how is my favorite sister?” Shane said as he strolled into her house via the garage door.
“Hey, big brother, what’s up?” Jolene asked, without a great deal of enthusiasm.
“Just so you know, I’m here, too,” Elle said, making a face at Shane. “So yeah, thanks for the blatant favoritism.”
“No fighting please. There has been enough of that according to TMZ. Should I call you both Rocky?”
Very amusing. “How did you get in the house? I thought I locked the door.”
“Nope. You should be more careful.” Shane was wearing a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, the tattoos clearly visible on his arms. He looked more rocker than producer but he was definitely gaining a lot of ground in the industry. He had some serious clientele and a big old bank account these days. “And Elle, I think of you as my favorite brother I never had. You’re not sweet enough to be a girl.”
Elle flipped him off. “Don’t throw gender stereotypes at me.”
“Why not, when it’s bound to get a rise out of you every single time.” He grinned and dropped a bag onto the island. “I brought salads, as demanded. Go ahead and dig in while I tell you my good news.”
“You’re getting married?” Jolene asked, just to tweak him. Shane liked to play the field.
He blanched. “Lord, no. Why would that be good news, you crazy woman? No, this positive bit of news is about you, Jolene.”
“Jolene and I got notorious in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot this afternoon,” Elle said. “What could be good about that? Unless that idiot photographer is dropping all the charges, and suddenly there is a law that states we can prosecute people for being jerks.”
Shane paused, and for a second he looked like he was going to ask something, but then he shook his head. “No, sorry, this has nothing to do with your little parking lot antics, though I did see the store’s surveillance footage. It’s grainy, but it’s clear the guy grabbed Jo first. But anyway, I didn’t come over to talk about you two throwing down at the grocery store. Tell me, Jolene, how would you feel about doing a duet with Wayne Rush?”
That had her stopping in the midst of prying open the plastic box her salad was in. “The Wayne Rush? Are you kidding me? I would absolutely love to. But he would never give me the time of day. He’s country royalty. I’m not hot enough to snag his attention. Yet.”
“I beg to differ. My partner is producing his next album and he wants you on it with him. At least three songs, and for you to tag along on tour so you can pop on stage every night for the duet. He wants, and I quote, your sweet Southern voice.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” she breathed. “That is nuts.”
“So should I tell him yes?” Shane was nodding his head up and down in an exaggerated manner.
“I can’t. I have a commitment to the label.”
“He’s on the same label. I will talk to the powers that be. You can finish up the album with Chance and push back the tour a little.”
Jolene was speechless. She had only met Wayne once briefly at an awards ceremony. This was a huge honor and it made her swallow hard. “I have to talk to Chance, obviously.”
“You can’t keep a man like Wayne waiting,” Shane warned her.
That made her feel anxious. “I know that, but I’m in the middle of writing an album with Chance and Tennyson. Besides, me and Chance are back together.”
Shane gave her a long look. “So the gossip is true? You’re nuts to go down that road again. What the hell do you think is going to be different this time?”
Damn it, why did that make her feel concern? It was different because they were different. “We’re working on communicating better. We’ve learned from our mistakes.”
Shane looked like he had a serious opinion, but then he just shrugged. “Then there really is no reason to say no to Wayne. This is a career maker, Jo. Seriously. As your brother and as a producer, I am going to advise you to take the deal before it gets offered to another blonde singer in her twenties who didn’t just throw down in the Piggly Wiggly.”
Shane knew her fears of being replaceable. She knew it was a huge opportunity. It might never come again. If she didn’t jump on it, Wayne Rush was enough of a superstar