Double Trouble (The Sinful 7 of Delite, Texas 5)

“What?” they all asked and Sally shook her head.

“Are you crazy? I can’t just get out there and sing. I will totally freak out.”

Sally felt her stomach begin to ache.

“You can do this, Sally. You need to,” Susanna added.

“Can you really sing, Sally?” Scott asked, and she looked at the band members. They didn’t seem too confident about her abilities, but then again, she never sang in public.

She instantly thought about Mason and Steven. She wanted them here. She needed their support in this.

“Don’t pressure her. We’ll have to cancel for tonight,” Susanna stated as she pulled out the walkie-talkie.

“No, we can’t. We’ve never cancelled anything here,” Alexa added.

“Wait. Just wait a damn minute, will ya,” Sally stated as she touched Susanna’s arm. She began to pace then reach down for her cell phone. She saw the text from Mason and Steven. They were here at the club. She sighed a bit in relief.

“You need to fix yourself up and go over other music with the band,” Alexa stated as she ushered Sally with the band toward the stage entrance.

“Are you sure about this, honey?” Scott asked Sally.

“I don’t have much of a choice,” she replied then looked at Alexa and Susanna for support.

“Mason and Steven are both here,” Sally began to say.

Alexa fixed Sally’s hair as Susanna fixed her skirt and undid another button on her blouse.

“Hey.”

“Hey yourself, sister. You’re about to reveal your amazing talent to an enormous crowd of country music fans, you need to look sexy as a superstar.”

“Oh God. I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Please don’t get sick, or we are royally screwed, darling,” Scott told her then laid his hands on her shoulders.

“This is what I want you to do. If what your sister and cousin say is true, and you are in fact gifted with an amazing voice, then I want you to sing like you never sang before, with all your heart and with every emotion you’ve got. You know the songs. How about we start with something you’re really comfortable with. Do you know any Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Faith Hill, or any guy bands that you can sing their songs?” Scott asked.

“Start off with something kind of fast to get the crowd going. Maybe Shania Twain?” Alexa stated.

“Take off the button-down blouse. You’re wearing a camisole under there. The sparkles on the V of the top will shine really nice with the lighting, and lower the skirt on your hips and show that great body you have. Be confident and feel sexy, honey. You are gorgeous,” Susanna told her as Alexa helped her.

“Oh God, I think I should keep on the blouse. What will Mason and Steven say?”

“Don’t worry about them. They will be so excited for you and so proud of you for getting up onstage and performing. I’ll go let them know,” Susanna said then hugged Sally before walking quickly toward the entrance to the hallway and where Steven and Mason stood.

Out on the stage, Elise was doing Sally’s job and announcing that the band was getting ready to play and that the lead singer Billy was under the weather. The crowd made sounds of disappointment. Sally looked at Alexa as Alexa handed her a bottle of water and told her to take a sip to wet her throat.

“They’re gonna love you, Sally. This is what you’ve always wanted. Embrace it.” Alexa hugged her and then the band began to play the beginning tune of “Any Man of Mine” by Shania Twain.

Sally straightened her shoulders and headed out onstage. As she walked out, the lights were so bright she could hardly see out into the crowd. She looked toward the direction that Mason and Steven had been in as the crowd roared louder that she was the surprise singer, and she began to sing the song. The more words she sang, the more confident she became, and then she saw Mason and Steven moving into closer seats as Susanna got two guys to leave their seats and make room for them.

She felt so alive and so comfortable onstage, that with every song she sang, she felt as if she were soaring higher and higher. By the second set, she was still going strong and by the end of the night, she received a standing ovation that made her cry onstage.

* * * *

“You were awesome!” Alexa screamed as she hugged Sally tight. Alexa was crying and so was Susanna. Everyone was coming backstage to congratulate her on the amazing performance, and the band members asked if she would be willing to sing some songs in between Billy singing.

Her head was spinning and she was thrilled as she made her way back into the main area of the club. Elise, Juliet, Ava, and Paula all came over to give her hugs, and then the guys did, too. A bunch of guys were gathering around her as she searched for Mason and Steven. Some guy was saying something to her when she spotted Mason and Steven. She pushed her