Loving You

Tex Warner takes a campaign stop in Delville as a chance to test Deke Rivers's appeal with the crowd. Glenda Markle notices the positive reception, especially from the women in the audience. She pushes Deke to sing with Tex's Rough Ridin' Ramblers to revive interest in the event.

Glenda tests the idea of Deke joining the Tex Warner Show and pitches the possibility to him. Deke is initially reluctant to give up his steady job, asking for time to think it over. She presses him to consider the opportunity further.

Upon returning to town later that day, Glenda calls the Highway Beverage Company and the Tallman campaign is dropped in favor of their own roadshow. Tex and Glenda decide to quit the campaign and focus on the act they built. The shift marks the end of politics for them and the start of touring.

The following morning, as the group is leaving town, Deke accepts Glenda's offer to join the roadshow after being fired by his employer due to a fictitious late-delivery complaint she filed. Glenda has prepared a contract that gives her half of Deke's income, and Deke signs it without realizing the trap. They set off to tour Texas with Tex headlining.

They begin a Texas tour with Tex headlining, joined by Susan Jessup and a singing trio. Deke's rising popularity fuels Glenda's publicity machine as she engineers promotional stunts to boost his image. The tour moves from town to town, building momentum for their larger ambitions.

Glenda pays two elderly women to criticize Deke, staging a clash that is captured by a press photographer. The incident sparks heated exchanges with fans and creates a media buzz around Deke's image. The publicity stunt helps draw attention to the show.

As the tour progresses, Deke and Susan Jessup grow closer, developing a budding romance. The relationship complicates Glenda's control over Deke's career and creates tension behind the scenes. Tex navigates the shifting dynamics with a mix of loyalty and pragmatism.

The group lands a four-day engagement at a large Amarillo theater, a big break that could revive Deke's career. Tex agrees to share the bill with Deke, and The Dallas Chronicle is invited to cover the story, amplifying publicity. The publicity machine intensifies as reporters arrive.

After the Amarillo engagement, Deke's management offers him a one-man show in Freegate, Texas. Tex fires Susan and the singing trio to reduce competition, leaving only Deke on the bill. The path opens for Deke to go solo.

Glenda convinces Tex to buy an Imperial for Deke and uses a ruse that it is a gift from the widow of an oil magnate, funded against Tex's life insurance. The purchase signals Glenda's manipulative reach over Deke's career and finances. They continue toward Freegate to prepare for the solo show.

Back at Susan's family farm, Susan explains she was fired and Deke comforts her as they share a moment. Deke sings 'Loving You' for Susan, and she remarks that she has never heard him sing that way before. They are interrupted before anything more happens.

Glenda arrives with the Imperial and urges Deke to leave with her for Freegate. Deke reveals his real surname is Tompkins, and the couple drives to Allen City to the Woodbine cemetery to show the Tomb of Deke Rivers. He explains that he buried his past after the orphanage fire years earlier.

In Freegate, the concert is canceled by the Mayor's office after complaints from parents about Deke's music. Glenda arranges a studio telecast from Freegate to gain publicity and persuades the town board to allow him to perform. Discontented, Deke is talked into doing the show, and the two share a kiss.

On the day of the telecast, Deke learns that Tex was married to Glenda, causing disbelief and anger. He drives off in frustration, but Glenda explains everything and tears up the contract. She convinces him to return and perform.

As the telecast begins, fans defend Deke on camera while local newscasters record the scene. Susan arrives to warn that Deke won't appear, but he does show up and opens with 'Loving You'. Susan joins him onstage as Tex and Glenda reconcile behind the scenes, and Deke and Susan share a kiss, signaling a new artistic partnership.