“Literally the same.” Luca snorted, and we all dissolved into laughter, except for Cash who was lost in thought.
Chapter 29
Liv
My stomach twisted with nervesas we pulled up to the venue. Even from inside the SUV, the sound of the crowd was deafening. I’d watched the New Year’s Eve celebration from the couch for several years with Ella and Grace, but I’d never imagined performing there.
This didn’t seem possible, even in my wildest dreams. Yet here I was about to perform in front of the masses with the man I loved and everyone who mattered most to me by my side.
After receiving the Cinderella treatment from the stylists, I looked like a woman who performed for millions, but on the inside my blood had run ice cold. I was shivering with fear. What if I choked? What if I got on that stage and couldn’t sing a single note?
Grace grabbed my hand as Antoni pulled the car to a stop. “You’ve got this, Aunt Liv.”
“I feel like I’m going to puke,” I admitted.
“Hot damn, no ma’am!” Antoni interjected. “There will be no hurling in that gorgeous dress or in my car.”
“You look amazing, Liv!” Katie exclaimed, turning to face me from the passenger seat.
“Look at me.” Ella gently grabbed my face between her hands. “You are brilliant, and you are beautiful.”
“And you arefierce.”Antoni reached his hand back, placing it on my knee.
I took a deep breath, my entire body trembling.
“You can do this,” Ella assured me. “Now, let’s get you in there to see Jax.”
Ella and Grace guided me out of the car, and I somehow made it inside the trailer. I felt like I was floating overhead, watching everything unfold beneath me.
I entered to the unanimous approval of the guys as they got a look at my transformation. Every hair on my head, plus some clip-in extensions, had been styled into glamorous loose waves. The makeup artist had my skin looking glowy and my eyes sparkly, framed by thick lashes. My eyes popped against the fabric of the floor-length emerald gown I wore that hugged me in all the right places. It draped off my shoulders and came up in a sexy high slit, shimmering anytime the light hit it.
“Wow,” Jax said, pulling me into his arms. “You’re breathtaking, Liv.”
I laughed nervously. “Scared out of my mind is more like it.”
“You’re going to be perfect.” He kissed me on the forehead. “I promise.”
“Guys, it’s almost time. The golf carts will be here in a moment to take us up to the staging area,” Cash announced. “You look fantastic, Liv. You all do.” His gaze flickered from me to the guys who were wearing some rocked-out suits and then settled on Ella and Grace who were decked out in their own sparkly dresses.
My eyes widened as I looked back at Jax. He enveloped me in his arms one more time and placed a tender kiss on my lips. “After the band’s set, I’ll be announcing us, and you come on out just like we rehearsed. Donut worry, okay? I got you a little something to help make today extra special. I didn’t have time to wrap it, though.” He quickly reached beside the sofa where a guitar case was standing upright.
“Are you serious?” I asked in disbelief.
“Open it,” he urged. I took the case from him, laying it gently on the floor so that I could prop it open. I gasped as I peered inside at the gorgeous Gibson Hummingbird Acoustic-Electric guitar in a rich shade of mahogany. “Pick it up.” He watched me excitedly as I gingerly picked up the guitar by the neck. “I already got it all tuned up for you.”
The light flickered across the sides of the instrument, drawing my attention to an intricate etching along its neck. Tears welled in my eyes as I realized he’d had ‘Sweet Tequila Sunrise’ engraved on it in a shimmering gold script. “Jax… it’s beautiful.”
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.” I kissed him tenderly, breathing in his comforting scent.
“Alright, everyone.” Cash clapped his hands together. “They’re here. It’s showtime.”
“Are you ready?” Jax asked, his stormy eyes filled with admiration.
With one last kiss, I took his hand in mine. “Ready.”
I watched Midnight in Dallas from the side of the stage with Ella and Grace at my side. The band’s energy was explosive, and the sea of people practically roared around them. Antoni talked animatedly with Cash and Katie while Brady kept watch nearby. The further the guys got into their set, the more anxious I became.
