Page 36 of Dusty Spur Ranch Cowboys

Somewhere along the line Willy convinces half the room to sing backup on a song they’ve never heard before, and somehow they all commit to it with alarming confidence.

By the time I finally close my guitar case, the clock is creeping toward midnight.

Most of the crowd has headed home. Riley is stacking chairs, and Betty Lou is giving unsolicited life advice to a young couple trapped within listening distance.

I escape through the back door before anyone can rope me into another conversation.

The night greets me with a welcome drop in temperature. I shift my guitar case to my other hand and head across the gravel behind the building, enjoying the relative peace after several hours of performing.

String lights from the patio spill across the ground in scattered pools of gold.

I make it all of three steps before a familiar voice finds me. “There she is. The woman of the hour.”

I close my eyes. “Willy Kane.”

He places a hand against his chest. The expression on his face suggests I’ve just announced him as the winner of a prestigious award.

“Always nice to hear my full name. Makes me feel like I’ve either done very well or very badly.”

“What are you doing back here?”

“Waiting.”

I stop walking and stare at him. “For me?”

“Absolutely not.”

His answer arrives far too quickly.

I narrow my eyes. “Willy.”

He sighs dramatically. “Fine. You caught me. I was actually waiting for a raccoon.”

“A raccoon.”

He offers me a one-shouldered shrug. “Big local celebrity. We’ve been trying to coordinate schedules for weeks.”

“Of course.”

“He keeps canceling. Total diva.”

Despite myself, I laugh.

His grin appears. “You were incredible tonight.”

The sincerity catches me off guard. “Thanks.”

“No, I mean it.” His usual mischief hasn’t disappeared, but it’s stepped aside enough for me to see he’s serious. “That song near the end? You had half the room looking like they were questioning every life decision they’ve ever made.”

I laugh. “That’s quite a review.”

“I’m telling you what I saw. Betty Lou looked ready to leave her husband and start a new life in Montana.”

A smile tugs at my mouth before I can stop it. “You don’t have to keep flattering me.”

“I’m not flattering you.”

“You flirt with literally everyone.”