Page 52 of What Would Dolly Do?

I smiled back at her. I knew she was trying to offer me some comfort, after all she’d been attracted to Tom herself as soon as she’d encountered him, but she hadn’t fallen as hard or as deeply as I had; she couldn’t have any idea how broken my heart felt.

But tonight was not the time for wallowing in self-pity about all that.

Together with my awesome new girl gang I had succeeded in stopping one man who was determined to hurt me in his tracks.

The pain I still felt over Tom couldn’t be so easily cured, that would take time to heal, but tonight I wanted to celebrate a win and all I needed were these amazing women who had been there for me and had my back.

We managed to find a table in a bustling outdoor courtyard festooned with fairy lights.

The night was warm and the mood felt quite magical as we sipped cocktails beneath a twinkling canopy of roped illuminations under a starry night sky.

A DJ was playing music from decks set up on a nearby platform and we were soon up on our feet dancing to a soundtrack of singalong hits, waving our hands in the air and having an absolute ball.

I didn’t spot Dorrie when she first approached the guy spinning the tunes while he was taking requests and creating a perfect party atmosphere.

The next thing I remember was Dorrie grabbing my hand and leading me towards the mini stage where the DJ was stationed.

‘C’mon Reba, how about a bit of Dolly and Kenny, for old times’ sake?

’ She thrust a microphone into my hand and, before I could answer, I heard the intro for ‘Islands in the Stream’ blasting from speakers all around us.

I shook my head but only in amusement. This was hilarious: was Dorrie really wanting us to entertain the crowd with an all-female Dolly Parton tribute show?

As she kicked off the song, taking the Kenny Rogers part, I realised not only was she serious but also that resistance was futile.

Dorrie’s voice rang out across the courtyard and the audience squealed and applauded, delighted at this unexpected live entertainment.

Four lines in I came in on the song and we belted the tune out together, our voices blending perfectly while everyone whooped and cheered us along.

It was a wonderful way to end the night and somehow it all felt so right.

I was up on stage as myself, the new and improved Reba Moon – so much for Guy Grayson calling me drab and dowdy.

Tonight shaking back my red hair and dancing around in a new tartan mini dress and western-style boots, I felt every inch the country music star I was aiming to be.

It felt good to be singing Dolly too, she was the icon who had helped and inspired me in so many ways.

I wasn’t planning to go back to being a tribute artist but I’d never forget how much I owed to Dolly, her music and all her homespun words of wisdom.

It felt good to be able to honour that in my own way.

I was so in the moment, soaking up the atmosphere, feeling thankful for true friendship and reflecting on all the positive parts of my life, that I didn’t notice someone stepping out from the crowd.

The first time I realised Dorrie was no longer next to me on the stage and her microphone was now being held by another hand was when I heard a completely different voice singing along with me.

TOM! Tom Coltrane was standing right where Dorrie had been just seconds before and had seamlessly picked up the duet from where she had left off. Not only that but he was looking into my eyes with complete sincerity as he sang about being so deeply in love that there was no way out.

Startled, I looked around wildly. I had no idea what was happening, how could Tom be here in Edinburgh?

He was meant to be on stage at The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, he was also meant to be engaged to Juliana Ripon, the real love of his life, not here with me singing about sailing away to another world and this being the real thing.

I missed my cue to come back in with my part of the song, the music carried on and I saw a plea in Tom’s eyes to continue with our duet.

The words I knew I should be singing carried new and deeper meaning now and Tom saw my hesitation.

He lowered his mic and leaned in close. ‘It’s you Reba, only you, there’s no one else I swear, you have to believe me. ’

The sound of his voice, the smell of his skin, I felt my legs go weak and my stomach flip.

He brought the mic back up to his lips and carried on singing the words of the song.

The audience were cheering but he paid them no attention.

His eyes were fixed on mine and I could see and hear only Tom.

Tom Coltrane was singing the words of ‘Islands in the Stream’ for me, right to me, as fireworks exploded in my brain and my heart filled with hope and desire.

All my senses told me to trust my instincts.

Tom wasn’t fake, he may well be flawed but even real diamonds have imperfections, it didn’t make them any less beautiful in my eyes.

There was nothing else I could do. I took a deep breath and sang along with him, our voices joining in a duet about two people who find sanctuary in each other, coming together in a deep and unwavering love while the world carries on in chaos around them.