Page 48 of Pink and Country

The tears blurred my vision.

How could I have been so clueless?

Once inside, I climbed the stairs to the guest room on the second floor. Bernice lay on my bed and stretched when I entered the room. I crumbled on the mattress, face first, and she inched closer, purring into my ear. She’d witnessed me crying so many times over the years, this new surge of tears wouldn’t surprise her. Bernice slid her head under my chin, her way of comforting me, and my fingers patted her soft fur.

“I thought this time would be different.” My voice cracked on the last word. “I’m such a fool. Never trust people. They all leave at some point. Now I’ll be the one leaving first. Remind me to never get attached to anyone else.”

I snuggled up to my cat, holding on to her like a lifeline, and closed my eyes. With my sleeve, I wiped off more tears.

I dozed on and off for the next hour. With a new resolve steeling my back and firming my shoulders, I sat upright and started packing my stuff.

Why did I agree to move in with HN? Oh, yes, the lock. Now I understood his panic when he thought I took a picture of him in the woods, and why he refused to let me sleep in a cabin with a broken latch, even if we’re surrounded by a fence. Carter Hills probably had tons of crazy fans out there. It gave me the creeps.

I dried a new batch of tears with my fingertips. My vision clouded, and I dropped to the floor, my head between my folded knees. Don’t cry over a liar. He’s not worth it.

A woman’s voice called from downstairs. “Carter, are you here? Your door’s unlocked. That’s very unlike you.” I closed the bedroom door, deciding hiding was the best option. No more humiliation for the day. What if the woman calls the cops or thinks I’m a crazy stalker? Damn it. I better show my face.

I called out from the bedroom, “Carter’s not here. He’s gone and should be back in a few hours.” My voice sounded croaky, and I cleared my throat.

Unsteady on my legs, I stepped down the stairs.

“And who are you?” the voice asked.

“A friend. The neighbor. I’m not sure anymore. Anyway, I’m supposed to stay here until my cabin gets fixed.” In my rambling, I came face-to-face with Dahlia. I stopped in my tracks. Up close, she appeared even more beautiful than I remembered. Dahlia had a calmness about her. And a spark in her eyes. Dressed in black jeans and a simple gray, off-the-shoulder knitted sweater, she beamed. She was this gorgeous redhead with pale freckles sprinkled over her straight nose and high cheeks, wearing minimal makeup. Her moss-green eyes took me in.

“Oh, it’s you.” Dahlia didn’t seem surprised to see me here. I frowned, unsure what I should say. Her smile acted like a calming blanket.

“You know who I am?” I asked, my eyes wide.

“Carter and I have been friends for many years. We can read each other like open books. I heard the smile in his voice when I talked to him yesterday. In fact, he called to speak to Jack, my son, but we ended up having a long chat.”

“He did? Wait, he talked about me?” I knitted my eyebrows, having a hard time believing Carter Hills had anything to say about me.

“You’re kidding? He talked about you nonstop. He told me he met this amazing woman. Carter has never said stuff like that about any other woman in the past.”

“Oh.” Did he ? Warmth pooled in my cheeks.

Dahlia stepped forward and cradled my face with her hands, like a big sister would do. “I see what he sees in you. Your heart is pure.” Or that I’m stupid because I had no idea who he was.

Flustered, I found nothing to add. Dahlia dropped her hands and took a step back, probably noticing my uneasiness.

“I’m sorry. I’m really protective of him. Carter is family.” I nodded. My lips pursed like a fish trying to suck in some air. Dahlia said nothing about my glossy, red-rimmed eyes, and I thanked her in my head. Before coming downstairs, I’d grimaced when I’d seen my reflection in my bedroom mirror. But I hadn’t had enough time to do anything about it.

“Are you leaving?” Dahlia’s eyes traveled to the suitcase in my hand. I kind of forgot about it.

My gaze dropped, and I shrugged. “It’s complicated. I’ve learned some things today and I—I can’t stay here. Carter lied to me,” I said in a shaky voice. I hated looking weak. With a deep inhale, I pushed my emotions away and rolled my shoulders back. “Anyway, I shouldn’t stay here, that’s not right.” I sighed and lowered my luggage to the floor.

Dahlia grabbed my hands in hers. “You’re not going anywhere before you and I have a girl talk. You’ll tell me what Carter lied about, and we’ll go from there. Then if you decide to leave, I’ll know I did everything I could to convince you to give him another chance.” Dahlia snaked her arm through mine and led me to the kitchen.

Was she for real? Why would Dahlia want me to give Carter Hills, the country superstar, a chance? My curiosity got the best of me, and I followed her.

“Tea?” I nodded. “Carter doesn’t drink coffee, so I hope you’re not a caffeine junky, because I’m sure we won’t find any in here.”

“No, I’m more a tea, hot chocolate type of girl, actually.”

“Perfect,” she said, clapping her hands together in front of her. “You and I will get along just fine.”

I watched as Dahlia filled the kettle and placed tea bags in two mugs. She was a natural in HN’s kitchen. No doubt Dahlia came here a lot. I reached for the plate of chocolate chip cookies I baked yesterday and placed it between us.