“Man, remember New York? You look a lot better now than you did then.” Eddie leaned against Jimmy’s hospital bed, recalling a performance when an extremely sloshed Jimmy could hardly walk out the club.

“Sounds like a story I’ll need to hear some time,” Rachel said, coming to stand beside them.

Jimmy chuckled a dry laugh that turned into coughing. Rachel spied a pitcher of water on the table next to the bed. She poured a small cup of water from it and then returned, offering it to Eddie who braced Jimmy. Supporting the man’s head, he carefully helped him drink.

“Thank you,” the manager said as he settled back onto the hospital cot. “I’m sorry for putting you through all this, boss.”

“Yo, Jimmy, don’t talk like that. You were the one who got stabbed – not me. If anything, I should probably be thanking you for saving my life.” He looked over at Rachel, his face full of gratitude. “The both of you, really. Who knows what would’ve happened if you two hadn’t been around?”

“Yeah, if your history is any indication, you would’ve ended up taking her out and… you know…” Jimmy laughed again. His amused expression quickly crumpled, transforming into one of pain.

“Well, it wouldn’t have been the first time I’d shown interest in a gold digging psychopath,” Eddie admitted. “Good thing you were always there to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid, though.”

Jimmy’s stared at him, a glossy film glazing over his eyes. “Hate to tell you, boss, but someone else is going to have to make sure you stay on the straight from now on.”

Eddie stilled. The world felt as though it were tilting too far on its axis. He drew in a slow, deep breath to still the fear. “You dying on me, Jimmy?”

His manager laughed this time – strong and steady. “No, boss. I’m just not inclined to continue in this line of work. Besides, I’ve got something else lined up.

“Oh, yeah?” Both relieved and curious as to what would take Jimmy away from the music scene, Eddie crossed his arms and grilled the wounded man. “And what incredible venture has you considering early retirement?”

Jimmy looked thoughtful for a moment and then squinted. “Well you see, there’s this girl…”

The inside joke about there always being ‘some girl’ made Eddie chortle. Rachel raised a suspicious brow. “I’ll explain later,” he said. Turning back to Jimmy, he held out a hand. “If that’s the way it is, then I wish you the best, old friend. Be sure to send me an invitation to the wedding.”

“Whoa, whoa. Let’s slow that down now. It’s not quite like that, but it’s a little difficult to say more right now.”

“Alright. We’ll leave you to get some rest for now,” Eddie patted Jimmy’s shoulder. He pushed away from the bed, leaving room for Rachel to have her say.

“I never got to say ‘thank you,’ Jimmy.”

“For the phones? Yeah, you did.”

“No, for that night after the concert. Thanks for insisting I come in and meet Eddie.” She looked at the rising rock star and smiled. “It’s certainly been an enlightening experience.”

“You’re not the only one who has been enlightened, you know. I used to think it would be bad for Eddie’s career if the two of you were together. I can see now that you’re something of a guardian angel… an angel with a heavenly voice.” He reached up and patted her cheek. “Take care of him, will you?”

She nodded. “Whatever you say… boss.”

Then she joined Eddie and – hand in hand – they left the room.

* * *

THREE HOURS LATER, they were leaving the courthouse after giving their testimony against Mandy. The case would go to trial.

Rachel stopped on the courthouse steps and plopped down, burying her face in her hands and openly weeping. Eddie sat down beside her, gingerly wrapping his arms around her. He gave her a gentle squeeze.

“What’s the matter, amor?”

She sniffed, thinking back to everything that had been revealed in the courtroom when Mandy finally confessed to setting Eddie up. The woman had briefly met him at a concert in California with her sister, Melanie, who really had died from a drug overdose. Mandy had run into a myriad of problems herself – one of them being pregnant after hooking up with some random guy from the same concert. While she couldn’t recall the guy, she most certainly could remember who Eddie was – especially once his music started getting a little more attention.

Rachel sniffed. “I just can’t believe there are people out there like that. I don’t understand how she thought she would pull off a hustle of such magnitude.”

“Well, you heard what she said on the stand. She was hoping I’d just hand over some money so she’d take the kid and leave. She wasn’t exactly counting on you or Jimmy suggesting paternity tests and such. After that, she was winging it and went along with the idea she’d weasel some money out of Jimmy. When he caught her trying to steal his wallet, things got heavy.”

“It’s so incredible – everything about that woman. What’s going to happen to Mikey now? What Mandy put you and Jimmy through was bad, but that child is the real victim in all of this. I can’t believe he’s as charming as he is with a mother like that. The way she insisted he lie about his real name being Eduardo Miguel instead of Michael? He’ll be completely screwed up if he stays with her.”

“I know. That’s one of my concerns, too” Eddie agreed. “I’ve been thinking about it all morning. I’m positive he’s going to end up in foster care – which is a real crap shoot. He might land in a decent family who nurtures him and gives him everything he needs, or he might end up with someone even worse than Mandy. It’s disturbing to think about considering how much he’s already been through and how well he’s adjusted to it all. A bad foster home, though…”

Eddie shook his head as he trailed off. Rachel could only imagine what he must have been thinking. If it was anything like what she had in her own mind, the thoughts were terrifying. She visibly shuddered. “Just the idea of that happening—”

“That’s why I’ve been thinking about talking to Mandy again. Maybe we could make some kind of arrangement.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, she’s going to be in jail for a good while after what she did to Jimmy. So, I was thinking that I could offer to watch Mikey. You know, take care of him like a guardian while she’s away. It’ll keep him out of the system.”

Rachel looked doubtful. “Do you really think she would agree to something like that, though?”

“Doesn’t hurt to ask, does it? Besides, she was willing to go through such lengths to get some money… maybe she really does care for the kid. You know, in her own twisted way.”

Rachel studied him for a moment. They had known each other for such a short time, but it felt so much longer with everything that had come to pass. She remembered the conversations they had about her hitting the road or being tied down to the farm, and slid her hand in his. Startled, he glanced down at their interlaced fingers and then looked up again, pleased.

“So you think it’s a good idea? You think I’d make a good… stand-in… if Mandy agrees to my idea?”

“I think you’d make a wonderful foster dad – especially if I’m around to keep you on your toes.”

“Oh, yeah? You giving up the farm?”

“Not exactly giving it up,” Rachel explained. “You heard Jimmy. He’s out of the business. So you’re going to need a new manager… maybe a manager who gets to occasionally stand on stage to share a song or two, and then hang out backstage with VIP guests like Mikey the rest of the time.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Eddie touched his forehead to Rachel’s and smiled. “How about a good luck kiss to make it all come true?”

She giggled. “Whatever you say… boss.”

Eddie pulled her close and claimed her mouth with his own. The kiss sent delicious shivers down her spine and she gave him a satisfied smile when he finally pulled away. “You keep doing that and I might very well give up the farm.”

“Now don’t go doing anything rash,” Eddie joked. “We’ll need a landing base for holidays. Besides, Mr. Kitty might not like the open road too much.”

Rachel groaned. “Oh, no. I forgot about him again! How am I going to travel with the cat?”

“Hey, I’m the one who got Mr. Kitty from the shelter. It’s only fair if I take half the responsibility.”

Eddie stood and reached down. She wasn’t sure what the future had in store for them, but she liked the idea of sharing as much of it as possible with him. She accepted his offered hand, ready to begin a new chapter in her life.

One that made her want to sing with joy.