it can stay in the box and go down in the basement. This kitchen's already pretty well stocked."

Brian raised an eyebrow as he watched her pull an armful of sippy cups out of the box and head for the aforementioned cabinet. "Are you avoiding this conversation?"

She unloaded the sippy cups onto a shelf and slammed the dark cherry cabinet door shut, then twirled around to face him. "He may have been crazy about me at one time, but I'd guess he's pretty fed up with me by now."

"He says you're not calling him anymore."

"I never called him much to begin with. He did most of the calling."

"He says you needed some time to think and that he's trying to give it to you. Something to do with Andrew?" Brian's voice dripped with concern.

Annie sighed heavily and leaned back with her palms on the countertop behind her. "I don't understand, Brian. I thought you were opposed to the whole Nick thing."

"I was."

"Was? As in past tense?"

“Um, yeah....was.” He gave her a sheepish grin. “I already told you I was sorry, Annie, but you didn’t want to talk about it. You said we could talk it about it when we got to Nashville. Remember? Well, we’re in Nashville.” Annie turned around and started unloading the dishwasher. “Annie?”

A fork clattered onto the floor. “There’s nothing to talk about, Brian.” She stooped down to pick it up, but he’d already crossed the floor and knelt down to pick it up before she got to it.

“Oh really? Because it sounds to me like you slept with my best friend, then dropped him like a hot potato.”

“Excuse me?!” She shot upwards and planted her hands on her hips as she glared down at him. “What’s your deal, Brian? I thought you’d be happy about that! First, you’re getting ready to throw punches at him because we got drunk and had sex. Now, you’re trying to make me feel bad about breaking things off with him? What gives?”

Brian stood slowly and brushed imaginary dust from his knees. “I can’t help feeling a little overprotective of you, Annie. You were my friend before you were my client, and my cousin gave me explicit instructions to look out for you. He hinted at the fact that you were kind of fragile emotionally before you even told me about what happened with your husband. I’ve known Nick a long time. I’ve seen him at his best....and his worst. The thought that the two of you could make a good couple just seemed a little crazy to me. As your manager, I kept imagining Nick parading you around on his arm at awards shows and the media getting the wrong idea about your image. I mean, his past isn’t exactly what I would call ‘squeaky-clean,” and like it or not the Christian music world is looking for squeaky clean. On top of that, despite Nick’s big turnaround in the past few years, I just couldn’t imagine the possibility of him going back down that road and eventually hurting you somehow.”

Annie gave him a tight-lipped smile. “I appreciate your looking out for me. I really do. But, that’s not what I want or need from you. I need a friend. I need a manager. My personal life is none of your business unless I indicate to you that I want it to be, okay?”

“Fair enough.”

“Furthermore, if the Christian music world decides to judge and reject me because of the man I may or may not be with, what kind of Christians are they? If every person was judged by God based in his or her past, we would all be unworthy, wouldn’t we?”

“You’re absolutely right,” Brian agreed quietly.

“So, why the sudden change of heart? Is this because you don’t want to sleep on the couch?” Annie continued. “Not that it really matters, because I’m not ready for a relationship with Nick or anybody else right now.”

“So, this is about Andrew.” Annie turned around and grabbed a cabinet knob, but Brian placed his hand on the door to prevent her from opening it. “Annie--”

She slammed the stack of bowls she was carrying on the counter and groaned. “What?”

“Nick,” Brian said simply.

“What about him?”

“He’s the reason for my sudden change of heart.”

“And also the reason you were acting like a jerk?”

Brian chuckled. “Well, yeah. He’s Nick. He’s weird like that.” Annie rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, though, Annie. You should hear the way he talks about you. I didn’t see it until I started really listening to him. Leighanne claims to have seen it all along, but obviously it took me a little longer. Call it woman’s intuition or something. I certainly don’t have it.”

“Brian, what are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Brian, don’t. I can’t.” Annie attempted to slip past him, but Brian stepped in front of her.

“He’s dead, you know.”

“Real nice, Brian. Thanks for the compassion,” she scoffed.

“It’s been five and a half years, Annie.”

“I’m painfully aware of how long it’s been, Brian.” Annie brushed by his shoulder and headed for the stairs.

“For the record, I’m not worried that he’s going to hurt you, anymore. I’ve never heard him talk about another woman the way he talks about you. And that includes Lauren!” Brian yelled at the back of her head from the landing at the bottom of the stairs. “You can’t feel like you’re cheating on your dead husband forever!”

Annie slammed her bedroom door shut and leaned against it, her breath coming in shuddering gasps. “That may be the most messed up conversation I’ve ever had,” she said aloud to no one in particular. She rushed across the plush carpet to the top dresser drawer and pulled out the ring box she’d stashed there. She opened it and stared at the two rings nestled inside as hot tears cascaded down her cheeks. The diamond on her engagement ring glinted in the January sunlight, made brighter by the fresh coat of snow that covered everything outside, but the platinum metal that made up her wedding band had started to dull. She hadn’t had her rings cleaned or polished since Andrew died, but this was the first time she’d noticed the gray cast that made them seem to lose their luster.. She sighed and closed the box, then placed it back inside the drawer and tiptoed down the hallway to the master suite.

Nick had suggested she take the master bedroom, but the thought of sleeping in his bed was just too awkward for her. Actually, this was the first time she’d even been in his room since moving in two days ago. “The French doors at the end of the upstairs hallway go to the master suite,” Nick had told her when he called to discuss the logistics of her moving in the week after the cruise. So far, she’d avoided those doors like the plague, but when she pushed them open and peered inside, she couldn’t help but let out a little gasp. The rest of the house was cozy and traditional, like it may have graced the pages of Southern Living magazine, but this room was modern and undeniably Nick. Steel gray walls with stark white trim contrasted with a dark walnut hardwood floor and large area rug with a pattern that looked suspiciously like a Japanese anime scene in shades of red, black, and white. A rich red comforter topped the Californa king-sized bed and black and gray throw pillows were situated haphazardly against the black leather headboard. On the opposite wall was a flat-screen television of epic proportions. Undoubtedly, an interior designer must have had a hand in this room, because she just couldn’t imagine any other way that a room decorated around that hideous rug could have actually turned out looking classy.

She half-expected to see a layer of dust covering the oversized bedroom furniture since Nick mentioned it had been quite a while since he'd been there when they last spoke. However, everything looked pristine, save for a half-full glass of water sitting on a stone coaster on the nightstand. She paused to contemplate how long that glass must have been sitting there and how much bleach she would have to use to kill any potential organisms swimming around in there. Then, she noticed the white envelope with her name scrawled across the front propped up against the lamp on the dresser to her right. Apparently, Nick had been there since the last time she'd talked to him. At least, she hoped it was Nick. Otherwise, she had bigger problems. With trembling hands, she reached for the envelope and opened it. Tucked inside was a letter written on blank sheet music paper. She couldn't help but let out a little laugh as she started to read. Leave it to Nick to not have actual paper lying around the house.

"Annie,
I assume that even though I told you to, you didn't take the master suite. You're probably staying in the room two doors down on the left with the green walls, right?"

Annie smiled. Yes, that was where she was sleeping.

"So, hopefully, if you find this, it means you were thinking about me and snooping around in my room. Well, snoop all you want. There are a few skeletons in my closet, but not in the Tennessee house. I don't think I ever stay there long enough for that. I'm glad you decided to go ahead and take the house. I'm never cashing that rent check you mailed me, by the way, so don't send any others, okay? I figure you're the type of woman who wants to see all the check numbers in order on your bank statement, so I'm only trying to help you out."

Annie noticed an ink smudge on the first letter of the next line, as if he had hesitated. “I miss you.”

She smiled sadly. “I miss him too," she whispered to the empty room.

“I miss your smile. I miss your beautiful green eyes. I miss the way your hand felt in mine. God, I sound corny, don't I?" Annie didn't really think so. Despite the fact that she thought she’d met the love of her life at eighteen only to have her heart shattered into a million little pieces three years into her marriage, she still considered herself a hopeless romantic. Yet, she’d given up on her own love life the day she watched them lower her husband’s body into the ground shrouded in smooth mahogany.

“I miss talking to you. Mostly, I just miss you.” He underlined “you” for emphasis.

“My tour starts on January 30th in Nashville. Lauren was planning this big birthday party for me in Vegas to kick off the US leg of the tour, but we broke up before anything was set in stone and it felt a little ridiculous to throw myself a party. So, I was thinking about maybe being in town for a few days before the show, and I’d love to see you. I understand if the answer is no, and who even knows if you’re ever going to see this letter, but I thought I’d give it a shot. Love, Nick.”

Annie felt a little twinge of disappointment that he’d stopped writing and unconsciously flipped the page over to make sure there was nothing on the back. She read over it one more time, then folded it slowly and tucked it in her pocket before heading back downstairs. She found Brian unpacking a set of Thomas the Train DVDs and placing them in the cabinet underneath the entertainment center in the den. “Hey Brian?”

When he heard her voice behind him, he whipped his head around, letting out a relieved breath. “Are you okay? I’m sorry if I seemed insensitive, I just-”

She interrupted him. “Have you seen my cell phone?”