Page 2 of Dear Blue Jean Cowboy
“I don’t want to wait another ten years to see you.”
I lift the paper bag with the cobbler inside and take a sniff of the sugary peach goodness.
"Don't worry. I'll be back for more of this," I tell her as I go.
Outside, a crowd has formed. Many of the onlookers have their cell phones out and are holding them up to snap pictures. I stop and pose for a few photos with a group of girls declaring that they are my number one fans.
By the time I make my way to my rental, my phone is ringing in my purse. I already know it's my mother calling to find out why I stopped. I don't bother picking up. She will have plenty of time to lecture me when I get there. I type out a quick text letting her know I'm on my way.
I can already tell this is going to be a long trip.
2
RHETT
News of Diana’s arrival back in town spreads like wildfire. Although that’s not surprising, she’s the biggest thing to come out of Centennial Springs since Scotty Dawson got recruited to play football at Ohio State.
I was told by four different people while shopping at three different stores that they saw her stop at Mirabelle's Café before heading to her folk's house. She's been gone for so long that I was starting to wonder if she was ever going to come back, but after her sister, Nora, had her baby, I knew it was only a matter of time.
After she left town, I spent most of my time running my family's ranch and trying to forget her. But just when I thought that I'd moved past my heartbreak of losing her, Diana hit it big, and suddenly she was everywhere. Kind of hard when your ex becomes a top country music star.
Everyone and their mother wanted to tell me everything they'd heard, hoping to get me to spill what I know. I guess my only solace with seeing her smiling face on magazine covers and listening to her voice on the radio was that she was very private about her private life. From what I heard from all the gossipy hens in town, no one could confirm that Diana had a relationship with anyone famous or otherwise.
"There you are!" My younger sister Dani calls out when I pull to a stop in front of the little cabin I built on my family's ranch. "I need to talk to you about times for you to come into town and help with the festival."
She’s sitting on the front steps with a thick binder on her lap that is so packed with papers it looks like it could burst if even another single sheet is added.
“Hello to you too,” I say as I get out and start unloading the bags from the bed of the truck.
“Yes, hello. How are you? Whatever. I need the times you are available.”
Well, I guess the niceties are over.
"I'm not sure how much time I can afford to give you." I walk an arm full of bags past her and into the house as she follows me inside. "There is a lot to do around here, and with Beau focusing more on his honey bees, I'm the one who has to pick up the slack."
I don’t mention that I want to minimize the risk of running into Diana if at all possible.
“You promised you’d help build the sound stage for the performances.”
"I'm not sure a small-town talent show is going to draw the crowd you think that would warrant a sound stage," I say as I start to put the groceries away. "Can't you just use the Gazebo in town's square like every other year?"
“Rhett, I don’t think you understand the pressure I’m under here. This is the first year that Delilah Ford isn’t in charge of the Centennial Springs Summer Festival. This year has to be the best year ever so—”
“So you can rub in Delilah’s face and be the town hero?”
"Actually," she says, drawing out each syllable. "I was going to say for the town to raise money for a good cause. But if the festival is a huge success and if it shows up Delilah, then that would just be a bonus."
“Glad to see you have your priorities straight.” I chuckle.
“Did you, um,” Dani starts to mumble under her breath, but I cut her off, already knowing what she’s about to say.
“I already heard. And no, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay, but Beau called and said that we should check on you.”
“I’m fine,” I say, but even I can hear the uneasiness in my voice. “It’s been a long time since that all went down between us.”
“You tried to get married.”
