Chapter One

Ryan Stone carried the sweating glass through the sliding glass doors and stepped into the cool, night air. The chirping song of crickets floated on the breeze as the fireflies performed admirably, entertaining the night creatures with a flickering light show.

Ryan set his glass on the deck rail and rested his forearms next to it. He stared unseeingly at the ghostly arch still standing in the yard, the pale lavender tulle fluttering in the light wind. Several canopies still stood over the now empty tables as most of the guests had left the festivities already.

The ceremony had been simple and brief which Ryan was most certain his older brother, RJ, appreciated. Ryan smiled wryly as his mind rewound the day and the wedding that had taken place earlier. RJ had appeared a bit green at the beginning until his eyes had landed on Cassidy in her off-white dress. And little Natalie, RJ and Cassidy's daughter, had stolen the show with her frilly purple dress and hair done up in curls.

Yeah, it had been a great day, all in all, and Ryan was happy for his brother. RJ had been so nervous when he'd first discovered that he had a five year old daughter but as he'd gotten to know her and eventually her adoptive mother, his life had started to shape up and settle down. Now he was married and his little family complete.

Ryan released a sigh as his mind began to wander and his eyes drifted to the glass doors and the celebration going on on the other side. His heart was heavy and his mind full and he hadn't a clue how to fix things. He'd been in a funk for quite some time though he wasn't sure of the reason. Well, he had an idea, but he didn't want to voice it and give it life.

A familiar figure opened the sliders and slipped out onto the deck. His lazy gait approached Ryan and came to rest beside him. He sipped his drink as he laughed at RJ who was swinging Natalie in his arms.

"Your brother is beyond happy, bro," Parker Milten said as he nudged Ryan in the ribs.

Ryan snorted and folded his arms over his stomach. "Yeah, you could say that."

"Dude," Parker said, lowering his voice. "What's the deal? You've seemed sort of out of it all day."

"Nah," Ryan said as he snatched his nearly empty glass and lifted it to his lips. He drained it then frowned. "I think I'm just sort of restless. I hate sitting idle. I thought we'd be back in the studio by now."

"I know what you mean," Parker commiserated. "I talked to Cole earlier and he said as soon as RJ gets back from his honeymoon that we'll get together to discuss what we want to do next."

Ryan nodded, accepting Parker's words. Ryan, along with Parker, RJ, and Cole Collins, made up the popular band, Out of Control. They'd released two top-selling CDs and just finished another which was a tribute to the band Controlled Environment, the band in which RJ and Ryan's dad, as well as Cole's dad had been members.

RJ and Ryan, along with their two younger brothers, Ray and Ricky, had grown up around music. RJ had formed a tight friendship with the other members' children: Cole, Ally Johnson, and James Wenslow. When Ryan entered his first year of high school, he'd joined a band that RJ and Cole had started, but it wasn't until the next year that Parker was recruited. Once RJ, Cole, and Parker had graduated, they played for Black Records, L.A. and were awarded a contract. Ryan finished up his schooling in the back of a tour bus with rather ruthless tutors.

When Black Records branched out, they opened a studio in Chicago where Cole's dad, Nick Collins, and Ally's dad, Jake Johnson, currently worked, running the place. Rob Black, who founded Black Records, sent his son, Robby to help out at the Chicago branch and Robby had someone managed to penetrate RJ's tight circle of friendship – something Ryan had never been able to do.

He sighed again, forgetting that Parker was standing next to him. He knew his feelings were quite ridiculous – RJ always treated him great – more like a friend than a younger brother – as did the others. But he had yet to experience that rare, closeness that the others shared.

"Hey," Parker said. "You're not still fretting over that incident in L.A. last month, are you?"

Ryan barked out a short laugh. "Nah."

"Good," Parker said with a smirk. "You rarely drink and so what if you let loose one night and got a little drunk."

A 'little drunk' was an understatement in Ryan's opinion but he kept that fact to himself. He'd worked hard to forget about it and had, for the most part, succeeded, but he wasn't particularly proud of himself.

"So," Ryan said, desperate to change the subject. "Where's Deidre?"

Parker tensed, his body growing rigid. Ryan's brow furrowed as he turned to his friend. "She's hanging out with her sister tonight – some sort of family thing."

"What's the deal?" Ryan asked quietly. "Everything okay?"

Parker swept his long bangs off his forehead and studied the remaining contents of his glass. "I don't know," he said in a long breath. "It's just weird right now, you know?"

Actually, Ryan didn't know. He was hardly an expert on relationships. But he nodded, offering a pitiful dose of support. He liked Parker – thought he was a great guy – but lately, he'd had less than friendly feelings toward Deidre. Fame – well, Parker's fame – had soured her a bit. She'd become a bit egotistical, apparently forgetting that Parker was the one who actually worked hard for the band.

"Well, bro," Ryan said, bumping his shoulder into Parker's. "You know, if you want to, you know, vent or whatever, go ahead. It's cool."

"Thanks," Parker said with a ghost of a smile. "But I'm fine."

"Okay," Ryan said with a shrug.

The patio door slid open and RJ's booming voice rent the air. "Yo! Little brother! Get in here, man. I want to toast with my siblings."

Ryan laughed and pushed away from the rail, grabbing his empty glass. "Then let's go, man. Grab the young ones."

Hours later, Ryan lowered the rather thumping volume of his car radio and parked in his allotted spot in the parking garage below his building. He snagged the suit jacket from the passenger seat and climbed out of the car. After entering the security code and inserting his key, he climbed in the elevator and rode it to the top floor of the building.

When he unlocked his door, he stepped into the dimly lit foyer and dropped his jacket on a chair and his keys in the decorative bowl on the tiny table. His feet clattered on the tiles until he reached the plush, beige carpeting in the living room. He headed straight for the long window that was the selling point of the entire place and stood, staring out at the brightly lit city.

He didn't live downtown but rather on the outskirts of the city in a ritzy neighborhood with posh buildings and lots of security. He'd considered buying a house in the little town where Ally's parents, Jake and Isabella Johnson, lived, but he checked out the vacant apartment on a whim and fell in love. And it was convenient, too, as it was only a fifteen minute commute to the studio on a good traffic day.

He picked at the knot in his tie and tugged the silky scrap of material until it slipped off his neck and fluttered to the floor. Ignoring it, he continued to stare out at the night, coaxing his mind to empty of all thought so he'd be able to collapse in bed and sleep.

Finally, after nearly all the tension left his shoulders, he stumbled down the narrow hall to his vast bedroom and fell into bed.

Avery Harris shoved the last contents of her closet into a cardboard box and held the flaps down while her father taped it shut. She straightened and smiled, wiping her hands on her faded jeans. She blew a puff of air at the blonde strands of hair that had escaped the hair tie and numerous clips she'd used to try to tame her unruly hair.

"Is that it, pumpkin?" Marshal Harris asked.

"That's it, Daddy," she said. She planted her fists on her hips and surveyed the room she'd grown up in. It had changed throughout the years – going from pinks and purples with prancing ponies to the current pale yellow with posters of her favorite singers – Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and Taylor Swift – covering every available surface. The dollhouse she'd adored as a child had been banished to the basement in favor of a sturdy desk which still sat in the corner, holding a computer.

"I can't believe you're off to the big city," Marshal said with a dramatic sigh. "My little girl is all grown up."

"Daddy," she said, hiding a smile. He'd said the same thing over and over for the past couple of weeks. "I've spent most of the past year in Nashville."

"Yep, I know it, but this is different. Chicago is a longer drive," he said with a sad sparkle in his eye. "And I reckon it's a lot different than Nashville."

Avery shrugged then wrapped her arms around his middle and gave him a squeeze. "Daddy, I'm twenty years old and perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

He frowned as he encircled her in his arms. "I know you fancy yourself an adult and that you can look after yourself, but I'm your daddy and I'm always going to worry about you." He planted a firm kiss to her forehead to reiterate his words. "And I worry about you living by yourself. When you was in Nashville, you had a chaperone."

She restrained from rolling her eyes and smiled softly instead. "Daddy, Mr. Collins has already arranged a place for me to live."

"And when those folks with the newspapers find out about this new deal, they're not going to leave you alone for a second," he continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"I know," she said, snuggling into his chest. "I'll be fine."

"You better hope that this place that this Mr. Collins found for you is safe."

"Daddy," she sighed. "It's a condo in a secure building. One of the producers owns it but he recently bought a house with his girlfriend, or fiancée, whatever she is."

He edged back, his lips pulling into a deep frown. "That's another thing I don't like. Why don't these people just up and get married? Why do they have to live in sin? What is with young people nowadays?"

"People live together around here, too," she gently reminded him. "Not just in Chicago."

"I know," he said with a hint of disgust. "It sickens me and it worries your mama."

She stepped out of his arms and placed a hand on his chest. "Daddy, I promise I won't embarrass you."

"Of course you won't, pumpkin," he said as his frown morphed into a sweet smile. He swept his hands over his thin, graying hair. "You're a good girl with strong morals. I know you'll live by what's right."

She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded, forcing a smile. "Of course, Daddy."

"And I know you're still hurting over your old beau, Jonathan, but that doesn't mean you need to take up with the first young man you meet," he said sternly.

"I know," she said, fighting a tiny bout of nausea. It was another of his favorite lectures that usually amused her but this time; she had a difficult time meeting his eyes. "I'm not going to turn into a … loose woman."

He blanched and it made her giggle and snake her arms around his waist again. As excited as she was about the new and exciting step she was about to take, she'd still miss her family – especially her wonderful, loving parents.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, closing her eyes and inhaling the faint scent of Old Spice and tobacco that usually clung to his plaid shirts.

"I love you, too, pumpkin," he said, holding her tight. He kissed the top of her head. "You ought to get ready for bed, I reckon. That moving truck will be here a might early and then we have to head off to the airport."

"Okay," she said, squeezing him once more before snatching her pajamas off the bed and scurrying across the hall to the bathroom. Once she'd changed and brushed her teeth, she dashed down the stairs to kiss her parents goodnight then, after dashing back up the stairs, peeked into her younger sister's room. She grinned and blew the sleeping girl a kiss before quietly shutting the door.

She returned to her room and pushed a few boxes aside so she could crawl into bed. She shut off the lamp on her nightstand and flipped on the little radio. The jaunty sound of the fiddle filled her room at a low volume and she smiled as she closed her eyes. She sang along in the dark until finally, sleep claimed her.

A/N: Obviously, this is not the 'Tease' epilogue. I'm still not totally sure what that is going to entail as I haven't decided whether or not I'll do a sequel. But I promise it will be up before Christmas.

This story, however, is going to have a cliche storyline - just a warning. I sort of wanted to do this storyline for awhile but since it is so cliche, I've avoided doing it. But I can't hold back any longer (LOL). I have a basic outline but only the next chapter written so updates may be slow at first. I was concentrating on 'Tease' and getting that done so I haven't really worked on this. Also, Parker, who I think I have neglected in the past, should be a bit more prominent in this story and I might even do his story next - it just depends.

So, I'll shut up and hopefully you'll let me know what you think.

Thanks for the reviews.