June laughed.
“Okay, okay,” she said. “So, I might have beenslightlyavoiding Levi because he’s a famous country star and I’m, you know, me.” She waved at herself.
Cadence frowned. “We’re going to loop back on that one, because you say that like you aren’t wonderful and like heshouldn’t be falling all over himself wanting to get to know you, but go on.”
Goodness, all these compliments were going to go straight to June’s head if she wasn’t careful. First Levi, now Cadence. Still, she went on with her story.
“Anyway, yesterday we ran into one another and he… asked if I wanted to record a single with him.”
Cadence gasped, and Miriam whooped so loudly, throwing her hands up in the air, that the three other women immediately turned away from their conversation.
“What’s happening?” Diana asked.
“Our June is going to record a single withLevi Hawkins!” Cadence cried.
“Whoa,” Winnie said, her eyes wide. “Even I know who that is and I’m a huge nerd.”
“When is this happening?” Eleanor asked.
June held up her hands. “Wait, wait,” she cautioned. “It’s not happening. Yet. I haven’t decided if I’m going to do it.”
All five of her friends let out horrified sounds of protest.
“June Caldwell,” Cadence said sternly. “Youhave todo it.”
“It would be really cool,” Winnie admitted.
“What do you even have to lose?” Diana asked.
But June found her gaze traveling to Miriam, the person who so often understood her best when emotions about letting someone in after loss came into play. Miriam, no matter that she was typically the most exuberant of the group, had the softest look on her face now, one gentle with understanding.
She reached out and gripped June’s hand in hers.
“Don’t let happiness slip away from you just because you’re scared,” she advised. “The hard times will come either way. You and I both know that better than most. But,” she added, patting June’s fingers, “it is the good times, especially the good timesthat we enjoy when we’re young, that help us get through those tough times.”
Eleanor was nearly three decades younger than Miriam, but she was the next oldest of their group, and she added her own two cents.
“You can’t let fear rule your choices,” she advised. “If I’d done that, I would have stayed in Indianapolis after my divorce. But I came here, and I opened this store, even though I was downright terrified! And look how much wonderfulness came from that.” She winked at June. “Besides, sometimes you persevere despite fearing that someone will judge you and are pleasantly surprised to learn that nobody even wanted to judge you in the first place. You learn that they were secretly all in your corner all along.”
“Plus,” Winnie chimed in, “even if some other punks try to give you a hard time, youknowyou’ll always have us in your corner.”
She tried to put on a fierce expression, which made June chuckle, even as she teared up a little bit.
“Thanks, guys,” she said, wiping a gentle finger under her eye. “That means a lot.”
“Forget all the mushy stuff, though!” Cadence protested. “When are you supposed to meet him?”
June looked down at her watch, which already made Cadence let out a strangled sound, apparently at the realization that this was a matter of hours, not days. June’s poor friend looked even more dismayed when June said, “Um, now… ish?”
“Out!” Cadence cried surging to her feet and pointing to the door imperiously. “Out! Get out of here, June Caldwell! I don’t even know what you’re still doing here?”
June looked at the book in her lap, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by this sudden turn of events.
“Uh, book club?” she ventured, raising the book in Cadence’s direction. She glanced around the room for support, but found none.
“No, you definitely have to go,” Diana insisted.
“Time to hustle!” Miriam said, shaking her hands above her head like she held pompoms.
