Free Dare to Dream (Truth or Dare #2) by Sloan Johnson

you’re a totally different woman. Which one is the one I should get used to seeing?”
    The way she cuts to the chase could be seen as borderline rude to many people, but I appreciate her bluntness. I was prepared for this to be one of those “celebrity cities” where people are always putting on a front, trying to not say the wrong thing to the wrong person.
    “Hopefully this one,” I respond, still unsure if that’s possible. “I’ve been thinking about some heavy stuff and I guess I haven’t done a good job of hiding it. I’m sorry.”
    “Honey, we all have times when life threatens to drag us under. The trick to making it to the next step is to not hold it all to your own chest.” She rubs her hand over her heart, letting out a deep sigh and I realize this woman is speaking from experience. Colby hasn’t told me much about her, but I know that she was a single mom for a while before she met Aaron and she’s why he decided to give up music.
    Does she regret giving him that option? Does she wonder what their life would have been like if she had pushed him? What pain did she hold onto and how did she find the courage to ask for help? As I watch her attention shift to the window display of the boutique, I want to know the answers to these questions. I hope I’ll be given the chance to get to know more about Rebecca.
    “You have to try that on,” Rebecca squeals, pointing to the turquoise dress on the mannequin. Everything about the simple one-shoulder dress with a flouncy neckline screams country. Not something I would typically pick for myself, but if I’m destined to have Nashville as part of my life in the future, I might as well try to fit in.
    We step inside and Rebecca calls to the woman standing behind the counter by name, asking her where to find the dress. She practically shoves me into the dressing room, meeting me with a silver beaded belt when I step out. Looking down at my Chuck Taylors, she laughs at the overall fashion disaster.
    “Kick those off,” she instructs me, and I do. I’m in desperate need of a pedicure, which is why I refused to set foot on the sales floor without my shoes. “I know where our next stop is going to be.” She winks, noticing how I’m trying to hide my feet, which is impossible at this point.
    Once she wraps the belt around my waist and makes a few adjustments, she tells me to turn around. The length of the skirt concerns me, even more when she says we’re going boot shopping this afternoon, but other than that, I have to admit that I look good. While I change, I hear her chatting with Glory, the shop owner, about accessories. When I reach into my wallet, trying to keep from cringing at the price tag, Rebecca places her hand over mine.
    “This is my treat,” she insists. I open my mouth to refuse her but she places a finger to my lips, silencing me. “Once that boy of yours is rich and famous, I’ll let you treat. But today is all on me, so don’t even think about pulling out your wallet again. You understand?”
    It’s only after I nod that she drops her hand. Waving to Glory, she thanks the woman for her help, promising to be back soon. I’m not sure I will be, this place is definitely out of my price range and it’ll be a long time before I come close to being able to afford such luxuries. I’m an Old Navy girl, not a boutique shopper.
    By the time Rebecca proclaims that I’m adequately buffed, styled and spoiled, it’s late in the evening. She informed me before we entered a small spa that she made Aaron take the night off so she could enjoy a girls’ day without having to obsess over the clock and I realize how serious she was about that when she pulls me into a martini bar near the hotel.
    I drop the bags on the floor next to our booth as she flops in her seat. Even though she feigns exhaustion, I have no doubt that she’s far more used to spending afternoons shopping and pampering herself than I will ever be. In fact, this is the first time