ebook, 304 pages
Published October 27th 2015
Book 3 in Neon Dreams Series
Fighting for
redemption . . .
I've
lived most of my life in darkness, beneath the shadows of secrets and
addictions. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt the only girl I'd ever
loved—the one who brought me into the light. In my entire life I'd made one
promise—a promise I'd intended to keep. I've broken that promise and now I have
to live with the fallout. Dixie Lark hates me, and I have to tell her that I
love her. I also have to tell her a truth that might destroy us forever.
Can
she love me, even if she can't forgive me?
Learning to move
on . . .
Gavin
Garrison broke his promise to my brother and he broke my heart in the process.I
may never love anyone the way I've loved him, but at least I won't spend my
life wondering "what if." We had our one night and he walked away.
I'm beginning to move on, but my brother's wedding and a battle of the bands
are about to throw us together again.
Our
band is getting a second chance, but I don't know if I can give him one. How do
you hand your heart back to the person who set it on fire once already?
Prologue
“In the end, we are
all just humans…drunk on the idea that love, and only love, can heal our
brokenness.”
-F.
Scott Fitzgerald
Gavin
“I
need a Michelob Light, two Jack and Cokes, a bourbon on the rocks, and a Sex on
the Beach,” a waitress calls to me over the crowded bar.
“Yes,
ma’am,” I shout over the din while filling the order quickly, tossing an
umbrella into the fruity drink and briefly wondering what the hell kind of
group orders such random drinks. It’s an odd number, so probably not a double
date.
Once
her tray is full, she takes off into the crowd and I take a few more orders
from patrons sitting at the bar. The house band announcing that they’re taking
a break and I’m grateful that the bar is full enough to keep it from being
quiet.
Silence
has always been my enemy. Hence why I play the drums, the loudest most
deafening musical instrument in existence. They’re the only things that drown
out the sounds in my head. Once my customers and waitresses have been taken
care of, I do a quick wipe down of the bar and restock the highball glasses.
It’s
in the brief moment when the pool balls knocking together and the raucous
chatter die down that I hear it.
Someone
is playing the piano, the old Wurlitzer that sits abandoned in the back corner
of the Tavern. It’s not the music itself that stops me where I stand. It’s the
way it’s being played. Effortless yet meticulous, a combination that I’ve only
known one musician in my entire life to be capable of.
Glancing
in the direction where the melody is drifting from I notice I’m not the only
one mesmerized by the sound. Half the bar has made their way to the back corner
to get a closer listen. My boss, a perpetually red-faced man named Cal, is
going to kill me, but I have to see. I have to know if it’s her. My body
propels itself around the bar just as a voice from my right calls my name,
startling me out of my trance.
Turning,
I look directly into a pair of gleaming green eyes beneath a perfectly even bob
of blond hair.
Ashley
Weisman stands across from me in her pencil skirt and oxford dress shirt with
two too-many buttons undone to be here for professional reasons.
“You’ve
been avoiding my phone calls,” she says evenly.
“Been
busy.” Huffing out a breath, I place my hand gently on her elbow and attempt to
steer her toward the exit.
Stilettos
planted firmly on the liquor-sticky floor, she purses her full red lips at me
and glares into my eyes. “You can’t ignore me forever. I’m your attorney.
Besides, what’s the rush, Gavin? Not even going to offer me a drink? What kind
of bartender are you?”
“One
who doesn’t have time for this right now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I
can’t explain it, but deep in my soul—if I have one that is—I know exactly
who’s playing the piano behind me. I don’t know why she’s here, I don’t know if
she knows I work here, and I sure as hell don’t know if she’ll want to see me.
What I do know is that she and Ashley cannot cross paths right now. Not yet. Not
before I’ve told her everything.
“I
think I’ll take the drink now, thank you very much.” Twisting out of my reach,
she hops up onto a barstool and steadily ignores the scowl on my face.
The
music continues swirling around us and all I know is right now, I need to know
who is playing that damn piano.
Clenching
my fists, I walk around behind the bar and wait for her to tell me what she
wants.
“I’ll
have a screaming orgasm, please.” Her eyes gleam and I meet her interested gaze
with a dispassionate one. “Multiples, actually.”
I
barely suppress a loud sigh and grab the Bailey’s and a top shelf bottle of
vodka. Once her drink is mixed I set it down in front of her.
“On
the house. Feel free to take it and go.”
A
frown mars her attractive face. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in such a
hurry to get rid of me. You have a hot date later?”
I
can’t help it, I glance over toward the piano. The music speeds up and so does
my heart rate. The notes call to me like a siren song and I know I won’t be
able to keep myself from barreling over there for much longer.
“The
piano player? I saw her when I came in. She’s pretty.”
“You
done?” I nod to a newbie bar back named Jake to come get her empty glass and he
does.
“Oh,
I see,” she says evenly, watching me carefully. “It’s her, isn’t it? The one
you’re so eager to get your shit together for, huh?”
“I
need to get my shit together regardless, Ashley. You know that. How about
helping me do that instead of causing more trouble?”
She
frowns as if I’ve insulted her. “I’m not trying to cause trouble. I’m curious.
Pretty sure curiosity isn’t a crime.”
Closing
my eyes, I inhale through my nose and exhale out my mouth like the meetings
have taught me. “You know what they say about curiosity.”
Cal
walks by and I call out that I’m taking my break. Without waiting for his
response or approval, I move out from behind the bar and make my way through
the sea of bodies separating me from the girl behind the piano. Once I’ve
navigated the treacherous waters, I see her.
It’s
smoky in here tonight and several women I’m not familiar with are surrounding her
but I see her sitting there—playing her heart out—and all I can do is watch.
She
doesn’t make music, or create it. She is music. It flows through her as she
plays and it’s an incredible sight to behold.
There
she is. My beautiful bluebird.
My
stomach tenses and my throat constricts.
She
shouldn’t be here.
I
shouldn’t be here.
Seeing
me here will hurt her and there is nothing I wouldn’t give to prevent that.
Before
I can even begin to formulate the words in my mind that I should say to make
this okay, to make it somehow hurt her less, the music stops and she turns as
if she can feel me standing there. Applause breaks out around us but it fades
into background noise.
There
isn’t a name for the emotion that crosses her face, darkening her eyes and
causing the fire in them to flare at me. It’s part shock, part betrayal, and
complete pain.
My
jaw clenches and I force my eyes to remain on hers even though they’d prefer to
close and block out the sight of her wounds deepening.
“Taking
requests?” Ashley’s voice calls out from beside me. Her expression says she’s
genuinely impressed by Dixie’s talent but I can guess what my temperamental
Bluebird will see.
Dixie
Leigh Lark arches an eyebrow at her and then shoots me a scowl of pure disgust
before answering with a short, “not at the moment.”
“Too
bad,” Ashley answers with a shrug.
I
step closer to Dixie just as she shoves the piano bench backward, scarping it
across the hardwood floor. Before I can blink, we’re face to face and if looks
could kill, someone would be performing CPR on me in a matter of seconds.
“Dixie,
I—”
“Go
to hell, Gavin,” is all that escapes her beautiful mouth. Her rage hits me with
the force of a ten-foot plate glass window shattering over me.
I
turn to watch her storm out, running a hand over my head and feeling the heat
of several angry glares from other women around me.
Ashley
smirks from behind her glass as she polishes off another drink I didn’t realize
she was holding. “Well that escalated quickly.”
Yeah.
It did.
I
am so fucked.
Missing Dixie is book three in the Neon Dreams Series. You
must read Leaving Amarillo and Loving Dallas before you start this book.
I will admit I was very nervous going into Missing Dixie. I had
very high hopes for this story and normally when I do, the book doesn't stand
up to them. Not in this case. Caisey nailed this story from start
to finish. The dedication started the tugging on my heart and I'm happy
to stay it didn't stop. This by far is my favorite book in the
series.
If you've read the first two books you know that Gavin and Dixie
have a lot of unfinished business, not only with how their relationship will
be. Friends or Lovers but will they be
able to play in a band together if the opportunity arises? We knew that
once they finally sat down to figure everything out it would be heartbreaking
on both ends. They would have two options: they could try to move
on together or they could move on separately…which way will they go?
Missing Dixie will give you the answers you were left wanting
after LA and LD. Why is Gavin being so
secretive with Dixie? Will she want him
back after she finds out what he’s hiding?
What is it that Gavin is hiding? You get inside both their heads and
that makes the story so much better. Caisey also takes the story down a
different path, that if I'm honest, I didn't see coming. I loved every
second about this part of the book. I love how it showed what kind of
person Dixie is and how it helped Gavin come around as well. The end of
the story? I think that's my favorite part!
Caisey and I share a love of music. I think this is one of
the best things about Caisey's books. She gets music and how it can be
healing for a person. No matter what state of mind I'm in, music can help
me. I am a firm believer in this: "It connects us, makes
even the loneliest person a part of something special. It helps us to
feel and to heal".
Caisey's books also touch real issues: addiction, love, heartbreak
and life in general. I feel I can always relate to her books in some
way. That, to me, is exactly how a book should be. One day I will
get to meet her and when I do I can't wait to give her a big hug.
"Life doesn't always turn out how you expect and sometimes
parts of you get broken along the way, but here is always hope and even broken
pieces can be rebuilt into something beautiful"
Caisey Quinn lives in Nashville,
Tennessee with her daughter. She is the bestselling author of the Neon Dreams
series as well as several New Adult and Contemporary Romance novels featuring
southern girls finding love in unexpected places. You can find her online at
www.caiseyquinnwrites.com.
She is represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon
Literary Agency.
Website:
http://www.caiseyquinnwrites.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/authorCaiseyQuinn
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CaiseyQuinn
GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/CaiseyQuinn
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/caiseyquinn
Pinterest:
http://www.pinterest.com/caiseyquinn
Love, love, love this book! I devoured it last night, it was the perfect conclusion to Gavin and Dixie's story! And you are so right, it totally took an unexpected but awesome turn. I'm so sad it's over.
ReplyDeleteMe too! I hope Caisey brings them back at some point!
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