I return her smile as we walk side by side to Sully’s waiting truck.
We’ve both chosen to wear simple summer mini-dresses that come to mid-thigh length. Mine is pink with tiny white flowers peppering the material, while Lissie’s is a plain but striking dark blue.
I feel awful for her. She’s hardly eaten all day, her nerves making her too nauseated to stomach any food, but even so, she’s been adamant that she doesn’t want to disappoint Ford.
“You’ll do great.”
I bump my shoulder against hers, and her smile wobbles a little.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous.”
Lissie pushes her hair behind one ear, a frown covering her pretty face.
“I recall feeling like that before every single audition.”
Her eyes widen as she lifts her incredulous gaze to mine. “Youdid?”
“Mmhmm.” I nod excessively. “My palms would get sweaty, my voice would tremble, and everything would feel as though it wasn’t reallyreal, you know?”
At her smiling assent, I continue. “But sometimes, in order to have the things we love, we must do the things that scare us.”
My own words give me pause, and I blink several times, allowing them to sink in as we reach Sully’s truck.
“Momma says I came out singin’.” Lissie’s softly spoken words refocus me, and I glance up to find a dreamy look in her eyes. “Couldn’t stop me even then.”
We both chuckle before she opens the rear passenger door, gesturing that I should climb in first, which I do with a nod of thanks.
She follows me, continuing once we’re both settled. “I’ve dreamed of being a singer longer’n I can recall. It’s been my dream…”
Her brow creases when she trails off, staring at the hands folded on her lap. “But dreamin’ is different than this. Because tonight, I’m not dreamin’ from the safety of my room where no one can hear me, and it doesn’t matter if my pitch is off or I forget the lyrics. Tonight, I’mdoin’.”
She swallows roughly, lifting her eyes to meet mine. The golden flecks amongst the deep blue of her irises are shining, and there’s an energy vibrating off her tanned skin that I could almost reach out and touch when she whispers, “And thethought that I could mess up in front of so many people scares me to death.”
“The question you need to ask yourself is, does the thought of never havingtriedto follow your dream scare you even more?”
I reach out, clasping her hands in mine and squeezing them reassuringly as Sully jumps in the driver’s side. He shoots Lissie an encouraging smile in the rearview mirror as Ford and Law appear in the doorway of the house.
When I woke from my short nap this morning, I was shocked to come downstairs to find Lawson at the front door. He endeared himself to everyone when he announced that he had made the trip to make sure I was okay following the events at the ICON gala.
He even won Finley around, citing that he and I were just really good friends.
Ford, on the other hand, was less than thrilled to see theasshat, as he insists on calling him.
The man in question slips into the front seat beside Sully, leaving Law to climb in beside me. But before we can leave, Faith comes rushing out of the house, wearing skintight, high-waisted black leather pants and a crop top that’s more like a bikini. Her long blonde hair is in a braid hanging over one shoulder, and a broad-brimmed black cowboy hat is perched atop her head.
She looksamazing, but there’s no doubt in my mind that her choice of clothing has made my lover’s blood pressure skyrocket.
Lawson whistles under his breath, sniggering when I shoot him a quelling glare.
“Not the time to rile Ford up, idiot.”
Thankfully, Ford and everyone else in the truck are so focused on Faith that no one witnesses our interaction as she marches closer, her big brown eyes filled with determination.
“Momma called Rebels, and Riley told her I could watch from behind the scenes.” She reaches Ford’s window, a smile aswide as the Grand Canyon on her cheeks. “So long as I don’t set foot in the bar, I can come along with y’all.”
“Christ almighty.”
Ford’s low expletive makes Law chuckle, and I elbow him to be quiet even as I stifle my own grin.
