Tally digs her teeth into her bottom lip. It seems like it takes her great effort to get the next words out. “What if I dazzled people intobelievingI was any good? What if these folks here see the real me and find I’m actually boring and ugly and talentless?”
I shake her gently by the shoulders. “You’re the goddamn opposite of boring, Trouble. You’re a whirlwind packaged in gorgeous curves. Talentless? Don’t make me laugh! Would anyone call a choir of angels talentless?”
Her brow quirks. “No?”
“Exactly. And you got the voice of an angel. What was that about you being ugly? Fuck, you’re the most stunningwoman this town has ever seen. The most beautiful womananytown will ever see.”
Her giggle lifts a weight off my chest. “Thank you. I needed that pep talk. You should trademark those cause you’re damn good at puttin’ my head on straight.”
I adjust my backward cap, grinning. “Doing my job as your partner in crime, ma’am.”
“And you’ll be right there with me in the limelight. So I got nothin’ to worry about.”
My jaw drops at the same time as my heart. “I thought this wasyourgig?”
“Ourgig.”
I’m glad she’s feeling better but I don’t like where this is going.
“Ready when you are!” Dave shouts from across the bar.
“We’re actually gonna need a second mic and another stool,” she yells back.
“Sure thing!” Dave answers and disappears into a backroom.
I’m still processing when Tally hops from her seat and picks up her guitar case, putting it on the bar. She takes out the instrument, offering it to me. “It’s tuned and ready for you. I want you to play tonight.”
I accept the guitar in a trance. She fishes a tiny headless tambourine out of her bag, entwines my free hand with hers and steers me toward the stage.
I dig my heels in. “But I’m gonna drag down your performance.”
“Bullshit! You never drag me down. All you do is lift me up and bring out the best in me.”
I feel like I got hit with a bullet of sunshine. It hurts, but it makes me grin, too.
While Dave sets up the second mic, Tally turns to meand lays a cold hand on my cheek. From the tremble in her fingers I can tell she’s still nervous, but now she’s the one giving me courage.
It’s a mutual deal, it seems.
“If you don’t believe in yourself right now that’s okay, Big Guy. Cause I believe in you enough for both of us and I’ll keep lending you confidence until you find your own.”
Tally hops up the steps to the stage, taking her spot in front of the microphone. Her eyes gleam as she gestures for me to follow.
I laugh anxiously. The last time I stood on stage with the woman I love was the day I married her—and then lost her. I can’t help worrying that history will repeat itself.
But more than that, stronger than my fear, is that pull on my heartstrings drawing me toward her.
I walk up and take a seat on the stool next to hers.
“Good evening y’all, we’re Kentucky Skies!” Tally says into the mic and applause rises.
It feels like my heart swells to double its size. I haven’t heard our old stage name in so long, I didn’t realize how much I missed it. How right it sounds.
Tally shakes the headless tambourine. “We’re here to get those boots movin’! Are you ready?”
A whoop comes from the side where Erin waves both hands over her head. Trevor whistles and a tall blond woman with a pearl necklace elbows him in the ribs, shutting him up.
Tally covers the mic with her palm and whispers to me, “Let’s get them going with ‘You Look Like You Love Me’before we mix things up with a few classics.”
