Page 32 of Nashville Lights

And now I’m curious. “High-tech?”

“Didn’t you get the grand tour?” Luke asks. “Our boy here hasallthe bells and whistles, down to the ambient lighting and the stereo with sensors that recognize the sound of your voice. His house will actually play your favorite song when you walk into a room.”

“Is that right?” I’m impressed. And it’s true, I didn’t even go inside his house last night. We didn’t get that far. Wewere too busy radiating with the buzz of seeing each other again to even get past the porch.

The same thing must be occurring to Nate. “Come by later and I’ll show you around, if you want to see it.”

Luke grins at Leo, raising an eyebrow.

Nate ignores them. “I’ve got a meeting until around five. Daisy’s with Tobias. Baking a cake. He’s taking her to a birthday party later this afternoon. Her first sleepover.”

“Wow,” Dee says. “That’s a big deal, Nate. You think she’ll be okay?”

We all know about the nightmares. “I told Harper’s mother Kristie to give me a call any time of the night if Daisy wakes up in the night. It’s just down the road so I can go get her if she needs me to. She’s really excited about it so hopefully she’ll be okay.”

“You should check out the house, Rox.” Luke’s not about to let it go.

“Sure. I’d love to see it.”

Nate’s eyes hold mine and the heat in them burns me all the way down to my soul.

I glance over at Dakota and a light smirk brings out her dimples. “I’d come with you but Tobias and I have some stuff to do before the hoedown tomorrow night. And no, we don’t need help.”

Well.

I don’t overthink it. But if Dakota, Luke and Leo are all entertained by the idea of Nate showing me his house—alone, just the two of us—then it’s almost like…this long-buried thing between us isn’t quite as forbidden as it used to be. I mean, Betty-Ann basically gave us her blessing, in a roundabout way.

Not that there’s anything to give her blessingabout, of course. It’s just…a whole different vibe than it used to be.

I don’t know if my brothers will be as understanding, but I’m hardly going to worry about them. Most likely I’ll have a civil glass of wine with an old friend and then be on my way. Besides, God knows all three of my brothers allow themselves to dive into their romances with gusto, whenever and wherever the mood strikes.

I’m not fifteen anymore so as far as I’m concerned, it’s none of their business anyway.

Nate says to Luke and Leo, “I better hit the shower and head over to the Barrington site. You two can take it from here.” Then he puts his hat on his head and tips it at me. “See you later, Roxie Tucker.”

At least he didn’t saysee you around.

I guess it’s a date.

11

Dakotaand I spend the afternoon by the pool. The day is as perfect as it possibly can be.

Yellow loungers and matching umbrellas give the resort-feel of the place a festive atmosphere. Humidity buffers the rolling hills of rural Tennessee in a gauzy, romantic haziness.

After all the city lights, the greens of the trees and the blue of the clear sky are like a balm for my jaded soul. I feel myself relaxing like I haven’t in a long time.

We’re both wearing bikinis, straw hats and sunglasses.

“So, have you changed your mind about any of the locals?” Dakota grins. “Just think about it, Rox, we could beactualsisters.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, girlfriend. I’ve been invited to see if a high-tech stereo system can guess what myfavorite song is and nothing more.” But I’m relieved she’s okay with…whatever happens.Ifanything happens. What I’m finding is that times have changed since I was fifteen, which shouldn’t surprise me as much as it does. And I somehow get the feeling tonight is going to change my life. “Until then, don’t bother me, I’m mainlining Vitamin D.”

“You’re so lucky you tan so easily. I have to burn before I tan. It’s not fair.”

“You shouldn’t be tanning at all, Miss Dakota. Your skin is flawless.” It really is. She’s still very much a tomboy and rarely wears make-up. She doesn’t need it. She’s got a perfect complexion. She’s filled out since our teenage years, of course, and she’s still slim but curvier now, filling out her bikini like nobody’s business. Her long brown hair is glossy with natural reddish highlights, matching her hazel eyes and the jaunty sprinkling of golden freckles across the bridge of her nose. “You’re stunning and you know it. And I don’t believe it for a minute that there’s not a single ‘local’ that appeals to you. Come on, spill. If I’m going to be meeting some of them tomorrow night, I need a lowdown of the one—or ones—my bestie has her eye on.”

The quirk at the corner of he mouth is full of mischief.

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