What We've Become (My Kind Of Country Book 2) Read Online Free PDF

stupid man. He also had to know the hail storm of anger that would be coming from Katie after pulling a stunt like that.
    “Are you okay?” Chad asked instead. Katie was not a stupid woman, either. She would be putting Jay’s selfish reasons together, too.
    “Yeah, of course.” She waved a hand dismissively. “Looks like things are going well for you, too. Congrats, by the way. Your new song was great. You’ll be burnin’ up the charts with it in no time.”
    Pride beamed within him. “Thanks, Katie. That means a lot, especially coming from you.” He watched as a deep pink blush crept up her cheeks, and a wave of satisfaction spread through him.
    “I’m really glad you got back into doing what you love. Your passion for music was so clear when you were up on that stage singing. No one should walk away from something that they feel that passionate about.”
    Instinctively, Chad’s hand twitched. He caught himself just before he reached up to brush his thumb across her cheek. That’s how I felt about you, Katie... The swell of emotion burned within him. It would be so easy to tell her nothing has changed since—
    “Are you happy with him, Katie?” He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, not only because it wasn’t a polite thing to ask, but also because her face shadowed in response, and he knew then what her answer would be.
    “I...” She was struggling to find the words to answer him. “I’m trying,” she stated finally. Chad raised an eyebrow.
    It had been months—since she chose to work things out with Jay, and since she told Chad she loved him but couldn’t be with him. She had said then that she was going to try. The thought crossed Chad’s mind that no one should have to try that hard to love someone, but he was polite enough to keep that anecdote to himself.
    “Mason and I are staying here in Nashville for three full weeks over Christmas, so I’ll know better afterwards where Jay and I truly stand. It’s been a big adjustment—the traveling back and forth, keeping Mason up to date in school, only being here for days at a time—it’s all made it very hard to really figure out if we’re—I don’t know—solid.”
    “You mean like we were?” Chad grinned mischievously, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “We were good, you and I. There was definitely a foundation there. You know...solid.”
    “Chad...”
    He held up his hands in mock surrender. “I know. Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You walked in here in that pretty, little red dress, and just turned my world on its axis. I thought maybe I was finally dealing with everything that happened. Seeing you has proved that is obviously not the case.” A strangled chuckle erupted from his throat, and Chad removed his cowboy hat momentarily to run his hand through his hair.
    “I’m sorry, Chad. If I had known—”
    “Katie, please stop apologizing. This is not your fault. It’s Jay’s, and I blame no one but him and his pride for it.”
    “Well, there is something we can definitely agree on. If I had a drink, I’d clink it together with yours,” she said brightly.
    “It’s safer if you don’t, seeing as I’d probably spill it again.”
    Laughter erupted between them. The tension eased slightly, and the moment of brutal honesty and emotional truths had passed.
    “You really do look beautiful tonight, Katie. That’s quite the outfit. Your hair barrette even matches.”
    Her eyes lowered to the floor, reaching up to touch the intricate barrette tenderly. The heat crept up into her cheeks again. “Thanks. It’s all a bit too fancy, I think. But I quite like your countrified look, too. Especially the scruff. I’m a fan of the facial hair, I must say.”
    “I’m glad someone approves.” Just this morning, Barry had been giving him a hard time about needing to shave.
    Katie’s eyes scanned the room. When they finally rested on him again, she said, “I should probably get going.”
    “Sure, of course. That’s