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She finished up and left the stage, to the overwhelming hugs and wells wishes of the crowd, which choked her up. Then the main attraction hit the stage, the lead singer of the Waylon Jennings tribute band stepping up to the microphone, clapping her up again, then asking, “Y’all know Sky opened for the late, great Waylon not long before he passed.” He glanced down at Sky in the front row and continued. “Why don’t you come on up here and help out on a few songs?”
The crowd erupted. Sky grinned. She went back onstage and said, “I’d be honored.”
They started with a fan favorite, the theme from The Dukes of Hazzard. Then, at someone’s request in the audience, she covered Jessi Colter’s hit, I’m Not Lisa. Sky had loved the song since the first time she’d heard her mother play it, long before she’d heard Jessi sing it live. As she looked out into the throng of people, she found her dad smiling approvingly. Though there was a hint of nostalgia on his face, his arm was draped over Tara’s shoulders and she grinned too.
Sky accompanied the band on a few more tunes, then graciously dismissed herself and let them do their thing.
Macy and Morgan fawned over her.
Macy asked, “How’d you end up with all the talent in the family?”
With a laugh, Sky reminded her, “You and Morgan are up ’n coming artists with the sort of following most painters well beyond your years would kill for.”
They had a joint showing in a prominent Austin gallery in less than a month that Sky had promised to attend.
“I always wanted to dance,” Morgan said. “But somehow, I ended up with the two left feet in the family.”
“Speaking of dancing…”
A familiar, sensual drawl oozed down Sky’s spine the way it had months ago, when she’d first set foot on the grounds of the Painted Horse Ranch & Inn.
She whirled around and found Sam standing behind her, a sexy grin on his face that made his emerald eyes glow and caused everything inside her to light up like a Texas Fourth of July night sky.
She could barely breathe at the sight of him, but managed to ask, “What are you doing here?”
He gestured casually toward the stage and said, “Waylon Jennings tribute band on the calendar. Where else would you be tonight?”
Sky smiled. “Right.”
Morgan indiscreetly cleared her throat. “Who’s the good-lookin’ cowboy?”
Sky made all the introductions.
Then the lead singer announced, “We have a special request that ya’ll will like.”
The band launched into Waylon’s Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) and Sky’s smile widened. Her heart fluttered.
Sam took her hand and asked, “You’ll dance with me, right?”
“Yes.” It was the only word she could work around the emotion in her throat.
“If you’ll excuse us,” he said to her family. “I’m guessing this is one of her favorites.”
He led her to the outskirts of the conglomeration of dancers and general audience, finding a nice, private space under a tree. He pulled her close to him and twined his fingers with hers, resting their hands against his chest while his other arm wrapped around her waist. He held her tight as they moved to the music.
“You guessed right, cowboy.”
His lips grazed her temple and he said, “I’ve tried being patient, but like you, I’m not good at waiting around. I know what I want, Sky, and I can’t for the life of me figure out how to sit back and wait for it to come to me.”
She stared up at him, the tingles running rampant through her body again. The way they’d done when she’d first met Sam. The sensation had vanished for a while, as she’d worked through the complication of the Mac Willet aftershock. But with them returning full force tonight, she couldn’t help but see that as a good sign. A damn good sign.
“It being me.”
He nodded.
Sky’s lips pressed together for a moment. Then she said, “Interesting song you picked.”
It wasn’t just about leaving behind the oppression
