Cody's POV:

Rodeo might have been my first big dream but singing with a country music legend was a close second. And make no mistake, Reba McEntire as a legend. Not only did she have a history with rodeo, having been discovered while singing the national anthem but she was a former barrel racer and knew the struggles that came with the circuit better than most who just sang songs about it. Which is why when my label pitched the idea to me to have Reba on this duet of "Dear Rodeo," I had jumped at the opportunity. Scheduling conflicts had tried their damnedest to make it where this was not going to work but after the year I have had, there was no way I was going to let this chance slip through my fingers. So much had happened this year that it was time that something good happened. Even if that something good meant that I had to travel to Oklahoma to see it through.

Only I did not know that doing this on her terms was going to mean that someone with no vocal coaching or even desire to do music for a living was going to be doing backup vocals. Not that vocal coaching was a requirement, especially since the woman who was going to be doing the vocals was none other than Reba's own niece so it made sense that she would have the same god given talent that her aunt had. But based on the nerves she was showing, I was beginning to question this whole thing.

It was not that she was bad -quite the opposite to be exact- but you could tell this was something that she wasn't entirely comfortable with doing. I watched from outside the booth as Reba walked over to Naomi who was getting frustrated with doing take after take on a particular section. Looking at the two of them standing so close, you could see the familial traits that they shared. Same shade of red hair, same height, some of the same mannerisms. If you did not know any better, you would think these two were mother and daughter and not aunt and niece.

Since the mics had been cut while not recording, I could not hear what Reba was saying to the woman, but whatever it was seemed to be just what she needed to hear. As if she had found a renewed since of willpower, I watched as she nodded and slipped her headphones back into place. I watched Reba smile and pat Naomi on the back before walking back over to her on mic. Reba nodded, indicating that she was ready to give it another go.

Music began to flow though the speakers and Reba started belting out her section of the song. Naomi chimed in, her voice sounding almost angelic and much more confident than it had on the last few takes. It seemed that whatever Reba had told her had given her the confidence that she needed.

Hearing her singing, even if it were just a note here and there, you could hear the rawness of her voice. You could her just how supremely talented that she is. I wouldn't be scared to say that she is actually better than more than a handful of the artists in Nashville right now. Why someone who had the chops to make in it the business but was not interested in doing so was mindboggling to me. For as long as I could remember, music had always been a part of my life. From singing in church to participating in talent shows -something that was done at the urging of one of the coaches in school- music had been part of me. Even when I had the dream of becoming a rodeo star, I had been selling CDs with my songs on them out of the bed of my truck for $5, just to get enough money to eat or to have gas to get to the next stop on the circuit.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that I had not realized that he two ladies had finished their segments of the song until I heard them coming out of the booth laughing, their arms wrapped around one another. Naomi was beaming, making her even more beautiful than she had been when Reba had first introduced us. My life might be the stuff out of a sad and sappy country song right now and women were at the top of the things that I did not trust, but that did not mean that I could not appreciate the beauty that opposite sex.

And lord knows was she beautiful. All tiny and petite, with natural red hair and green eyes, she was stunning. Then again, I had always been a sucker for a natural redhead. There was just something about them, a natural feistiness if you will, that drew me to them like moths to a flame. Or maybe it was the competitive side of me that was always up for a challenge. Because make no mistake, tangling with a redheaded southern woman would end one of two ways: You would either learn to live the temper and accept it as part of who she is and love her for it or you crossed her and ended up planning your own funeral.

"Think we got it that time Cody." Said Reba, making me snap out of my thoughts.

"Let's here a playback." I said, shifting on the sofa when Naomi sat down on the opposite end. "Start with Reba's lines and go from there."

"I can do you one better than that." Said the producer whose name I had not caught.

The opening cords to the song began to filter though the room. That feeling that I had the day that Dan and I sat down and started talking about my rodeo career. At the time, I was having a tough time letting it go and Dan had suggested that I write the song as if it was a goodbye letter to an old girlfriend. The lyrics to that one had just flowed with such ease, something that is truly magical when it happens like that.

Before I knew it, the whole song had played, and I was left speechless.

"Well, what do you think? Think this is the cut? Or do we need to do it again?" said Reba, making my head whip up and look at her. Has she just heard the same thing I had? Was she really thinking that the track, even in its raw form was something on which we could improve?

"Are you kidding me? This is it. This is the track!" I said, standing from the couch and walking over to her. I wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug and lifted her off the floor, swinging her in a circle. Leaning down, I kissed her on the cheek before placing her feet back on the floor. "That was amazing! Thank you! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this."

"Aww shucks hun, it is not problem. I have loved this song since it was sent over for me to hear for the first time. It is truly an honor to be on this one with you." Said Reba.

"Oh, the honor is all mine." I replied. Swinging around to face Naomi who was still sitting on the couch, I added "And thank you for doing backup for your aunt. Has anyone ever told you that you have a gift?"

"Once or twice." She said with a smirk.

"She's my niece. Or course she has a gift." Chimed in Reba, clasping a hand on my shoulder. "And did I mention she's my single niece?"

"Aunt Reba!" said Naomi, shock lacing her voice.

"Reba-"

"Oh, hush you two. No one is planning y'all's wedding or anything. It's just that Naomi is newly divorced and if the rumors are true, I hear you are too. What wrong with the two of you bonding over that shared experience?" said Reba, a Cheshire grin on her face. Oh, she was definitely up to something.

"In fact, I was thinking of spending the night watching Disney movies with my favorite little to year old and shipping his mama out for the night to let lose for a while. Can't think of anyone else that I would rather have with her." Added Reba.

"Aunt Reba, I-"

"Don't give me no excuses, Fancy." Said Reba, her tone a clear warning that she was not to be argued with on this. I watched as the two them stared at each other until Naomi finally caved.

"Fine. What's one night out in McAlester going to hurt?" Naomi said with defeat. "But you owe me some a big ol' pan of your homemade banana pudding. And I do mean homemade. No cheating like last time and using the instant kind."

"I'll even though in homemade eclairs." Reba added.

I watched as Naomi turned her eyes on me be and smirked. "Guess its you and me tonight."

"Guess so. Pick you up at 8?"

"Sure."

Naomi's POV:

What did I get myself into?

That was the only one of the questions I kept asking myself as I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup. All afternoon, Aunt Reba had been referring to this outing as a first date for Cody and me, something that was really beginning to piss me off. This wasn't a date. This was two people who had been set up to go hang out on the town. Not that there was much to do is McAlester. The highlight of the entire town was the town park where live bands played on Friday nights. The handful of times that I'd been out there on my visits to town, the talent hadn't been good at all. In fact, the last time I had went to the park, there was an artist singing reggae. If that wasn't a strange choice of music to be singing in the middle of Oklahoma, I'll shut my mouth.

But the risk of having to listen to bad music wasn't what was bothering me. Oh, no. That would be the fact that I was going to be spending time with a man that I had just met a few hours ago. A man that was handsome but a man that was not my husband. Even though I knew that it was silly, I couldn't help but feel like I was doing something wrong. Up until Liam had blindsided me with the divorce, I'd thought that he and I were going to spend the rest of our lives together. I never thought that I would be in this situation ever again.

Yet here I was, fussing with myself over what I was going to wear. I didn't want to send the message that I was matronly or anything, but I didn't want to send the message that I was up for a one-night-stand either. Groaning in frustration, I fell backwards onto the pillowtop mattress and stared up at the ceiling as if it held all the answers for which I was searching. A light night on my door seconds before it swung open was the only warning that I was no longer alone.

"It's 7:30. Just wanted to see if you were ready." Said Aunt Reba as she walked into the room.

"I don't know what to wear. I didn't plane outfits around going out and all. I brought stuff that was going to be comfortable while out riding horses or working in the corrals." I said.

"So, wear a pair of jeans and this shirt. It was sent over for me for a photo shoot and its just not me. Think you might like it though." Said Aunt Reba.

Upon hearing her words, I sat up and took in the shirt that she was holding out for me to inspect. It was a flowy tank top that that had just enough scoop on the next to not look matronly but not so low that my boobs would fall out of the top. The paisley print on it was a soft pink and white, something that would look good against my fair skin. Leave it to Aunt Reba to know just what I would have picked for myself had I been out shopping.

"I- I don't know if I can do this." I said. "I don't know if I can go out with a man that I just met. I mean I just got divorced."

"And so did Cody. The two of you can plot revenge on your exs over drinks. That's what I would do anyway." Said Aunt Reba.

"What happened with him and his ex?" I asked curiously.

"That's a question you're going to have to ask him." She smiled. "Now chop chop, Fancy. He'll be here in a few minutes, and I expect you to have your but downstairs in 10. Don't make me come back up here."

"Yes ma'am."

I watched as she tossed the shirt in my direction and walked for the door. Just as she was about to walk though the doorway, she stopped and looked at me. "After the year you have had, you deserve a night out where you don't have to worry about anything. I think your daddy would have wanted the same thing."

"I think you're right." I said, tears springing to my eyes at the mention of my daddy. Lord knows I missed him a little more with each passing day.