Whiskey and Country

Later that night, we got up from our seats as Carter Hills walked onstage. He offered us front row tickets, but Tucker had already got those for me, and they were perfect. Fifth row wasn’t bad, huh? Okay, I had to be honest here. Carter, the music star, owned the stage. The air in the stadium saturated with his presence. Even my heart got hyperactive at the sight of him with a guitar strapped around his neck. Fuck, Tuck was right. I was fangirling over him.

“Hi Nashville. It’s good to be home,” he said as the crowd erupted in cheers and wolf-whistles. “Today’s show will be a special one. I’m dedicating it to a fan of mine whom I never got the chance to meet. He lost his fight with cancer at twelve years of age, which is way too early to go. Derek, if you can hear me from where you are, this show is all for you. And today’s net proceeds will go to Chicago Lakeview Children’s hospital in your name. To keep fighting in your honor.”

My hands connected in some sort of prayer under my chin. My heart went on break. I tried to breathe, but it came out as a wheeze.

“And because this song was your favorite, here it goes.”

Carter waved at the ecstatic crowd before strumming the first chord of “Monkey Business.” And now my heart dissolved.

“You did this?” I asked Dahlia once some of the shock subsided.

She kissed my lips. “Yes. I thought Derek would like it. And you too. Well, to be honest, I didn’t do anything. I just told Carter about Derek. His story touched his heart. He did all the rest on his own.”

Tears filled my eyes. No matter how many times I blinked, I couldn’t chase them away. “You told Carter about me and Derek? About his favorite song?”

Dahlia nodded. “He may act like a jerk sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. He told me he would have visited Derek at the hospital if he had known about him. He respects you.” My jaw almost hit the floor as I glanced at her, speechless. “You’ll be able to tell him all of it yourself after the show. We have VIP tickets.”

“As if you need those,” I teased.

“They are for you. To give you the ultimate Carter Hills concert experience.”

“Don’t try to transform me into a fangirl, babe.” I grinned. “Well, to be honest, I may be a little bit starstruck right now,” I added, pinching my fingers closed together.

Dahlia chuckled. “Not happening. Reel it in. The only person you’re allowed to fangirl about, Nick Peterson, is me,” she said with a wink.

“And I wouldn’t want it any other way.” I kissed her forehead, my heart waltzing in my chest, filled with joy and gratitude. And love. So much love I believed it could never be contained. I kissed two fingers and raised them above my head. All for you, Derek. Thank you.

* * *

“I can’t wait to move into our new place,” Dahlia said a few months later as we carried more boxes into her house. After living together for quite some time, we had decided to do all the improvements on the farmhouse before moving in together officially. Those we had both dreamed about. In the meantime, we chose to move my stuff to her place.

In addition to relocating the kitchen and getting a new banister for the staircase, bringing the walls down to let more natural light in, and building a terrace for the master bedroom, we also wished to put down the old garage and erect a barn at its place. A cozy addition with a place for Jack to play and hopefully, our other children one day. Some sort of tree house, but not in a tree.

“Woman, believe me, I know. But I’m happy to move in here with you two. To be part of the story of this house. Won’t you miss it?”

Dahlia surveyed the place. “Sure, I will. But I’m ready for something new. With you. To start a new chapter together.”

My arms locked around her, and my lips brushed hers.

“Will you hide a guitar on the top floor of the barn?” I asked.

“Why?”

“Because you’ll miss your little secret spot. You won’t be able to visit that stable and those horses and play for them as you used to do since you’ll have to drive there now. So, I figured you could make the top floor yours. We’ll get haystacks. And hang the fairy lights you love so much. And anything you wish to make the space yours.”

“Oh, Nick, you serious?”

“Always.”

Dahlia moved to her tiptoes to kiss me.

“Nick Peterson, you’re my person.”

We kissed longer.

“Are we still spending Christmas at the farmhouse, as we planned?” I asked after we detached from each other.

“Hell, yes.”

Later, we grabbed takeout and drove to our house, ready to get the last Christmas touch done before Carter brought Jack back the next morning.

We entered the dark house, and Dahlia flipped the switch, casting the living room in a golden glow.

Her hand lowered to grip mine, and she halted in her tracks.

“I was thinking. Can I give you your Christmas present now?”

“Woman, Christmas is in two days. I can wait. And you didn’t have to get me anything. I have you, and that’s all I’m asking for.” She shook her head, her hair sweeping over her upper back.

“No. I want it to be now. The timing is right. Gimme a sec.” She disappeared for a minute and came back with a little, flat, square black box decorated with only a red bow.

“What is it?”

Dahlia locked her hands before her, waiting for me to open the lid, chewing on her lower lip. The sight of her got me nervous. Tingles ran along my spine. Sweat pearled on the nape of my neck.

I paused my breath as I looked inside.

Wrapped in red satin lay a small wooden barrel, big enough to fit on a keychain.

I lifted it. “What is it?”