Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch
Kerry Winsor: @Grace Day, did you get a weird text from Brooke? She wants me to go to some concert in Nashville.
Comments:
Marjorie Brown:You got that too? I thought she’d lost her mind. Who would invite ME to a concert?
Tammy Jane:I got it too. I don’t even like the girl. I bet it’s one of those scams.
Mollie Wilson:How did she even get my number???
We woundup at an Indian restaurant in the bottom of a hotel. Dean had mentioned that Nashville was known for its hot chicken, but the idea of fried food nearly made me sick, so he pivoted.
It was a fantastic choice considering how delicious the naan alone was. The curry was even better, and I got to try twodifferent kinds since Dean was willing to share. We weren’t able to stay too long, but it was nice to fill up on something good before seeing Brooke.
The drive to the bar was short, and I grew nervous as we got close. I wasn’t sure why, since she’d been the one to invite me to this, after all. Why would she be anything but happy to see me?
“Say the word and we’ll leave,” Dean said lowly. “And if she hurts you, you’re leaving anyway.”
I wished I could say that she wouldn’t hurt me, but this was Brooke we were talking about. Anything was possible with her.
“Okay,” I said. “Fair enough.”
He nodded and got out of the truck to open the door for me.
If I thought Nashville was loud, a bar in Nashville was even louder. It hit me like a train the second we walked in. Someone was singing a country song on stage, and the speakers were at max volume. Despite that, people were still talking. And yelling.
I found a corner to get us into that wasn’t packed with people. I hoped it wouldn’t be as loud, but it was. The baby moved. I wondered if they hated this too.
Still, I’d been invited, and I searched the bar for my sister. She was in the front row wearing another pink cowboy hat.
Was she nervous? I would be if I were in her shoes.
We’d gotten to the bar just in time. As the first singer was done, everyone erupted in cheers. Brooke stood and rushed on stage. She had a guitar in hand and waved at everyone.
“Hi, y’all! Welcome to the sing off.”
She didn’t even sound like herself. She sounded like all the other country singers from Nashville. Her drawl was exaggerated and syrupy. And not to mention, it was very fake.
“I’m Brooke Day and I’ll be singing an original for you.” She strummed a note on the guitar. “I want to dedicate this to the one who shows up. The person who’s been here from the beginning.” I nearly froze. Was she actually about to dedicatethis to ... me? “Jude, I know you’re out there. This one’s for you!”
My hope crashed. She was talking about Jude. Of course she was. My shoulders slumped in disappointment. Dean’s hand slid into mine and he raised an eyebrow, a silent offer to leave.
I shook my head and faced the front.
Brooke started playing. I was no music expert, but I could hear a difference between Brooke’s performance and the one before it. She’d improved since her days in the shower, but I wasn’t sure how she stacked up against all of the other incredible performers in Nashville.
Judging by Dean’s wince, he heard it too. Thankfully, he didn’t say anything bad about the performance. Unfortunately, there was nothinggoodto say either.
When her song was over, most people clapped, but I saw the whispering going on. We weren’t the only ones who’d noticed she’d been a little off-key.
“I’m gonna go say hi,” I said to Dean as she got off the stage. Brooke was talking with someone I didn’t recognize, but her eyes flicked to me and she did a double take.
“What are you doing here?” she asked when she saw me.
I jerked back. “You invited me.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I did? Huh. Maybe I did.” She shrugged as if it were nothing. “You’re huge, by the way.”