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Perfect, just like Clay.
Glancing over at him, I can’t help but admire him. When he’s on stage, he always wears a black cowboy hat, aviators, and an outfit that shows off his arms and long lean legs perfectly. Tonight, he’s in a black T-shirt, black jeans, and those black boots I love.
Speaking of love, he feels me looking at him and looks down at me. I can’t see his eyes, but I don’t need to. The corners are crinkling as his mouth tips into a gorgeous closed-mouth smile.
“You good?” he asks.
“Better than.”
Clay and I have been together for over a year now, ever since that day on the road in Horizons Valley. Cora likes to complain that she never gets to spend time with me because we’re inseparable, and while that should make me feel guilty, it doesn’t.
I love Clay, and every day, I love him even more.
Is it always easy? I’m sure people would want me to say no, but the truth is yes. It is easy to be with him. He’s fun, thoughtful, and incredibly loving, and much to his surprise, he likes being in New York more than he thought he would.
Then again, maybe it’s not New York; maybe it’s me that makes him enjoy it more. I know no matter where we go, with him, it’s the best ever.
Song after song, we watch Melanie sing, then her set ends and we’re up. People have asked us over the years why we never picked a band name, and none of us really has an answer to that. We got together, started playing at Talents, and always introduced ourselves as Avery, Emma, and Cora. It just stuck, and that’s how we became known, known and recognized no matter where we go.
As we walk onto the stage, the crowd is electric. Colored lights from the set beam out, and one by one fans raise their phones with their camera lights on. It’s how they always start every one of our shows. I don’t know how or why this became a thing, but I love it when the crowd does this. The stage lights will dim, and from our vantage point, it’s such a cool sight to see. It looks like floating stars, and it’s magical.
We sing five songs off our older albums and five songs from our latest release. Every now and then, I glance off stage at Clay, and he shoots me straight in the heart with a smile. I often think about his song “Sunday Afternoon”, and I know we’ve found that love in each other.
Once we’re finished, Ash and Clay, who are the closing act, move to take the stage. But just as Clay is about to pass me, he grabs me by the hand and leans down to kiss me. I have to snag his hat to keep it from falling, but against my lips he says, “Don’t go anywhere,” and I reply by telling him, “I won’t.”
Nothing on this earth could persuade me away.
The guys did change their name back to Blue Horizons. Not surprisingly, the fans were completely on board, and they’ve loved the shift in their music too. While the big trending hot country songs are nice, sometimes people just want the back-to-the-roots music too.
“I could listen to them sing all night long,” Melanie says. She’s come to stand next to us.
Avery and I look at each other and then give her the side eye while smiling, but she doesn’t see it. She’s so enamored by them and the music, and pride diffuses through me. Clay has definitely sung more on their latest album. Before he was there more as a backup, but now he occasionally shares the mic with Ash and they sing together. Those songs shot up the charts, and I’m certain there will be a few award nominations heading their way next year, too.
Speaking of award nominations, great things are coming for Melanie. I can feel it in my bones. There are people who love making music and then there are people wholovemaking music. She is the latter, and it shows with every song she writes and sings.
After an hour, the guys are winding down for the night to close out the show, then Ash says, “We have one more song for y’all tonight before we let you go home.” The crowd roars. “And I promise you don’t want to miss this one.” A huge smile hits his face.
At this, the stage lights dim, the drummer waves his sticks then circles them in the air, and all around me people start moving, including Avery, Cora, and Melanie.
“Wait! Where are you going?” I pull on Cora’s arm, my heart racing like I forgot something and need to be somewhere.
“Stay here, we’ll be right back,” Cora says as she smiles at me, and then the three of them walk out onto the stage to join Clay and Ash, leaving me standing here with my jaw dropped.
I glance over at Sailor Daniels, the event coordinator; she’s watching me, and our eyes connect. A moment passes, and then the most beautiful sincere smile lights up her face. She shrugs, turns back to the person standing next to her, and starts talking.
Meanwhile, I’m panicking with confusion, and I look for Clay.
Ash moves to stand next to Avery as she takes her place at the piano, Cora sits next to him in a chair that is brought out from the opposite side of the stage, and Melanie is standing on their side of the stage but behind Clay, on her guitar. All five of them have planned this, and my heart starts pounding uncontrollably as Clay steps up to the microphone while a stage tech comes and takes his guitar and his sunglasses.
Clay on the microphone? No guitar?
The crowd gets louder.
What is happening?
Then purple lights hit the stage, changing the mood.
All of this happened in less than two minutes, and as I’m staring at my people out there without me, Clay tilts his head to find me just on the edge of backstage, and he winks.
