Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 60978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60978 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 305(@200wpm)___ 244(@250wpm)___ 203(@300wpm)
Sweat dampened my palms, so I wiped them on my jeans. I watched Cash move across the stage with practiced ease. He wore his Kiss of Death cut over a black T-shirt. When he turned, catching my eye across the crowded room, my heart stuttered in my chest. He’d been in my life for barely three months, yet I couldn’t imagine it without him now.
I’d made the right choice letting him into our lives. Even Ash had accepted it, though he still occasionally looked at us with a mix of regret and reluctant approval. Another step toward the family structure I’d always wanted for my daughter, even if it wasn’t the traditional one I’d once imagined.
A server brushed past, carrying a tray of beer bottles and whiskey shots. The sharp scent of alcohol mingled with perfume and cologne, creating an oddly pleasant aroma that somehow fit the night’s purpose. A woman in a gray blazer and pearls stood near the bar, laughing with Pippa at something I couldn’t hear. Sponsors, donors, people with the means to help mingled with rough-neck bikers. There were as many suits here as leather cuts. All here because they believed in what Haven stood for. I know I sure did. And I hadn’t needed the kind of help some of the women there did.
My gaze returned to Cash, watching as he tested the microphone. His deep voice rumbled through the speakers, checking levels with the sound guy. Several people turned toward the stage, conversations pausing briefly before resuming at a slightly lower volume.
Cash finished his adjustments and hopped down from the stage, weaving through the crowd toward me. His gaze never left me, tracking my position with the focused intensity that made my breath catch.
“You ready?” he asked, stopping just close enough that I could smell the faint scent of gasoline ever present around him.
I shook my head and gave a little laugh. “Nervous,” I admitted.
He snagged my hand, his fingers warm and steady around my trembling ones. “Don’t be. You’re amazing.”
“What if I mess up?”
“What if you fly?” he countered with a gentle smile. “Nothing to lose, darlin’. Everything to gain.”
The DJ’s voice cut through the chatter, announcing the beginning of the night’s entertainment to thunderous applause and whistles. My pulse jumped at the words, but Cash’s hand remained firmly around mine, an anchor in my sudden panic.
“You’ve got this, baby,” he murmured, his lips brushing my temple. “We’ve got this.”
We moved toward the stage together, my free hand pressed against my stomach where butterflies had taken up residence.
“I love you, Eliza,” Cash said before we stepped on stage. “You and Lily are both my girls. I will cherish you for the rest of my life.”
The simple declaration made my throat tight with emotion. “I love you too, Cash. We both do.”
The spotlight hit us as we climbed the steps, momentarily blinding in its intensity. I blinked rapidly, my free hand rising instinctively to shield my eyes. Cash’s grip tightened reassuringly, guiding me to my mark at the center of the stage. The crowd still whistled and hollered. Cash raised his hand, waving at everyone so I followed his lead.
Cash stepped up to the microphone, his smile easy and confident as he addressed the packed bar. “Evening, everyone,” he said, his voice carrying that Tennessee twang that had first soothed Lily in the hospital months ago. I swallowed nervously while Cash introduced us and said some stuff. I honestly couldn’t hear anything for the roaring in my ears.
When he finished speaking, the crowd responded with enthusiastic applause. I stood frozen beside him, my heart hammering against my ribs.
Our voices blended together on the chorus, mine higher and clearer alongside his gravel-edged baritone. We’d found our rhythm together, both in song and in life. Where once we’d stumbled over each other’s words, now we anticipated each other’s movements, our voices intertwining in harmonies we’d worked to perfect during stolen evenings after Lily fell asleep.
Halfway through the second verse, I risked a glance at the crowd. What I saw nearly made me miss my cue. People had set down their drinks, conversations pausing as they turned toward the stage. Some swayed gently to the music, others watched with expressions that ranged from surprised appreciation to outright admiration. Several women near the front had their hands pressed to their hearts, their eyes suspiciously bright.
When we hit the bridge, Cash moved closer, his hand finding mine as we sang. His palm was warm and slightly rough against my skin. His touch sent a jolt through me, a reminder of how far we’d come since that first day when he’d been only a stranger with a song and a kind word for a frightened child.
Now he was simply mine. And I was his. The thought gave me courage as we approached the song’s emotional climax, our voices rising together. The song built toward its final chorus, our voices growing stronger with each line. Around us, the bar had fallen into a hushed reverence. I’d never experienced anything like it.