Page 44 of High Note

Damn. The owner. Way to get your girl in trouble…

“Thanks.” She waited until Cherry left, then leveled a look at Brenda. “I can’t be in love with her,” she whispered. “I don’t have time!”

“So, what? You can’t text? Call? Fly in to Grand Junction when you’re not performing? You can’t bring her?” Brenda shrugged and shook her head. “You have all the options in the world, sweetpea.”

“I’m not out, though. My label would dump me.” Wouldn’t they? Or even if they didn’t, she’d seen what happened to colleagues who’d come out. Stations refused to play them. Country songs got reclassified as rock and roll…

“If they do, they’re idiots. You might not be able to shave your head and get a rainbow tattoo, but we all know that we’re not all straight. All of us. This isn’t 1990.”

She chewed her lower lip. Hell, maybe Brenda was right. Maybe she was being way too old-school about all this. Even sports guys were coming out these days. She would have to mull that over when the panic subsided.

“You do you, Sky, but don’t be less than you because you’re scared.”

“I am.” She chuckled. “I forget everywhere else is not home. I mean, it can be hard in this business.”

“Like I don’t understand that. I do, but…” Brenda picked up a cheese stick and dipped it in the ranch. “I’d hate to see you make a mistake like me.”

Her eyebrows flew up. “What? What happened?” She’d never even heard so much as a whisper that Brenda had been with anyone.

“It was a long time ago. The eighties. I was in love. She was in love. Her parents got wind of it, and she ended up in a mental facility.”

“Oh my God.” She stared at Brenda, mouth hanging open. “I—is she still there?”

“No. No, but she married a man, had five babies, and when she divorced him, she ended up marrying my best friend from high school.”

“Oh. Ouch.” She shook her head. “That sucks, Brenda. I’m sorry.”

“It does. Explore. See what comes out of it. Don’t run off just because things might be hard.”

“I’ll definitely breathe and let it flow.” She could do that much. Right?

“And don’t stress the band. Lay down the music, then let them have their time off.”

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all night.” In fact, she was thinking of seeing if she could get another house. Or go stay on the bus.

“Right? Go play house with your sweetie. Does she like dogs?”

“She has cats, Bren. Five of them.”

“Huh.” Brenda grinned. “Do they like dogs?”

“I don’t think they’ve ever met one.” Reba could go either way depending on the cat.

“Well, you could start with that. A puppy visit.”

“I don’t know if Kirsten would let me bring Reba.”

“Sure, I will. I have the loft. The cats can watch from there. I assume she crates?”

Kirsten didn’t sound worried.

“Yes, she’s had to, living on the road like she does.” Loading and unloading the bus, staying in hotels and daycares… Reba was extremely well-mannered.

“Well, there you go.” Kirsten plonked some cheesy bread on the table. There must be a lot of guilt about the band leaving. “She can come.”

“You sure?”

Kirsten rolled her eyes like thrown dice. “Of course, I’m sure. I wouldn’t have said so otherwise. You need some more Diet Coke?”

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