Crazy in Love (Blue Lake #3)(64)

More importantly, would she, could she, be enough for him?

There were too many questions and only one way to get the answers.

When the showroom doors came into view, she slowed. Pulled up her jeans. Yanked down her sweater. Fluffed her hair and draped a few golden waves over her shoulders.

Show time.

She heaved open the doors and met two security officers in a blacked-out antechamber. The screams of the crowd exploded into the small room, nearly blasting out her eardrums. She handed the ticket to the burlier of the two security guards.

“You know the show’s about to end, right?” he hollered, leaning into her ear. “There are only two songs left.”

“That’s okay, I’m not here for the music anyway.” She opened the curtains and lost her breath as she spotted Cole sitting on a barstool in the center of the stage. He wore a black T-shirt, dark washed jeans, and black boots. He looked relaxed, completely at ease, as he adjusted the guitar over his shoulder and waved at the guests in the front row. The lights in the showroom dimmed and the spotlight honed on him. He smiled, languid and sexy, quieting the crowd and stopping her heart. Her chest warmed, sending a delicious blush blooming over her skin. “I’m here for him.”





Chapter Nineteen





The concert had been his best yet. One that he’d remember forever. His chest felt light, his head clear, and the guitar may as well have been an extension of his body.

He’d never played so well in his life.

As the crowd quieted and he settled on the barstool, guitar in hand, he closed his eyes. He wasn’t used to the awkward quiet. Without Ronnie beating on the drums, and the lead guitar wailing behind him, the stage felt wide and vacant.

Plucking a few strings, Cole took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

Rachael.

The air froze in his chest. His lungs constricted. His eyes burned. He wanted to leap off the stage. Run to her. Wrap her in his arms and never let go.

Without a single thought in his head, he plucked a few more strings: the beginning of Run to Him. Slowly and unsure, Rachael glanced at her ticket, and then slid into an aisle seat in the center of the showroom.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Cole said, the lack of air leaving him breathless and dizzy. He held her gaze as he strummed slowly. “I’d like to play something special for you tonight. There are some songs that are painful to write. Ones that wring you out and leave you lifeless. Others, like the one I’m about to play for you, are written in a crazy whirlwind. The words leap onto the page and form a song before you realize you’ve grabbed a pen. This one was inspired by my recent trip to Blue Lake. It’s called Run to Him.”

He arched back and dove into song, using his fingers to tell the story rather than the words. The crowd disappeared into the shadows, yet somehow Rachael remained illuminated. All the light in the room had trained on her. He dropped into the rhythm and melody, sinking into the feel of the strings as they moved against his fingers.

As the words escaped his lips, breathy and deep, Cole let his eyes close and lost himself. He wasn’t standing on a stage in the showroom at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. He was standing in the inn with Rachael in his arms as Joey knocked on the door.

Run to him, think of me.

In my heart, you’ll always be.

He imagined holding Rachael in his arms. Brushing his hand down the silky smooth strands of her honey-blonde hair. Tracing the curves of her body with his fingers, his mouth.

Promise me you won’t wait,

Deep down I know you deserve better.