There were only a few scattered people at the Crown that night. A far cry from the tens of thousands who used to cram into the stadiums to hear the King Brothers play. 

But this was fine. They weren't here to listen to me play. They were here to listen to Rachel sing. I was here to listen to Rachel sing. To remind her that even though I had fucked up royally this morning, I was still here for her. And after tonight was over, I would confess that I loved her and ask her what kind of future we could have together. 

I was strangely nervous. Maybe it was Rachel's nerves rubbing off on me. The soft breeze that wafted in through the open door sent the papers tacked up on the community bulletin board to ruffling, which made her jump. It made me jump. I tried to laugh it off and reached out to rub her shoulder. "How are you?" I asked her for what felt like the millionth time. 

And for the millionth time, she just gave me that wan nod and the faint smile that barely even reached her eyes. She'd been quiet on the ride over and had gone even quieter once we'd reached the Crown. 

Nerves were a bitch. I tried to reassure her. "You have an amazing voice and we've practiced this song at least one hundred times. In fact," I teased her. "I'm almost sure I heard you singing it in your sleep the other night. So I know you know it. You don't have to worry about that."

Her smile brightened for a millisecond but then faded again.

"Okay, I get it." I patted her shoulder. "I'll shut up and leave you alone."

I kept my promise and busied myself with helping Taylor with the speakers and microphones. My sister, there to see her prized student in her debut, bossed us both mightily, but when Taylor got grumpy, she finally rolled her eyes and found a seat in the front row. I was taping down one of the cables when I noticed the crowd starting to fill out, taking their seats in the semi-circle of folding chairs that surrounded the battered little raised platform that served as the stage. 

I quickly miked up my piano and nodded to Taylor. The last thing Rachel needed was a restless, antsy crowd the night of her big debut. We needed to make sure we started promptly. 

Taylor nodded back and went to the main mic. I quickly ducked behind him and made a beeline for Rachel, who had been sitting in the deep windowsill underneath the neon signs advertising Genesee beer. "Showtime!" I whispered, feeling that giddy spark in my veins again. I thought I had lost it after all those years of trudging from city to city and playing the same stale songs. But tonight, I was excited again. 

For her. 

I reached out and squeezed her hands with mine. "You're going to be awesome." I leaned in for a kiss. 

She shied back immediately and glared at me, her eyebrows knitted together. I pulled away and looked at her, feeling like she'd just slapped me in the face.  

She pressed her lips together and then gave me a smile that was more worrisome than the look of death she'd just given me. "Can you... can you give me some space, please?"

Stung, I stepped back. Stage fright did weird things to people. It didn't mean it hurt any less, but I at least understood. I went over to the piano and sat down. 

"Thanks for coming out tonight!" Taylor said into the mic. You could only tell he was smiling because his eyes were crinkled because his mouth was completely covered by his enormous, man-of-the-woods beard. Which reminded me about how careful I'd been about trimming mine since things started getting serious with Rachel. Beards are great, but unobstructed kisses are even better. "We've got a new face with us this evening, which is awesome! Give it up for Rachel Walker!" He stepped back to join in the smattering of applause. I looked at Rachel and gestured for her to stand up and wave, but she was staring past the crowd with a ferocious look on her face. Her game face, maybe? "And"—Taylor went on when it became clear that Rachel was intent on ignoring everyone—"a very familiar face too. Give it up for Beau King of the King Brothers on piano!"

I waved and pointed at each audience member in turn to make up for Rachel's distance. It was okay that she didn't know how to handle an audience, she wasn't used to it the way I was. She just had to sing, I could handle the rest of it. Claire was standing up, shrieking and hollering like we were the Beatles on Ed McMahon. "Thanks," I mouthed to my sister, then turned to see if Rachel was ready. I waved at her again and nodded. 

She jerked like a puppet on a string, then lurched to the microphone like she was fighting a strong wind. Confused, I turned to the keys. 

We'd rehearsed far more than I needed. I played the first few notes of the Ed Sheeran song she'd chosen, the one she had sung to me that first time I heard her sing. It had a long intro, and as I built to the crescendo, I turned and nodded to her.

She didn't move. There was a pause in the music. Her cue. 

"Go!" I mouthed. 

Rachel opened her mouth automatically. 

Nothing came out. 

Stage fright. It had to be stage fright. Claire leaned forward, her fingers pressed to her lips in concern. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Taylor shaking his head darkly. 

Okay. No big deal. 

I played around her cue, improvising some variations on the melody. "Four, three, two, one," I murmured, then looked up to nod at her next cue.

Rachel wasn't even looking at me. She stood there, wide-eyed and panicked, staring out at the crowd. 

There was a cough and then a titter of nervous laughter. Rachel's head whipped around. "What are you staring at?" she demanded of the guy in the front row. 

I leaped up. In every show I'd ever played, we had one mantra. 'The show must go on.' No matter what happened, we were professionals and we kept our promises. 

My training kicked in like muscle memory. "Hey, sorry." Stepping in front of Rachel, I gave the guy a sheepish smile. "Nerves, right? Anyone else get stage fright?" I nodded hard, inviting them to nod with me. The show must go on. "Can you all give it up for my girl here? Round of applause for Rachel, right?" I clapped until they clapped along with me, then turned to grip Rachel's shoulders. "It's okay," I reassured her. "We can try again, okay?"

She blinked and then nodded. 

I hurried over to the piano and started again. This time Rachel looked down at the floor, and then up at Claire. Claire was nodding along with the beat and Rachel started to tap her toes. I felt the tension in my chest start to release. Okay. Here we go. I reached her cue.

Rachel opened her mouth and the first note came out in a terrible, off-key squeak. Claire winced visibly, and Rachel noticed. Her face reddened again.

I smiled at her even though inside I was a mass of worry. What the fuck was going on? Where was her beautiful voice? "From the top?" I asked her, not knowing what else to do. The show must go on.

"Fine." She huffed into the microphone, setting off a blast of feedback that made the crowd groan. I was so rattled that I plunked my fingers down on the wrong keys. "Fuck," I breathed and then took a deep breath.

I've choked before. Where one failure becomes two and then a cascade, and then an entire avalanche bearing down on you as you scramble in vain to regain your composure. Choking in front of a crowd was to be expected and I was okay with it as a general job hazard when I was with my brothers or on my own. But not with Rachel. I pulled myself together and played the intro for what seemed like the millionth time. Rachel turned and looked at me and I nodded at her again, a smile stretching across my face. There it was. I could feel it with a performer's sixth sense. This take would stick. We'd found our groove. Rachel hit her cue perfectly stepping up to the mic to belt out the first words of the first verse...

And then stopped. And trailed off.

"Oh no," I heard Claire moan. 

 Rachel's mouth was wide open. "I forgot the words," she whispered and looked around wildly like someone might hold up a cue card with the rest of the verse printed on it. "Psst!" I hissed at her, ready to prompt her, knowing she could keep going if she just got past this. 

But Rachel's head whipped around and she stared at me like I was a stranger. For a moment she looked just like a wild animal that had been cornered. 

And then she turned and ran right out the front door. 

I leaped to my feet. "I got her," I told Claire, who had jumped up to help. "I'm sorry everyone!" I shouted and ran after her.