Page 11 of Dear Blue Jean Cowboy
“It is.” I laugh too. “I totally stole that from her.”
I loop my arm around Rhett’s waist and pull him close. This moment is so perfect, and I don’t want to ruin it with what I have to say next.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“How do you know something is wrong?”
“I could feel your whole body tense next to me.”
"I have to get back to the studio in a few days, and then I'm heading out on a yearlong tour."
“I know.”
I turn to look at him, expecting to see some expression on his face that doesn’t look like contentment.
"We only just got back together, and now we have to spend more time apart, and you don't even look upset."
“Ask me why I’m not upset.”
I stare at him in confusion. “Why?”
“Because I’m waiting for you to ask me to come with you.”
“What? You can’t leave. Who is going to run the ranch?”
"I talked to my Dad, and he agreed that they are going to hire someone on to run the ranch with the help of my brothers."
"And you're okay with that?" I ask as hope fills my chest.
“I am if you ask me.”
"Yes!" I jump up and down. "Do you want to come on tour with me?"
Rhett answers me with a kiss I feel all the way to my toes.
“I’m not making the same mistake twice,” he says. “I’m going to follow you anywhere.”
Epilogue
DIANA
There is nothing like the adrenaline from a live performance in front of an arena stadium to get your heart racing.
It’s the final concert of our forty-city tour, and I’m about to sing the last song of the night. My newest hit that has been blowing up the charts.
“I want to thank you all for coming out here tonight,” I say into the microphone. “I have one more song to play for you before we go. This song is nearest and dearest to my heart. I wrote it after finding a love I thought was long over.”
One of the stage workers walks out with my acoustic guitar, with rose gold sparkles lacquered all over. It was a gift Rhett surprised me with it for my birthday a few months ago.
I woke up to the smell of coffee brewing and the guitar propped up on the chair near the bed with a big gold bow. There was a note attached to it.
Use this guitar to write us a lifetime of love songs.
—Your Blue Jean Cowboy
“I think you all know which song I’m talking about.” I lift the strap over my head. “Do you all want to meet the inspiration for this song?”
The crowd goes wild at a deafening level. I laugh and glance over to the side of the stage, expecting to see Rhett needing to be manhandled by my tour manager to come out, but he’s smiling like he knew that I was going to call him out here.
