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“Thanks.” I know that my legs are part of my image. They always have been. I perform in short skirts and short shorts, and I always wear stiletto heels to accentuate my leg muscles. I work out often, keeping my legs in shape. “But the upper part is all covered up. It even has long sleeves.”
The dress is by Valentino. It’s blush pink, with sequins all over it, making it shimmer in the light. It has long sleeves and a high neck, completely covering my chest.
“Sure, but no back to speak of.”
“Okay, I’m going to show a lot of skin.” I shrug and admire the dress on the hanger.
“Do it while you’re young,” Wendy advises with a wink. “You’ll look spectacular in this. I assume you bought new shoes, too?”
“Of course.” I reach for the box of sparkly Jimmy Choos that match the dress and grin. “They’ll kill my feet, but they’ll be pretty.”
Wendy laughs and sets them on my shelf for me.
“I must admit, Seattle looks good on you, kiddo.”
My eyes whip over to her in surprise. “What do you mean?”
“You’re happy. You have a bit of a glow to you, one that I haven’t seen in a while. I know that touring is exhausting, but it wasn’t just that I saw before you left for the west coast.”
“I did have a good time out west. It was nice to spend time with my brother and his fiancée, and then I spent a few days with my parents and Maya. It really helped to fill my cup back up, as my mom would say.”
“No man?”
My hands still at Wendy’s question, and then I shrug my shoulder. “Yeah, there’s a guy out there. But it’s definitely nothing serious.”
“Well, it was good for you, then. Will you stay in Nashville now or go back to Seattle?”
“I haven’t decided,” I reply honestly. “I didn’t let the condo go yet, in case I want to go back, but I brought all my things home with me. Tomorrow night might be a deciding factor, depending on how I’m welcomed. Country music is a small family, and sometimes I feel like I’m on the outside, looking in.”
“I hope that you find what you need tomorrow night. My husband and I are going to the show. We scored some tickets.”
“Oh, that’s so exciting. I love watching shows at the Opry. It’s just so…country.”
Wendy grins, and with everything situated for now, we walk down to the kitchen.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come in the morning and help out with anything?” she asks.
“No, it should be just fine. You enjoy the day, and I’ll see you tomorrow night at the show. I’m going with Rick Collins.”
Her eyebrows both fly up at that.
“He’s the hottest thing in country music right now. Good for you, honey.”
“We’re friends,” I reply. “We’ve known each other a long time, and neither of us wanted to go alone. He’s performing, too.”
“Still, he’ll look damn good on your arm, and vice versa.” Wendy winks and grabs her purse. “Give me a buzz in the morning if you need me.”
“You’re a mother hen, you know that?”
“It’s just in my DNA,” she says with a laugh. “Welcome home.”
She waves and then walks out the back door to her car.
I take a deep breath and turn to look at my kitchen. It’s bright, with white cabinets and marble countertops, and I absolutely adore the deep farmhouse sink that I just had to have when we remodeled the space. I love this kitchen.
I’ve never cooked a meal in it, but I love it.
And now that I’m back, and walking through my house, I can admit that I really like this house. As I told Keaton, it’s not huge, but it’s cozy, updated, and decorated just the way I like it.
But it feels empty. And lonely.
And I don’t know if I’ve ever felt that before, being in this house.
“You’re moping,” I mutter to myself. “Keaton hurt your feelings, and you’re pouting over it. Stop that. It’s not sexy, and it’s totally annoying.”
I open the freezer and retrieve a pint of ice cream, open the lid, and grab a spoon.
Maybe this will help me forget about Keaton Williams.
“You know, it’s not polite to upstage the inductee,” Rick says with a grin when he walks into my house the next afternoon to pick me up. “You’re hot as hell, Sidney.”
“You’re sweet.” I do a little twirl and bask in Rick’s whistle. Yeah, I look hot in this dress, and the shoes tie it all together. “I might keep this one for a tour. It would need some modifications, and tights would be a must, but it’s a good one.”
“No one’s going to be looking at Misty with you in that dress.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Trust me, her dress is hot as hell, too. She sent me a picture a few days ago.”
