to not make every day I’m with her the absolute best one possible.
I rub my hands through my hair, messing it up just the way she likes, and walk towards her. I ignore it when she absent-mindedly places her hand on her stomach. She doesn’t know I know. She doesn’t know I saw the test she took this morning before we left the bus, but she did a piss poor job of hiding it from me. But I won’t say anything to her; not until she’s ready because I know that she needs her time to process the idea of having a baby.
Our baby.
I’m ready, though. Ever since she told me she pictured us with a boy with my hair and eyes; it’s the only thing I’ve wanted besides making her officially mine.
“Hey, love.” I pull her tightly into my arms and breathe in her vanilla and raspberry scent. She smells almost as beautiful as she looks and I instantly want to take her in my arms and back to the bus and make love to my wife all night long. But we have a show to do. I pull away from her slowly when she exhales slowly.
“On a scale of one to ten, how badly are you freaking out right now?” I look down at her, hoping she can see how much I love her. How proud I am of her for doing this. I’ve put on too many concerts to count, but this one is the most important because my wife and my unborn child are with me. I’m the freaking happiest man alive right now.
We’re right back to where we began and I’m loving every single memory of the first night I saw her dancing in the front row. I watched her as I sang, her nervousness shifting to calm and then to joy. I watched every single emotion change in her as she adjusted to the music and noise and the only thing wrong about tonight is that she won’t be in the front row, cheering me on. Instead she’ll be behind me where I can’t watch her eyes sparkle like they always do when the music plays.
But she’s with me, and I’ll take every second of every minute with her for as long as we live.
“About a twelve,” she says nervously, with only a hint of teasing in her voice. Her eyes dart back and forth to the stage, the crowd, and me. She wants to run. I can feel how badly she wants to take off and run back to the bus and crawl and hide under the covers in our bed. But I won’t let her, she’s come too far.
I hold her hands firmly in mine and lightly brush a kiss across her wedding band. “You’re good. You can do this. Just feel the music, love and you’ll get it.”
The lights turn down on the stage, the crew exits and Chase leads us out. I lead Nicole on stage, walk her to keyboard, keeping her steady with every single step. I hate to let go of her and leave her; especially now. But she’s got this. She’s the strongest woman I have met in my entire life and I know that when the music starts, she’ll be completely in her element.
I give her a slow, lingering kiss and head to the microphone just as my spotlight begins to brighten. I nod to Chase who starts off the beat with the kick drum.
I look back one last time at Nic. I see her hands shaking with nerves and even from this far away, I can see her chest rising and falling as she counts off her own calming breaths. I give her a wink and blow her a kiss hopefully conveying that I know she can do this. That we can do anything, together, as long we love one another.
I strum the chord just once and smile as the crowd in front of me goes wild.
I call into the microphone as the rest of the band joins me, “Hello Minneapolis!”
Acknowledgements
This book was a work of love and wouldn’t have been completed without the support of many people who are near and dear to my heart.
First and foremost, thank you to my husband. Your unfailing support, encouragement, and brainstorming sessions helped make this book what it is today. I’m honored that my book is the first one you’ve read in like, ever! And you liked it! And to our four young children who didn’t mind having dirty clothes and chicken nuggets and frozen pizza for the thousandth time because mommy was busy working. You four are, and will always be, my greatest accomplishments and the loves of my life.
To Jessica, my incredible sister-in-law, who took the time to read the book. Your feedback, opinions, and help with editing was absolutely invaluable. Thank you so much for your help.
Carolyn and Lee, you two were my first readers of my earliest chapters and if you hadn’t been so kind in your reviews and your ideas, I may never have had the courage to keep writing. Without your support, this book may have never been finished.
Minda, I am absolutely grateful for your review and your long list of ideas to help strengthen Nicole and Zack’s story. Keep the long lists coming because you absolutely rock! I’m honored to know you, truly.
My beta reader, Natalie, I want to hunt you down and throw my arms around you and thank you so much from the bottom of my completely overwhelmed heart. Your ideas and thoughts on Just One Song gave me confidence and hope that someone other than my friends might actually like my story! I can’t wait for you to read more.
Thank you so much to the following bloggers who have supported me and encouraged me in my writing in ways you don’t even know.
Totally Booked, Natasha’s a Book Junkie, Shh Mom’s Reading, Three Chicks and Their Books, Stick Girls Book Reviews, Devoured Words Blog, The Boyfriend Bookmark, My Secret Romance Reviews, and probably dozens of others: thank you so much for helping out a new author and participating in my cover reveal, teasers, and book reviews. You rock!
To my readers, thank you so much for your encouraging words! I hope you fall in love with Zack and Nicole just like I did!
About The Author
Stacey Lynn lives in the heart of the Midwest with an incredibly supportive husband and four young children. She spends her day taking care of the kids and loving her family. At night she’s curled up with a book and a blanket, or her laptop, writing down all the stories she hears in her head.
Just One Song is her debut novel.
For more information about Stacey Lynn and her upcoming books visit:
Website:
http://staceylynnbooks.blogspot.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/staceylynnbooks
Twitter:
@staceylynnbooks
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Table of Contents
Table of Contents Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue