Clare laughed. “It was well worth the wait. I love you, Aidan O’Malley.”

“I love you, too.”

“Will you do something for me?”

“Name it.”

“Will you sing for me?”

Startled, he said, “How do you know I can?”

She smiled.

“My mother has a big freaking mouth,” he muttered, shaking his head.

“She has a bigger heart. So?”

He looked away, focusing on the wall. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time.”

She brought him back to her with a finger to his chin. “For me?”

He studied her for a long moment. “What do you want to hear?”

“Surprise me,” she said, tugging on his hand to lead him to sit next to her on the piano bench. When Clare lifted the cover, Aidan stared at the keys as if he was seeing them for the first time.

He finally lifted a hand and played a few notes of what Clare recognized as Chopin. Then he added his other hand, and tentatively played a familiar tune Clare couldn’t name until he added the words to “We’ve Got Tonight.”

He gave her a small smile as he played the music between verses and continued in a voice that sounded an awful lot like Bob Seger himself.

“Aidan,” Clare whispered after he played the final notes. “That was beautiful.”

His hands rested on his knees. “I love that song, but I’m all done searching. I hope you know that.”

“And you know my plans do include you.”

“I hope so,” he said, slipping his hand around her neck to draw her closer to him. He touched his lips to hers with none of the urgent need he’d shown her earlier. Instead, this kiss was full of tender restraint.

“Aidan.”

“Hmm?”

“I need to tell you something.”

He pulled back to look at her. “Now?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

Chapter 34

Buddy Longstreet returned Kate’s call the day after he returned from New York. He asked her to come see him at his Music Row office later that afternoon. This time, Music Row meant Music Row. Long Road Records was smack in the middle of the action, sitting between EMI and Sony on Music Square East. Kate took the elevator to the fifth floor and, per Buddy’s instructions, used the code word “flower” to be buzzed into his suite of offices.

A young woman wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and boots met Kate at the door and introduced herself as Buddy’s assistant Christina. She had the thick Tennessee accent that Kate had become so accustomed to she hardly noticed it anymore.

“Come on in, Kate.” She shook Kate’s hand. “Buddy’s expecting you.”