Music of the Heart (45 page)

that I had someone to share my grief with. Abby hadn’t known Mama long, but she still loved her.

Having my Angel stand by me in the darkest, most hellish times of my life meant everything in the

world.

Glancing over my shoulder, I grinned at the guys. “Damn, she’s amazing, isn’t she?”

With one arm wrapped around Lily’s waist and Melody in the other, Brayden smiled. “She gets

better and better every time I hear her.”

AJ nodded. “But I still don’t know what the hell she sees in you.”

“Douchebag!” I shouted before ruffling his hair.

“Hey man, don’t be hating on the hair!” he countered smacking my hand away.

Rhys rolled his eyes at our antics and went back to texting on his phone. I knew he was fighting his

nerves because his parents were in the audience. They’d flown up in his dad’s corporate jet. Like the

true angel she was, Abby had called to invite them. She had also gone on and on about what an

amazing son they had and how proud they should be.

As Abby finished up the song, I adjusted my guitar on my shoulder, so I could head out to join her.

We’d planned to sing several duets together, including
I’ll Take You with Me
. But Abby surprised me

by abandoning her stool and handing off her guitar to a technician. She then went over to the piano and

sat down. “There’s one more song I’d like to do tonight before Jake joins me. It’s another song by one

of my favorite and most inspirational singers, Pink. It’s called
The Great Escape
, and it’s for anyone

who has hit rock bottom and is thinking about making an escape.” She glanced up from the

microphone and met my questioning gaze. “But most of all, this one is for you, babe.”

Her fingers effortlessly flew over the black and white keys as she began the song. Leaning against

the side of the stage, I listened intently to the lyrics. Even though I tried fighting them, tears stung my

eyes, especially the part about how the passion and the pain would keep me alive someday. The song

captured so much of the desperately dark emotions I’d been experiencing in the past two months since

Mama’s death. I knew there would be more desperate times ahead, but I wouldn’t be making any

escapes. I had Abby by my side, my bandmates and brothers, and the new love of Abby’s family to

get me through.

When Abby finished, I strode out on stage and pulled her up from the piano bench. After I wrapped

my arms tight around her, I murmured into her ear. “Thank you, Angel.”

“You’re welcome.” She kissed me on the lips, which caused the crowd to go wild. Working the

moment, Abby took a microphone from the technician and asked, “I guess you guys are ready for us to

sing together now?”

Whistles and catcalls filled the air. “Well, all right then.” The set was changed to where two

microphones sat between two stools. Abby and I adjusted our guitars on our laps.

The first song we did together was a cover of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s
I Need You
. Perched

on the stool across from me, Abby grinned when I changed the lyrics from riding across West

Virginia to West Georgia and the part about cowboys going out like that to rockers. We finished the

song to thunderous applause. I bobbed my head at Abby to do the next introduction. She grinned and

winked at me. “We want to thank everyone who has made
I’ll Take You with Me
a hit. It means so

much to Jake and myself because we wrote the song together. In fact, it was the first songwriting I

ever did. So here it is.”

Even though the song was emotional hell, I never got tired of performing it with Abby. Each time

she brought something different to it—either emphasizing a new word or whispering part of a line.

She kept me on my toes on stage just like in the real world, and I loved every minute of it.

After the applause died down, I leaned in to the microphone. “So for our last song together, we

wanted to do another cover. Hopefully this time next year we’ll have written more material together.

But for now, this song captures so much of what I feel for Abby, or my Angel. Here’s Paul McDonald

and Nikki Reed’s
All I Ever Needed
.”

Throughout the song, Abby and I kept our eyes locked. Although we were separated by our guitars

and the microphone stand, we inched as close as we could. Like the lyrics, she was my shelter in the

storm and all I would ever need.

When the last verse echoed throughout the park, Abby leaned over the microphone to kiss me

passionately. The crowd loved it, and the applause and cheering became deafening. Abby started to

rise off of her stool to make her departure from the stage, but I stopped her.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Jake—”

I tried stilling the rapid beating of my heart. I knew what I was about to do was huge, and I wanted

to make sure it was absolutely perfect. Speaking into my microphone, my voice cracked as it echoed

over the crowd. “Two of the songs we sang together mean everything to me, Angel. You’re all I’ve

ever needed, or I could ever want. There’s nothing I want more than to spend the rest of my life

making you happy.”

I rose off my stool and dug the small jewelry box out of my pocket. When I cracked it open, the

enormous emerald cut diamond caught the stage lights, and it sparkled, causing Abby to shriek with

shock. “Oh my God…Oh. My. God!” she exclaimed. Her hands came up to cover her mouth.

With a grin, I knelt down on one knee before her. The crowd started screaming and whistling so

loud I could barely hear myself think. I’d gone over and over in my head a million times what I

planned to say. I wanted it to be heartfelt and meaningful. I was a songwriter for fuck’s sake, but in

that moment, it all flew out of my head.

So I gave up and took Abby’s hand in mine. “Angel, will you make my life complete and whole by

marrying me?”

Tears shimmered in Abby’s eyes as she hopped off of her stool. I barely had time to prepare

before she threw herself into my arms, almost toppling me over. “Yes! Yes, I’ll marry you!”

At her acceptance, the crowd once again went crazy while the guys played a rocker remix of the

Bridal March. Wrapping Abby in my arms, I stood up and spun her around. As a self-respecting dude,

I’d never believed in fairy tales, but in that moment, I did. I’d found my angel to live happily-ever-

after with.

A message from Katie Ashley:

Please do me a tremendous favor by leaving a review on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Goodreads.

If you’re not comfortable with leaving a review, find one that you think expresses your feelings and

like that review. You don’t know how much it means to Independent Authors.

Find Katie online at:

http://www.katieashleybooks.com

http://katieashleybooks.blogspot.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/katieashleybooks

https://www.facebook.com/katie.ashleyromance

Twitter

www.twitter.com/katieashleyluv

***

Katie Ashley is the New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Best-Selling author of The

Proposition. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her two very spoiled dogs and one

outnumbered cat. She has a slight obsession with Pinterest, The Golden Girls, Harry Potter,

Shakespeare, Supernatural, Designing Women, and Scooby-Doo.

She spent 11 1/2 years educating the Youth of America aka teaching MS and HS English until she

left to write full time in December 2012.

She also writes Young Adult fiction under the name Krista Ashe.

***

Thanks first and foremost always go to God for his love and abiding support, for speaking peace to

my often troubled soul, and for exceeding my expectations of unanswered prayers. To my church

family for always giving me love and support when I needed it most and being supportive of my alter-

ego Katie.

Michelle Eck
: Even as a writer, words seem inadequate to say how grateful I am that God brought

you into my life. You’re a daily blessing as a friend, a hardcore supporter, a Stream Team Captain

extraordinaire, and the best eagle eye editor a girl could ever ask or hope for. I don’t know what I

would do without you, your love and care, your straight forward honesty, and your willingness to

fight long and hard to make my books and my career better. I couldn’t navigate these crazy waters

without you at the helm! Love and hugs always!!

Cris Hadarly
: Thank you for being one of the sweetest, kindest, and most caring people I know.