Page 80 of Sweet Music
“You’re getting a better kiss than that in private,”he murmured as the crowd below cheered.
They made their way down to greet friends and family as the band kicked into an instrumental version of one of Cash’s big songs, and a couple of guys from the firehouse set up patio heaters in the square.
“You did it,” Tripp said, pulling Cash into a big hug.
“When’s it going to be your turn?” Cash teased him.
“It was beautiful,” Maggie said, embracing Bella. “I love the way you two included Cody in your promises.”
“Thank you,” Bella told her. “And thank you for the dress.”
“Here’s your coat,” Allie told her, holding it out. But her hands dropped before Bella could take it. “Wait, is that…no, it can’t be…”
But it turned out that it could be, and it was. Cash had put the word out to a few of his friends in the business, and it looked like some of them had actually shown up tojoin the celebration. It was only a handful of celebrity guests, but that was plenty to get the whole town aflutter as they spotted them in the crowd.
One or two even stepped in to sing some of the upbeat hits the band was playing, much to the guests’ delight.
“Cash is still the biggest celebrity here,” Cody said to Bella at one point.
“Yes, but everyone in this town grew up with him,” Bella laughed. “These others are something new.”
A stand was set up to hand out hot chocolate and sweet roasted nuts to anyone who wanted them. The scent was delicious on the air, and everyone was charmed at the warm treats.
The band finally played a slow song, and Cash took Bella’s hand and led her to the center of the square. Bella had never considered herself much of a dancer, and her heart thundered at the idea that so many people were watching.
But as soon as he pulled her close, the rest of the world faded away, and it was just the two of them swaying and spinning under the big trees.
“I think it’s my turn to sing now,” he told her when the dance was over. “As long as you don’t mind me working a little today.”
He winked at her, and she laughed.
“I’ll make an exception for you,” she told him. “As long asIdon’t have to re-shelve any books.”
“That’s fair,” he said.
“Though I do wish I could memorialize all this somehow for the Vermont music section,”she mused.
“We’ll have plenty of photos and recordings,” he told her. “I made a deal with the journalists.”
She had to smile at his foresight.
“See you in a minute,” he told her, kissing the top of her head before he jogged off to join the band.
When the guests noticed where he was headed, a hush fell over the crowd.
“I’m only going to sing one song today,”Cash said into the mic.“And I think my son is going to help me out on this one.”
Bella’s heart melted as she saw the look on Cody’s face. The boy took off across the park instantly to join his father on the steps of the pavilion.
When Cash handed off his personal guitar to Cody the teen’s jaw dropped. Then the two embraced.
“He did it,” Maggie said, shaking her head with a happy smile on her face.
“What did he do?” Bella asked.
“He gave him his great-grandfather’s guitar,” Maggie said. “He asked his father’s permission this morning, told him that he wanted to give the boy something special today.”
“Wow,” Bella said softly. She’d heard Cash talk about how much that guitar meant to him, and how many of his best songs were written on it.
