Music of the Heart (Runaway Train, #1)(95)
Her fingers effortlessly flew over the black and white keys as she began the song. Leaning against the side of the stage, I listened intently to the lyrics. Even though I tried fighting them, tears stung my eyes, especially the part about how the passion and the pain would keep me alive someday. The song captured so much of the desperately dark emotions I’d been experiencing in the past two months since Mama’s death. I knew there would be more desperate times ahead, but I wouldn’t be making any escapes. I had Abby by my side, my bandmates and brothers, and the new love of Abby’s family to get me through.
When Abby finished, I strode out on stage and pulled her up from the piano bench. After I wrapped my arms tight around her, I murmured into her ear. “Thank you, Angel.”
“You’re welcome.” She kissed me on the lips, which caused the crowd to go wild. Working the moment, Abby took a microphone from the technician and asked, “I guess you guys are ready for us to sing together now?”
Whistles and catcalls filled the air. “Well, all right then.” The set was changed to where two microphones sat between two stools. Abby and I adjusted our guitars on our laps.
The first song we did together was a cover of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s I Need You. Perched on the stool across from me, Abby grinned when I changed the lyrics from riding across West Virginia to West Georgia and the part about cowboys going out like that to rockers. We finished the song to thunderous applause. I bobbed my head at Abby to do the next introduction. She grinned and winked at me. “We want to thank everyone who has made I’ll Take You with Me a hit. It means so much to Jake and myself because we wrote the song together. In fact, it was the first songwriting I ever did. So here it is.”
Even though the song was emotional hell, I never got tired of performing it with Abby. Each time she brought something different to it—either emphasizing a new word or whispering part of a line. She kept me on my toes on stage just like in the real world, and I loved every minute of it.
After the applause died down, I leaned in to the microphone. “So for our last song together, we wanted to do another cover. Hopefully this time next year we’ll have written more material together. But for now, this song captures so much of what I feel for Abby, or my Angel. Here’s Paul McDonald and Nikki Reed’s All I Ever Needed.”
Throughout the song, Abby and I kept our eyes locked. Although we were separated by our guitars and the microphone stand, we inched as close as we could. Like the lyrics, she was my shelter in the storm and all I would ever need.
When the last verse echoed throughout the park, Abby leaned over the microphone to kiss me passionately. The crowd loved it, and the applause and cheering became deafening. Abby started to rise off of her stool to make her departure from the stage, but I stopped her.
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Jake—”
I tried stilling the rapid beating of my heart. I knew what I was about to do was huge, and I wanted to make sure it was absolutely perfect. Speaking into my microphone, my voice cracked as it echoed over the crowd. “Two of the songs we sang together mean everything to me, Angel. You’re all I’ve ever needed, or I could ever want. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
I rose off my stool and dug the small jewelry box out of my pocket. When I cracked it open, the enormous emerald cut diamond caught the stage lights, and it sparkled, causing Abby to shriek with shock. “Oh my God…Oh. My. God!” she exclaimed. Her hands came up to cover her mouth.
With a grin, I knelt down on one knee before her. The crowd started screaming and whistling so loud I could barely hear myself think. I’d gone over and over in my head a million times what I planned to say. I wanted it to be heartfelt and meaningful. I was a songwriter for f*ck’s sake, but in that moment, it all flew out of my head.
So I gave up and took Abby’s hand in mine. “Angel, will you make my life complete and whole by marrying me?”
Tears shimmered in Abby’s eyes as she hopped off of her stool. I barely had time to prepare before she threw herself into my arms, almost toppling me over. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
At her acceptance, the crowd once again went crazy while the guys played a rocker remix of the Bridal March. Wrapping Abby in my arms, I stood up and spun her around. As a self-respecting dude, I’d never believed in fairy tales, but in that moment, I did. I’d found my angel to live happily-ever-after with.
Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter, Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.
She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she left to write full time in December 2012.
She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.
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Thanks first and foremost always go to God for his love and abiding support, for speaking peace to my often troubled soul, and for exceeding my expectations of unanswered prayers. To my church family for always giving me love and support when I needed it most and being supportive of my alter-ego Katie.
Michelle Eck: Even as a writer, words seem inadequate to say how grateful I am that God brought you into my life. You’re a daily blessing as a friend, a hardcore supporter, a Stream Team Captain extraordinaire, and the best eagle eye editor a girl could ever ask or hope for. I don’t know what I would do without you, your love and care, your straight forward honesty, and your willingness to fight long and hard to make my books and my career better. I couldn’t navigate these crazy waters without you at the helm! Love and hugs always!!