Still, Diana didn’t think her friend had a “small town stage” voice. She had a radio voice… not that radio was much of a thing anymore, she supposed.
Besides, so long as June was singing locally, her friend could come out and support her… and they did. Tonight would be just Diana and Cadence, but they were often joined by Miriam and Eleanor, as well as Eleanor’s boyfriend, Garrett, and Cadence’s husband, Tyler. Occasionally even the kids made it out as well, although that was reserved for special occasions, as the open mic went on until way past bedtime.
In fact, since bedtime was probably already underway, Diana didn’t get out of her car at Cadence’s house, instead just waving through the windshield to Tyler, who returned the gesture before giving his wife a quick kiss goodbye. Diana grinned asCadence bounded toward her, her newly shortened strawberry blonde hair fluttering merrily in the breeze.
“Hey!” Diana greeted as Cadence slid into the passenger seat. “Tyler’s hanging out with Izzy tonight?”
The Meadows’ daughter, Izzy, was one of Diana’s all-time favorite people. The six-year-old girl was sweet, adorable, and so funny that she often left Diana in stitches.
Cadence laughed. “Oh yeah, she’s so psyched about it too. Practically started trying to push me out of the door at like three this afternoon.”
“Gosh, being a mom is just nonstop glamor and appreciation, huh?” Diana teased.
“Right? Izzy is getting to have a special late bedtime for special daddy-daughter time, and they’re in the middle of reading some kids adventure book. I couldn’t tell you more because I was very muchnotinvited to hang.”
Cadence’s fond laugh suggested that she did not at all begrudge her husband for getting special alone time with their daughter.
Diana began backing out of the driveway. “So, everything is going well with you and Tyler, then, I take it?” she asked.
Cadence and Tyler had recently reconciled after a rough patch that had left them temporarily separated. They’d struggled for years with their inability to conceive a much-wanted second child, which had gradually driven a wedge between them. Being apart had clearly made both husband and wife deeply unhappy, but their decision to take some time apart had proven beneficial, as it had helped both of them figure out where their true desires and values rested. The pair were now giving their marriage a second chance and they were clearly far happier than they had been before the separation had taken place.
Even with her eyes on the road, Diana could see how Cadence lit up.
“Yeah, it’s been pretty amazing,” she said happily. “There are always going to be some hiccups, but I feel like even those are going more smoothly. We had a little argument the other day over the dumbest thing, just like busy schedules and life stuff, but I feel like even that went better. We got annoyed, but then we faced that annoyance instead of letting it fester. It just feels… good,” she decided finally, as if there was no better descriptor than the simple word to explain how she felt.
Diana was thrilled for her friend, although she couldn’t help but feel the tiniest twinge of jealousy. What she wouldn’t do for that kind of relationship, where even the difficult parts were sort of wonderful.
It was a short drive to Anchor Bistro, which proved fortunate, as the parking lot was already starting to look crowded with cars. The pair hurried inside, grateful that they were able to snag a table before the room filled up.
June was sitting over near the stage, in a cluster of some of the usual singers and performers for the open mic night. Diana and Cadence shot her a quick wave, but didn’t make a move to interrupt the group’s pre-performance ritual.
“Good evening! What can I get for y’all?”
A young waitress with a faint Southern twang approached their table, her name tag proclaiming her Deborah. Given the increasingly busy nature of the bistro, Cadence and Diana kept their orders simple: strawberry peach lemonade for them both, as well as an order of mozzarella sticks to share.
The room was abuzz with excitement over the upcoming entertainment, which was quickly becoming a staple among locals. The beach brought in countless tourists for the summer, and while that was great for the town, especially business owners like Diana, it was nice to have a place to hang out where you could trust that you’d find Magnolia Shore residents more than people on vacation.
It was therefore notable when someone that they didn’t recognize entered the establishment.
“Ooh, who is that?” Cadence asked, nudging her friend and pointing over to the door, where a man who looked to be about Diana’s age, perhaps a bit older had just come in and was looking around as if assessing the scene. “He’s handsome.”
“You aremarried, madam,” Diana teased her friend. Privately though, she agreed with her friend’s assessment. The newcomer was tall, with dark hair that was going to silver around his temples. He had an attractive face too, but the part that Diana found most appealing was that he looked friendly.
The good looking ones are always tourists, she thought with an internal laugh, although she did wonder how a tourist had ended up at the event. Were they about to be overrun by beachgoers? She hoped not.
The announcer called a start to the performances, which drew Diana’s attention away from the handsome man. The first in the lineup was an older gentleman named George, who frequently played beautiful, crooning songs on his acoustic guitar. June was slated to go second.
People continued to fill into the bistro as George played. By the time he was done, the place was well and truly crowded, and the polite applause was loud just because of how many people there were.
When June started to sing, however, the place wentwild.
“Oh my goodness, she’s incredible,” Deborah said absently as she passed by their table, her eyes on where June was belting out an old country hit. She deposited a basket of appetizers on Diana and Cadence’s table and was gone in a flash, whisked away into the crowd.
Which meant, unfortunately, that she was out of reach before the women realized that they had not just been given their mozzarella sticks, but rather a basket of jalapeño poppers.
“Wait, no!” Cadence cried when Diana reached for one without thinking. “That’s not ours.”
Diana, who was sensitive to spicy foods, gave her friend a grateful look.
