Page 54 of High Note

“Good woman.” The cowgirl nodded. “I’m Evie, by the way. And that’s Cheyenne.”

“So nice to meet you for real.” She’d seen them the first night in town, but they hadn’t been to the singalong.

“Same here. You both should come out to the ranch, have supper, play some cards.”

“We’d love that.” Evie kissed the top of Cheyenne’s head. “Wouldn’t we, babe?”

“Mmm. You know I love to cook for people.” Cheyenne looked at Evie like she’d hung the moon.

“That would be so nice.” She hadn’t done something like that in—well, ever, as an adult. Gone to a dinner party with people not in the band or in her management. Where she always had to be on guard.

“Cool. Any dietary things I need to know about?” Cheyenne smiled at her, and her whole face lit up.

“Nope. I don’t have food allergies, and I’m on vacay. I am going full on.” She needed to get to the gym and hit the treadmill, but really, she felt pretty good.

“So tomorrow? Sunday?”

Kirsten squeezed her gently. “Up to you, babe.”

“When do you have the time off, honey?”

“How about Sunday?” Kirsten said. “I don’t have a shift that day.”

“Sounds perfect.” Evie clapped Kirsten on the back. “I can’t wait to show you our place, Skyla. Chey’s made it a real home.”

“I can see that. Sometimes it takes someone else to help you understand you were missing something.” She glanced at Kirsten. “You might not have known it otherwise.”

“You know it. That’s one of the ways love makes, right?”

“Yes.” She meant it, too, she realized. She was in love with Kirsten. She had it bad.

“Sounds perfect. What can we bring?” Kirstan’s eyes twinkled. “I’m assuming not dessert, o queen of the magical land of pastry?”

“Bitch.” Cheyenne giggled, the sound really soft. “I’m thinking pasta. Unless you all want something like chili? I mean. I am from Texas.”

“So are both of us. Let’s have pasta.” Kristen winked at Cheyenne. They all chuckled and nodded, looking like a quartet of Bobblehead dolls.

“Point taken. I can do that.”

They all stood there drinking their beers, just kind of chilling. And it was so relaxing. Easy to breathe, easy to lean into Kirsten. Easy to just talk. Like they were simply two women between sets.

Visiting with friends.

Getting ready to go up again, and do what they were born to do.

Make music.

It was the most wonderful thing she’d ever experienced.

And she was fixin’ to do it again.

Chapter Sixteen

Kirsten’s phone started ringing at eight o’clock in the morning. She fumbled for it, her eyes crusted over. They’d had a late night. They’d stayed in the bar until two, and then they’d come home and made love. It was damn near dawn by the time they’d gone to bed and really gotten to sleep.

The image on the phone that came up was Lupe from M&M Outfitters. And she frowned. Trying to figure out why on earth Lupe would be calling her.

“’lo?”

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