“So . . . there’s stuff about you and Garrison now? Stuff she used to blackmail you into sitting out? What the hell, Dix? That’s messed up.”
I sit up straighter and watch my fingers twist into my comforter. “Yeah. I know. It’s just, it was just one song and—”
“And nothing. Did you tell your brother?”
“Not exactly.”
“Dixie Leigh Lark. You need to talk to Dallas. Like sooner rather than later.”
I huff out my frustration and release the comforter. “And say what, Robyn? By the way, D, Gavin and I are sleeping together and our new manager threatened to tell you if I didn’t sit my ass down and stop blowing your shot at making it big?”
I squeeze my eyes shut so I don’t have to see the expression of shock on Robyn’s face.
“I see,” she says quietly. “So Garrison finally defied your brother and made a move. Can’t say I didn’t see it coming.”
“No,” I say softly while shaking my head. “I finally made a move.”
“Nice,” Robyn says grinning appreciatively at me. “Good for you, girl.”
“It’s complicated. With everything that’s happened, I have no idea where we stand.”
She smiles sympathetically at me. “I bet. But you’ll figure it out. And you’ve loved each other forever, I can’t imagine you won’t have a happy ending.”
“Enough about me,” I say, eager to push away the messy confusion building inside of me. “Tell me what’s been going on with you.”
Robyn’s eyes brighten several shades. “Um, I have the best job ever. And I just got a promotion. Midnight Bay is sponsoring Jason Wade’s next tour, and they just put me in charge of the promotional campaign.”
Midnight Bay Bourbon is a thriving liquor distributor out of Dallas that hired Robyn immediately after she interned there in college. I had no idea they were sponsoring Wade’s next tour. I’ve seen him a few times in concert but don’t know him personally.
“Robyn, that’s awesome. Jason Wade is a huge freaking deal. What’s he like?”
She shrugs and blushes. Robyn. Blushing. This is a new development.
“He’s kind of a flirt. But you know, that country-boy macho-swag persona. Who knows if he means half of what he says?”
“Who knows if any of them mean half of what they say?”
We laugh and talk about her job for a few more minutes and I am grateful for the distraction. But soon she has to go, and I am alone again with memories and ghosts.
Chapter 31
“I DON’T KNOW, DAMN IT. I TOLD YOU I’M GOING TO TALK TO HER.”
Raised voices nearby threaten to drag me from the safe womb of sleep and I try to burrow deeper into my covers.
“Because he was late and saw the encore where it was just the two of us. That’s all she said.”
Dallas. It’s Dallas practically shouting at someone in the next room.
Groaning as I try to untangle myself from my quilt, I sit up and rub my eyes. The pearls I fell asleep in are cutting into the skin on my neck and my dress is twisted around my waist.
Glancing over at the alarm clock on my nightstand I see that it’s a little past nine.
I expected to wake up in a hotel but it’s my own bedroom that greets me. I can’t believe I slept all night. The past twenty-four hours comes back all at once and my head throbs at the flood of memories of nodding and hugging and assuring everyone that I was okay.
Dallas is still arguing with the other voice that I’ve discerned as Gavin’s while I strip off my pearls and my dress and find a pair of jeans and a clean shirt to put on. Once I’m dressed, I join them in the living room to see what all the fuss is about.
“I don’t want us to miss out on this, either, but you can’t afford to get—”
“Morning.” Gavin cuts my brother off by greeting me with excess enthusiasm. It’s an overly obvious attempt to ensure that my brother will pause his monologue long enough to turn around and see that I’ve entered the room.
“Morning, Dixie Leigh,” my brother says gently. “Sleep okay?”