Page 176 of Ever With Me

He knew that now.

EPILOGUE

MADDIE

One Year Later

Maddie could feelthe crowd’s energy from the side of the stage. She usually stayed here so she could greet her husband first when he finished a set.

She would never, ever tire of watching Brooks Kent play his guitar.

“This is amazing!” Lindsay shouted in her ear. Even standing shoulder to shoulder, they could barely hear each other up here.

Maddie grinned, then wrapped her arm over her sister’s shoulders. Naomi, on her other side, did the same thing. Kayla and Jen soon joined them. Their five Yardley sister group.

All of them had been slightly miffed with Maddie and Brooks when they’d eloped the previous June. Not because they thought it was too soon—all of them knew Maddie well enough to know she didn’t do love on a schedule—but because the elopement had been a secret.

Just Brooks and Maddie on a remote mountaintop in Banff. One by one, they’d been checking off all the places Brooks had wanted to take her, but that trip had been Maddie’s favorite by far.

They’d come back and done a big, family-style barbecue party to celebrate with everyone in Brandywood, of course, but every now and then, Naomi would grumble over the phone, “I still can’t believe you didn’t invite me to your wedding.”

Applause and screams erupted as Brooks finished a song, then he grabbed the microphone free from its stand. “Thank you, Brandywood!”

More screaming. The fall town fair was onfiretonight.

While Brooks hadn’t been on tour this year, he’d still been busy playing concerts and releasing music, which meant they’d spent a lot of time on the road. Not that Maddie minded. Managing his career had been fun—and she’d even started taking on other clients.

And with Mike behind bars and Maddie and Brooks’s relationship becoming lessinterestingto the press, the paparazzi had been more muted, too. That had all helped Brooks lower his guard some. Feel safer.

They’d even broken ground on the property here in Brandywood, which made Maddie’s heart happy. She’d been religious in watching Pops and Jake in any special the Happy Home Network produced and loved seeing Jake as the new face of the company. He was a perfect fit.

“This concert has been over a year in the making,” Brooks said as the crowd quieted. “And I’m so glad I can officially say I owe you all nothing. My debt is paid off.”

Laughter followed, then the lights dimmed. “I’ve got one last song, with some special guest appearances for you. It’s not one of my own. In fact, it’s not even a rock-and-roll song. This little medley was put together by some country greats a few years back, so, with some minor changes, here’s my love letter to you all.”

The familiar notes of “Take Me Home, Country Road”started, and Brooks’s deep voice began the first verse. But when he got to the chorus, he swapped out “West Virginia” for “Western Maryland”. . . and the crowd went wild.

As the song continued, Cormac came out from stage left. . . and then Maddie left her spot with her sisters, microphone in hand.

The cheer from the crowd was deafening, their exuberance radiating through her.

She joined Cormac and Brooks, the song flowing through her with ease. She couldn’t see anyone in the crowd, but she knew her parents were there. Her brothers and Audrey. Her nieces.

Pops and Bunny. The Doyles. The Wagners. The Kleins and the Cavanaughs. The Stricklands. The Pearsons. Millie Price.

The community that she’d always be a part of, no matter how far she traveled.

When the song ended, the applause went on for several minutes, the crowd clamoring for more.

She would always love them.

Maddie turned toward Brooks, and dripping in sweat, he wrapped her in a hug.

She laughed as he rubbed his forehead against her neck. “Oh my God, you’re disgusting!” she shouted in his ear with a squeal, knowing he probably wouldn’t hear her with his in-ears in still.

The cheering continued as Brooks led her off stage. They got backstage, and he smiled boyishly. Her handsome devil of a rock-star husband who still made her panties melt.

Maddie kissed him then.

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