Kate sat with her eyes closed, savoring a moment of silence to collect her thoughts and steady her nerves. Tonight was her first of three sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Pride welled inside her to be performing again here in her adopted hometown.

She was two weeks into the tour, and so far, it was fantastic. October had been long, lonely, and downright painful as she was forced to sit back and let her mother take center stage. But it was Kate’s turn now. She was back in the spotlight, and the fans were showing their love despite all the negative press.

A knock at the door interrupted her solitude. Jenn stuck her head inside. She wore a headset and carried her iPad, all she needed to keep things running smooth as silk. “Just wanted to let you know security is bringing Josh down.” She winked, then withdrew her head and closed the door.

Kate lurched upright, her cheeks flushed with warmth.

Josh is here.

Last week, she’d sent him a pair of tickets and backstage passes. She hadn’t heard from him since the fiasco at Velvet, which stung. She’d hoped he would know her better than to think she would sleep with Ted Wilhelm, at least not while she was still texting Josh every day. So, when he didn’t respond to her invitation to the show, she’d come to the painful conclusion that he wasn’t coming. That things between them were finally, irrevocably, over.

But he was here.

Adrenaline surged through her like she’d just stepped onstage, making her pulse jump and her skin tingle. She stood and surveyed her reflection in the mirror. Her stage makeup was already in place, exaggerated black mascara, iridescent eye shadow, false lashes, heaps of foundation, and candy-red lipstick. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, accentuated with extensions that tumbled to her waist. A pink tank top and formfitting, floor-length black skirt showcased her sleeker, more toned physique. It was her reward for extra time spent at the gym and countless hours dancing in rehearsals.

Doreen and her boyfriend, Fred, would be coming to the show tomorrow night, and Kate had been sick over the fact that they would be the only people she saw while she was in New York. Now her heart was bursting at the prospect of seeing Josh.

There was another knock on the door, and she sank into the chair. She smoothed the fabric of her skirt before inviting him in.

Josh stepped around the security guard, and their eyes locked. Her heart lurched, and her stomach gave a dizzying flip-flop. His hair was longer than she remembered, with a bounce of curl. He wore jeans and an emerald-green Henley shirt, the top button undone, and it took every ounce of her self-control not to fling herself in his arms and kiss him, touch him, lose herself in the lust and emotion currently raging inside her.

But she couldn’t do that. Instead, she stood to plant a chaste kiss on his cheek, stopping in her tracks when she saw the woman at his side. Her breath whooshed out like she’d been sucker punched to the gut, and she suppressed the inappropriate urge to slap him for bringing a date to her dressing room, pasting on a smile instead. “Josh, I’m so glad you could make it.”

His eyes held hers. “Kate.”

“And who’s this?” she asked with what she hoped was casual interest as she turned her gaze on Josh’s date. She was pretty, a little bit on the young side, with shoulder-length brown hair.

“I’m Lily,” she said, smiling widely. “I’m such a big fan of yours.”

His date was a fan? Was that why he’d come? A hot flush crawled over her skin, and to her horror, tears pricked behind her eyes. “That’s great. It’s nice to meet you, Lily.”

“This is so exciting! I’ve been begging Josh to introduce me to you since you guys met, but I think he was embarrassed.”

And then it clicked. Relief left her weak-kneed. “Lily, of course! Josh’s sister.”

Lily nodded. “That’s right.”

Josh was quiet throughout the exchange.

Kate’s smile was genuine this time. “Well, I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’m in town until Friday. Maybe we could all have lunch tomorrow?”

“Oh my God. That would be awesome.”

Josh looked at his sister and shook his head. “Now you see why I kept her under wraps.”

“Whatever.” Lily gave him a playful shove. “Who would’ve thought, my brother at a pop concert? And backstage no less.”

“It’s a minor miracle. I didn’t think he would come,” Kate agreed.

“I’ve seen your show before. I caught the ‘Gravity’ tour a few years ago,” Lily said.

“So you really are a fan.”

Lily nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. That thing you did with the batons during ‘Promises’ was pretty fierce. Can you top it?”

Kate slapped a hand to her mouth but couldn’t contain the laughter. “Josh, why didn’t you introduce us sooner?”

He shook his head, shooting his sister a wary look. “I have no idea.”

“I’m going to knock your socks off tonight, Lily,” Kate told her. “Tomorrow, you won’t even remember the thing with the batons.”

Lily’s eyes widened.

There was another knock at the door, and Jenn stuck her head in. “Two-minute warning for wardrobe. Hi, Josh, good to see you.”

“You too, Jenn,” he said.

“I’ll get in touch about lunch tomorrow, okay?” Kate gave them each a quick kiss on the cheek.

“It was good to see you.” Josh’s gaze swept over her with an intensity that melted her insides like hot caramel. He looked into her eyes, and her stomach flopped again. Those silly butterflies she’d felt before their first kiss fluttered inside her rib cage, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She curled her fingers into the fabric of her skirt to keep from grabbing him and begging him not to leave.

“You too. I hope you enjoy the show.”

Good thing she wouldn’t see him again after lunch tomorrow, or else she might do something really stupid like fall in love with him…if she hadn’t already.

---

“Oh my God, that was so cool.” Lily gushed as a security guard led them toward the main arena.

“Get a grip, Lil.” Josh shook his head in mock exasperation. Anything to keep from thinking about the way it felt when Kate’s eyes locked on his, like he’d just taken his first real breath since she’d left New York City a month ago. His whole body felt alive for the first time in weeks.

“Hey, you want to feel the baby move?” Lily reached for his hand without waiting for a response and pressed it against her abdomen. In the loose-fitting blouse she wore, his sister didn’t look pregnant. He was surprised to feel the firm bump lurking beneath it. Almost immediately, he felt a tap against the palm of his hand.

He jerked his hand back. “Whoa.”

“Cool, right?”

He grinned. “Amazing. I can’t believe you’re growing something big enough to kick like that in there.”

“We have our anatomy scan on Friday. Any bets?”

Josh showed their tickets to an usher, who directed them toward the floor area. “What’s an anatomy scan?”

“It’s a higher-level ultrasound where they take measurements and look for any defects in the baby, but unofficially it’s where you find out the gender.”

“That felt like a pretty strong kick. I’ll go boy.”

“You and Herman. I think girl. Wow.” Lily stopped as they reached their seats, third row from the stage and right on the catwalk. “Kate hooked you up big-time with these seats. She was really nice. I hope I didn’t embarrass you.”

“You didn’t.”

When Lily found the tickets on his kitchen counter and insisted he bring her, he’d agreed for one reason only. He thought seeing Kate tonight in her ultimate superstardom would put to rest any residual feelings he still harbored for her.

Boy had that backfired. In fact, the entire backstage experience felt natural and not at all awkward like it would have been for him when they first met. And Kate, well… It had taken every ounce of self-control he possessed to leave her dressing room without kissing her.

He was genuinely excited to see her onstage. She lived for this, the thrill of the performance, the energy of the crowd. It had to be especially meaningful for her to perform here in New York, and he couldn’t wait to see it.

“I’m a little confused, though,” Lily said, leaning back against the catwalk, “because I had to force you to come tonight, and you told me you and Kate had broken up a month ago, but now that we’re here…”

“What?” he said gruffly, but he already knew what she meant.

“You seem…I don’t know, really relaxed and natural here in the middle of all the showbiz stuff, and I know that wouldn’t have been the case before you met Kate. And then there’s the fact that the chemistry between you two is so hot, I got scorched just standing between you.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets. No way was he discussing his chemistry with Kate with his little sister.

“But it’s more than just chemistry,” Lily said softly. “You guys look like you really care about each other, like maybe you ought to fight harder to make this thing between you work.”

“How could it work? She’s on tour for the next year, traveling all over the world, and my job, my life, is here in New York. Kate doesn’t even live here. She was just in town for a few weeks doing promotional stuff when I met her.”

“Those are just logistics,” Lily said. “If life offers you a second chance, you’d better not blow it because you’re too much of a chicken to go after the woman you’re falling in love with.”

Falling in love with.

The lights dimmed, saving him from an answer. The audience roared. Lily cupped her hands and screamed with the rest of them. Kate rose from beneath the stage in a cloud of smoke, clad in a black top, pink shorts that barely covered her ass, and knee-high black leather boots. He couldn’t have taken his eyes off her if he tried.

She opened with “I Wish,” dancing energetically to the routine he recognized from many TV appearances during their time together. Midway through the song, she stepped onto the catwalk, looking larger than life, but at the same time, still just Kate. Girls on either side of him screamed as they reached frantically toward her. Kate slapped hands as she walked. A girl to his left shrieked as Kate took her hand. Tears shone in her eyes as she stared up at her idol.

Pride swelled in his chest. That girl couldn’t have picked a greater role model.

Kate turned her gaze on him. “I wish…things were different, honey. I wish…life gave second chances.” She stepped back and pointed a finger toward the crowd. “But that’s okay because I’m here in New York City!” Kate yelled, and the crowd roared. She held the microphone over her head and bounced on her heels as they chanted the chorus at her. Then she bent down and held the microphone toward Lily.

“I wish!” Lily’s voice echoed through the arena. She squealed and leaped into the air, elbowing Josh in her excitement.

Grinning, he glanced up and caught Kate’s eye. She winked before turning to continue down the catwalk.

About an hour into the show, the stage lights darkened. The only illumination came from a blue screen in back. Swirling water froze and cracked in a giant kaleidoscope across its surface. Over the screams of the crowd came the first strums of the Spanish guitar. He could just make out the shape of the guitarist and several other musicians clustered near the front of the stage, seated on stools in a semicircle.

The rich sound of the guitar filled the arena to its rafters. The crowd grew silent, rising to their feet in anticipation. Accompanying the guitar, castanets clacked in unseen hands, like tiny hooves galloping across the stage.

Josh sucked in a breath, entranced to see what she had created out of the music he’d given her. A figure rose before the screen, cast in silhouette against the striking blue background from the tips of her high heels to the fingers arched dramatically above her head.

The crowd erupted with a deafening roar. Her arms undulated to the stirring of the guitar. Slowly, she began to dance, this shadow figure moving across an ocean of ice. Her hands swirled over her head as her hips swayed and her feet spun. The crowd clapped along to the beat until the whole arena vibrated with it. Kate was the vision of a sensuous flamenco dancer, exotic and fluid as the water pouring and freezing on the screens behind her.

The lighting shifted to illuminate her in a scarlet dress, snug as a leotard across her chest, with a full flowing skirt to capture the movements of the dance. Her hair was swept into a tight knot at her neck and accented with a red rose tucked into the side.

She bent and spun like flames leaping across the stage.

Fire and ice.

Josh’s heart thundered in his chest. It was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen, and she had created this vision for him.

Lily turned to stare at him with raised eyebrows. She didn’t need to say a word to let him know she understood the inspiration behind this dance. His cheeks burned, and he was grateful the spotlight was on Kate and not on him.

Kate sauntered to the front of the stage. She grabbed the microphone stand and brought it to her lips as the musicians played around her. He knew the song. In fact, he’d spent a lot of time over the past month listening to her music. “Hold Me Close” had always had a slight Spanish vibe to it, and it went beautifully with the rhythm of the guitar. Her hips kept time with the beat as she sang.

“I hold you close, next to me, in my arms, I’ll set you free…” Her eyes locked on his, fiery and intense. Her fingers slid over the microphone stand with a lover’s caress. Heat flared inside him. For a moment, the packed arena melted away, and nothing existed but the two of them and the music that had brought them together.

The song ended, but Josh knew the image of her in that red dress would stay with him forever. Only she wasn’t his, not anymore. And he was going to need a hell of a cold shower tonight if he hoped to get any sleep.

---

The stage lights beat down on Kate as she sang. Sweat ran down her back and slicked her hair to her scalp. The last bars of “Unfaithful” echoed through the arena. She looked at the fans before her, their giddy smiles and tireless enthusiasm.

She raised her eyes and gazed across the arena. It twinkled like fireworks as hundreds of cameras flashed, from the floor to the rafters. The energy in the room was palpable as thousands of fans screamed, clapped, and showered her with their love.

She grinned. There was truly nothing like it in the world. And she would get to do this nearly every night for the next year. She tipped her face toward the heat of the lights above and soaked it in.

Tika, her drummer, pounded out the infectious first beats of “Best Life,” Kate’s latest number-one single and last song of the encore. The spotlight twirled around her, making blue sparks off the sequins on her top. She stepped onto the catwalk. The dancers aligned behind her, lunging left and right to the beat of the song.

“Up, down, high, low…like a roller coaster…”

Kate swiped hands from the crowd. She caught Lily’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Lily sang along, bouncing to the beat. Behind her, Josh stood with a smile on his face. Their eyes caught for a moment before she continued down the catwalk, and she felt a warm zing deep in her belly.

“This is the best life!” She kicked high to her left.

The reflection of a water spill on the catwalk caught her attention a moment too late. Her right heel skidded across the wet surface from the momentum of the kick, and her leg buckled beneath her.

She hit the stage so hard, she felt the impact in her eyeballs. She slid several inches to the left, cracking her head against an amp. A deafening boom walloped through her ears as the mic, still clutched in her right hand, slammed into the stage.

Almost as an afterthought, she felt a pop in her knee. Pain exploded through her right leg. She lay sprawled on the stage, disoriented. Above her, the music continued, hollowed without her vocals.

The dancers crowded around her. Brandon leaned close and whispered in her ear. “Are you okay?”

“My knee…” She was flat on her back, wedged against an amp. Pink and purple lights along the catwalk swirled dizzyingly bright and close to her eyes.

“Can you stand?”

“I don’t think so.” She took a deep breath, gathered her arms beneath her, and eased herself into a sitting position. A wave of nausea swept over her as she straightened her leg along the stage. It felt like someone had stuck a steaming-hot poker straight through her knee and out the other side.

Because she was on the catwalk, fans were within arm’s length on both sides. They reached toward her, buzzing with concern. Someone grabbed her right foot and tugged. Her stomach rolled, and lights burst across her vision.

Brandon scowled as he pushed away intruding hands from overeager fans. The dancers moved around her, creating a protective circle. Security appeared to their left, clearing a path to take her off the stage.

She shook her head. Pain and adrenaline made her head spin. The stage lights swam before her eyes like a kaleidoscope. She pulled Brandon close. “Can you carry me back to the main stage?”

He nodded, then slid an arm beneath her and hoisted her effortlessly to his shoulder. Her knee screamed in insult. She sucked in a breath and pasted on a smile while the crowd roared with applause to see that she was okay. All told, she’d only been on the floor about thirty seconds. She picked up the lyrics where she’d left off, channeling herself into the music.

Brandon carried her to the stage and set her down in a move so graceful, it might have been a choreographed part of the show. A sound tech placed a microphone stand in front of her. She sang, standing still as a statue while the dancers performed their choreography behind her.

Her right leg held the consistency of jelly, quivering and useless when she applied weight. And holy shit, it hurt. She clutched the microphone stand, using it to balance herself as she belted out the last lines of the song.

“Thank you, New York, you’ve been wonderful. I love you! Good night.” She waved and blew kisses to the crowd.

Brandon swept her into his arms and carried her mercifully offstage. He laid her on the stretcher already waiting backstage.

Paramedics surrounded her. “Ms. Hayes, where are you injured?”

She gritted her teeth. “My right knee. I felt a pop.”

There was too much going on. Voices shouted. Faces loomed above her. The crowd screamed on the other side of the curtain. An EMT probed her knee, sending fresh waves of pain radiating up her leg.

She swallowed a scream.

A warm hand slid into hers, a strong masculine hand that gave her stomach another flip-flop, dangerous given her current condition. She looked up to see Josh standing over her.

“You okay?” He brushed his free hand across her cheek. Her face turned automatically toward his touch.

“I think I blew out my knee.” Her voice wavered.

“It’s okay. Knees heal.” He tightened his grip on her hand as another EMT lifted her right leg, securing a brace over her injury to immobilize it for the ride to the hospital.

Knees healed, but not in time for the rest of the tour. Panic wrapped around her chest and squeezed. She couldn’t go there, not yet.

“Okay folks, we need to clear the area. All nonessential personnel out.” Harry’s command began to thin out the chaos surrounding her. Dancers, band members, and other well-wishers headed for their dressing rooms.

Mick shooed the stragglers on their way. An EMT raised the rails on the stretcher. Josh stayed beside her, his hand in hers, offering silent support as her fingernails bit into his palm. This was where she should say goodbye, for both their sakes. She clutched his hand tighter, unable to let go.

Mick approached with raised eyebrows as the EMTs wheeled her down the concrete hall.

“I’m with her,” Josh told him with absolute authority, and relief flooded her.

No, wait. This is a mistake.

“He’s with me,” she echoed.

Mick nodded and fell back as Josh accompanied her into the ambulance.