Going Out Solo: Backstage Pass, #4

By Dani Wade

Rock star Nate Hawthorne's good-guy status is as iconic as his black cowboy hat, despite his personal struggles. Now faced with his own mortality, he must choose whether to continue being the good friend, the good band mate…or risk being very, very bad.

 

Sara Drayton has overcome a nightmare childhood to stand on her own merits, even if her overprotective brother can't see it. Nate has been her forbidden fantasy for years. Now he's offering her a no-strings weekend at his cabin to fulfill all her desires—except her wish to be his forever.

 

Nate knows he's breaking the rules by taking Sara to bed, but he's desperate for the peace he can only find through her touch. With death on the horizon, can forbidden love bring one man back from the brink of an uncertain future?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dani Wade
• Release date: Apr 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393160670

Dani Wade

Author Dani Wade started her writing journey in a childhood spent in the rural south where her favorite form of entertainment was imagining herself in the roles of romantic heroines. She now juggles her writing obsession with a patient hubby, two lively kids, and a day job. Life is crazy, but she attempts to navigate the potholes with her trusty To Do List and half a brain. Her contemporary category books are published through Harlequin Desire, and her Independently published sexy romantic suspense can be found at various online retailers. Dani Wade loves to hear from her readers! She can be contacted via e-mail ([e-mail]) or through her website. She also enjoys blogging weekly on her Dani Wade blog. A sign up for her occasional author newsletter can be found on her website. She is active on Facebook and loves for readers to friend both her author page for official news, and her profile page just to chat. She’s also on Twitter as @daniwade1.

Book preview

GOIN’ OUT SOLO

A BACKSTAGE PASS NOVELLA

BY DANI WADE

COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2015 Katherine Worsham

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Cover Art Design by Brynna Curry

Editing by LeaAnn Schafer

Published in the United States of America

Also Available from Dani Wade

Backstage Pass Series

Finding Her Rhythm

Settling the Score

Striking a Chord

Goin’ Out Solo

Small Town Secrets Series

Beneath the Surface

Behind the Scars

Snow Bound

Louisiana Legacies Series

Entangled with the Heiress

Reclaiming His Legacy

Savannah Sisters Series

A Family for the Billionaire

Taming the Billionaire

Son of Scandal

Mill Town Millionaires Series

A Bride’s Tangled Vows

The Blackstone Heir

The Renegade Returns

Expecting His Secret Heir

Other

Reining in the Billionaire

Unbridled Billionaire

His By Design

For more information, join Dani’s

newsletter list.

GOIN’ OUT SOLO

BACKSTAGE PASS #4

Rock star Nate Hawthorne’s good-guy status is as iconic as his black cowboy hat, despite his personal struggles. Now faced with his own mortality, he must choose whether to continue being the good friend, the good band mate…or risk being very, very bad.

Sara Drayton has overcome a nightmare childhood to stand on her own merits, even if her overprotective brother can’t see it. Nate has been her forbidden fantasy for years. Now he’s offering her a no-strings weekend at his cabin to fulfill all her desires—except her wish to be his forever.

Nate knows he’s breaking the rules by taking Sara to bed, but he’s desperate for the peace he can only find through her touch. With death on the horizon, can forbidden love bring one man back from the brink of an uncertain future?

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my fellow Heart of Dixie chapter members. When I first joined your ranks, I wasn’t even a newbie. I was an infant newbie. Through monthly meetings, fun and friendships I have learned more than I ever dreamed possible-and continue to learn through the generosity of our members. Thank you for teaching me, encouraging me, supporting me and providing opportunities for me to bloom. I would never have had the courage to become an author without my chapter sisters!

Chapter One

Nate Hawthorne had to admit this wasn’t the most traditional wedding he’d attended, but they hadn’t stepped into shredded leather and lace territory yet either. No spiky collars or heavy black eyeliner. The only concession to the bad-boy-rocker image was Michael Korvello’s fitted black leather jacket, echoed by his brother Daniel and son Matthew, who stood up with him while he married Taylor.

Well, the tattooed preacher with gauges in his ears was a little outside of the traditional lines.

Nate’s chest ached as he took in the bride in a sparkly cream dress, Michael’s daughter McKayla in peach, and Daniel’s Becca in yellow—like a sunset before the antique picture windows of the antebellum plantation house.

You wouldn’t make good husband material anyway. There wasn’t any point wishing for something he’d never have.

The pastor spoke softly to the couple before his voice rang out with the vows they had written for themselves. Wherever you go, I will follow. Wherever you are, there is my home. Paraphrased from the book of Ruth, if Nate remembered his brief foray into church correctly. Michael and Daniel’s mother had been a practical woman, well aware of life and sin and the choices people were sometimes forced to make. Still, she had her boys in church every Sunday she could manage—and Nate, too, after she took him into her home.

As the man pronounced Solar Uprising’s lead bass player and his nanny to be husband and wife, Taylor’s tears made Nate’s own eyes well. Damn it. All the stuff going on in his own life made him too damn emotional for his liking. He blinked hard while giving his own nod of approval.

The catcalls and whistles were piercing, serenading the first kiss as husband and wife. Michael couldn’t resist a little tongue action, though it was countered by his hand tenderly brushing his wife’s barely there baby bump.

Of course, that tender moment ended as he turned to his audience and hollered, Time to party!

So they did—and when the Korvellos put on a party, it was epic. The plantation ballroom had been transformed with hanging flower-bouquet balls and pastel-colored bows.

Tall windows showcased a brilliant sunset that quickly disappeared behind the mountains, leaving the feeling that they danced beneath the stars. Eschewing a first dance alone, Michael gave a single motion and the dance floor filled with the people Nate now called family: fellow band members Gunner and Sean, recently retired member Gage, a whole crowd of crew members, Sean’s girlfriend Meghan, and Jake, their stage manager. But it was seeing Jake’s sister, Sara, take the floor in her brilliant blue dress that left Nate feeling like an outsider.

As she danced with McKayla and Matthew—laughing and teasing each other—Nate wished he were on the receiving end of her smile. Those beautiful multicolored eyes that sparkled with amusement but darkened when she turned serious. One moment of the exuberant life she carried within her turned his way might awaken what he feared had already died within him. Besides, Jake had made it perfectly clear to any and all of the male gender that his sister was firmly off-limits.

Doin’ all right, buddy?

Only after hearing his voice did Nate realize that Daniel Korvello wasn’t on the dance floor.

Yeah. Nate attempted to shake off his melancholy mood. Yeah, I’m fine.

Any news?

Nate shook his head, even as he felt Daniel’s palm meet his shoulder. After finally forcing myself to actually go see a doctor, I thought I’d find out immediately. Who knew there were so many hoops to jump through?

Daniel stood silently by his side, just as he had the day Nate told him he had seen a doctor about the anomalies that had been found in his blood.

He'd always wanted a family of his own. People who loved him and wouldn't leave. Reality was much different. A stroke of luck had made him friends with the boys who lived down the road. They’d been his escape when his dad was dying. They’d taken him in when his dad was finally gone. And he'd adopted them for his chosen family when he reached adulthood. Looked like it was as close as he'd ever get to a family of his own—but he was eternally grateful for Solar Uprising. If not for his band brothers, he'd have lost his sanity long ago.

Finally Daniel nodded toward the dance floor. She’s beautiful.

Uh-oh. Who?

Daniel threw him a knowing look. Twenty-four is fully grown, even if her brother doesn’t see it.

Nate had watched Sara grow from a shy seventeen-year-old into a sexy young woman, eager to test her limits. If only Jake would disappear long enough for her to escape. Nights spent dreaming of ways to awaken all that latent passion broke Nate out in a sweat, even now. I know that. The question is, is it worth ruining a working relationship for someone who might not be here long?

A shadow crossed Daniel’s face. I wish you wouldn’t think like that, man.

Nate had no response, no words. His only hope was that the tests would give them an answer, soon. God willing, because he wasn’t sure how many more needle pricks he could tolerate.

Daniel studied him for a minute before letting his gaze sweep the dance floor once more. You know everything I say to you is like a brother, right?

I know, Daniel, Nate said, even though he felt a rebuke coming on. And I appreciate it.

"You should. Or rather, I should. Not many people can tolerate me and my big mouth without putting a fist in it."

That was for sure. Daniel was well-known for his open-mouth-insert-foot syndrome. But he, Michael and Daniel had been inseparable since they were teenagers. They might not be related by blood, but they were the only human beings still alive that knew Nate’s complete life story. As he faced