Page 126 of Dusty Spur Ranch Cowboys

“You figured?” I can hear her chewing. “That’s it?”

I let out a breath. “Yeah.”

“You haven’t booked another show or packed your truck.”

“No.”

“And every time we talk, you spend half the conversation telling me what Willy did.”

I feel my cheeks heat up. “I do not. I call him an idiot.”

“You laugh while you’re doing it.”

I roll my eyes, even though she can’t see me. “He deserves it.”

“What about Red?”

Heat burns into my whole face even though she’s hundreds of miles away. “We’re changing the subject.”

“Oh, so that’s interesting.”

“It isn’t.”

Daisy continues to tease. “And Emmett?”

I groan. “Will you quit?”

She laughs so hard I have to pull the phone away from my ear. “I’m asking perfectly reasonable questions.”

“You’re stirring the pot.”

“I learned from Mom.”

“I hate that you’re right.”

Her laughter fades, and when she speaks again, her tone turns thoughtful. “Can I tell you what I’ve noticed?”

“You usually do.”

“I’m serious.”

I bite my bottom lip. “So am I.”

“Ari.”

I smile despite myself. “Okay. Go ahead.”

“This town’s different.”

I frown. “How?”

“Every other time we talk, you tell me where you’re going next, what the crowds were like, or which song people liked best. Lately, you’ve barely mentioned any of that.” She pauses long enough for me to realize where she’s headed. “You keep talking about people instead.”

I stare across the empty street.

“You tell me about Sadie learning guitar, Willy making you laugh, Red pretending he doesn’t care about anyone, Emmett trying way too hard to impress people, everyone at the ranch, the town, the potlucks, even the bees.” A knot tightens in my stomach because I haven’t noticed I’d been doing that. “You’ve barely talked about leaving.”

“I always leave.”