Chapter 13

"We want pizza."

Skyla had blinked when the band, as a unit, had come to her to say it.

"Haven't you guys eaten your weight in Cherry's?"

"Yes, but we want to go and have pizza and beer at the restaurant."

So that was how she ended up at Cherry's Pies at seven p.m. on a Thursday night, standing at the host stand and waiting for a table.

"Hey there. A table for six?" The little teenager bounced, her pigtails adorable.

"Yes, please."

She let Andi do the talking, hanging back, her sunglasses on.

"Come on back. We have a table that's nice and out of the way."

"Thanks."

They trooped through the noisy main dining room to the back where there was no music tonight, and they put Skyla in the middle of one of those big round booths, flanking her on all sides with band members. They tended to want to make sure no one could get to her.

It was sweet and kinda crazy-making.

"Hey, y'all. Welcome to Cherry's." Kirsten's voice sounded, surprising the hell out of her.

Oh.

When Kirsten had said she needed to get some work done, she hadn't imagined that she'd meant here. Waiting tables.

"Dude, you are moonlighting as a waitress?" Geoff asked, and Kirsten actually saw them.

"I am. I'm a waitress, a music teacher, a picker for tips. Whatever gets the rent paid, right?" She chuckled and passed out menus. "What do y'all want to drink?"

"Beer!" That was the chorus, and Skyla waited to chime in.

"Diet Dr Pepper." And it felt so weird having Kirsten wait on her, it really did.

"You got it. I'll be right back with those." Kirsten headed back to the bar, and Lucie blinked over at her.

"This was who you were replacing me with? The waitress? Guys!"

"Hey, now," Skyla snapped. "We all started out in Nashville waiting tables and slinging drinks and all sorts of other shit at people. Give it a rest."

"You know what I mean. You are supposed to say, ‘We could never replace you,' butthead."

"We didn't. But she sat in, and she's a damn good picker." She stared Lucie down.

"Sure. Sorry."

Skyla nodded. "You know you about scared ten years off my life doing what you did."

"I don't even remember it. I just passed clean out. So stupid." Lucie rolled her eyes. "Seriously…just bang. Thank God for Geoff."

"Right?" Andi nudged Mich. "Breaking in someone new is hard."

"Hence what I said. Sorry, boss. I didn't mean anything."

"I know." She did. She just didn't want anyone dumping on Kirsten for waiting tables.

"Still, it's a waste. Why's she wasting her time waiting tables? She's not a kid. She's got talent." Mich kept her voice low, the tone gentle.

"It's hard to get a real break here in Summit Springs, I guess." Skyla shrugged. "How many people way older than her do we all know waiting tables on the strip in Nashville?" She sighed, and shook her head. "I'm going to sell that song for her."

"Good on you. I'm not being a bitch. I think she's got chops." Mich bumped shoulders with her. "I'm rooting for her."

"Thanks. Me too." She let her shoulders come down. "Sore spot, y'all. We all know how it's just about a lucky break once the talent and drive are equal." It broke her heart about Kirsten's young love thing, but she got how Summit Springs could be home. Not just a safe place to hide, which would be sad, but like, a real place to love and be proud of.

She could see wanting to stay with Kirsten and that amazing tub and the cats and the positive vibe of the place.

Kirsten came back with drinks, and Skyla smiled, pushing up her glasses. "How's it going today, honey?"

Pink stained Kirsten's cheeks. "Been pretty slow tonight. You guys are the most interesting thing to happen."

Oh, she wanted to be so much more interesting to Kirsten. Kind of intensely. "I can't believe how much pizza these people consume."

"This stuff is addictive. There's a chicken, pesto, jalapeno special that's kicking tonight." Kirsten winked at her. "The cats love it."

"And her cats are damn picky," Skyla said, sotto voce.

"Well, we'll have one of those," Andi said, holding up her hand. She ticked things off on her fingers. "One all meat. One all veg. One pepperoni and mushrooms. And we all want salad wagon."

"Easy peasy lemon squeezy." Kirsten gave her a lingering glance, then headed off.

"She's got it back for you, blondie," Brenda teased. "I love it. So cute."

"Hush, you." She was pretty fond of Kirsten already and she damn well knew it. "So, what are you lot doing tomorrow?" They'd scheduled like, two or three days on and one off, and tomorrow the band had some kind of plans.

She was going to spend the day with her damn dog, thank you. She missed her face, and she wanted to just chill and wander and look at people's windows and maybe walk to the coffee shop. The sidewalks were magically clean most days by ten am. That made it easy to get around.

"We're going sledding and on a sleigh ride. It's like a whole day thing—lunch and cocoa and all."

"Nice. Sounds cold as hell." Not that she was tired of the snow. It was so pretty. But she was a by the fire, look out at it girl.

"What about you? You spending the day with your girl instead of us?" Andi grinned at her. They'd already invited her to come.

"I'm spending the day with Reba," she snapped, and Andi held her hands up, obviously stung.

"Dude! Sky! I was talking about your fucking dog. Back off me." Andi shoved Geoff.

"Move. I'm not hungry."

Oh fuck. "Andi, I'm?—"

"No. No, you know what? You've been a fucking bitch to us since you got here. I don't know if it's the altitude or what, but I'm not the friggin' bad guy. I'm the keyboard player. Tell me when you want me at the studio. Mich?"

Andi held one hand out to her wife.

"Coming." Mich shot her an apologetic look before scooting out. "Sorry, lady. I'll call you later tonight, 'kay?"

"Yeah, sure."

"You know, I'm gonna go sit at the bar and take the pizza to go," Greggo said. "I'm not going to be in the middle. Lucie?"

"Yeah. I—yeah." Lucie sighed and hauled herself out of the booth, and before she knew it, Skyla was sitting in splendid isolation in the big space, blinking at Brenda.

"Well…okay. So, which pizza are we splitting, baby girl?"

"All the meats?"

"Serves Greggo right. He can have the veggie."

Skyla laughed and nodded. "Yeah." Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry."

"Shh. You're trying to figure out how to be in love the first time. That's tough."

"What?" It came out so loud that she clapped a hand over her mouth as heads turned. Then she coughed. "No. Brenda, no."

"You don't have to lie to me. I would never hurt you. You're the closest thing I have to a daughter. I know love when?—"

"Is everything all right?" An older woman that Skyla didn't know walked up. "Kirsten said most of your party left."

"They decided to get stuff to go," Skyla said with a smile that she was so not sure she was feeling. "But there's not a thing wrong with the service or the food."

"Oh, good. Kirsten is one of my best waitresses, and I couldn't imagine her doing something offensive." She smiled at Kirsten and waved her over. "I had her get you both some fried cheese sticks to tide you over. On the house."

"Oh, thanks." Skyla relaxed her shoulders down. "We'd like the all-meats one to come to us. Just put it all on the same bill, though."

"No problem. I'm Cherry. Holler if you need anything."

Damn. The owner. Way to get your girl in trouble…

"Thanks." She waited until Cherry left, then leveled a look at Brenda. "I can't be in love with her," she whispered. "I don't have time!"

"So, what? You can't text? Call? Fly in to Grand Junction when you're not performing? You can't bring her?" Brenda shrugged and shook her head. "You have all the options in the world, sweetpea."

"I'm not out, though. My label would dump me." Wouldn't they? Or even if they didn't, she'd seen what happened to colleagues who'd come out. Stations refused to play them. Country songs got reclassified as rock and roll…

"If they do, they're idiots. You might not be able to shave your head and get a rainbow tattoo, but we all know that we're not all straight. All of us. This isn't 1990."

She chewed her lower lip. Hell, maybe Brenda was right. Maybe she was being way too old-school about all this. Even sports guys were coming out these days. She would have to mull that over when the panic subsided.

"You do you, Sky, but don't be less than you because you're scared."

"I am." She chuckled. "I forget everywhere else is not home. I mean, it can be hard in this business."

"Like I don't understand that. I do, but…" Brenda picked up a cheese stick and dipped it in the ranch. "I'd hate to see you make a mistake like me."

Her eyebrows flew up. "What? What happened?" She'd never even heard so much as a whisper that Brenda had been with anyone.

"It was a long time ago. The eighties. I was in love. She was in love. Her parents got wind of it, and she ended up in a mental facility."

"Oh my God." She stared at Brenda, mouth hanging open. "I—is she still there?"

"No. No, but she married a man, had five babies, and when she divorced him, she ended up marrying my best friend from high school."

"Oh. Ouch." She shook her head. "That sucks, Brenda. I'm sorry."

"It does. Explore. See what comes out of it. Don't run off just because things might be hard."

"I'll definitely breathe and let it flow." She could do that much. Right?

"And don't stress the band. Lay down the music, then let them have their time off."

"That's the best idea I've heard all night." In fact, she was thinking of seeing if she could get another house. Or go stay on the bus.

"Right? Go play house with your sweetie. Does she like dogs?"

"She has cats, Bren. Five of them."

"Huh." Brenda grinned. "Do they like dogs?"

"I don't think they've ever met one." Reba could go either way depending on the cat.

"Well, you could start with that. A puppy visit."

"I don't know if Kirsten would let me bring Reba."

"Sure, I will. I have the loft. The cats can watch from there. I assume she crates?"

Kirsten didn't sound worried.

"Yes, she's had to, living on the road like she does." Loading and unloading the bus, staying in hotels and daycares… Reba was extremely well-mannered.

"Well, there you go." Kirsten plonked some cheesy bread on the table. There must be a lot of guilt about the band leaving. "She can come."

"You sure?"

Kirsten rolled her eyes like thrown dice. "Of course, I'm sure. I wouldn't have said so otherwise. You need some more Diet Coke?"

"No, I'm good." Skyla wasn't sure what to say or what to do. All she knew was that she'd really messed up somehow. Surely this wasn't really all her fault. Was it?

It couldn't be. Could it? Fuck.

She wasn't that big of a bitch. She just needed a little space and a little time to figure this whole thing out.

Like could she actually, honestly be in love with Kirsten? Was that what that deep ache was?

Goddamn it. This was not how she had intended her evening to go. She just wanted some laughs with the band, nothing serious, nothing earth-shattering—a pizza, a beer, then some time alone in a bedroom where she could just sleep and rest.

But no. No, they had to go and make a great big deal out of this whole thing.

Or maybe…

Maybe she just needed to make a big deal out of this whole thing.

"You've got to stop driving yourself crazy, honey," Brenda muttered, her voice soft and weirdly gentle. "You're just going to end up making a big mess out of things."

Tell her something she didn't know. That there was one of the reasons she was doing this, wasn't she? To keep people from getting hurt?

"You sound like my granny," she shot back, and then a horrified thought hit her in the pit of her belly.

Granny.

Oh good Lord and butter. What on earth was she gonna tell her granny?

Now she was more than a little sick to her stomach, the scent of the spicy tomato sauce redolent and unavoidable.

"You don't need to worry about that, honey. Worry about the important things."

She stared right at Brend. "Like what?"

"Like whether or not y'all are gonna stay in that little rented apartment, or if you're gonna find yourself something else while you're in town." Butter wouldn't melt in Brenda's mouth.

"Don't make me hit you."

Kirsten was back, this time with parmesan cheese, napkins, and red pepper flakes. "Oh, Brenda, that apartment is not big enough for two people, five cats, and a dog long term. You do love the bathtub, though. Maybe we could buy the whole building, just take it over. It could become a compound slash dog rescue slash music room slash recording studio. You know, with stuff and things."

Kirsten gave her the naughtiest little grin and wink, and Skyla considered just popping her in the nose.

"Oh, you both just shut up! Good Lord. You're both assholes." Skyla was starting to giggle though, because this whole thing was absolutely asinine. "I guess I'd better text everybody and apologize, huh?"

Brenda shook her head. "Man, give them a few to wallow in their own crapulence. Hell, don't do it until tomorrow. I won't tell."

"Fair enough." She looked up at Kirsten, and it hit her like a brick. She didn't want to spend the night alone. Not at all. "I don't suppose I could come over to the house after you get off work…"

Kirsten nodded like it didn't mean a thing. "I'll give you my key so you can come back to the house before I get off work. I'm working late tonight—midnight."

Oh. Oh, dude. That was big way bigger than she was expecting. "Thanks, honey. I appreciate it. I've made everybody angry…"

Brenda snorted. "Not everybody. Some of us understand."

"Yeah." She reached out and squeezed Brenda's hand. "But everybody shouldn't have to."

Kirsten couldn't believeshe'd done that. She had just given her key to the woman that she'd known for nine days. She'd handed her key over, then let her go into her house with the cats and all of her guitars.

Not that her guitars were anything compared to Miss Skyla's guitars, but still they were hers.

The restaurant was closed, and they were doing their side work and cleaning up the tables, all the stuff that they did after everything was locked and the lights were out.

Kirsten was getting her tips together when Cherry glanced at her.

"So, what was that whole thing about?"

"You mean with Skyla's band?" At Cherry's nod, she shrugged. "I'm not really sure. I suppose I'll find out tonight. There was some kind of a fight, or that's what it looked like to me."

"What about?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea." She sure hoped it wasn't about her. She knew she was just to stand in, and she knew there were some weird feelings, but she meant no harm. It wasn't as if she was gonna try to horn in on the band. She was just enjoying herself, playing some music, writing some songs. She wasn't expecting a job offer.

Whatever had happened—if they didn't like her, if they didn't want Skyla's dog at the house, if they were all just in too close quarters? Then Skyla and Reba could come to the apartment.

At least Kirsten hoped Reba was on the small side.

Her apartment wasn't big.

"Well, you just be careful," Cherry told her. "It's not that I don't believe in you, because I do, but that girl could get herself in a lot of trouble real quick."

"At least you know that I won't be getting myself into any kind of trouble." Kirsten winked at Cherry. "I mean it could be worse…"

"Shut up, get your tips, and go. Text me when you get home so that I know everything's okay, all right, girl?"

"Yes, Mamma Cherry." As if she wasn't just as old and just as messed up and just as apt to get into trouble.

Cherry glared.

"Yes, ma'am." Hell's bells. Kirsten would text, for fuck's sake.

Cherry believed in her, and she would have asked the same if the shoe was on the other foot.

She headed out to her little car and toodled her way up the road. It wasn't far, but she didn't like walking home in the dark and the snow. Some things didn't change when you left Texas, she guessed.

The lights were on when she got there, and wasn't that fine as anything—to see the house all lit up and warm like it was waiting for her to come home. The cats were in the windows, and soon enough Skyla's heart-shaped face was there too, gold hair all around like a huge shining cloud.

Yeah, there wasn't anything about this that sucked.

She took a deep breath after she parked, just waiting to see if the butterflies settled.

She hadn't felt like this in a long time, and she was trying not to feel…what? Guilty? Disloyal? That was silly. No one alive was going to be mad at her, and the dead didn't have opinions as far as she knew.

"Come on, girl. Time to go snuggle with your cats and your company." She got herself out of the car and headed up to the apartment, and she didn't have to knock. Skyla opened the door for her as soon as she reached it.

"Hey, honey. Thank you for this. I really appreciate it."

She leaned in to steal a kiss. "Of course. Hey. Feeling better?"

What happened? What was wrong?

"I am." Skyla hugged her once she got inside. "I needed some time. I waited for you to take a bath."

"Oh cool. I need one. I smell like garlic and parm." She loved her post-work soak.

"Hot tea, cocoa, or beer?"

"Hot cocoa? That just sounds decadent." Skyla wandered with her toward the kitchen.

"It does, doesn't it? I love to have a cup in the tub." And Kirsten already knew that Skyla loved soaking. They'd enjoyed that already.

"I think that's the best idea in at least a day and a half." Skyla laughed, pulling out the kettle. "So, I need to apologize for that thing at the restaurant. I think we're all just tired, and Mich and I had a snarl."

"No problem. I felt bad for you, but I'm glad Brenda stuck around to eat with you."

She got two mugs down, then pulled out the cocoa and spoons.

"Me too. She put a lot in perspective for me. She's such a mom." Skyla's wry grin made her smile back. "I get all caught in my own head."

"That doesn't sound fun at all. Let's soak that away." She stole another kiss, wanting to make it better, however she could.

Skyla grabbed her hips, holding them together for a long moment as the kiss went white hot. Hoo. They were like to burn the place down if they went to the bathroom like this.

She couldn't wait.

Until the kettle sang, they could just set all sorts of other things to boiling.

"Mmm. That's just the medicine I need," Skyla murmured against her mouth, hands cradling the back of her head. "I like how you think."

"This is way better than worrying. You. Me. The cats."

"Mmm… I fed them. I warned them about Reba tomorrow."

Kirsten chuckled softly. "Excellent idea."

"I hear cats are very good at reading people." Skyla made a disappointed noise as the kettle beeped. "I guess that means we need to make cocoa."

"You make cocoa," Kirsten said. "I'll run the bath water."

"I'll meet you there."

"Strawberry or peach bubble bath tonight?"

Skyla's bright blue eyes danced at her. "Peach, baby. All day long."

"Oh-ho!" She had to admit, she should have seen that coming. "You got it." Kirsten headed off to start the water and bubbles, grinning to beat the band. This was so much better than all that tension and strife and shit. The band would work itself out, she was sure, but right now it was just her and Skyla and the tub.

Somehow, they simply had to focus on what was important for right this second, and that was the fact they were alone, together, and fixin' to be naked.

It was a win-win.