Page 12 of Pink and Country

Dahlia probably went down the road to call her husband. My cabin had poor cell reception, and knowing my friend, she went closer to the gate to get a better signal. Nick and Dahlia lived a few miles from here, in the farmhouse Dahlia bought after she moved to Green Mountain.

Dahlia and Jack offered to spend a few days with me since we hadn’t seen each other in months. Soon, they’d go back home, and already my heart sank at the thought of it.

With their contagious happiness, Dahlia and Jack healed every piece of my broken heart. With them around, everything seemed better in my life. My anxiety levels dropped, my priorities changed, and all the complicated stuff vanished. Even my smile returned.

Since Dahlia met Nick, my family hadn’t needed me as much as they used to.

A hollow sensation settled in my chest when my thoughts drifted to the baby on the way. My heart drowned under waves of sorrow, and tremors shook my body. I blew out a jagged breath, one of my episodes about to crash over me like a tidal wave. It had never happened around Dahlia and Jack before. I pressed both hands against the countertop, hung my head low between my shoulders, and shut my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out.

* * *

Six years ago

The crowd screamed our name. Raised hands hovered in the air. Cell phone flashlights lit up the dark stadium like a star-studded sky.

Sweat glistened on my skin. I wiped off my forehead with the hem of my black T-shirt.

Tonight, Dahlia, Stud, and I gave the show of our lives.

Jitters shook my entire body.

Could my smile rip my face in two?

Breathless, I locked my arms around my bandmates’ necks. At this moment, everything in my life was goddamn perfect.

Carter Hills Band had been topping the charts for seven consecutive months. Our last album had exceeded all our record label’s expectations. We were the kings—and queen—of country music.

This show was closing our second world tour.

With a wide grin, I shut my eyes, the energy of the crowd electrifying all my senses. No doubt I’d have a hard time living without that rush for the next year.

Back home, we had a stretch of five more small shows planned before a much-needed three-month hiatus. After our long vacation, we’d go back to the studio to record the new songs I’d composed while on the road.

At twenty years old, I felt at the top of the world.

With Dahlia and Stud by my side, nothing felt impossible.

The three of us waltzed off-stage, high from the adrenaline running in our bloodstream. My heart jumped inside my chest. I dropped a kiss on Dahlia’s cheek and pulled Stud into a bro-hug.

“Guys, we killed it.”

From backstage, we could still hear the crowd chanting our band’s name.

Jeff, my brother, waited for us in the hallway leading to our dressing room. With a ten-thousand-dollar smile plastered over his face, my brother pulled Dahlia into his arms and spun her around, laughing. Jeff had a glow in his eyes I’d never seen before.

A year ago, when Jeff returned from his deployment in the Middle East, he’d lost his legendary spark. Tonight, though, it had returned. Shinier than ever. Jeff beamed, and his contagious grin lit up the darkness of the stadium basement.

My brother pulled me into his arms next and ruffled my hair the same way he always did when we were little. Three years older than me, Jeff was not only my big brother but also one of my best friends.

“Great show, little bro,” he praised me with a hug and clap on the back. “So fucking proud of you. I always knew you’d make it big.” A giant grin, mirroring his, broke free on my lips. I straightened my back and puffed my chest out, relishing the compliment and hugging my brother back.

“Thanks, man. It means the world to me. We play better when you’re around.”

Dahlia’s arms wrapped around Jeff’s waist from behind, and I released my grip on him. Jeff swiveled on his heels and leaned forward to kiss her lips.

My throat worked at the sight of the two of them, blissfully happy together. Dahlia was supposed to be mine. Or that’s what I’d been telling myself for years.

I averted my gaze, fighting a truckload of emotions that paralyzed me. With one deep, calming breath, I chased all traces of my uneasiness away and forced a smile back on my face.