Page 76 of Jonny’s Redemption

One could say my cream mini dress was mini. It was so short I had to wear a pair of booty shorts under it. Though it was flowy, no cleavage, just lots of leg.

“And those boots, Bobby. I don’t know where you’ve been hiding those but they’re sexy as fuck.”

I jerked back and looked up into his sea-blue eyes. He wasn’t lying, he liked my boots.

“Didn’t know you had a cowgirl fetish, darlin’, or we coulda been havin’ fun.”

Jonny dipped his chin and his lips brushed against my ear, then he whispered, “Tonight you’re leaving those boots on, and you’re not gonna hide the sexy accent. I don’t know why but since the moment we touched down in Tennessee that drawl has come out and you’re not even pissed, which is the only time I get the pleasure of hearing it. Don’t know why you insist on squelching it in the first place.”

He didn’t know why?

“It makes me sound simple.”

“No, baby, there’s nothing simple about you, accent or otherwise.”

Damn, but I loved Jonny Spencer and I really wish I had time to tell him all the reasons why, but we had to go.

“Tonight,” I promised and lifted to give my man a kiss.

The kiss was meant to be a sweet peck, but Jonny had other plans that included my toes curling in my boots and me needing to reapply my lip gloss.

“Chop, chop, Vivi. Time to bounce.”

Evie blew out a breath and our eyes locked. She was nervous. Then again, Evie was always nervous when she became Vivi and it only got worse if I tried to tell her there was no reason for it. So I let her work it out on her own.

I knew the second Vivi Rush slipped into place. It was strange to think that one person could be two totally different people. Vivi lived and breathed for the stage. Evie lived and breathed family and tranquility.

“Shit, I need…” Evie trailed off when I held up her good luck charm.

A silver dollar coin she’d found on the ground behind the venue the night of her first show. She’d stepped off the bus, stopped, and I’d slammed into her back almost knocking her over. But her eyes had been fixed on the head-side-up coin. She rocked the house down that night with that coin in her back pocket, and since that night, she never hit a stage without it.

“I couldn’t…no, I would never do this without you, Roberta Layne. Never forget that.”

Wet hit my eyes and Evie dropped the coin down into her cowboy boot.

“What?” Evie asked when she saw me staring at her. “It was either there or in my bra. And my boobs are five times bigger than normal, so I don’t think there’s room in there. But if you want, you can try to rearrange these—”

“No. I love you but I’m not rearranging your boobs. I don’t even know what that means and I’m still not doing it. And if Chasin offers, I’m leaving and you walk the gauntlet by yourself.”

Chasin chuckled and slid his arm around Evie.

“No one arranges your boobs but me.”

“And with that, I’m leaving,” Jonny announced.

So was I.

Actually, we all were.

We had a concert to rock.

Okay. So. I have watched Evie perform hundreds of times. Every time she amazes me but—and there is a huge but—watching Chasin watch her perform is next-level awesome. Combine that with Jonny standing right stage with his arm around me and getting to see him watch her perform—next next-level awesome. And looking out and seeing all of our friends mesmerized by her talent made me want to cry.

By the time Evie and Sean Lovette took the stage the crowd was primed and on their feet. Sean and Evie did a duet of her hit You Can’t See and the two of them slayed it. And that wasn’t me blowing sunshine or being biased because Evie was my best friend.

The stadium ignited when Evie looked to the side of the stage and made a show of pointing to Chasin who was not visible—but he didn’t need to be. Everyone knew she’d written that song while she was falling in love with him. So it wasn’t a stretch for her fans to know he would be there, on stage where he belonged.

Evie wasn’t done. She’d made another last-minute change, and now the crowd was in a tizzy as the house band exchanged acoustic guitars for electric while Sean entertained them. He was saying his thank-yous—little did they know he’d be back for another song.