Page 44 of Pink and Country

I cooked dinner while my neighbor packed some of her stuff next door. No woman, except Dahlia, had ever stayed here with me before. Not even Savannah. I thought this would freak me out more than it did. I loved the idea of sharing my personal space with my neighbor.

Fairy kept a low profile as she settled in, not asking for a house tour or to repaint the bedroom walls. Even though I wanted her to feel at home, I wasn’t ready to let her all in. After freeing Bernice from her carrier, Pixie disappeared upstairs to unpack her suitcase in the guest room and returned to the kitchen. I offered her a glass of white wine from the bottle I uncorked for the risotto.

“You want me to pour you a glass?” she asked.

“No, I’ll pass.”

“No alcohol, no meat, no dairy? Something else I should know?” Hot Woman asked, curious about my food restrictions.

Keeping my back to her, I added another cup of vegetable broth to the risotto simmering on the stove. This way she couldn’t read me. Or distract me. My new roommate seemed to have a special key to my soul when her eyes locked on mine.

I caught sight of her over my shoulder as she chopped mushrooms on a cutting board, her hips swaying to the rhythm of the music playing low in the background. Some country ballad she said she adored. Did she like my music too? My lips curled up at the thought. Would she even be here, with me, if she knew the truth? Glass shards crept along my spine, and I pushed the thought away.

I repositioned my head and focused all my attention on the dish in front of me, knowing I would have a hard time resisting that woman if I faced her.

Her baby-blue eyes acted like magnets to my steel-gray irises.

I chewed on my lips and rubbed the back of my neck.

“I started eating clean six years ago. My brother—he was in the army—died of sudden cardiac arrest. He had completed a tour overseas a couple of months before. You would’ve thought that would’ve killed him. No. He died on his way back home from the gym one night. I used to love my Tennessee Whiskey, but after his death, I promised to take care of his wife and unborn child. Somehow, I always believed if I took extra good care of my health, I wouldn’t abandon them too. After my brother passed, I hired a fitness coach, and he changed my entire philosophy about food and health. I cut off all animal products from my diet, and it impacted more than just my overall health. It increased my energy level, my stamina, my creativity. I’d never go back.”

I had never confided in anyone about my family like this.

The air thickened in the room. But then something in me shifted. A weight I’d been carrying around for years lifted from my shoulders. My back straightened. I inhaled, and some of the knots in my stomach slackened. The lump in my throat melted, and I breathed easier. My fists unwounded.

Why did I feel safe telling this woman the story of my life? Why did I feel like my heart could beat again when she was around?

Pixie’s soft voice brought me back to reality.

“Are they the ones who stayed with you the other week?”

I blew out a long breath. Legitimate question. Jitters tickled my stomach.

She’s not snooping. She’s genuinely interested. She’s just making conversation.

Relax, Carter. Breathe in. Breathe out.

I pushed strands of my hair away from my forehead with the back of my hand. I was in dire need of a haircut.

“Yeah. Dahlia and Jack. Their names.” A small smile lit up my face at their mention. “Dahlia and I, we kinda grew up together. She was my first love. When I mastered the courage to tell her I loved her, at fifteen, it was too late because she was dating my brother. Jeff. His name was Jeff. He died when she was four months pregnant. They’d just got married.” My throat bobbed. I closed my eyes and inhaled through my mouth to keep my emotions at bay. “After his death, I took over. They’re family. They are my entire world.”

Back when Dahlia and I were members of Carter Hills Band, we made the front pages of magazines countless times. People’s interest in us escalated once they found out about the pregnancy. Every time we ventured outside of Nashville, fame-sucker enthusiasts tried to catch pictures of us. We had to lay low to escape the hell our lives had become.

One day, Dahlia cracked, packed her stuff, and kissed me goodbye. She moved here and never looked back.

Three years ago, she opened a bridal shop on Main Street. She had this new life and was happy. I wished nothing else for her. For the last six years, I’d been devoting all my free time to Jack and her. Nobody else in this world meant as much to me as they did. Whatever I did in my career, wherever I was in the world, they remained my top priority.

Fairy brought the mushrooms over. Our hands brushed. I sucked in a breath. Her other hand lingered between my shoulder blades. Through her touch, this woman healed a part of my heart. A tiny piece that went missing years ago. I took a deep breath to stop the tears threatening to fill my eyes. When was the last time I felt alive? And hopeful? My throat clenched, and I forced my shoulders to relax. I cleared my throat, chasing the surge of emotions inside me. Change the subject. Quick.

“You play any instrument? Musical instrument, I mean.”

“No. I tried piano when I was like ten, but I had no talent. I sang a duet in the garage band of this guy I had a crush on in high school once or twice to impress him. Didn’t work. I had no singing talent either. Anyway, I’m pretty much a music-playing virgin.”

I spun around and brushed Fairy’s shoulders, the need to touch her so strong, my heart jack-hammered in my chest.

“Wait here, we’ll change that.”

“Now?” Panic filled her blue irises.