“Enough!” Gran’s voice makes us both shut our mouths, chastened as though we’re kids again. “I don’t want this fighting in my house. Not when we’re starting a new chapter with the babies.”

  “Sorry, Gran,” I mumble.

  “Sorry,” Ethan echoes.

  “Is it too much to ask you two to get along at least for a little while?” She twists to look at Ethan. “Besides, I don’t want to scare off my new roommate with all this bickering.”

  Ethan huffs with a laugh. “We’ll do our best, Gran. Promise. I’ll start things off on the right foot by driving through my freshly tilled land around the Lexus. See you later, Jackson.”

  The door shuts a moment later, and I can’t tell if things have improved between him and me or gotten worse.

  I suppose it doesn’t matter. Because a new voice cuts through the air.

  “Sounds like I missed something exciting!”

  A chill prickles over my forearms. That voice sounds familiar—feminine, a little husky, but I can’t place it.

  “Oh, Bella!” Gran’s face lights up and she gestures to the newcomer who is approaching from the family room behind me. “Come in. Jackson just got here.”

  The name Bella makes my stomach twist. I’m rooted to my spot, unable to turn and look at who my Gran’s new roommate might be. I already know.

  She’s not from Fork Lick. I don’t actually know where she’s from—unless it’s the underworld.

  Soft footsteps fall against the wood floors, and then the new roommate is standing at the edge of the table, beaming down at us. Silky, dark brown hair cascades over her shoulders as she reaches over to squeeze Gran’s hand. A pretty, heart-shaped face is lit up in a smile that I’ve seen plenty of times before. A smile that actually made me fall head over heels once upon a time, until she stomped out any hope of a spark between us.

  I’ve been rubbing elbows and butting heads with this woman for the past few years despite all my attempts to avoid her. She’s the Bella that everyone in the concert and event world loves and raves about. I did too, once upon a time. Even tried to make her mine—and failed miserably.

  She’s got her claws in every damn concert or show my label puts on. Which wouldn’t be so bad if we got along.

  But she makes it impossible.

  And if I thought I’d have a relaxing escape from Los Angeles, I was dead wrong.

  Chapter 2

  Bella

  Jackson’s confused and angry face confirms what I suspected to be true all along.

  Taking a gig with Jackson Bedd’s future brother-in-law had bad idea written all over it.

  “What are you doing here?” he finally sputters.

  All I can do is up the wattage on my everything is fine smile. I tried to warn Ethel that this might happen. But she seemed smitten by the idea that we had worked together on the West Coast, as though she’d never seen the cocky side of her youngest grandson.

  A side that all of LA and everyone in the music industry knows all too well.

  “I’ve been in town helping coordinate the launch parties for Bacon’s new restaurant,” I say, anxiety thrumming beneath my skin. Jackson looks less than pleased to see me, but I can’t deny the small thrill being here gives me. There’s something satisfying in seeing the humble beginnings of America’s most famous rock star, not to mention sleeping in the room next to the one he grew up in. I feel like it gives me a leg up somehow. And I really need it, based on how hard he’s glaring at me.

  “His restaurant is already open. Colleen told me.” A condescending smirk begins to emerge on his face. “So why are you still here?”

  I try not to focus too closely on his features. The man was recently voted America’s Sexiest Something, and I hate that I actually agree with the decision. But from this close, it’s hard not to notice the amber flecks in his green eyes or the untended scruff on his jaw. Every time he moves, his leather jacket rustles with barely contained masculinity. If I could somehow forget about the hundreds of egotistical annoyances he’s inflicted upon me over my career, I might actually fall in love with him based on his appearance alone.

  But thankfully, he’s far too off-putting for that to happen.

  “During the restaurant launch timeline, I kinda got to know your family.” I send a small smile toward Ethel, who’s watching me warmly.

  “Bella has been such a great help since she showed up,” Ethel says.

  “So you live here now?” Jackson sounds like he might pass out from confusion.

  “No, no, not permanently,” Ethel says with a small laugh.

  “Colleen and I grew close while I was working for Bacon’s launch,” I explained. In the background, there’s a distant thud. Followed by another thud. Neither Jackson nor Ethel react, so I ignore it too. “And then the idea for the Fork Lick Festival came up⁠—”

  “The Strawberry Jam,” Ethel interjects proudly.

  “—so I signed on to help with that, which means I’ll be around until that’s over.” I offer a tight smile. I haven’t mentioned to anyone yet that spearheading this festival is my ticket to the promotion I’ve been angling for. My boss agrees—if I can pull this off from start to finish on my own, I’ll be ready for the next level.

  In the background, the thumping grows more urgent. I blink a few times, looking between Ethel and Jackson, but they don’t seem to be aware of it.

  “The Strawberry Jam?” Jackson narrows his eyes.

  “Isn’t it so punny?” Ethel grins at her grandson.

  “I suppose.” Jackson sighs, the thumping growing louder, more urgent.

  “It was your grandmother’s idea,” I tell him. Thud. I look around, still unsure where the noise is coming from. It seems to be coming from within the house, like a farm version of “The Tell-Tale Heart.” Perhaps it’s the suppressed attraction I harbor for Jackson finally slamming its way out of my subconscious. “What on earth is that noise?”

  Jackson waves a hand dismissively. “It’s just Baabara.”

  “Wow.” I peer through the kitchen, spotting just an inch or so of sheep fluff through the window. She’s headbutting the door, desperate to get in. “I’ve never seen her act like that before.”

  “She can’t stand being away from Jackson for too long,” Ethel adds. “Anyway, Bella has been helping get all the details in place. For such an overwhelming project like this, we really needed an expert.”

  “And you found the right person,” I add with a smile. Jackson only narrows his eyes at me.

  “So when’s this festival happening?” Jackson asks.

  “Mid-June.”

  His eyes widen. “Wow. Two more months of Fork Lick. You think you can stand that?”

  “It’s been lovely here so far,” I say, not adding that it only took me two days to explore every last corner of downtown Fork Lick. “Besides, there’s plenty to keep me busy on the farm in my downtime.”

  “She’s been helping with the seedlings,” Ethel tells him.

  He doesn’t look convinced. “C’mon. I know she’s a city girl.”

  Another thrill races beneath my skin. Jackson Bedd claiming to know something about me does strike a certain chord in the fangirl portion of my body, but luckily, my head knows the truth about him. He’s an insufferable rock star who doesn’t care who he hurts as his star rises. And if there’s one thing I don’t have time for, it’s famous musicians who think people should worship the ground they walk on.

  Which is exactly how Jackson Bedd behaves whenever we’ve had the misfortune of working together.

  “You’d be wrong about that, Jackson, but I’m not here to educate you,” I say with a smooth smile. I’m not a city girl—I come from a small town in northern Ohio called Bayshore. Sure, it’s not as small as Fork Lick. But it’s nothing like Los Angeles. Not that Jackson Bedd cares to know the real me.

  “Oh, is anyone hungry for a snack?” Ethel blurts, rising from her stool.

  “No, I’m fine,” I tell her. “In fact, I was just going to head back up to the room. I’ve got a phone call scheduled with my family. You two have a lot of catching up to do, I’m sure.”

  It’s hard to miss the look of relief on Jackson’s face. “You heard her, Gran. She’s got a phone call to make.”

  I make my exit, scampering up the narrow wooden staircase as quickly as I can until I’m safely locked in my bedroom. My heart is pounding, though I can’t exactly say why. Reminding myself of all Jackson’s negative qualities seems wise, but there’s just something swoon-worthy about seeing him in a leather jacket in the middle of the shabby chic farmhouse he grew up in.

  How many women in America would kill to be in my position right now?

  I think about this as I settle into the creaky but comfy queen bed. As a high-volume event planner working for one of the world’s most prestigious companies, I’ve worked with more celebrities and musicians than I could shake a Grammy at. This means most of the magic has worn off.

  I’ve learned to see celebrities for who they truly are. And while it’s easy for the most famous of the famous to lose their grip on reality, my job means I’ve still got both feet firmly planted on the ground. I only dabble in luxury; I don’t live there permanently.

  In fact, I don’t live anywhere permanently. Not LA. Not Bayshore. Not Fork Lick. Not in luxury, or in this farmhouse. A weird heat grips my chest; that’s been happening more often these days. I don’t know what’s going on—is this a quarter-life crisis?—but I know how to ignore it.

  I distract myself from my thoughts with a quick phone call to Piper, my cousin who was practically my sister growing up. I journal. I catch up on emails. Just when I feel like I’ve got my head screwed on straight again, I hear a noise that makes every inch of my skin perk up.

  The soft notes of an acoustic guitar.

  A deep shudder of pleasure courses through me as a hauntingly sincere song begins somewhere downstairs. I’ve never heard it before; all I know is that the chord progressions are honey and I’m a desperate worker bee.

  I crumple back into my bed, letting the music wash over me.

  Sharing space with Jackson Bedd is going to be a little harder than I planned on.

  Good thing he’s only here for a quick visit.

  Chapter 3

  Jackson

  “Okay, so, I have to hold the neck?” I ask.

  Colleen grins as she helps my awkward hands better cradle the baby. “There you go. Just like that.”

  I’ve got Danny, but I wouldn’t be able to tell if it weren’t for the color-coded onesie. This baby is just bigger than my outstretched hand, but I’ve got big hands, so maybe this is normal. His scrunched face goes from suspicion to shock as he writhes and coos.

  “Am I doing it right?” I’m so worried I’ll hurt him, I can barely relax into Best Uncle Ever mode. I suppose there’s plenty of time—this is only the first ten minutes of meeting the Bacon bits—but I’m eager to prove myself as the superior uncle of the family.

  “You’re doing great,” Colleen reassures me as she lightly bounces the other twin, Cassie, in her arms. Bacon comes back up the stairs into the loft with a big pack of diapers. These four are living in the converted loft of an old church. Bacon’s new hit restaurant takes up the renovated first floor. It’s so strange, yet oddly perfect for my big sister.

  “Poop guards, obtained,” Bacon says, setting the diapers on a nearby table. He holds out his hands to take Cassie from Colleen. I watch as she gently hands her over.

  “I can’t believe you have two of these,” I murmur.

  “Tell me about it,” she says with a laugh. She sits on the couch next to me as I rock Danny. “So what’s new, Jackie?”

  “Besides being an uncle to these perfect creatures? Nothing much.”

  She smiles warmly, and I can see the tiredness radiating from her. “I’m glad you came to visit. I’m surprised you made it happen so quickly.”

  “I’ve been enjoying some downtime.” I don’t mention that part of the downtime is because I’m nearing the end of my contractual obligation to the record label, a moment I’ve been desperate for since I realized how deep in shit I’d gotten myself. After four complete albums—and a fifth one slated to be written in just a couple months’ time—I can almost consider myself free.

  “Creating liquor deals, touring the world, writing albums…all of that fits into your concept of downtime?” She sends me an amused look.

  “When you say it like that, it sounds insane,” I admit. “But once I go back to LA next week, I’ll be back in the thick of all of that. So Fork Lick is my vacation.”

  “Ironic how the tables have turned,” Colleen murmurs. “We used to dream of vacationing anywhere else. Now Fork Lick has become your vacation spot.”

  Danny begins to fuss in my hands, so I rock him like I see Bacon doing with Cassie across the room. When he begins a full-out wail, I turn to Colleen.

  “Help.”

  “He’s hungry,” she says. “I’ll take it from here.”

  I relax into the couch as she takes the baby from my arms and pulls back part of her t-shirt and begins feeding him. She murmurs sweet nothings to him as he eats, and once he’s calm, she sinks back into the couch, turning her attention back to me.

  “So only a week in Fork Lick, huh?”

  “That’s all I have planned.”

  “Got any time to swing back around in June?” she asks hopefully. “I was hoping you’d be able to attend the festival we’re planning with Bella.”

  The sound of her name makes something dark settle over me. “Two Fork Lick visits in one calendar year? Colleen, you know me better than that.”

  She frowns, and I want to retract my statement. But I don’t. Instead, I ask, “What’s the big deal with this festival? Gran and Bella mentioned it yesterday, but I didn’t get all the details.”

  “We thought it would be the perfect way to raise the last bit of money the farm needs to get out of debt,” Colleen says with an effortless smile. “Especially with Bella at the helm, I think we can make it big enough to generate some serious revenue. The plan was to collaborate with everyone’s goods and services to create something so big and attractive that people from all over the state—and maybe even out of state—want to come. Everything we produce will be for sale—Alex’s strawberry milk, his new goat cheese, Diane’s apple butter. If a Bedd made it, we’re selling it.”

  “It sounds very…communal,” I tell her.

  “It’ll be bigger than communal,” Bacon pipes up. “Bella’s got the magic touch. You know her from out west—you’ve seen her in action, haven’t you?”

  I sigh. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Colleen laughs, swatting my arm. “What’s that sigh for?”

  I’m not sure how to summarize our friction in a way that makes sense. I was starry-eyed for Bella the second I met her three years ago. But then life—or maybe my own ego—got in the way. What I thought was mutual interest turned into a lot of shitty encounters, until finally it all exploded when I found out she’d been engaged to some other guy the entire time. From then on, we were just barely able to tolerate each other. But I don’t like my family to hear stories where I finish anyplace but first.

  “We’ve just never really gotten along,” I say, reaching out to stroke Danny’s tiny forehead as he chugs the boob juice. “I guess we just fundamentally clash.”

  Colleen doesn’t look convinced. “That’s a shame. She’s so good at event planning, I thought maybe you two would have a future collaborating together or something.”

  “How about you let me know what I can do to help the festival?” I feel like I should be involved somehow, since every Bedd is bringing their talents to the event. “Won’t you be needing some music or something?”

  The way Colleen’s eyes light up tell me I hit the jackpot. “Are you serious?”

  “Maybe. I can try to work it out.”

  She gasps, and then bites back a squeal. “Oh, Jackson. That would be incredible! We all thought it would be pointless to ask you, because⁠—”

  “Pointless?” My stomach executes a painful twist, the same feeling I get whenever my brothers are around.

  “We figured you’d be too busy to help. I mean, you yourself just said you can only stay for a week, then it’s back to the mayhem. Truthfully, we don’t have any entertainment lined up yet, but we didn’t figure you’d be interested in doing something as small as a festival in Fork Lick.”

  “Who is we?” I ask.

  “The family,” she says, suddenly looking sheepish. “And Bella weighed in too⁠—”

  “Oh, did she now?”

  “She said you’d be too expensive to book as a headliner, and that standard procedure for labels like yours requires certain protocol to be followed.”

  Something dark twists through me, and I clench my fist a few times, working through the onslaught of emotion. I’m not sure why I’m surprised, but yet again, I’ve been pushed away from the family before I can even be a part of things. Like always.

  Not only that, Bella’s here inserting herself into my family’s discussions. Reinforcing everyone’s negative opinions of me. Frustration simmers hot, and I struggle to swallow the feelings before they explode. Now is not the time, or the place, to figure that mess out. This visit is about the bacon bits. I draw a deep breath, focusing on little Danny in Colleen’s arms.

  “I’ll figure it out with my label,” I finally say. “I should be able to make an appearance. I’ll work on clearing the date.” I rub Colleen’s back, the thrum of frustration still vibrating through me. “I want to do my part to help the farm.”

  Colleen wriggles in her seat, another squeal erupting. “This is the best news ever!” Danny jerks in her arms, startled. She gasps, shushing the baby when he starts to gurgle and cry. “Sorry. Sorry. Mommy was just excited,” she whispers soothingly.

  Colleen turns to me once the baby is calmed. “So will you be here for Sunday dinner?”

  I’d planned on leaving that night. “You think anyone will want me there? Other than Baabara.”