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to offend you. It’s just that—”
    The sound of Chloe’s laughter cut off Reid’s apology. He stared at her with narrowed eyes before the side of his mouth lifted into a smile. “Okay, I walked right into that one.”
    “You did,” Chloe agreed. “But to answer your question, yes, I was on the wrestling team. I never said I was any good—same with roller derby—but I did it because it pissed off my mother. She hated anything that could injure my hands. It was more an act of defiance than anything else.”
    “I can’t say I entirely blame her for wanting to protect your hands. You’re very talented. It would have been a shame for you to be injured doing things you didn’t even enjoy.”
    “Oh, I love wrestling. My dad watched it almost every night when I was a kid. It didn’t matter if he’d seen the match or not. It was kind of our thing.” Chloe looked at her hands, not interested in having a conversation with a virtual stranger about her dad.
    “A fan of wrestling and Star Wars . What are you, an alien?”
    Chloe peeked up at Reid and grinned. “Only on my mother’s side.”
    Reid grabbed an extra set of headphones and passed them to Chloe. “Here, let’s listen to some of the music we recorded yesterday before I start believing you.”
    A rush of excitement caused Chloe’s leg to bounce and her thoughts to shift. “Okay. I’d hoped to listen to the recordings this morning. I know I pulled a few notes yesterday. I just need to know how much so I can taper back.”
    Chloe sat with her headphones in place and her attention focused on the mixing console. When the music didn’t start, she looked at Reid in confusion. “You okay?”
    Reid blinked. “You noticed? I only caught it this morning when I listened to the tapes. How would you even know the notes were too long?”
    Chloe shrugged. “It’s my job to know. It didn’t feel right. The sound. I can’t explain it. I learned to play by ear before I ever read a note of music.”
    “Wow. That’s impressive.”
    “Music is everything to me. It’s the best job in the world because it never feels like work.”
    The expression on Reid’s face as he slid on his headphones seemed almost wistful. “I hope it stays that way for you. Okay, let’s run through these songs so you can hear where you pulled the notes. Once the guys get here, we’ll go into the live room and get back to playing.”
    “Sounds great.”
    “If you’d like, we can do this before the next few rehearsals or until you feel more comfortable.”
    “I’d really love that, as long as you don’t mind. I can’t thank you enough for giving me this opportunity, but I can start by making sure I don’t miss a single note.”
    “It’s not a problem at all. Are you ready?”
    “Ready,” Chloe said, a smile stretched across her face. He was just as attractive now as he’d been when she walked through the door, but she’d succeeded. She’d humanized him. For now.

“Greer, if you come in just a second sooner, you’ll nail the intro.” Reid pushed his hair out of his face and took a deep breath. For the first time since he’d received the call about Valerie breaking her arm, he felt like things might be okay.
    “Chloe, I think if you hold half a beat after Greer’s intro, that will fix what’s off.”
    “Hey, Reid?”
    Reid looked up from his guitar toward Chloe. She seemed uneasy, which was a huge contrast to when they were alone together earlier. “What’s up?”
    “I was just wondering if maybe Greer should repeat the intro, but on the second round, drag the notes a little before I come in. I think it would make the transition smoother.”
    Reid stood motionless with his brows drawn together in concentration. In his head, he played the intro as Chloe suggested. It only took a moment for his face to smooth and his eyes to brighten. “Hell yes. Greer, that’s exactly it. Give it a try.”
    Greer did as Reid instructed. The moment the notes fell into place, Reid