Brendon (Alluring Indulgence #8)(56)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“Maybe you could sing somethin’ else for us, too,” Reilly said.

“I didn’t bring my guitar,” Cheyenne replied.

“We’ve got one round here somewhere,” Sawyer muttered as he stuck his head between Lorrie and Deborah.

Oh, boy.

Glancing behind her, she met Brendon’s gaze. She was surprised to see he was smiling. Based on his defensive stance at her back, she’d expected him to be as tight faced as Travis. “You okay with that?” she asked.

Rather than say anything, he simply nodded.

That was apparently the green light that was needed because the group dispersed, and Lorrie directed Kylie, Jessie, and Kennedy to get everyone gathered to sing “Happy Birthday.” Cheyenne allowed Brendon to lead her as they followed Gage to the stage, hopefully to get the guitar.

She just hoped these people didn’t expect her to get up on that stage. It wasn’t that she was scared to sing for the crowd, but she did have enough mind to remember that her dress was short and what she wasn’t wearing beneath it would be apparent if she got up there.

Cheyenne could only hope that Brendon remembered that as well.

THE MOMENT CHEYENNE started her rendition of “Happy Birthday,” Brendon was spellbound, both by her and her voice. The woman was mesmerizing, so damn beautiful with a voice that captured the attention of every single person in the room.

Brendon didn’t move from his spot, not even when his mother put her hand on his arm, squeezing gently. She didn’t need to say a word for him to know that she was just as entranced by Cheyenne as he was.

The song lasted less than a minute, but then Cheyenne took them all by surprise, moving right into one of her biggest hits, her face lighting up as the crowd cheered, the excitement palpable.

Brendon knew if he hadn’t already been in love with her, he very well was right then.

chapter SEVENTEEN

Brendon woke up in Cheyenne’s bed, spooned up against her the following morning. Glancing over at the clock on her bedside table, he noticed it was already noon. Okay, so technically it was no longer morning.

Sawyer’s party had continued well into the wee hours of the morning and by the time they fell into bed, it was closing in on five o’clock. Cheyenne was still sleeping beside him, her soft, rhythmic breaths keeping him from moving. He still couldn’t believe she’d pretty much put on a mini-concert for his family last night after she sang an incredibly sexy rendition of “Happy Birthday.” The whole clan had been ecstatic and he only hoped that word didn’t get out that she was there in Coyote Ridge. Since Kylie had invited her to girls’ night at Moonshiners on Thursday with his brother’s wives and a few of their cousins, he knew there would only be one more instance for word to get out. He doubted it would take much for her stalker to find her if someone told the wrong person and the press got wind of her whereabouts.

Speaking of …

He remembered the piece of paper that had been on her bar last night. He didn’t think she’d had time to move it and he wondered what it said. Reading her mail was probably considered some sort of dating sin and certainly not a good idea, but the mention of the stalker on that letter gave him pause. Had something happened? Would she tell him if it did?

Knowing he wouldn’t be able to rest until he found out, he eased out of the bed, pulled on his jeans, and tiptoed out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He made a pit stop in the half bath off the laundry room before heading to the kitchen. In the event Cheyenne woke up and busted him, he figured he’d better have coffee ready for her.

While he waited for the coffee to brew, he went to the bar and retrieved his cell phone from where he’d placed it when they got back last night. Stalling, he checked his messages. There were a dozen: pretty much everyone in his family checking in to ensure the others that they’d made it home all right. He shot off a quick text to Braydon and another to his mother, letting them know that he and Cheyenne were good, before putting his phone down.

Unable to resist, he began reading the portion of the letter he could see. It was a handwritten note on a small slip of white paper. He noticed the envelope was addressed to Cheyenne at a post office box in Round Rock.

Cheyenne,

I know you’re hiding out and I respect your decision to lay low for a little while, but I need you to understand that this stalker situation is not going to go away. Whoever this person is has escalated. You’ll notice the attached …

He couldn’t see any more because the paper was tucked into the envelope.

Brendon was smart enough to know he should wait for Cheyenne to show him the letter. She’d been adamant that he not tell Travis what was going on, and he knew this was a sensitive subject for her. Somewhere in that pretty little head of hers, she’d gotten the idea that she needed to protect everyone else and not vice versa.