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“You look gorgeous,” I say honestly. More honest than I meant to be.
“Thanks.” Her tone turns soft. Almost shy, which is not an adjective I usually associate with Piper.
Outside, a horn honks.
“Hudson is here,” I say, adjusting my belt for absolutely no reason, except I’m not sure what else to do with my hands.
“Okay.” Piper walks over to the coffee table and grabs her phone. “I’m ready.”
I walk toward the door, patting my pocket to make sure I have my phone and wallet.
Danny is hanging out the window in the back seat of Hudson’s truck. As soon as I appear, he starts hollering, which is apparently the signal for Hudson to begin blasting “Happy Birthday.” I hang my head and shake it, laughing under my breath as I continue toward the truck.
“There he is!” Danny pops the back open, jumping down and wrapping me in a bear hug. “Practicallythirty.”
“You’re three monthsolderthan me, DeLuca.”
“Yeah, yeah…” His voice trails off, and I know without looking behind me that Piper has appeared.
I shove him toward the truck. “Get in so we can get going.”
It’s caveman of me, but I’d rather squeeze in the middle than have him sit next to Piper. Danny quirks a brow, but doesn’t comment before climbing into the back seat. I follow, and Piper gets in a minute later. Morgan and Hudson exchange a glance in the front seat that reminds me I probably should have mentioned Piper was still here. Was coming.
Jamie showing up distracted me.
But it’smybirthday. And sitting with Piper’s thigh pressed against mine is the highlight of my day so far.
It takes twenty minutes to get to Whiskey Cowboy. Music blasts the whole drive, making conversation impossible. Hudson, Danny, and I sing along to all the classics that come on, making Morgan laugh and Piper smile. Danny has always been tone-deaf—and overly enthusiastic—but Hudson has a decent voice. We used to fool around on our guitars a lot back in high school. He was the one who dared me to get up onstage and quite literally changed my life.
I wonder if he’s ever thought about what my life would look like if he hadn’t. Because I sure as hell do.
Whiskey Cowboy is packed, which isn’t surprising. Mayville is about four times the size of Oak Grove. It smells and looks the same as about every other bar I’ve been inside, and I’m more focused on guiding Piper through the crowd. My hand falls to the center of her back automatically, like I’ve done it before.
The song that was playing ends about a minute after we walk inside, and a man’s voice replaces the music.
“We were planning to cover this one tonight anyway, but let’s move it up in the set list. Now that the king himself is here, I’ll just get more nervous. Thanks for coming, Kyle!”
“So much for an inconspicuous entrance,” I mutter to Piper.
“At least he’s not playing ‘Happy Birthday,’” she whispers back.
I glance at her and smile as the opening notes for “Texas Moon” begin to play. I’m excellent at acting like I enjoy being the center of attention, but I rarely enjoy it. And tonight in particular, I was hoping to take an evening off from being the King of Country, which is a nickname I’ve always disliked.
“Kyle! Hey!”
I look at Jack Ransom, who’s appeared with one of his buddies, beer in hand. Mike, I think his name is. Hopefully, it won’t come up since I teased Piper about recalling Jack’s name and I went to school with the guy. They were both a grade behind me, which means they’re Piper’s age.
“Hey, Jack.”
He’s not paying any attention to me. He’s focused on Piper, who offers him a small smile.
“Didn’t think I’d see you again,” Jack tells her, smiling.
“Yeah, well…” She lifts a shoulder, then delicately drops it. “Sticking around for the time being.”
I overanalyze her words, having no clue what that means. Ever since I turned down Empire’s offer, I’ve been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Doessticking aroundmean something, or is she just making small talk?
By the time I tune back into their conversation, Jack is asking if he can get Piper a drink.
