Dex sits forward. “Mostly, we’re keepin’ Shelby safe.”
“My parents used to listen to Glenna Wilson,” Anita says. “She’s country, right?”
Shelby cough-laughs. “Yup, she’s country.”
“When are you gonna be puttin’ out a full-length album?” Heather asks.
“I’m supposed to record after the tour.”
“All right,” I interrupt before Heather fires off any other questions that pop in her head. “That’s enough questions. It’s my girl’s night off.”
Heather pouts but everyone else moves on to discussing other stuff. Pony, Ink, Foghorn, and a few others start grilling food for everyone.
“Sorry about that,” I whisper. “Some girls like to test a new ol’ lady on their turf.”
“It’s nothing new,” Shelby says. “Kids used to make fun of me all the time in school.”
I pull away. “People made fun of you singing country music in Texas?”
“Well, not what kind of music I was singing. That I sang at all. Plus, we were poor, so I never dressed cool enough, or lived in the “right” neighborhood, yet I had the audacity to think I was better than everyone else by winning talent shows.”
Even though I understand exactly what she’s saying, I hate it for her. “Being famous in a small town put you in a tough spot.”
“Sure did.” She shrugs. “I never had the same interests as the other girls. They were playin’ My Little Pony and I was grabbing a microphone and singing my heart out. Then when Hayley got sick, I missed a ton of school and stuff. Some kids were nicer and stopped picking on me. After losing Hayley, I kinda didn’t give a hoot what anyone thought. I just knew I was going for my dream no matter what.”
I lean in, rubbing my forehead against her temple. “I wish I’d known you then. I would’ve kicked their asses.”
She laughs softly. “I imagine so.”
“What about Trent? I thought you two went way back?”
“We didn’t go to the same schools and I don’t exactly think he ran with the in crowd either.” After a few thoughtful seconds, she continues, “Redneck Roadhouse was cool at first because I was finally around other people who cared about music the way I did.”
“And then?”
“It turned into a soap opera. The producers yanked our chains to stir the drama. I didn’t catch on quick enough. People I thought were friends were being coached by the judges on how to squeeze the most entertainment out of us. The music was secondary to the theatrics.” She cocks her head and studies me for a moment. “You really never looked up the episodes and watched ‘em after we met?”
“Why would I want to watch reality-show Shelby when I had real Shelby in my life?”
She swoops in and kisses me. “You had me all right.”
I shake with laughter. “For once, I didn’t mean it that way.”
“I know you didn’t.” She kisses my cheek this time. “Anyway, some muffler bunny tryin’ to ruffle my feathers is nothing compared to the crap I’ve dealt with.”
“Yeah, I still don’t like it.” I trace my finger over her cheek. “You may not have had anyone to protect you before. But you do now.”
“I can handle myself,” she whispers. “But I like knowing you’ve got my back.” She meets my eyes. “I may not be able to throw a punch like you, but I’ve always got your back too.”
“Saw some of that back there.” I tilt my head toward the falls. “Love you for it.” While I hate to ruin the moment, this needs to be said. “But don’t ever try to intervene between two brothers.”
Instead of the anger I expected, she sighs. “I held back, Rooster. Trust me, I wanted to kick Acorn in the dick. And I had plenty more to say to Pony, but I bit my tongue.”
I bark out a laugh, jostling her in my lap. Yeah, I could sense her restraint, which is why I kinda feel like a dick for the warning.
She runs her fingers through my hair. “I pay attention to what the old ladies of your club do and don’t do. Can’t say I love that women don’t seem to have much of a voice but it’s your domain. I knew that when we got involved.”
Every word from her sweet mouth beats the words property patch through my brain. Shelby understands the club better than I ever anticipated. She should be wearing a patch same as the other ol’ ladies here.
“And,” she continues, “you don’t tell me to try playin’ a song in G major, so I’m not about to tell you what to do in your club.”
“Thank you, chickadee. That ever happens again, I want you to leave and go to Jiggy, okay?”
She stops running her fingers through my hair. “See, now you went one too far. I wouldn’t cut and run on you.”
“I don’t mean cut and run. I mean get backup for me.”