Page 69 of The Rebel with Broken Strings
“But what if—” Aubrey started, her voice catching.
“What if he doesn’t come back?” Willow finished gently. “That’s a risk we all take when we let someone in. But Aubrey, you can’t let fear stop you from living.”
Charly nodded, her calming presence seeming to fill the room. “Willow’s right,” she said, her voice soft but sure. “And maybe…maybe this longing you’re feeling is telling you something important.”
Aubrey raised an eyebrow, curiosity momentarily overriding her emotional turmoil. “What do you mean?”
Charly leaned against the bar, her expression thoughtful. “Well, think about it. You miss Gunner, yes, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? You miss the way you felt when he was here, the possibilities he represented.”
The words hit Aubrey like a physical blow. She closed her eyes, remembering the spark of excitement she’d felt every time Gunner took the stage, the way her world had seemed to expand beyond the borders of Timber Falls.
“Maybe,” Charly continued, her tone gentle, “this is a sign that you need to reevaluate what truly makes you happy. Both here in Timber Falls and beyond.”
Aubrey nodded slowly, her fingers tracing patterns on the polished wood of the bar. The truth of Charly’s words resonated deep within her, unlocking a floodgate of emotions she’d been desperately trying to keep at bay.
“You’re right,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s not just Gunner I’m missing. It’s everything.” She looked up, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “I love Timber Falls, I do. The simplicity, the sense of community. But sometimes I feel like I’m suffocating.”
She took a shaky breath, the words tumbling out now. “I miss the buzz of the city, the endless possibilities. The thrill of creating a new dish and seeing it come to life on a plate.” Her hand clenched into a fist. “But then I think about leaving all this behind, leaving you both, and it feels like I’m tearing myself in two.”
Willow pushed herself off the bar, her eyes intense as she studied Aubrey. “Why does it have to be one or the other?” she asked, her tone challenging but not unkind.
Aubrey blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”
Willow leaned forward. “Why can’t you have it all? The excitement of the city and the peace of Timber Falls? Your culinary passion and the bar? Us and Gunner?”
The question hung in the air, electric with possibility. Aubrey felt a flicker of something unfamiliar in her chest. Hope, fragile but undeniable.
“It’s the logistics of making it all work,” she murmured, her mind racing. “It just seems…too complicated.”
Willow raised her brows. “Is it really? Because it seems pretty easy to me.”
Could she really blend these two worlds? As the idea took root, Aubrey felt a smile tugging at her lips for the first time in weeks. It was unconventional, impractical even, but the more she considered it, the more right it felt.
Maybe she didn’t need to give up the side of herself that she felt like she’d left behind in Atlanta after all…
She looked up at her friends, gratitude washing over her. “You really think I could make this work?”
Charly’s eyes crinkled as she smiled, her calming presence filling the space between them. “Of course you can, Aubrey,” she said, her voice soft but sure. “Your journey doesn’t have to be about choosing one life over the other. It’s about finding a way to weave together all the things you love.”
Her heart quickened at the thought. She twisted a strand of her hair. “Even Gunner?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Charly nodded, reaching out to squeeze Aubrey’s hand. “Especially Gunner. You love him. You shouldn’t have to miss him like this.”
Heat filled Aubrey’s chest, melting some of the ice that had formed around her heart. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to imagine a future where she didn’t have to choose. Where the thrill of the city could coexist with the comfort of small-town life, where Gunner’s music could blend with the familiar sounds of The Naked Moose.
When she opened her eyes, they were brimming with tears. “I don’t know what I did to deserve friends like you,” she said, her voice thick with emotion.
Willow snorted, breaking the tension. “Oh please, you put up with our drama on a daily basis. We owe you.”
Aubrey laughed, the sound echoing in the empty bar. It felt good, like shedding a weight she’d been carrying for too long. She looked at her friends, these women who had become her family, and felt a surge of determination.
“You’re right,” she said, straightening her shoulders. “I can have it all. Now I just need to figure out how.”
Willow grinned. “And we’ll help you.”
Twenty-Two
The audience in Nashville was alive with energy, the crowd’s cheers and applause washing over Gunner like a warm tide. The theater was a sight to behold, with its grand marquee lit up in neon lights. The old brick building stood tall and proud, its entrance lined with posters of past performances. The large stage was decorated with cowboy boots and guitars.
