Page 49 of The Perfect Melody

“It’s fine.” Then, because I know I should put our near-kiss behind us since that’s clearly what he wants, I add, “Congratulations on a great night.”

His answering smile is unfairly perfect.

“Speaking of great nights, can we take a sec to talk about the other major success of the night?” Mei interjects loudly, grabbing the attention of the rest of the table. “When were you going to tell us you’re a rockstar?”

My cheeks heat and I duck my head, uncomfortable beneath the weight of everyone’s attention. “Hardly. I only performed because the band couldn’t make it.”

“But you were awesome,” Sam says with a grin. “We could hear you in the kitchen. This one nearly lost a fingertip because he was too busy bopping along.”

The guy next to them shrugs. “Worth it.”

“You really were wonderful,” Abby says, leaning forward to smile at me from the other end of the table.

“You were. Thank you for tonight, all of it.” There’s no hiding from Austin’s penetrating stare. Why does it feel like he’s talking about more than the music when earlier he was so eager to brush off anything else that happened?

“It was only a few songs,” Molly grumbles.

“Seriously?” Mei growls, leaning forward to glare at her.

“What?” She crosses her arms defensively. “You’re all acting like she saved the night, but that original song wasdepressing. It brought the mood way down. We’d have been better off with a playlist.”

Even knowing she’s only voicing her unsolicited opinion because of her jealousy over the attention Austin’s giving me, my heart sinks at her assessment of my song. It’s one I wanted to include on my last album, but everyone shot me down. They couldn’t have the princess of country seeming ungrateful. It would damage the brand. Still, I thought tonight’s crowd enjoyed it. Was everyone in my old life right? Is what the real me has to offer not enough?

“You wish you could sing like Cassie.” My spirits lift slightly at how Mei immediately leaps to my defence.

“Who says I can’t?”

Mei snorts. “Oh please, we all know you couldn’t even get cast as ensemble in the school musicals back in the day until your mum kicked up a fuss.”

“Alright, let’s settle down,” Austin interjects before Molly can voice a reply. He lifts his bottle of beer. “Thank you for your hard work tonight. Bowman was a surname, then thanks to my grandparents, it became Bowman’s—a family business. That business wouldn’t be here today without all the hard work my mother put into it over the years. Now, thanks to all of you, we have the new Bowman’s—a place everyone can call home.”

“To Bowman’s.” Abby lifts her wineglass in a cheers motion, her eyes suspiciously shiny.

“To Bowman’s,” we all echo.

“Alright, enough of the soppy stuff. Dig in so we can all go home to bed,” Sam instructs, eliciting laughs from around the table.

Looking around at everyone, even Molly’s sour face, I can see what Austin described offering his customers. Bowman’s is home to these people.Pine Groveis home to them. Maybe it can be my home too, at least for a little while.

Chapter Twenty-One

Cassie

Monday morning arrives beforeI know it, and nerves jangle around in my body as I get ready to meet Mei and her friends at Beans & Bakes. I take my sertraline, brush my teeth, and put on some light makeup. Once again, I dress in jeans and an oversized t-shirt—charcoal grey this time. As I knot the hem of my top just above my waistband, I have to admit it would be nice to have something different to wear. The problem is I have no idea what.

A cute blouse? A dress? The last time I had the freedom to dress myself, I was a teenager. Even then Miranda had plenty of opinions on my outfit choices, and nothing I did made her happy. Whatever. My identity crisis will have to wait—I can’t be late to hanging out with Mei’s friends for the first time, not if I want them to accept me into their group.

Soft morning sunlight streams in through the large windows of the coffee shop, bathing everything in a gentle glow. Not for the first time, I admire the cute décor, marvelling at how it’s somehow whimsical and classy all at once. Instead of looking like someone let a six-year-old deep in their princess phase decorate the place, which is the impression I’ve had from some of my tour sets, the pastels and quirky items in Beans & Bakes make the space feel welcoming and cosy.

“Cassie, over here.” Hearing my real name so often is still taking some getting used to, but I like it. Mei waves at me from her seat at a table with Gem and two other women I vaguely remember seeing on Saturday night. Instinctively, I tense, noticing they’re sat right by the window at two round tables pushed together, but I force my muscles to relax. Here I’m normal girl, Cassie St. James. Unlike Melody Night, Cassie doesn’t have people trying to take photos of her every time she leaves the house. There’s no reason I can’t sit in the window.

Taking a seat in a surprisingly comfortable wooden chair, I give the group a nervous smile. “Hi.”

“This is Cassie. You two have met already?” Mei confirms, gesturing between me and Gem, who’s out of her work uniform and wearing a striking crimson maxi dress and layered necklaces. She looks effortlessly glamorous with perfect makeup and her dark hair in a high ponytail, a few strands near the front artfully styled to frame her face.

“Yes. Thanks again for taking my car over to The Dragonfly.”

“No problem.”