Twangs & Temptation
Twangs & Temptation
The thrum of steel guitars and the roar of a small-town crowd filled the Hobart Arena, string lights twinkling like fireflies overhead.
Louise tugged her cowgirl hat a little lower, the brim shadowing her flushed cheeks. She clutched her cup of hot cocoa tighter, though the warmth barely reached the nervous flutter in her chest.
Beside her, Mae—her best friend since Lord knows when—shifted her weight from one boot to the other, her dark brown hair tucked beneath a simple ballcap. Thick-rimmed glasses rested on her nose, and the collar of her navy-and-green flannel shirt was half-popped like it always was. Her jeans were worn in all the right places, and neither of them had bothered with makeup.
“You look like you’re fixin’ to run for the hills,” Mae said, voice dry with amusement.
Louise gave her a sidelong look. “I might.”
Mae chuckled and took a sip from her own cup. “Well, if you do, give him my number first.”
Louise shook her head with a laugh, her nerves softening just a little. They hadn’t done anything this out of the ordinary in years—not since those nights at the Eagles, when she and Mae would two-step to Boot Scootin’ Boogie with her two daughters in tow, everyone clapping along with the beat and forgetting the world for a while.
Back then, it was simpler. No backstage passes. No butterflies fluttering like wild birds in her stomach. Just friends, music, and dancing that left your legs sore and your heart light.
Mae nudged her again. “You think he sings better than your old record player?”
“He better,” Louise said with a smirk. “I dusted off these boots just for him.”
On stage, Luke Bryan strummed the final chords of his last song, his voice smooth as warm molasses. The arena trembled with applause, and Mae let out a low whistle, not bothering to hide her appreciation.
As the lights dimmed and the band played him off, Mae nudged Louise’s arm. “Alright, cowgirl. Backstage time. You’re about to meet your damn dream.”
Louise’s stomach flipped. She wasn’t the type for concerts or crowded places, and she sure as heck wasn’t the type for one-on-one meetings with country stars. But here she was, holding the lucky golden ticket—won in a radio raffle her coworkers entered her into without so much as asking.
She looked down at her scuffed boots, the same pair she hadn’t worn in decades, then glanced at Mae.
“Guess it’s now or never,” she murmured.
Mae tipped her hat in salute. “Go make the man blush.”
Security waved Louise toward a side gate, clearing a small path just for her. Mae gave her one final thumbs-up before melting back into the crowd.
Louise took a steadying breath and walked on, her heart pounding hard enough to drown out the last echoes of applause.
A staff member with a laminated badge and a friendly smile led Louise down a short hallway lined with folding chairs and framed concert posters from shows past. The air smelled faintly of fresh coffee and stage dust. Her boots tapped softly against the concrete as her heart beat a rhythm all its own.
The man held open a side door. “He’s just inside, ma’am. Take your time.”
She gave a quiet nod, lips pressed tight to keep from smiling too wide. Her hand found the brim of her hat again as she stepped into the room, heart knocking hard against her ribs.
The backstage lounge wasn’t glamorous—just a cozy, low-lit space with soft yellow lighting, worn leather furniture, and the faint smell of cologne and coffee lingering in the air. A guitar rested against the wall, carelessly leaned there like it had a story to tell.
And then there he was.
Luke Bryan stood with his back to her, shoulders broad beneath a fitted black shirt, sipping from a bottle of water and scrolling on his phone like he hadn’t just lit up the whole damn arena minutes ago. The quiet click of the door caught his attention.
He turned.
And smiled.
It wasn’t the smile you see on album covers or stage screens. It was slower, softer—one corner of his mouth tugging upward like he’d just caught sight of something rare. His eyes scanned her, not hungrily, but curiously. Deliberately.
“Well, hey there,” he said, voice rich and slow as molasses. “You must be Louise.”
Her breath caught a little in her throat. She stepped in, keeping her chin high even as her palms grew damp. “That’s me,” she managed, her voice steadier than she felt.
He moved closer—two casual, confident steps—and stopped just short of her space. His gaze took her in from the tip of her cowgirl boots to the curve of her flannel collar. And then, his eyes settled on hers.
“You clean up better than any VIP I’ve seen,” he said, grin spreading like warm butter. “Flannel never looked so fine.”
Louise raised a brow, her mouth twitching. “You flirt with all your fans, or just the ones wearin’ barn clothes?”
He chuckled, deep and real. “Only the ones who look like they could out-two-step me and leave me in the dust.”
She smirked, the nerves loosening just enough to let a little sass peek through. “These boots’ve seen more dance halls than most folks see church pews.”
Luke tilted his head slightly. “You look like the kind of woman who’s got stories.”
She met his gaze without flinching. “Only the kind worth tellin’.”
His smile shifted—still warm, but something else now. Interested. Intrigued.
“I’ve got about five minutes before I’m wrangled into a room full of suits and handshakes. How’d you like to steal most of ’em?”
Louise tilted her head. “What’s in it for me?”
He leaned in, just slightly. “Five minutes of my undivided attention.”
She considered it for a beat. Then let a smile stretch slow and easy across her lips. “Sounds like a fair trade.”
He gestured to the couch, and they sat—close, but not quite touching. The distance between their knees was the size of a heartbeat. The air shifted, thicker now, full of the kind of electricity that made you feel alive again.
The conversation flowed like warm cider. He asked about her hometown, and she told him about the quiet streets where folks still waved from their porches and how nothing beat the smell of fresh bread coming out of her own oven.
She spoke about her love for baking—how she made zucchini bread so good even the pickiest eaters asked for seconds, how her kitchen always had a loaf of friendship bread ready to share.
She chuckled talking about her little garden, how she grew fat tomatoes, enormous zucchini, and enough cucumbers to keep her in refrigerator full all summer long. And how her shelves stayed lined with jars of jam—strawberry, blueberry, and blackberry—the sweet kind that turned a plain biscuit into something special.
Luke listened like every word she said mattered. Like she wasn’t just talking about bread or gardens, but about a whole life made of small kindnesses and quiet joys.
And when she laughed—really laughed—her eyes bright and her shoulders loose, he just watched her, memorizing the moment like he never wanted to forget.
“You’ve got a real light in you, Louise,” he said, his voice dipping lower. “I hope someone’s told you that lately.”
She blinked, caught off guard by the way it landed in her chest. “Not in a long time.”
He reached out—slow and careful—and let his hand settle lightly over hers where it rested on her thigh. Not demanding. Just present. His skin was warm. Grounding.
“I don’t know what brought you here tonight,” he murmured, eyes locked to hers, “but I’m real glad it did.”
The silence stretched—thick and golden. The kind that lives between words that could change everything. His gaze flicked to her mouth. Once.
Then again.
She didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.
His fingers lifted, brushing the softest curl that had escaped her hat. Tucked it gently behind her ear.
“I shouldn’t,” he said quietly, voice full of restraint and ache.
“I know,” she whispered, not blinking.
And yet—he leaned in.
His lips met hers like a question. Soft, hesitant. Like he didn’t want to startle the moment. It was feather-light, but the warmth spread through her like wildfire. He kissed her like she was something to be remembered, not rushed.
He lingered a second longer than necessary, just enough for her to close her eyes and press into it, the brim of her hat brushing his temple.
When he pulled back, he didn’t go far. His hand was still on hers.
“Merry Christmas, Louise,” he said, his voice rough around the edges.
Her heart fluttered like a hymn. “Merry Christmas, Luke.”





