“This isn’t so bad,” Autumn says through the smile she’s had fixed on her face since stepping out of the hotel. “Especially considering that I was blackmailed into getting out of bed.”

Zoe rolls her eyes. “You know I was kidding.”

Autumn cocks an eyebrow at her employee. “Really? You didn’t sound like you were this morning when you were handing out threats like candy.”

Zoe smirks, then goes back to checking her phone. “It worked, didn’t it?”

I stare at them both like they’ve lost their minds. “Uh, what’s going on?”

“Nothing!” They both cry out in unison.

“Okay…” I scratch my jaw and figure somethings are better left unknown. We’ve been strolling the streets for about an hour now, our first stop being a doggie day care to drop off Dolly, and it wasn’t going unnoticed. Zoe had sent out a few tweets, and gotten local press involved.

The gigantic banner Zoe had draped above main street reading WELCOME AUTUMN HART! didn’t hurt, either.

All in all, it was turning into a circus, something that thrilled Zoe and put me on edge.

“Alright, boss, where next?” I ask as my eyes scan the crowded sidewalks.

Autumn and Zoe speak at once.

“Ice cream—”

“Coffee—”

They look at each other, then up at me.

“You were talking to me, right?” Autumn asks, clearing expecting a specific answer.

I hold out my arm toward Autumn. “Ice cream sounds great.”

“No dairy!” Zoe cries after us.

Ten minutes later, Autumn and I step out of Jack’s ice cream parlor with two heaping cones of the best ice cream on earth, and a bunch of new fans. Autumn had ordered her coconut milk cookies and cream, and then posed for a dozen of photographs. All in all, Zoe would be quite proud.

Autumn nods at my butter pecan pistachio blend as we stroll down the street. “Doesn’t that violate every ounce of your elite training?”

I take a long lick before answering. “I need something if I’m protecting you all day.”

“I can protect myself.” She throws her chin up. “I’m a good sprinter, remember?”

I glance back at the crowd following us, then down at her leather cowgirl boots. “That’s not how I remember it.”

She lands a good hit on my arm. I pretends like it hurts. Today was something out of a dream. I was ordered to spend the entire day with my girl, in public, while visiting all our old haunts. In a word: perfect.

Autumn reaches up and wipes a fleck of pistachio off of my chin. “Everything is different now that you’re here.”

“I’ve always been here,” I say, taking her hand.

“Yeah, but in the background, dogging my heels or blending in. I’ve wanted you here, by my side.”

“So you don’t mind not seeing the sun?”

She looks up at me. “Is that a short joke? Because I’ll have you know that 5’7” is above average. You’re just tall.”

“Sure, sure.” My hand tightens around hers. “Let me know if I walk too fast, shorty. Those above average legs of yours might get tired.”

Autumn snorts. “How’s your hip?”

“My hip?” I repeat, totally lost.

“Yeah, I figured you were feeling your age when you ordered flavors my gran would approve of.”

“Pistachio and butter pecan are not old lady flavors,” I mumble, glancing around.

Autumn points at me. “I’m telling Gran you called her old! Oh, you’re so dead.”

She skips away from me before I can stop her. “Autumn, wait a sec—”

“You’re toast!” she taunts over her shoulder.

“Autumn.” Her feet leave the ground as I sweep her into my arms, and our ice creams goes tumbling to the ground as my mouth covers hers. She tastes so good under my tongue, a mixture of sweet sugar and bitter coffee, that I don’t want to stop.

That’s when I hear the collective “awww” around us.

We draw apart, realizing too late that we have a sizable crowd watching our every move.

I give Autumn a nervous look, but she only smiles back. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have done that.”

“Are you kidding me?” she says, her voice breathy. “If you have half a brain, Bryce Hill, then you’ll kiss me like that again.”

Before I can answer, she raises her lips to mine for another long kiss. My head is definitely swimming when we come up for air a minute later.

“God, you’re amazing,” I breathe into her neck.

She giggles softly as my rough chin grazes her soft skin. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

The heavy beat of my heart against her breasts wakes me the hell up. I rip my eyes from hers and realize I’m still holding her in the air—in front of a hundred people.

Autumn turns her head to the side and laughs as I lower her to the ground.

“Sorry about that,” I murmur into her ear, “but you’re easy to hold.”

“And you’re easy to kiss,” she whispers back before rocking up to plant another kiss on my lips.

I get to enjoy two seconds of this moment before the roar of applause reaches my ears. The crowd around us is going wild—cheering and clapping and taking a million videos of the cute couple who can’t keep their hands off of each other.

“Looks like our audience liked it,” Autumn giggles as she pulls away.

I narrow my eyes. “Wait, was this just for show?”

She scowls at me. “I don’t kiss people for show, Bry—why, were you?”

I thumb her bottom lip as I gaze down at her. “Impossible with a woman like you.”

My cheeky answer doesn’t go unrewarded. Autumn licks her lips slowly before planting one last kiss on my hungry lips.

I hold onto her as she leans back. “Maybe we could go back to the hotel room…”

“And miss the rest of the day?” she exclaims. “But we haven’t gotten to anything I’ve planned yet! There’s our booth at—”

“Alright,” I say, holding up a hand. “And don’t tell me. I want to be surprised.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You’re not normally one for surprises. You always needs to know every detail of every situation or event or plan that I make.”

“I know,” I say, taking her hand. She’s right, years behind enemy lines has made me weary of any surprise in any form. “But this is different.”

She tilts her head to the side. “How?”

I pull her against me, sliding my hands up her forearms and pressing my lips to her ear. “Because I trust you, and that, Hartman, makes you one of very few.”

* * *

“Remember when I did that keg flip after clinching the game against Rockmount High?” I ask from across the booth at Bradley’s Pizza. It was our favorite hangout growing up, partly because of their out-of-this-world pies, but mostly because of their amazing owners.

Autumn puts down her Dr. Pepper and nods. “It started off well, but then you—”

“Catapulted into a beer pong table.” Autumn and Zoe both double over laughing. “I still don't think those guys ever forgave me for obliterating their custom-made table,” I continue. “There was no salvaging that thing.”

Autumn wipes her eyes on her napkin. “Whatever. Who puts that much time and effort into beer pong, anyway?”

The arrival of our pizza breaks up our walk down memory lane. Lesley plops the steaming pizza (sans cheese per Zoe’s request) down in front of us and stands back.

“It’s great to have you kids in here again,” she says, pushing her fringe bangs out of her face. “It’s like y’all never left. Still ordering the meat lovers pizza with a side of blue cheese dressin’.”

Autumn roll her eyes at me. “You and your blue cheese dressing like you’re something special.”

“And you picking cucumbers out of everything isn’t weird?” I fire back.

Autumn gags. “They’re disgusting.”

“They’re harmless.”

“Lots of people don’t like them!”

“Yeah, you and the dozens of other innocent vegetable haters.”

Autumn sits back and glowers at me, defeated. That’s when I notice that Zoe’s filming the whole thing. I remind myself to confiscate her phone as Lesley throws her head back and laughs.

“Y’all are too cute. We always thought you’d be a nice couple.”

“We?” I repeat.

Lesley turns and waves at her husband reading the newspaper behind the counter. “Larry! Autumn and Bryce are here and they finally did it!”

He looks up from his paper with a scowl. “What?”

“Autumn Hartman and Bryce Hill,” she drawls, like that explanation should be sufficient.

Apparently it is because Larry’s face breaks out into a wide smile. “Well, about time!”

Lesley grins at our shocked looks. “Now eat-up, and say hi to your mommas for me. And Autumn? Would you mind signing the cover of my Hartbreak album? I’d love to pin it on the wall behind the cash register. Nobody believes me when I say you used to come in here.”

“She’d love to,” Zoe answers brightly when Autumn doesn’t. Autumn’s still staring openmouthed at Lesley. “And if any of your customers want photos or autographs, just let me know. Autumn has a few minutes after this to mingle.”

Zoe immediately turns to us once Lesley’s out of earshot. “Looks like this town knew you two were meant to be together, huh?”

Ignoring her manager, Autumn grabs her slice and digs in. Zoe and I follow soon after, and for a few minutes, we’re content to stuff our faces until the next event Zoe’s planned.

The same thing seems to be on Autumn’s mind, because after polishing off her second slice, she sits back and turns to her manager. “Alright, Ms. Gomez, what’s next?”

Zoe doesn’t miss a beat. “Coffee shop and a bakery.”

“Holy crap, more food? Why did you make all my events today revolve around sweets and fat? I have a concert tonight.”

Zoe sighs when Autumn clutches her stomach and groans. “Don’t pretend like you didn’t love every second of today.”

Autumn glances over at me and smiles softly. “Oh alright, I’ve loved it. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Zoe. These last few days have been really tough, but I swear, we’re going to come out on top.”

“That’s right! Take that Mini Pin.” Zoe pops the last of her pizza into her mouth as the first fan walks up to the table. Zoe grins at Autumn and starts sliding out of the booth. “They waited until we were done. How totally awesome are Ashevillians!”

Twenty minutes later, and a whole lot of pictures later, the three of us step out onto the sidewalk. Autumn starts massaging her wrist as we walk down Main Street. “Wow. I think my hand is going to fall off.”

“That’s a good sign,” Zoe pipes up. “You want people lining down the—” Zoe looks down as her phone starts to ping. “Just a sec.”

She taps the screen, reads for a second, then shrieks.

I’m instantly on high alert. “What’s happened?”

“Only the best thing ever!” Zoe shoves her phone in Autumn’s face. “You and Bryce are trending on Twitter!”

I frown as Autumn tries to grab the phone from Zoe’s flailing hand. “I thought we didn’t like that?”

Zoe shakes her head. “We didn’t before, but all that’s changed since everyone loves you! Especially that adorable kiss from earlier. Total swoon.” She winks at me. “Good thinking on picking her up like that.”

I don’t have the heart to tell her that I didn’t think about the public once during that kiss.

“Alright,” Zoe says as she scrolls through her phone’s calendar, “let’s keep this going. More kisses, more cuddling, more hand holding. Next up is High Five Coffee Bar.” She glances up at us. “If you two are good, then I’d like to head over to the venue and check in with Carter.”

I answer without thinking. “You got it, boss.”

Autumn whips around and jabs a finger at my chest. “So she is the boss!”

Zoe grabs her phone to takes a picture. “Aww the first fight! Love it. I’ll add it to your Instastory.”

“Our Instastory?” Autumn gapes at her manager. “Don’t tell me you made us an account.”

Zoe only smiles.

Autumn rubs her forehead and sighs. “What’s our name?”

“Our name?” I repeat, totally lost by now.

Zoe pouts at her boss. “Every celebrity couple gets one, so stop being like that…Brytum.”

Autumn visibly recoils. “Now wait a minute—”

But Zoe’s already halfway down the block. Autumn sighs as she watches Zoe’s purple hair bob throughout the crowd and then disappear out of sight. “Great. I’m sure our ‘first fight’ will make headlines tomorrow.”

“Probably. There’s no fighting Hurricane Gomez.” I step forward and offer her my hand. “Ready to keep eating, as ordered?”

Autumn chuckles softly as she laces her fingers with mine. “Lead the way.”

We hit the wall of people and immediately stop. Everyone wants a picture or an autograph from the country music star at my side, and Autumn is always generous with her time when it comes to her fans.

We’re running thirty minutes behind when we finally clear the pack. Autumn’s fingers curl around mine as we turn the corner and spot our favorite coffee shop a block away.

We’re almost at the shop door when Autumn tugs us to a stop. I turn back and find her attention fixed on the duo across the street. It’s a college aged guy and a girl, he holds an acoustic guitar while the girl sings. They’re playing an oldie, but the way they’re breathing new life into the country song reminds me of a certain budding star strumming away on the back of my pick-up.

Autumn turns her face up to mine and parts her lips, but I know what she’s going to say before she speaks.

“Sure,” I say, beating her to it, “let’s go talk to them.”

Her face lights up. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They’re just strumming the last chord of the song as we walk up to them. They nod gratefully at our applause as they reach for their water bottles.

“You’re really good,” Autumn says, beaming at them both.

The guy uncaps his water bottle and raises it to his lips. “Why thank you—holy shit!” He makes a grab for the bottle as it slips out of his hand. His eyes go wide as they take in who’s standing in front of him. “You’re…you’re—”

“Autumn Hart!” the girl squeals next to him. She runs a quick hand over her creased blouse before holding it out to Autumn. “Um, wow. It’s such a honor.”

Autumn takes it happily, then holds her hand out to the guy. He stares at it, dumbstruck.

“Johnny,” the girl hisses. The guy jumps as she proves his side.

“Sorry!” He grabs Autumn’s hand and pumps it up and down. “Uh, I’m just totally floored that Autumn freaking Hart is standing in front of me—and that you liked my stuff. Wow. Just wow.”

Autumn smiles at him. “And I wasn’t kidding. Why haven’t you signed with someone?”

The girl laughs nervously. “Like we’d be signed.”

“I don’t understand—” Autumn stops. “Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Emilie Babbot,” she answers quickly, “and this here’s my brother Johnny. We call ourselves Canvas.”

Autumn’s smile grows. “Love it. Well, Emilie, I think you and Johnny have major potential. Have you tried my label, Nashville Universal?”

Johnny nods. “Yeah, like a hundred times along with plenty of other labels, but they all say the same thing.”

“We don’t fit the mold,” Emilie chimes in.

Autumn frowns. “Isn’t that a good thing? Don’t we need fresh, up and coming artists to shake things up?”

Emilie shrugs. “You’d think, but I guess we’re a gamble they don’t want to take. But that’s okay. We still come out here every afternoon and play.” She grins at her brother. “Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Johnny grins back at her. “That’s right, and we’ll keep playing.” He turns to Autumn. “Wanna hear another?”

Autumn gives a slow nod. As Emilie begins to sing, aided by the melodic chords of her brother’s guitar, I notice Autumn’s eyes drifting over the duo, and by the end of the song, I can tell her mind’s in another place.

I lean in as Autumn claps for the duo. “We should keep moving,” I murmur into her ear. “The crowd’s getting larger behind us.”

Autumn nods, and then gives Emilie and Johnny a big smile. “Thank you so much. That was a beautiful piece. And don’t give up hope, you two. Something tells me the world will know Canvas someday.”

“Everything okay?” I ask after we’ve walked a few blocks in silence.

Autumn’s head jerks up. “What?”

"Thinking about your homecoming show tonight? This is your first time playing in Asheville in a while, right?"

"Yeah, but that's not what on my mind. I was just thinking—” She shakes her head. “Oh, but it’s crazy.”

I pull us to a stop. I reach down and grab her other hand, nestling it between my palms. “Try.”

Autumn draws her lower lip in between her teeth. “Talking to that duo back there got me thinking about records labels, and that led me to my meeting with Sunny Records next week.”

I nod, but stay silent.

“Well,” Autumn says a few beats later, “I may have a solution.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “That’s great, right?”

“Don’t go getting excited just yet,” she says quickly. “It’s gutsy and risky, and I’m positive more than a few people are going to think I’m crazy—”

“I like crazy,” I interrupt, grazing my thumb over her knuckles.

She grins up at me. “Good, because I feel like this is the right choice. Maybe my only choice for a shot at having it all.”

“Then I say go for it.”

“Really? But what if it doesn’t work?”

I shrug. “Then you’ll try something else. What’s there to lose?”

She gives me a skeptical look. “A lot, actually.”

A grin begins to tug back the corners of my mouth. “That sounds like something worth doing, then.”