Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70264 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 351(@200wpm)___ 281(@250wpm)___ 234(@300wpm)
I blink into the darkened space at the sea of smiling faces, familiar and strangers all united in appreciating my music. It’s like a dream, except it’s not. It’s real.
I want to take Taylor in my arms right now, but I have more songs to sing. The nerves that were vibrating every cell in my body have calmed to a low hum of adrenaline that feels good. I’m amped and hyped in the best possible way.
I get through three more songs before I need a drink. I promised Don I’d do four for my first night, and it feels about right. Maybe next time, I could stretch to five or six.
Next time.
Taylor was right. The performance has changed me. My dad’s cutting words no longer ring true or claim power over me. All that’s left is Taylor’s encouragement, my friends’ support, the resounding cheers of the audience, and the realization that I can finally live the life I want to live without letting my past hold me back.
I smile as I pack away my guitar and shake the hands of a few people who tell me how good I can sing and play and how they never would have guessed I’d be so talented. I’m sweating and flushed when I return to the table where the family I’ve chosen is gathered. Taylor stands and wraps her arms around me, pressing her face into my neck. “That song,” she whispers, close to my ear.
“You liked it?”
“I loved it.” She takes hold of my face, pressing my cheeks between her palms, and searches my eyes. “I love you.”
Hearing those three little words flips my whole world over. All the jumbled parts and pieces that I’ve been holding together with force fall into place with her at the center. She’s the sun that I orbit.
Clint slaps my back. “You were so good, bro!”
“We’re never going to hear the last of it,” Jesse adds, rubbing his forehead and grinning. “The cows are going to get sick of his singing. You know they can’t stand a showoff.”
I laugh, already thinking about my next performance that definitely won’t be to the cows.
I thought I was happy before Taylor came into my life, but the truth is I was existing. Good friends, a nice place to live, and a job I love were enough until I realized what I was missing. Taylor’s shown me so much so quickly, and I can’t wait for every future step we’re going to take together, knowing I’ve found my heaven in her.
23
TAYLOR
BENEATH A STARRY SKY
When we return from the bar, I’m tipsy, with a heart that feels swollen and ripe with love. Molly won’t be back until the morning, so we’re all alone for the first time in a while. Jesse unlocks the front door, but Maverick takes my hand, and we sway and stumble our way around the back of the house. After his performance, he drank a few too many shots of whiskey, so now we’re both unsteady on our feet.
“Where’s that porch swing,” he mumbles, squinting as though he’s lost the thread of where we are. Clint laughs behind us, and I turn to find him and Jesse following. As the designated driver, Jesse’s the only one currently walking straight. The porch swing is only big enough to seat three of us, so Jesse stands, leaning against a wooden post and staring out over the starlit ranch.
Maverick drapes his arm around my shoulder, pressing a lingering kiss to the top of my head and inhaling deeply.
“I’ve never seen a night sky quite like this before. It’s beautiful,” I say softly. The vastness of the glitter-speckled darkness stretching uninterrupted is staggering to me. My tiny window back at my dad’s house was crowded by the neighbors’ house, and the light pollution always gave the night sky a greenish, yellow tinge.
“If you’re lucky, you might see a shooting star,” Jesse says.
“Why you over there?” Maverick slurs. He pulls a chair closer. “Here. Sit.”
Jesse acquiesces, lowering himself into the seat that seems too small for his large frame. He folds his bulky arms across his chest and stretches his long legs in front of him, crossed at the ankle. In the low light, the angular planes of his face seem harsh but I’ve been with him for long enough to know what kind of man he is: hard on the outside but deeply caring and protective on the inside.
“We should get a telescope,” Clint suggests. “I bet you can see planets on a clear night.” He rests his hand on my knee, and I cover it with my own. The reserved man he was when I came to Twin Springs ranch has gradually been left behind. He’s affectionate now, even in front of his friends. So much has changed between us all, and although I’ve settled in, I’m still getting used to what it feels like to be so connected to three handsome men.