Page 14 of Wish You Would

“Yep.” I wiped the counter, focusing hard on the ins and outs of breathing. “Or, at least, I did.” I flashed her a faint smile. “One of the many things I did on the cruise ship.”

She nodded, fingers still winding around that strand of hair. I continued talking before she could say anything. “They had a new singer lined up, but I guess they backed out at the last minute. And Halle knows I sing. She actually asked me to audition for the spot before…well, anyway.” I shrugged. “It’s just for tonight.”

Saying the words out loud, to another person, solidified the reality. Butterflies swarmed in my stomach and my heart pounded against my ribs. “Fuck,” I whispered. “Why’d I let her talk me into this?”

“Nervous?”

I looked up to find Parker’s blue eyes trained on my face, warm with concern. And, for a nanosecond, I forgot what we were talking about. “I…” I trailed off before my brain caught up. “Yeah. I’m nervous.” I pulled my gaze away from hers. “It’s been a while since I performed. I could very much tank and take the whole band down with me. I—”

“I’m sure you’re gonna be great.” Her voice was soft, yet steely.

My next words were stalled by Parker’s hand covering mine. I looked down, any words I might have said dissipating in the space between us. I could have called bullshit. I could have pointed out that she’d never heard me sing, didn’t even know I sang till literal seconds ago. But something about the way she said it, something about the gentle pressure of her hand on mine, made me believe her.

Letting out a slow, long breath, I nodded. “Thank you.”

She squeezed my hand and I had the sudden urge to flip mine over and lace our fingers together. To place her palm against my chest and see if she could calm my racing heart with her touch. To see if—

“No problem.” She pulled her hand back, bringing my thoughts to a screeching halt. I gave myself a mental shake as she continued talking. “It’s the least I can do after how many times you’ve talked me down in just the last week.” A self-deprecating laugh tumbled from her. “I am a walking disaster.”

“You’re not,” I said, and it came out soft. Raspy. Her eyes met mine, and my next breath lodged in my lungs. “I,” I started, unsure of where my words were headed. “Maybe—”

“Hey, girlie,” Dante called from the pickup window. “How’s it going out there?”

Clearing my throat, I pushed away from the counter. I had to get my shit together. “I, ah…great,” I called back, shoving my hands into the back pockets of my jeans. “Oh, actually,” I said to Dante. “I gotta talk to you about something.” Tossing a closed-lipped smile in Parker’s direction, I pushed through the door to the back.

The moment the door swung shut behind me, I exhaled a massive breath and shook my hair from my face. “The fuck was that?” I whispered to myself before heading into the kitchen.

Dante and Kai were focused intently on the grill before them. I smiled to myself. I hadn’t even had to talk to Dante about taking the kid under his wing. He’d volunteered. After a long, long, long conversation about fire safety and double and triple checking that the fire extinguishers were in working order, I gave him the okay to train Kai in the kitchen. And in the few days since, there had been a marked decrease in crashes and bangs around the place. Maybe Kai had a knack for something after all.

“Hey,” I said, drawing both their attention. “I need a huge favor.”

Dante finished up whatever he’d been saying to Kai, then crossed the kitchen to stand before me. “What’s up?”

A sudden rush of anxiety flowed through my veins and I wasn’t sure if it was pre-performance nerves or Kai near an open flame. Maybe a little of both?

“Well?” Dante asked, yanking me from my thoughts. “I don’t have all day, woman.”

I exhaled sharply and nodded. “Right. So, like I said. Huge favor.”

The stage lights were dark as we took our places. My body buzzed—from anxiety or anticipation, I couldn’t tell. After a quick review of the set list and a series of vocal warmups in the bathroom, I was here. In front of a packed bar. About to perform for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

What was I doing?

Panic seized my chest. I looked behind me, widening my eyes to convey my freakout to Halle. To tell her I couldn’t do this. To say, get me out of here. She merely gave me two thumbs up and a wide, cheesy grin.

Welp.

Wiping sweat from my palms on my jeans, I raised my hands to touch the microphone. My eyes swept over the crowd, mostly a blur until I found Parker, tucked in at a table in the center of the bar. Catching my eye, she lifted her glass in a toast, and I heard her words again.

You’re gonna be great.

Goddamn right I was.

I dragged a huge breath into my lungs and let it out slow. Behind me, the band played the opening notes of “…Baby One More Time.” Closing my eyes, I dipped my head. The stage lights flashed on, the audience cheered.

The show began.

8

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