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Pulling her a little tighter, I rub her against me, and she giggles as she realizes what she’s doing to me.
“You better stop that,” she teases.
“Can’t.” I squeeze her harder and wrap my tongue around hers.
“Clay,” she mumbles more sternly, and I groan as she pulls her mouth from mine and takes a step back. “We have to go. We can’t leave them down there.”
“Yes, we can.” I crack a small smile at her.
She just scoffs and grabs one of the bags of fireworks.
“They’ll all be gone in an hour. It’s Bryce’s bedtime, I saw Avery yawning, and Cora is staying with them, so it’ll be just you and me.”
“You, me, and that dress.” I grab the other bag and push one strap off her shoulder.
She laughs. “Knock it off!”
“Never.” I grin.
Brown eyes. Tiny dimples. My whole world.
Her face softens with affection, and my heart thumps hard in response.
“I love you,” I tell her.
“I love you, too.”
Taking my hand, she links our fingers and leads me out from the back porch to the stairs. I catch a glimpse of her face, and she’s smiling. I did that, I made her smile, and it feels damn good.
Laughter floats up from the dock, and Moose barks. It was the perfect day, and it’s about to be followed by the perfect night. With Emma, my family, and my friends, life doesn’t get much better than this.
EPILOGUE
TEN MONTHS LATER
Emma
“Good evening, Nashville!”
The words echo over the speakers around Nissan Stadium as the five of us stand backstage and watch Melanie Alvarez and The Druthers open the show for the Southern Sorrow Support Rally. The crowd goes wild, and I can’t help but feel so proud: proud of what we’re doing tonight, proud of the people I’m with, and proud of the city I’ve come to love so much.
That’s right. Nashville.
I never thought I would love a city as much as New York, but there’s something about Nashville that gets me every time we’re here. From the skyline to the river, the food, the culture, and the people, it just has this vibe that makes you feel like you belong. Besides, how could I not love a city whose foundation was built on music?
“How’s everyone doing tonight?” Melanie walks across the stage in a pair of thigh-high bedazzled boots that has me drooling. “If y’all don’t know me, my name is Melanie, and we want to thank y’all for coming out and spending the day supporting so many small businesses and food trucks, and well, just for being here to help spread the word and support mental health awareness. Tonight, we’ve got an amazing show planned, so tighten those buckles and hang on tight—it’s gonna get wild in here.”
Behind her, the stage band rips off a riff that sends the fans cheering.
“I think it’s amazing that Three Little Birds is a sponsor for this event,” Avery says as she leans into Ash and looks up at him. “Thank you.”
“How could we not? The cause is great, it’s in our backyard, and Sailor has done an amazing job organizing it,” Ash says.
Sailor Daniels is with Anchored Inspirations Company. Every year since Avery, Cora, and I started singing, together we’ve supported a charity and volunteered to perform for free. It’s always something different, and this year we’re here in Nashville to help support mental health awareness. The guys also agreed to perform, which makes this night even more special. Only one other time have we both played a venue on the same night, and it turns out I love these nights the most.
Tonight is special and lucky, because it’s also May, which is typically the wettest month of the year here. Because this is a charity event, seeking out prime summer weekends really isn’t an option for anyone, and while I was worried about weather, the skies are a beautiful shade of blue, and the temperature couldn’t be more perfect.
