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It must have been the right song because Sweetie glanced at the keyboardist in surprise before she sent an accusing look at Decker.He merely lifted his hands in a helpless shrug.She took a deep breath and leaned closer to the mic.Her voice was shaky at first.Decker had the strong desire to jump back on stage and take her hand.Instead, he willed her to look at him.When she did, her voice grew stronger as she sang of the love she had for Wilder and the people who lived there.
But the lyrics seemed to be going right over the townsfolk’s heads.No one was reacting.Decker wanted to go around the bar and shake some sense into each and every one of them.But then, slowly, people started to get up from their barstools and chairs to join Decker.By the time Sweetie finished singing, the entire bar was crowded in front of the stage.
For one heart-stopping second, no one clapped.
Then the entire place erupted with applause and whistles and loud whooping.
Sweetie stood there looking out at the crowd in stunned surprise as tears started rolling down her cheeks.Decker hopped back up on stage and slipped the guitar from around her neck so he could pull her into his arms.
“You were amazing, Sweets.Just like I knew you would be.”
She drew back and smiled at him with watery eyes and wet cheeks.“I really should kill you.You planned this entire thing?”
He nodded.“People need to hear your songs, Sweetie.”He glanced out at the beaming crowd.“Look how happy it makes them.”
She looked at the townsfolk before she turned to him.“I love you, Decker.”
They were standing right in front of the microphone and her words came out of the speakers loud and clear, echoing through the bar ...and through his heart.He had waited so long to hear those words that he took a moment to bask in their glow.
But the townsfolk never could take silence.
“Well, don’t just stand there, Sheriff,” Melba Wadley hollered.“Do you love her or don’t you?”
“Maybe he doesn’t love her,” Donna Nichols yelled.“Maybe he just wants the Holiday Ranch.”
“But I thought only a Remington was offered the ranch,” a drunk-sounding guy said.“If that stip-lu-a-tion has changed ...I love you, Sweetie, if Deck don’t!”
Too happy to be annoyed by the busybody townsfolk, Decker ignored them and smiled at the woman in front of him.She loved him.Nothing else mattered.
“I love you too, Sweets.I love you so much it hurts.I know you’re probably worried I’m going to pressure you to move here.But I’m not going to do that.I will always allow you to be your own person and follow your dreams.If the only way to achieve that dream is for you to live in Nashville, then you have to go back.”
He thought his words would make her happy.Instead, she looked pissed off.“So you’re just going to let me go?Just like that?”
He scrambled through his mind, trying to figure out why she was so mad.“Umm ...I thought that’s what you wanted.You wanted a boy who would set you free.”
“Not that free!”
“So you’re asking me to come with you to Nashville?”
“Now wait one damn minute!”The crowd parted and Mrs.Stokes shuffled her way to the front.She did not look happy.“You can’t just up and leave us, Decker Carson.There’s no one who could replace you.This town needs a sheriff who grew up in this town—a hometown hero—someone who knows and loves the people even when they hold stupid grudges and believe ridiculous gossip.You’re that hometown hero, Decker Carson.”
A chorus of “hell yeahs” erupted and Decker didn’t think his heart could get any fuller.Sweetie loved him and wanted him to come to Nashville.And the townsfolk loved him and wanted him to stay here.Since he hadn’t been born in Wilder, he’d always felt a little like an outsider.Jace had always been the hometown hero.Decker had just been his cousin from the big city who was afraid of bees.Maybe that was why he’d worked so hard at being a good sheriff.He had wanted the town’s love.It was nice to know he had it.
Although, now that he knew, it would make leaving that much harder.
“I love y’all,” he said.“But if Sweetie is heading back to Nashville—”
Mrs.Stokes cut in.“Sweetie can’t leave either.”She looked at Sweetie.“You can’t write a song about how much you love this town and its people and how much you regret leaving us and then leave us all over again.If you regretted leaving us the first time, you’ll regret leaving us the second.”
“She’s right.”Sheryl Ann stepped up.“You can’t go, Sweetie.We’re sorry for ever doubting your love for us.To make it up to you, if you stay, I’ll have your Sour Lemon Poppy muffin and coffee waiting for you every morning.”
Tito moved up next to Sheryl Ann.“I’ll make sure you always have extra guacamole and hot sauce on your chicken tacos.”
“And extra barbecue sauce for your ribs,” Bobby Jay called from the kitchen.
Tammy Sue weaved her way through the crowd, which was difficult when she was eight months pregnant.“Since you missed the first two being born, you can’t miss this one.You can’t leave.That just ain’t right.”
“Talking about what’s not right,” Coach Denny said.“Doesn’t anyone care about Jace?Or how hurt he’s gonna be when he finds out his cousin has run off with his girl?”
