Page 82 of Forever To Me

And then he kissed me. And I forgot about being friends with him.

The bar is packed tonight with regulars and a few out-of-towners who heard about The Black Dog from God knows where. The jukebox hums with old country, the kind of music that makes you want to sip whiskey and make bad decisions. I support both things as long as it doesn’t result in a bar fight or a mess.

I’ve been here long enough to fall into the rhythm of it all, and it’s been so much fun. Even pouring drinks, wiping down the bar, and chatting with the regulars. I’ve loved getting toknow everyone in town better. Walker thinks I’m doing him a favor by helping him out. He’s doing me the real favor. I’m saving up to pay for my car repairs, which aren’t going to be cheap. Poppy had to order an expensive part that she’s waiting on.

I look up when a large bus pulls up in front of the bar. The type of bus that I’ve seen plenty of back in Nashville but is uncommon here in Bridger Falls. Like a tour bus. And at Walker’s bar. Concern fills me, and I crane my neck to look harder, curious to who it might be.

Then it gets crazier because, holy crap, Kelsie Turner just walked into The Black Dog. She stops and looks around, smiling and nodding to a few people.

TheKelsie Turner.

I freeze, bottle in midair in my hand, my brain short-circuiting. Did my two worlds collide? I’ve seen plenty of famous musicians while working on music row back in Nashville. Both singing and bartending. I'm so used to it, that I'm not much on fan girling. And in Nashville, musicians are just normal. But this is not what I expected to see tonight here in this small town in the middle of nowhere. Especially, not her.

Kelsie freaking Turner. And she’s even more stunning in person. Sure, I follow her on social media. But I don’t know her. And she sure as hell wouldn’t know me. This is completely wild.

She’s country music royalty. The woman whose songs have been played in every bar, truck, and heartbroken girl’s bedroom for over the last five years. She’s won awards and has sold-out shows. She’s nothing short of incredible.

And she’s standing right here, right now, in Walker’s bar in the middle of nowhere. I glance around, looking for the joke. Surely, this is a prank.

I blink to make sure I’m not hallucinating.

Nope. She’s still there.

She leans against the bar, her long dark hair cascading over a dark leather jacket that probably costs more than my car.

She leans over and asks, “Walker here?”

How does she know Walker? And why is she here, in his bar, asking for him? I'm so confused.

I scan the bar, expecting someone else to react, but no one does. I don’t think they realize what’s happening. Just me.

I swallow hard, my mind spinning with so many questions. These questions might not even be my business, and I have no business wondering.

Then, I clear my throat and smile. “I’ll go get him.”

My feet somehow make their way down the back hall, thankfully remembering how to walk because my brain isn’t working right now. I push open the office door without knocking.

Walker is behind his desk, focused on paperwork because, of course, he is.

He looks up, surprised to see me, as if he was lost in his work. “What do you need, Red?”

I open my mouth, but I have no idea how to say this. So, I blurt it out. “Kelsie Turner is in your bar. Like, IN YOUR BAR.”

The air goes thick. His entire body goes still. There’s an expression on his face, but I don’t understand it. Is it surprise? Is it shock? I can’t tell.

For the first time since I met him, I see Walker, unshakable, steady Walker actually shaken.

Our eyes lock.

And in that moment, I realize something I should’ve realized before now.

There is an entire world of things I don’t know about thisman. Way too many dots aren’t connected. And right now, they're starting to connect.

I follow him back to the bar, my heart beating too fast.

Kelsie’s still leaning against the counter, looking completely at ease. Her eyes light up when she sees him. “Walker,” she says, like she knows him.

And then—they hug. And she whispers something into his ear. He casually pats her on the back.

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