Page 78 of Shake the Habit

“This is real,” he agreed. “I really love you.”

And that was sweeter than the best peach of the summer.

Epilogue

“Can everyone please give a hand to my sister-in-law and good friend, Kayleigh McCourt Woodson?”

The people in this little club clapped and whistled, although they had no idea who I was. They were just happy to have the chance to hear Jack, Cassidy’s husband, play a set. He liked to try out new material at this little venue in Chattanooga, where the owner had let him sing years and years before. The patrons never knew when they’d get the chance to hear one of country music’s biggest stars and tonight, they had all gotten lucky.

So had I. I smiled at Jack as I stepped to the microphone and I tried not to be nervous. He would record this song with another big star, a woman who had a powerhouse voice and a range that I could only have dreamed about. But Cassidy and Jack had written the duet with my voice in mind, because I’d been at their house as they’d imagined it. I would be fine.

This was an exciting night and the audience was full of a million and two McCourts. My parents had a table with Cassidy and her parents. Aria and Cain were here and so were three other sets of aunts and uncles and eight other cousins, including Marc. He’d come with his fiancée, Taygen. It had taken a few years, but they were engaged again, and they’d both decided that a quickie wedding with no pomp and circumstance suited them perfectly—except they would have an attendant, me! Her parents hadn’t yet said if they would come, but she was marrying Marc with or without their presence.

I couldn’t see too many faces from this stage because of the lights on us, but I did have a clear view of the most important face to me. Caleb sat right in the front and looked so excited and proud that it made my smile even bigger. He also looked tired, because he’d been up with for the past few nights with our little boy as he battled through the appearance of his first teeth.

“You need rest for your performance,” my husband had told me groggily. “Sir, come help with your brother.”

Our dog had seemed despairing but nothing calmed Paul like the feel of that grey fur. We’d named our first-born after the aunt who was no longer with us—but she was. Not in a scary way, but in memories filled with love.

And the farmhouse was full of love, too. My cousin Dasia had moved in there with her husband and their blended family, and they didn’t report any unpleasant interactions with any…angry presence. They took care of the trees that surrounded the place, which had made a comeback. Arthur’s Precious Gem peacheshad a small but devoted following at the local farmers’ market, and we were thinking about trying things on a larger scale.

We were busy, though. I’d been working on my education, and then we’d had the wedding. We’d been traveling, too, and seeing all kinds of amazing things. And then, we’d had our baby and our lives got even busier, in a wonderful way.

But I was here tonight. “Thank you for that introduction,” I told Jack. “Are you ready?” I was.

“Let’s do it,” he answered, and played the first chord. After that, it was just as fun as I remembered from all the pageants, and the crowd loved it. Filling the seats with so many McCourts had been a good idea, because they led everyone else in a standing ovation when we finished.

I waved and smiled at them until my teeth dried out, which also reminded me of my prior pageant experience (Aunt Amber had recommended Vaseline from her beauty bag, but I had never liked the feel of that). I waved again at the audience and blew a kiss toward my family, and then Jack hugged me and gave me his own round of applause as I walked off stage.

Caleb was already waiting there. I’d seen him bolt toward the back when the clapping was dying down, and we knew the security guys well enough now that they’d let him through. The minute I got close enough, he grabbed me, lifting me off my feet to hug me.

“Honey, you were so good. Hell, I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud, except when you had Paul. And when you got yourassociate’s degree. And—you know what? I’m so proud of you all the time.”

“Thank you,” I said, and I pressed my face against his neck. “That means a lot.”

“I told everyone in the audience that you’re my wife and they agree that I’m a lucky man.”

“We have it very good.”

He set me down carefully. “How are you feeling? Do you need some water?” He pulled a bottle out of his back pocket.

“I feel perfect, but I would like you to hug me again.”

“I’m always ready for that.” But he tipped his head and listened. “I hear them calling for an encore. That’s for you, Kayleigh.”

“My Lord. Is my makeup still ok?”

“I never saw you look more beautiful. Go after it.”

When I walked back onto the stage, I was laughing. “What should we do?” I asked Jack.

“Whatever you want, as long as I can play it,” he told me.

“How about ‘Keep on the Sunny Side?’ Your wife probably sings that around the house.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said, and it did to me, too. That was where we were all keeping ourselves, through everything we faced. I looked over at Caleb and smiled again, and then I lifted my voice in song.

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