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I made myself a complimentary coffee and began unpacking my bag. I didn’t know how long I would be in town and prayed I had enough clothing to carry me through.
Hanging my dress on the bathroom door, I pondered whether the town folk would consider it too much. It was a stunning, mint green, fifties-inspired designer party dress that Dawn would have loved. I had planned to wear it to an upcoming awards night in Nashville, but considering I was in Fairleigh instead, I decided not to waste a perfectly good outfit.
I took my time getting ready, trying to prolong the inevitable. It was 9pm before I left the hotel room to walk back up Main Street to Easton’s. In my mind, I was just being fashionably late, but it didn’t really matter, because they weren’t expecting me at all.
I heard the music and the crowd before the pub came into view. Easton’s Tavern. I smiled, thinking back to my regular Friday night gigs there before I hit the ‘big time’.I did have good memories in Fairleigh, but it was easier to repress them and focus on the bad ones. It made staying away so much easier.
The door chimed as I entered. The familiar decor and smell pulled me into a distant memory. My gaze travelled straight to the bar and collided with Luke’s gorgeous blue eyes in an instant. It was as if he knew I would be coming through the door in that moment. My heart skipped a beat and my cheeks warmed. He stood up a little straighter, and raised his brows as his eyes traced up my body in disbelief.
I watched his mouth part before I was scooped up from behind in a bear hug.
“My baby sister!” Nate hailed, placing me down. I spun around giggling, and he held me out in front of him, hands firmly upon my shoulders. “Is that really you?” he grilled, looking me over with a twinkle in his eye.
I smirked and waited for the brotherly banter.
“Hmmm, you look a bit like her...a little richer perhaps? And…have you put on some weight?”
I punched him lovingly in the stomach.
“Yep! It’s definitely her,” he squeaked, and we both laughed and hugged again.
“Hey, stop teasing your sister, and let me see her.” The familiar voice made my heart race. I was surprised to find, even after all these years, he still had the same effect on me.
Nate stepped back and let Luke come in closer.
His eyes sparkled as he approached and the corners of his mouth slid upwards until his dimples appeared. “Hey, Blue,” he said, towering over me. Was he always so tall?
“Hey, Luke,” I replied, holding my breath as I studied the eyes that inspired so many of my songs.
He suddenly scooped me off my feet and spun me around in his strong embrace before easing me back to the ground.
“You cut your hair,” he noticed, tugging a curl that had fallen across my face.
I blushed as I nodded. His dimples deepened with his smile, and I thought my heart would explode at the sight.
“I like it,” he said, with a brazen wink.
Luke was still incredibly handsome. He wore his hair a little shorter, and his face was now consumed with quite a few days’ worth of stubble. A noticeable reminder that he was far from the boy I once knew.
“I can’t believe you made it,” Nate spoke. I pulled my eyes away from Luke and turned back to my brother. “We didn’t even know if you got the invitation.”
Luke silently retreated back to his bar, leaving me to catch up with my family.
“Let’s just say that all the stars aligned, and it was the perfect excuse for a trip home,” I said.
Mum and Dad were next in line to greet me, but it felt awkward. I hadn’t seen them in years, and we only spoke every few months over the phone. I knew they were proud of me, but I think they would have preferred I’d stayed on the farm, got married and had a bunch of kids.
They were angry for a long time after the way I left, but the years and distance between us had cooled them off. I offered to fly them over to Nashville numerous times, but they always declined, saying they could never find the time to leave the farm. I accepted they were stuck in their ways, and I found it easier on my heart to stop trying.
“Hi, darling,” Mum gushed, as she embraced me. Her eyes were glistening when she pulled away. “Thank you for coming, it means the world to us that you made the trip.”
“Hi, sweetie.” My dad, who was never overly affectionate, pulled me into a hug. “I’ve missed my girl.”
I struggled to hold back my emotions. “I’ve missed you too, Dad,” I said. I swallowed the regret I felt for not calling enough, or visiting at all. Except once, fleetingly, five years prior. But that really didn’t count.
Nate pulled on my arm and grinned. “I want you to meet someone.”
He dragged me over to a group of people and tapped a girl on her shoulder. As the tall brunette turned to Nate, her brown eyes bulged when they met mine. Her casual demeanour disappeared and her back straightened in surprise. Nate chuckled, and ran his hand down her back to ease her nerves.
