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“Thanks. But I’ll be in town all week, so I’ll need a new cord regardless. Can you point me in the direction of where I can pick one up?”
“I’d check The Phone Store off the main highway going toward Astoria. I know the grocery store will have some, but they’ll charge you an arm and a leg for it.”
“Thanks.” He nods in appreciation.
“No problem,” I assure him. “It’s the benefit of being a local.”
Spotting Tara from the corner of my eye, I start walking in her direction to check in with her, but Trent stops me. “Hey, before I forget, and things get crazy today… I wanna thank you for all the help and support you’ve given the band. Edgewater wouldn’t even be here today if you hadn’t pushed us.” Reaching out, he pulls me into a bear hug.
He squeezes me so tight, I can’t help but laugh. The man is a hugger. He has been since the night I found him in Portland. “Just doing my job, Trent.”
With a chuckle, he sets me down. “Thank you so much for everything, babe. I owe you big time.”
With that, he pats me on the shoulder and leaves for the tent.
I can’t help but shake my head at what a whirlwind that man is. His entire band is brilliant, but part of their charm is you never know what you’re going to get with them. I hope they do well in this competition.
Wanting to check in with Tara, I turn and look for her, but she’s disappeared. Shoot. I’m sure if she needs anything, she’d text or call. Pulling out my phone to check my never-ending to-do list, I suddenly feel the nape of my neck tingle. When I look up, I’m met with Jax’s beautiful smile.
“Hey, you.” He leans in to brush a kiss to my cheek and pulls me in for a hug. God, he smells delicious and is just what I need after working all day. “I’ve missed you. How’s it going so far?”
“It’s…” Crazy, chaotic, exhilarating…all of which describe my day, but I stick with, “Going…” so he doesn’t take on my stress as well as his own. Then I quickly add on to assure him, “Overall, everything’s going according to plan. It should be a fantastic event.”
Rocking back on his heels, he nods as he shoves his hands into his pockets and looks me over with care. “You’re taking breaks, right?”
Gah, this man. Here he is, on possibly the biggest day of his life, worrying about me. “I’m good, Jax. It’ll be a crazy week, and then I’ll take a few days off and relax.” If I weren’t working in this moment, I’d have to kiss the living hell out of him for being so considerate.
Instead, I look him over to see how he’s really doing. I know he’s nervous, but in this moment, he appears as if he’s got it together. As my eyes drag down his body, I know without a doubt, the girls will go crazy for him tonight. His black, well-fitted tee and well-worn jeans look sexy as hell, and I hope the judges love him as much as I do. Around his neck is a pair of headphones, and he’s got a backpack over his shoulder.
“You ready?” I ask, feeling hopeful. I know he’ll kill it tonight. He’s just got to believe in himself.
Sucking in a deep breath, he exhales slowly. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I know it’s probably better to go toward the end, so I’ll be fresh in the judges’ memory, but I’d much rather just get this all over with.”
“I’m sure this is stressful, but you’ve got this. Just get up on stage and show the world who Jax Cartwright is.”
Rolling his eyes, he grumbles, “You make it sound so easy.”
“Maybe find a way to relax and get your mind off things? You’ve got a few hours before you’re set to go on stage. Just take a walk—but don’t go too far. We need to be able to reach you should the schedule change.”
“I know… I won’t go far,” he says on a laugh. “You don’t need to manage me. I refuse to be someone you need to worry about this week. You’ve got enough going on helping organize all this.”
When my phone buzzes in my hand, I see that it’s Tara. Pointing up my finger, I say, “I gotta take this.”
“Hey, Tara, what’s up?”
“I need you to track down Rick Turner. We need him on stage for the opening. I’ve tried texting him, but there’s no answer.”
“I’ll look for him now.”
The line goes dead, and I turn to Jax apologetically.
“I gotta run.” Reaching out to take his hand, I squeeze it reassuringly. “If I don’t see you again before your performance, please know I’m rooting for you. I can’t wait to see you kill it on stage.”
Pulling me in for a quick hug, he kisses my neck. God, he feels amazing. “You are the best medicine for my nerves.”
I squeeze him tighter, wishing I didn’t have to let go. “If only I could do more…”
“This helps, trust me,” Jax whispers as he kisses my cheek again.
