They’d made the move last month, after the doctor finally gave them the okay, and had been settling in like they’d always lived there. They loved the local music scene and were meeting new people. Once again, I had my amazing fiancé to thank for making the transition so easy for them.
“It’ll do the same for you, I bet,” I said, taking Charli’s hands in mine.
She’d spent a couple of months giving notice to her landlord, packing up her apartment and putting everything she owned in storage before coming to live with our parents and helping them prepare for their move. They’d sold or donated everything that wasn’t essential, so they could start over.
“I hope so.”
She smoothed a hand over the sleeveless low-cut silk dress that landed just above her knee. She looked stunning in the rustic color she’d selected for our autumn wedding. That was the beauty of a wedding party that consisted of only a best man and maid of honor, it kept the discussions about duties and wardrobe selection to a minimum.
Knox asked Dade to be his best man, since he couldn’t choose just one member of his band and his brother was out of the country on assignment. My sister seemed to be getting more and more comfortable spending time with her long-time crush, so I didn’t expect any awkward incidences with them sitting next to each other or being expected to join us on the makeshift dance floor after the first dance.
“You’re having doubts about moving to Nashville?” I asked, stealing one last glance in the vintage full-length tilt mirror.
I’d kept it simple with a fitted, floor-length champagne colored dress that dipped low in the front and back, with a train suspended from my waist. It seemed appropriate for a rustic outdoor wedding that included a hundred of our closest friends and family. If we’d had the wedding in Nashville numbers would have swelled to ten times as many people, with guests from all corners of the music industry, but having it in my hometown allowed us to keep it intimate and personal, just the way we both wanted it.
“No doubts,” Charli said, curling her hands around my shoulders as she looked at me in the mirror. “You know that’s one of my favorite places on the planet, and I’m stoked that I finally get to live there, but…”
“But?”
I rolled my hand before re-fastening a clip in my hair. I hadn’t hired a hairdresser or make-up artist today because Knox would have been disappointed if I’d tamed my wild curls and I wanted my face to look natural with a healthy glow, not airbrushed, in photos.
“Well, I haven’t landed a job yet and that makes me kind of nervous. I’ve seen Dade a few times since that day in the hospital, and he knows I’m moving to Nashville, but he hasn’t said anything more about the job. You sure he hasn’t hired an assistant yet?”
I knew for a fact he hadn’t because a good friend of mine, Brooklyn, worked for the company promoting his tour and she told me Dade needed to get his shit together and hire a new assistant because not having a go-between was making her job a lot harder.
“No, he hasn’t.” I shrugged. “Maybe you should flat-out ask him if he’s still considering you for the job.”
“I can’t do that!” She blushed, stepping up to the mirror when I snagged my pearl earrings off the dresser. “It would make it seem like I’m desperate.”
“Honey, you’re staying with Mama and Daddy until you find a job and an apartment. If you’re not desperate now, give it a month and you will be.”
We shared a knowing look before we burst into laughter. We loved our parents like crazy, but there were a handful, and my sister had already confided numerous times since she moved in to help them prepare for the move, that they were driving her crazy with their pointless bickering. Apparently they still went at it, no matter how meaningless their arguments seemed to the rest of us.
“I’m not all that worried,” Charli said, taking the pearl necklace that had belonged to our grandmother and fastening it around my neck. “Even if Dade doesn’t hire me, I’m sure I can find something.” She glanced at me through her lashes, looking uncertain. “Um, I was also thinking about trying to get a few gigs. Just for fun. You know, local bars and stuff like that. Do you think that’s crazy? It would help to pay the bills and—”
“No, that’s not crazy! Are you kidding?” I seized her shoulders, giving her a little shake. “You’re so talented, hon. I’ve always told you that you should be performing in front of an audience.”
Personally I thought she was good enough to be part of our crew, but it’s not like I was going to put either Gina or Chris on the chopping block to make room for my sister. That would be a shitty thing to do and those girls had earned their stripes.
“You know how much I love music.” Charli moved to the foot of the bed, carefully sitting on the cream chenille throw before sighing. “Just being there, in that environment every day, will be like a dream come true.” She shook her head. “But enough about me. Today is all about you and Knox.” She grinned. “I still can’t believe it. You and Knox!”
I laughed as I slipped into the cream heels I’d spent a whole month searching for because comfort was paramount today. We had good friends performing in the decked out barn and suspected the live music would result in a few blisters and an album full of amazing memories.
“Me and Knox.” I shook my head. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming, sis. It feels too good to be true.”
“You deserve this,” she whispered fiercely. “Don’t you ever doubt that, girl.”
“Thanks.” It felt like an embarrassment of riches, but I decided I must have done something pretty amazing in a previous life to deserve this kind of karma.
“You girls almost ready?” Mama asked, poking her head in. She gasped when she saw me, covering her mouth with her hand when tears filled her eyes.
Mama wasn’t the sappy type, who cried at the drop of a hat, but she had her moments, and this apparently was one of them. “Don’t cry,” I warned, shaking a finger at her. “If you start, we both will, and we don’t wanna mess up our make-up.”
“Oh sugar, you look so beautiful.” She glanced at Charli as she moved in to the room and closed the door. “You both do.”
“Thanks, Mama.”
“The florist will be bringin’ your bouquets in in just a minute,” Mama said, sneaking a quick peek at herself in the mirror.
