Page 126 of To Belong Together
She reminded herself constantly of the verse her dad had written to her. Her unique value and purpose in the world seemed like a message that was written on her heart in faded ink—far too easy for her to overlook. Still, she prayed about it, and each time, God seemed to retrace the truth with her, rendering it a clearer, more permanent inscription. In time, her newfound confidence would come more naturally than the doubts.
But what of John’s distrust? With the mortgage in the mix, she didn’t know how to overcome his concerns. Would seeing him tonight give her a new idea?
It’d certainly give her a new perspective. John had built his life around drumming, yet she’d never seen him in action.
The sun had set, but the sky continued to glow as she navigated security. She eyed the bleachers in the grandstand but opted to venture into the field between the stands and the stage. The tightly packed bodies of attendees forced her to give up advancing farther when she was about thirty feet from the platform. Anyway, she didn’t know what would happen if she got close and John or Gannon saw her. Best to stay out in the nameless, faceless sea.
And it was a sea. How many people had gathered? Two thousand? More? The band attracted a good mix of men and women, mostly thirties and younger. Plenty of tattoos and piercings dotted the audience, and a few besides Erin had blue hair.
If they were local, she’d never seen them before.
The sky turned deep cobalt before the stage lights flashed on and illuminated a band that wasn’t Awestruck. The crowd booed until the performers calmed them with a song she’d heard many times before. She couldn’t recall the name of the group, but whoever they were, they weren’t nobodies.
When the opening act gave up the stage, the lights dimmed, and crew dressed in black rushed around the platform as the crowd chanted for Awestruck. But the opening band had made no promises.
The stage stilled as the crew disappeared. Gigantic screens came to life, showing shadowy movement, a couple of silhouettes. Lights snapped on as a man stepped on stage.
Philip Miller’s face covered the screen, and cheers rose all around her. They were going to get the show they’d come for.
Erin watched the place where the bassist had appeared. She didn’t know who would step out next, but she wanted to see John, not on a screen, but with her own eyes.
A moment passed, and then, there he was, holding his good arm high. He’d gotten a haircut, as she’d noticed in the video, and he wore a dark blue Henley she hadn’t seen before. She’d also never known him to wear jewelry, but his good wrist contained a stack of thick bracelets that looked like brown and black leather. Another braided cord circled his neck.
Jewelry.
If he’d dressed that way the first day they’d met, she’d have pegged him as vain and high maintenance. On stage, he looked … like a rock star.
The cheers, which had increased for John, roared even louder, and Erin realized she’d been so focused on John that she’d missed Gannon’s entrance. By the time she pulled her gaze from John, the lead singer was at a mic with his guitar.
An especially screechy woman to Erin’s right bounced and reached toward the stage.
Within seconds, the guys launched into their music. When the second song ended, Gannon motioned John to join him centerstage then wrapped his hand around the mic.
“Hello, Lakeshore.” Gannon grinned, chest rising and falling from the energy he’d packed into his performance.
More screaming. Everyone should be hoarse already, and the show had barely started.
For her part, Erin had yet to make a peep.
“I’m Gannon Vaughn.” After allowing the crowd to respond, he lifted his hand toward their bassist. “This is Philip Miller.”
John had walked forward without hesitation. She would’ve expected him to protest being the center of attention, but why would she expect that? This was as much a part of his job as oil changes were a part of hers.
Gannon laid an arm around his shoulders. “And this is John Kennedy.”
He gave a great big smile and a wave. “It’s an honor, Lakeshore.”
Had she ever seen a grin like that from him before? He must not have been as torn-up the last couple of weeks as that music video had led her to believe.
Gannon jostled him. “You were worried about him after his accident, but I’d say he’s looking pretty good.”
The audience went wild. As the general noise ebbed, a male voice cried out, “We love you, man!”
Beside Erin, Screechy flapped her arms. “Marry me!”
John either didn’t hear or chose to ignore her. “Thank you to everyone who prayed and to all the emergency workers, doctors, and nurses who took such good care of me. I’m in your debt.” He lifted his hands.
The mob exploded.
