Savannah held the water bottle out to her, and Tiff took it gratefully.Jake made a mental note to grab two bottles next time.
“It looks like there’s something going on up there,” Tiff said.“Clay never usually finishes this early, and he’s looking all kinds of smug.There’s something going on.”
Jake glanced over at the stage again and chuckled when Josh came to join them, bringing a chair with him and said, “There’s something weird going on.”
Tiffany laughed.“I just said that.”
“Shush, guys,” Savannah waved a hand at them.“Listen, he’s saying something.”
“… So, thank you all for having me tonight.You know I love to get up here and hang out with my good friends.Come on now, give these guys a hand!If any of you don’t know, that’s Eddie back there on the drums, and this guy here is Chase.Let’s show ’em some appreciation, can we?”
The crowd applauded, and the sound of whoops and whistles rang out.
Chase and Eddie were the house band — more than that, Chase was Kenzie’s husband, and Eddie was engaged to April, who worked at the bakery in town.
It hit Jake that as much as he enjoyed feeling part of a family now that his dad was with Jo and his Uncle Dom was with Sadie, the whole town was the same way.Everyone knew everyone, and it seemed, at least, that everyone cared.He didn’t want to examine that too closely in case it turned out that he was wrong.For now, he was just going to go with enjoying the feeling.He leaned his cheek against Savannah’s shoulder, and she looked down at him with a smile.
As the applause died down, Clay spoke again.“So that’s it from me tonight.Enjoy the rest of your evening — I’m out of here.”
Jake, Savannah, and the rest of them joined in the boos that rang out.No one wanted Clay to finish, and when he hesitated halfway off the stage, it seemed that he might sing another.But when he stepped up to the mic again, laughter in his voice, he said something completely unexpected.
“But since it sounds like you guys aren’t ready for the evening to be over, here’s a little surprise for you.Y’all know this next guy — he’s family around here, even if Nashville’s been trying to claim him.Would you give it up for my good friend, Carson Tate?”
“Whoa!”Jake ducked his head as Savannah and some of the others shrieked, even above the sound of the crowd’s cheering that rose in waves.All Jake could do was grin as he watched.Carson strolled out, guitar slung low, that familiar lopsided grin tugging at his mouth.He had the look of a man who’d seen a lot and still believed in the good stuff — an old soul in a young man’s boots.
Jake grinned as Savannah bounced up and down on his lap, but he couldn’t blame her — he felt like bouncing himself.Carson Tate was maybe his favorite artist, and when he opened his mouth to sing, his voice turned grit to gold, as it always did.
~ ~ ~
Savannah laughed as the girls all surged back toward the dance floor like a tidal wave.She didn’t mind in the least that she was swept along with them.Even better—once they were all out there, she looked around and realized that the guys had come, too.Jake grinned at her as he sang along with Carson.
She loved this song.It was one of his big hits—an up-tempo country anthem that just made you smile.Jake caught her hand and twirled her around before pulling her into him and pressing a kiss to her lips.
“I take it Carson’s more your style than Clay?”she asked.
He shrugged.“I love them both…” He broke off and turned to chant the chorus with all the other guys, each of them punching their arms in the air to emphasize the words.
We’re still standing tall, backs to the wall,
Shoulder to shoulder through it all.
Raise your glass, boys—we’ve seen it all,
And we’re still, yeah, we’re still standing tall.
When he lowered his arm, he turned back to her with a grin.“Sorry.I can never let that chorus pass me by.”
“Don’t apologize.I love seeing you like this.I knew you liked country music, but I didn’t realize it meant this much to you.”
He took hold of her hand and twirled her again before pulling her in close, dancing a kind of two-step on the spot.“It’s feel-good music,” he said, his eyes shining.
She wasn’t about to argue with that.Although, tonight she wasn’t so sure that it wasjustthe music—it was being with him that made her feel good.As she got swept up in the music, the laughter, the friends dancing around them, the feel of his strong arms around her and the smile in his eyes that made her heart fill up, she knew she’d never felt this good in her life.
They stayed out there and danced to every song that Carson played.This was such an amazing surprise that she didn’t want to miss a minute of it.And it was easy to see that Jake didn’t either.Some of the gang went to sit back down, but most of them stayed on the dance floor.It was packed, but Savannah didn’t mind.It just meant she had to stay pressed up close against Jake—and there was nowhere in the world she’d rather be.
He loosened his grip and looked down into her eyes when the song came to an end.
“Thanks for coming out tonight.Thanks for giving us a chance.”
