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“Why are we stopping?”Shay asked as Graham led them off the main road into a parking lot.
“I think you’ll like this.”
Graham parked in the empty lot. They exited the car and Shay followed Graham, squinting at the rolling sand dunes in front of them.
“White Sands National Park?”
The name of the park did not do the view justice.
Glittering white sands stretched as far as she could see. Small sprouts of green could be spotted in the sand, but what took her breath were the jagged mountains in the distance.
“Graham…”
He released her hand and waved his arm across the area.
“We have to do one fun thing on a road trip, right?”
Words escaped her as she took in the gorgeous feat of nature. Instead of speaking, she eagerly grabbed his shirt, tugging him closer, and placed a kiss on his lips.
“This is amazing.”
“I thought you could sing here.”
Shay lifted a brow. “What?”
Did she sound that bad when she was singing in the shower that morning after one of the most passionate and mind-blowing nights of her life?
“I was serious about your songs, Shay. They need to be heard. Why not sing here? It’s just us.”
Inhaling deeply, she fixed her gaze forward, not focused on anything but the beauty. The pain that resonated in her body began to flutter.
“Let out everything you’re feeling.” Graham had moved closer to her without her realization. His eyes were shielded behind sunglasses like hers, but she felt the love and support emanating from him.
“I don’t know.”
“You can. You know you can.”
Shay inhaled and closed her eyes. The song that had been on her mind for weeks now trembled to the front, and she was singing the first line. It could have been the breeze or a mystic force, but her voice echoed across the dunes.
For a moment, she forgot Graham was there.
Music was her passion. It always would be, and she fell into the flow of pleasure she felt anytime she performed. She sang not only for the joy of finally singing a song that mattered to her, but she sang for Jenny. For other girls like her. Ones who were denied their choice or shamed for that choice.
She sang, releasing her pent-up frustration with her label and releasing the fear that they were right. Would anyone like this new her, or would she be forced to remain the same?
The final line was sung and they stood in silence. She turned to face Graham, and he smiled widely.
“I think you have a new hit.”
* * *
“Hello, Dallas!”Shay yelled into the microphone as she jogged across the stage of RoeFest.
The crowd was hyped, and a glance to her right revealed Graham watching her with his arms crossed. Barney was to his right and gave her a thumbs-up.
“This isn’t just a concert. This is about protecting women’s rights to govern their bodies how they see fit. I plan to pledge the proceeds from my tour to abortion rights and family planning resources.”
A weight of surety fell on her. Shay hoped Jenny and Makayla were watching, along with other young women who needed support.
