Page 2 of Carter

Fucking fantastic if you asked me.

After losing myself to Tennessee Whiskey for months and getting a wake-up call that changed my life forever, I had decided—with a lot of encouragement from my team and my best friends slash ex-bandmates—to give the solo career a try.

From the sales of my first solo album, this could be huge. As huge—or even more—as when Dahlia, Stud, and I were Carter Hills Band.

I breathed in. Held it for four seconds. And breathed out.

This wasn’t the time for a panic attack. Not here. Not now.

I pushed all my anxiety-induced thoughts away—for now. They could wait for later when I’d be all alone in the dark. Then they could haunt me without the risk of losing it on stage.

I turned the corner leading to the stage when my eyes took her in. Dahlia Ellis. Or rather, Dahlia Hills. My family. My best friend forever. My soulmate. The one I let go of months ago. The one I should’ve held on to.

Our eyes locked.

We never had to exchange words to understand each other. We knew each other inside and out. It had always been that way. Since we were both in diapers and lived a few houses down from each other in White Crest, Tennessee.

“You came?” I swallowed the ball of emotions down my throat and scratched my forehead with my thumbnail, eyeing her as if she’d grown three heads.

Dahlia smiled and inched closer, winding her arms around me. Her floral scent filled my nostrils. The jitters in me settled down. Dahlia was my home. Always had been.

“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You ready, Cart?” she asked, leaning back to frame my face with her hands. I lost myself in the depths of her moss-green eyes—like I’d done so many times before. I nodded. “You’ll do great. You’ve got this. You’re the true star, and you know it. Now it’s time for you to show everybody else. I believe in you. You’re the best.”

My eyes filled with tears, and I blinked them away.

“It’s supposed to be us up there,” I whispered huskily, pointing to the stage with my finger.

Dahlia shook her head. “No. It’s not. I’m glad we did it together, but now it is your turn to shine. You need to do this on your own. That’s where you belong, Carter Hills. Up there, on that stage, with thousands of fans screaming your name.” Dahlia massaged my skull with her fingers, the same way she’d been doing since we were kids, her touch strong enough to put out the fire raging inside me and dissolving the knots tying my stomach.

I closed my eyes and let the sensations wash through me.

My eyes sprang open when Jack babbled something from his stroller, pushed by June, nearing us.

“You brought him?”

Dahlia stepped back and smiled. “You need all the support you can get. And your family will always support you. Forever.”

I moved to the side, picked up the chubby baby, and ran a hand through his dark mass of soft baby hair, the same shade as mine.

“Hey you,” I said, dropping a kiss on the crown of his head. “I’ve missed you so much.” I pulled the baby boy closer to my heart and turned my head until I faced my best friend. “Thanks. It means the world to me having the two of you here. You’re my rock. I love you guys.”

I pulled Dahlia under my arm and hugged the two most important people in my life. “I need to go. Will I see you later?”

Dahlia picked Jack up from my arms, her smile never faltering. “We’ll be here, waiting for you. In fact, we’re not going away. We’re spending a few days with you.”

My eyes flared.

With a deep breath, I settled my nerves.

“You are?”

“Yes. June set up everything. I wanted it to be a surprise. We’ll be on the road with you for three shows, then we’ll go back to Green Mountain.”

My breath caught in my lungs. Was I dreaming?

I inhaled and wrapped my arms around Dahlia and Jack. “I think you just gave me the strength to go on with this solo career, Dah. I can’t believe you’re going back on tour with me. Even if it’s only for a few days. You guys are everything to me. I’m so happy right now.”

My smile widened, probably mirroring Dahlia’s.

“I’ll see you two after the show. Oh God, I love you so much.” I kissed Dahlia’s cheek and stormed on the stage, my heart so big, I feared it’d burst out of my chest.