CHAPTER 31
Cheyenne burst into the tent. “Was that who I think it was?”
Kate’s body flushed. Heated straight up from her toes.
“It was, wasn’t it?” Cheyenne crowed. “Well?” She could hardly contain herself. “Did he sweep you off your feet and profess his undying love?”
Kate shook her head, unable to stop the burning in her cheeks. She wouldn’t let herself surrender to giddiness just yet, as much as she wanted to dance around her tent and laugh with the joy and abandon of a little kid. Cash loved her. Truly, deeply. In spite of her meddling mother, in spite of the press. Just her. He loved her. And she loved him too, without reservation.
Anticipation swirled in her gut. Based on her conversation with Cash, she suspected he would be fully on board with her plans to open a recording studio here in Prairie. But she wished like heck her mother hadn’t stepped in the middle of it. “Cash told me that momma came to visit.”
Cheyenne’s eyes grew round. “How did she know where to go?”
Kate snorted. “She’s no dummy. It wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to show up and start asking questions. All she had to do was follow the paparazzi trail.”
“So what happened?”
“I don’t know the full story, but Cash told me she tried to get him on board with convincing me not to sell.”
Cheyenne scowled and crossed her arms. “I hope he told her she was barking up the wrong tree.”
“Sounds like he did.”
“Good.” Cheyenne shook her head. “The nerve of her.”
“Right? She’ll learn one way or another.”
Cheyenne gave her a hug. “I’m sorry, hon. She’ll come to terms with everything someday. You know I’m in your corner, no matter what.”
Kate hugged her back, the ache in her heart her mother had caused, still fresh. It would be a long time before Helene Montgomery came to terms with everything, but Kate wouldn’t give up. “Have I ever told you how grateful I am for your friendship? For bringing me here and for always being willing to tell it like it is?”
Cheyenne’s eyes twinkled. “Are you sure it’s not just because of a handsome veteran?”
“Oh hush, you.” She pushed Cheyenne away. “Just take your thanks. And I expect you to be a regular presence out here when I get myself sorted. I can’t imagine not working with you anymore.”
“Count on it. I love making music with you, girlfriend.”
A knock on the tent flap interrupted them. Emma Sinclaire stuck in her head. “You ready, Kate? If you are, I’m ready to announce you.”
Kate shot a grin to the young woman. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Okay, grab your guitar and come with me.”
Kate reached for Cheyenne’s hand and gave it a squeeze, butterflies suddenly rocketing through her body.
Cheyenne squeezed back. “You got this, girl. Just go out and give them your heart like you always do. They’re gonna love the new you.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.”
Kate pulled her guitar out of the case. This time, for the first time ever, she’d decided to use the ’57 Martin onstage. She’d only ever used it for herself. It was too special to share with the masses. But now? With a different voice and a different sound? It felt right. A return to her roots of making music for the pure pleasure of it. For the joy of hearing a chord echo and a voice match it.
She pulled back the flap of the tent and joined Emma in the warm night air – a perfect spring night for a concert. Too early for bugs, the air moved soft and sweet with the scent of fresh grass and wild violets. Emma stepped onstage, but Kate was too distracted to pay attention. All she could think about was Cash. He’d laid his cards on the table, it was time to lay down hers. Adrenaline pumped through her when Emma announced her name, but she didn’t hear the applause or shouts of excitement from the crowd. She kept going over the new lyrics in her head.
Cheyenne gave her a little push from behind, and in a fog, she hopped up the stairs and stepped into the lights. It was a small stage, nothing fancy. But she didn’t need fancy, or fireworks and smoke machines. All she needed was her guitar, a stool and a couple of microphones. As soon as she settled herself, she scanned the crowd, squinting through the lights until she found Cash standing on the far right, a few rows back. Giving him a smile, she strummed her guitar, and the audience fell silent, their expectation palpable.
For one brief second, panic flooded her, and she was overcome with the urge to run offstage. But then it passed, and she was just a woman with a guitar, sharing a few songs. Much like she did the first time she set foot on the Opry stage a dozen years ago. She gave a second strum and leaned into the mic.
“Hi y’all.”
She was bombarded with a chorus of hello’s, hi’s, and how are you’s.
“Aww, I haven’t even sung yet. Are ya sure you’re ready?”
More shouts from the audience.
“Well, if you’ve listened to my EP that I released to help my friends here at Resolution Ranch, then you might have heard this.” She launched into the chord changes of Dance With Me, pulse settling as Cheyenne joined with a soulful fiddle. She lost herself in the sweet slow rhythm, heart soaring with the words. And even though the tempo was slower, more sultry, the audience sang along, making music with her in a communion of souls.
When the last chord died, the audience sprang to their feet. Kate ducked her head. “Aww y’all are so sweet. Thank you so much. And thanks so much to the kind folks of Prairie who’ve been so good to me. More importantly, thank you for turning out in such big numbers tonight to support the mission of Resolution Ranch.”
She searched out Cash, then scanned left until she recognized Sterling on the other side. True to their word, they weren’t leaving anything to chance. “I’ve had the honor of working here for the last four months, and I can tell you – this is such a special place. Resolution Ranch embodies the true meaning of family, where people care for each other, no matter what.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, but she didn’t care. She was too filled with gratitude to worry about her delivery. She wanted to convey how deeply she felt about the people here. “Here at the ranch, you’re given the tools and the space to heal. And most importantly…” She turned to where Cash stood, and waited until she held his gaze. “You’re showered with unconditional love and acceptance.”
Even though he was twenty feet away, or more, his expression pulled at her like a tractor beam. Awareness zinged through her, lighting her nerve endings. It didn’t matter that she had three more songs to sing, including his special one, she wanted to hop off stage and jump into his arms.
Dragging her eyes from his, she smiled across the audience. “Your support for this organization will allow more veterans to find healing and new life. Even new careers. So cheers to you,” she raised her guitar as the applause moved through the audience.
The next two numbers passed quickly.
Before the applause died, she bent and took a long sip of water, trying to calm the butterflies that rocketed through her belly for the umpteenth time. Hands shaking, she took a moment to retune and gather her courage, but even that did nothing to calm her nerves. Behind her, Cheyenne hissed. “You can do it, girl. Tell him how you feel.”
Taking a deep breath, Kate leaned into the mic. “How many of you have found The One?”
The audience responded with a smattering of applause and whistles.
“Really? That’s it?”
The applause and whistles grew louder.
She laughed, shaking her head. “What about the rest of you? You know, the one person who’s it. Who you know if you don’t risk everything for, you’ll regret it until your dying day?”
A few more claps and whistles.
“Y’all.” She leaned into the mic. “I think you need some help.” She waited for the laugh, and sure enough, it rippled through the crowd.
“So I wrote this new song last week.” She strummed a new chord, drawing strength from the sound. “And I want to say to all of you – don’t hesitate a second. Even when it seems crazy. If he’s the one, or she’s the one. Don’t let a second pass. Take a chance.”
She let herself look for Cash, butterflies morphing into a herd of antelope springing through her stomach. His eyes were glued to her. He had to know she was talking about him, right?
She took a deep breath, strumming another chord. “One more thing, y’all. There’ve been a lot of rumors circulating about me over the last month or so. Most of them are probably true.” Her voice quavered as the words sat in the back of her mouth. Her heart clenched at the finality of it all, and she could have sworn she heard an imaginary door slam shut. Doubt gnawed at her as a future she’d accepted as set in stone, dimmed and disappeared. She cleared her throat. “This will be my last public performance,” she said quietly.
A gasp went through the audience. She snuck another look at Cash. His gaze was steady. Strong. And the door to a new future cracked open, its light peeking through like a ray of sunshine. “I don’t know that I’ll ever stop singing. But I hurt myself, and my voice can’t take much more than a few songs at a time now. So this last song… I wrote it for a very special person. Someone I love with all my heart.”
She strummed through the opening chords, letting Cheyenne improvise a counter melody until her hands stopped shaking and the lump of tears in her throat dissipated. Taking her time, gazing out at the rapt faces of her captive audience, she sent up a silent prayer of gratitude, for her life, for her career, for her friends. And then she found Cash and sang.
On a cold and starry night, love came a callin’…
She began to weave a story of love and loss, letting the fiddle express what her voice couldn’t. A bittersweet play between heartbreak and redemption. Of hope and possibility.
When storms rolled in and the dark night came,
you took my hand and you wore my pain.
I will shelter you. Will you shelter me?
And I fly to you – across mountains and valleys,
I will fly to you, soaring on the light of your love.
Stay with me will you be my love?
I will follow you, will you walk with me?
Hand in hand we can build a home laying bricks of love, make a family.
And I’ll fly to you – recklessly with abandon,
and I’ll fly to you, offering my love.
Make love with me where the wind blows free
and there’s nothing to break the light of the sun.
Stand with me in the wind and the rain, on rock and soil in love and pain.
I’ll fly to you, will you fly with me?
As the last note drifted away, before the audience began to clap and before she lost her nerve, she spoke. “Cash Aiken, what do you say?”
In two bounds, he’d joined her onstage, gently setting her guitar on its stand before pulling her into his arms and giving her a toe-curling kiss, which she returned with enthusiasm, tongue sweeping against his as she accepted his answer.
When they parted, he leaned in, kissing her temple as the cheers from the crowd washed over them. “Yes. Abosfuckinglutely yes.”