Hero Worship (Music City Moguls Book 6) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Coming Soon

  About the Author

  Other Books by Cheryl Douglas

  Hero Worship

  Book Six in the Music City Moguls Series

  Cheryl Douglas

  Copyright © by Cheryl Douglas

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, including photocopying, graphic, electronic, mechanical, taping, recording, sharing, or by any information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author and / or publisher. Exceptions include brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Persons, places and other entities represented in this book are deemed to be fictitious. They are not intended to represent actual places or entities currently or previously in existence or any person living or dead. This work is the product of the author’s imagination.

  Any and all inquiries to the author of this book should be directed to:

  [email protected]

  Hero Worship © 2015 Cheryl Douglas

  Hero Worship

  After a bitter divorce, the last thing Josie Denton wants to think about is getting back in the There was only one thing Natasha Kerr guarded as fiercely as her heart and that was her eleven year-old son’s. She wasn’t cynical, she was just practical. At least that’s what she told herself, but when her son begged her to introduce him to her friend and co-worker, country superstar Clint Davis, she didn’t see the harm. Clint was one of the good guys.

  Clint had been interested in Natasha ever since she came to work at Titan Records years ago, but he knew all about her history with men. She didn’t want a rambling man, and she certainly didn’t want a music man, but that didn’t keep this music man from wanting her. When Clint met her son, it sealed the deal for him. He was ready to settle down and he’d found a ready-made family he loved with Natasha and Austin, but could he guarantee her life with him would be a smooth ride?

  Chapter One

  Clint Davis wandered through the halls of Titan Records on his way to a meeting with the head of the record label. Since he had time to kill, he decided to check in on his favorite A&R rep. Natasha had been with Titan almost as long as he had, and she’d worked her way up from being an admin assistant to one of their most respected reps. She could recognize talent from a mile away and routinely worked as part of the team that helped develop the artists they signed.

  “Hey, Ms. Kerr,” he said, tapping his knuckles lightly on her half-open door. “How’s my favorite student?”

  Natasha shoved a stack of textbooks into a backpack under her desk. “Tell me again what the hell I was thinking when I signed up for college? It’s not enough trying to hold down a job while taking care of a rowdy eleven-year-old boy? I’m taking classes with kids ten years younger than me, and I’m way out of my element.”

  Clint knew the decision hadn’t been easy for Natasha, especially since returning to school without aid had stretched her finances, but he respected her for wanting to set a good example for her son. “You keep telling Austin how important it is to get a good education, so you decided it was high time you started practicing what you preach, before he gets old enough to call you out on it.”

  Snapping her fingers, she said, “I knew there was a reason we’re friends. Whenever I think about throwing in the towel, you’re there to remind me why I can’t.”

  Clint frowned. “You’re not really thinking about quitting, are you? You can’t. How many times have you told me one of your biggest regrets is giving up on school when you got pregnant with Austin?”

  “I know you’re right.” She sighed, removing her tortoiseshell reading glasses and tossing them on her desk. “But sometimes I feel so selfish for doing this. Not only is it taking my time away from Austin, but it costs a lot of money, which means I can’t do for him all the things I’d like to.”

  Clint had offered to lend her money once and wouldn’t make that mistake again. She’d almost taken off his head, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t find another way to help her. He’d never met Austin, but after all the stories he’d heard and pictures he’d seen of the kid, he felt as though he knew him. “Such as?”

  “He wants to take guitar lessons.” Pinching the bridge of her nose, she said, “I want to make that happen for him. You know how he is. He never asks for anything ‘cause he knows how tight money is, but he really wants this, and I just don’t see a way.” She gestured toward her computer screen. “I was just taking a little break from work to go over my budget to see if I could work it out somehow, but…”

  “No way, huh?” Clint knew her compensation package at Titan was fair, but after paying her bills and tuition, he imagined she didn’t have a lot left over.

  “Nope.” She pinched her lips together. “I hate like hell to disappoint him. Lessons would be a great birthday present, but you know how it is, Clint. A few lessons won’t cut it. If he loves it as much as I know he will, this will be a long-term commitment.”

  “Does he have a guitar?”

  “Yeah, my mama and I went in together to buy him one for Christmas. He’s been trying to teach himself by watching online videos and stuff, but he’s not getting anywhere, and it’s frustrating him. I don’t want him to quit, but I don’t know how to help him without lessons.”

  “What if I give him a few lessons?”

  Natasha laughed. “You can’t do that. You’re crazy busy promoting your new album, and you’ll be touring soon.”

  “Doesn’t mean I can’t squeeze in one or two lessons a week between now and when I leave for the tour. If he gets the basics down, he should be able to make good progress on his own while I’m away.”

  “You are so sweet to offer, but I can’t accept. It’s too much.”

  “Tash, we’re talking about one or two hours a week. Austin sounds like a great kid. I’d like to help him out if I could.”

  Clint didn’t want to tell her that he had his own reasons for wanting to spend time with Austin. It meant he’d be able to spend more time with Austin’s mama, a feat he’d been trying to accomplish for years. Natasha had always kept him at arm’s length. She was willing to be friends but nothing more. Maybe if she saw him outside of work, in her environment, she’d feel differently about taking their friendship beyond her unspoken parameters.

  “I don’t know.” She twisted up her long blond hair while reaching into her desk drawer for a clip to secure it. “He has been dying to meet you forever. Maybe we could set up one session and see how it goes? We won’t tell him it could be an ongoing thing. I don’t want to disappoint him if you can’t work it into your schedule, and I definitely don’t want you to feel obligated to—”

  He held his hand up to silence her. “One thing you should already know about me after all these years is when I make a commitment, I honor it.”

  “I know that.” She smiled. “It’s one of the things I love most about you.” Her cheeks colored when he gave her a questioning look. “You know what I mean. I really respect that, in this business, you haven’t lost sight of what’s important. You have integrity.”

  “I appreciate that.” She had no idea how much her opinion meant
to him, but he couldn’t tell her without making it awkward. “What do you say? Are you going to let me meet this kid you can’t stop talking about or what?”

  “I can’t let you do this for nothing,” she said, looking thoughtful. “I can’t pay you, not that you need the money, but there must be something I can do to thank you.”

  “Dinner?” He knew Natasha loved to cook, and he loved to eat. As far as he was concerned, it was a great place to start building a foundation. “Whenever I give Austin a lesson, you invite me to join y’all for dinner. Deal?”

  “That’s it?” She giggled. “That’s all I can offer? A striploin and salad? I cringe to think what your time is worth.”

  “I’m just like everyone else. You know that. I need a little downtime too. Working with Austin will be fun.”

  “If you’re sure…”

  “I am. When do you want to start?”

  “Would tomorrow night be too soon? He has soccer practice tonight.”

  “Tomorrow night would be perfect.” He grinned. “Text me your address.” Strange… In all the years he’d known her, this would be his first time in her domain. He couldn’t wait.

  ***

  Natasha was trying to act nonchalant when she told Austin, “So I’ve invited a friend to dinner tomorrow night.” She glanced away from the road at him, but he was busy playing a video game, his head bowed. “Someone I work with—kind of.” She didn’t actually work with Clint, but they worked for the same label, which she supposed was the same thing.

  “Cool.”

  “It’s Clint Davis.”

  His head snapped up, his video game forgotten. “Seriously? The Clint Davis is coming to our place for dinner?”

  “That’s what I said.” She questioned whether to tell Austin that Clint would be giving him a guitar lesson or let the night take its course naturally. But like at Christmas, she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he found out he would be getting a guitar lesson from one of his heroes. “And I haven’t even told you the best part yet.”

  “What?”

  “He said if you want, he can show you a few things on that guitar of yours.” She smiled. “Would that be cool or what?”

  “No way!” He shook his head frantically. “No way is Clint-freakin’-Davis gonna give me a guitar lesson.”

  Natasha felt indebted to Clint all over again. Seeing complete rapture on her son’s face was so rare. Much of the time he was sullen and withdrawn, which worried her, but her mother had assured her it was just a phase. “He is. He might even let you take a selfie to show all your friends at school.”

  That sullen look came back, as though all the enthusiasm he’d felt about meeting Clint had been erased by the mere mention of his friends and school.

  “Honey, is there something going on at school you want to talk about?” Natasha knew firsthand how cruel kids could be, and it killed her to think her sweet little boy could be the victim of bullies. When he reached for his game again, she said, “You know you can tell me anything. Is someone at school giving you a hard time?”

  “No.”

  She didn’t believe him, but she couldn’t force him to confide in her. “Just know that if you ever need to talk, I’m here, okay?”

  “Sure.”

  She made a mental note to talk to her mother about Austin’s behavior. Since her mother lived in their apartment building, she watched Austin while Natasha was at work or school. Some days she spent more time with him than Natasha did, so he might have felt more comfortable sharing his secrets with his nana. “Have you given any thought to what you want to do for your birthday? It’s coming up in a couple of weeks, right?”

  “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I’m getting too old for parties.”

  Now Natasha knew something was wrong. “Maybe just have a few friends over then? Or we could take them to a movie?” She did the mental calculations of lunch and a movie for six kids plus herself. She should have been able to swing it if she walked to work for the rest of the month.

  “I don’t think so.” He was concentrating on his video game, obviously intent on ending the conversation.

  “Austin, turning twelve is a big deal. We have to do something fun to celebrate.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we just do.” Thinking about her son getting older depressed her. She knew he couldn’t stay a little boy forever, but since he would likely be her only child, she wanted to hold on just a little longer.

  “I don’t care what we do. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Not a big deal?” She pulled up to the soccer field where his team was playing. “It’s a really big deal to me.”

  “Mom, I know you can’t afford a birthday party, and that’s okay. Really. I don’t need any of that stuff.”

  Natasha’s stomach clenched. He was sacrificing a birthday party because he thought they couldn’t afford it? For the hundredth time, she questioned whether she’d been selfish to return to school. “You let me worry about that.”

  He reached for his backpack. “You’ve got enough to worry about. Forget about my birthday. It’s just another day.”

  She turned and reached for his hand, her eyes filling with tears. “It’s not just another day. It happens to be the anniversary of the best day of my life, and I want to celebrate it. Can we do that?”

  “Aw, don’t cry, Mom.” He withdrew his hand and wiped it against his bare leg. “Fine, we’ll figure something out, but not a movie. That’ll cost too much. Maybe we could find something fun to do that wouldn’t cost anything, huh?”

  She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve such a selfless kid, but his attitude only made her want to spoil him more. If only she could.

  Getting out of the car, he looked back at her. “You coming?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” She reached into her glove box for a tissue when he slammed the door. She blotted her eyes as she watched him run onto the field to greet his coach and teammates.

  My baby’s growing up. One day he’ll leave me… all alone.

  Chapter Two

  Clint knocked on the door to Natasha’s apartment at the appointed time, bearing a bottle of wine and roses for her and a leather guitar strap for Austin. The strap had been signed by one of his own idols, George Strait. He hadn’t thought he’d ever want to part with it, but something told him Austin didn’t have very many treasures, and he knew this would be one.

  He looked down the hall as he waited for Natasha to open the door. Her building wasn’t in the best neighborhood, and there was no security, which concerned him. It didn’t seem to be very well kept either. The carpet was stained, light bulbs were burnt out, and it looked as if the walls could have used a fresh coat of paint. He hated to think of Natasha living in a place like this, but he knew it was beyond his control. Maybe if things worked out as he hoped they would, she and Austin would have a new place to call home. A ranch with thousands of acres and dozens of horses…

  “Hey,” Natasha said, smiling broadly when she opened the door. “You’re right on time.”

  He was used to seeing her in business attire, and something about her faded jeans and tight T-shirt that showed off her curves stirred the lust he’d been trying so hard to deny. This woman did things to him, made him feel things that prompted him to wonder why he’d been wasting time dating arm candy who seemed more interested in having their pictures taken with him than getting to know him.

  He winked at her. “You didn’t think I’d forget, did you?” He handed her the wine and flowers. “I’ve been looking forward to this.”

  She looked from him to the flowers. “Uh, this is very sweet, but you shouldn’t have.” She lowered her voice, stealing a glance over her shoulder. “It’s not like this is a date.”

  Ouch. Before he could respond, a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who was nearly as tall as his petite mama moved into Clint’s line of vision. “You must be Austin.” Clint grinned, offering his hand when Natasha stepped aside to let him
in. “I’ve heard so much about you from your mama. I feel like I know you already.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Austin shook Clint’s hand, dipping his head instead of looking him in the eye.

  “Rule number one,” Clint said, touching Austin’s shoulder with his free hand. “When you’re shakin’ a man’s hand, you gotta look him in the eye, son. No reason to be shy with me.”

  Austin’s eyes finally met his, a blush staining his cheeks. “I love your music.”

  “Thank you.”

  Natasha laughed as she closed the door. “Austin’s loved country music for as long as I can remember. He’s been singing his favorite songs since before he learned how to read. He has a great memory.” She ruffled his hair. “For song lyrics, at least. Those multiplication tables are another story, aren’t they, buddy?”

  Clint put a hand up to one side of his mouth, whispering to Austin, “Don’t tell anyone, but math wasn’t my favorite subject either, and I turned out all right.”

  Natasha nudged Clint with her shoulder. “Don’t tell him that. I’ve been warning him that math is a core subject and he has to do well in it to go anywhere in life.”

  Clint covered his mouth, cutting a teasing glance in Natasha’s direction. “I better keep my mouth shut, Austin. If I don’t, your mama’s gonna kick me out of here before she feeds me.” He sniffed the air. “And judging by that smell, that’d be a real shame.”

  “She’s making homemade pizza,” Austin said, rubbing his hands together. “And brownies for dessert.”

  “I hope you weren’t expecting gourmet cuisine,” Natasha said, smiling. “It was kid’s choice tonight, and that’s what he wanted.”

  “Are you kidding?” Clint slung an arm over Austin’s shoulder as they walked into the small living room. “I don’t think there’s a more perfect food than pizza. And brownies? Don’t get me started on how much I love those.”