A Nashville Collection by Rachel Hauck

Author:Rachel Hauck
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2011-11-09T06:00:00+00:00

2

“Once she realized she could capture and hold a crowd, Aubrey became consumed about delivering the perfect, standout performance. She demanded it of herself, her band, and her crew. She drives herself hard and expects no less from everyone working with her.”

—Greg Leininger, CEO of SongTunes Records

“Hello, NashVegas!” Dashing out, I find enough of a spark to brighten my weariness. With an album-cover expression, I wave to the crowd. The coliseum is a sea of glow sticks, but the exertion cost me my last ounce of energy.

Come on, Aubrey, buck up.

Digging deep, I try to find my diva-self, quite sure she’s hiding under a mountain of blankets, sipping a cup of homemade chicken noodle soup. So very tired.

The cheering mounts. Poster boards declare, We love you, Aubrey.

“Are you having a good time tonight?”

The crowd’s response is enthusiastic, but instead of spurring me on, it exhausts me more. Two sentences into the performance and my throat burns and aches. No way will I hit the big notes of the “Borrowed Time” chorus.

Wondering why the band is not counting down the intro, I turn around to see Reba McEntire walking out from backstage.

My smile drops. Reba? What’s she doing here? While it’s an honor to see her, I’m not sure why she’s strolling my way, grinning. Did I forget something? Please don’t tell me I’m supposed to sing with Reba. How could I forget?

“Look who’s here.” I motion to the country legend. “Give it up for the first lady of country music, y’all.”

In contrast to Car’s unexpected appearance, seeing Reba is the kind of surprise I like. While the fans give Reba her due, I slip my arm around her, hoping to tap into the country legend’s incredible strength. “I know a secret about you, Aubrey,” she says in her famous twang while flashing her famous smile.

“Me? Y’all know I don’t have any secrets. Just read the National Inquirer.”

Laughter balloons among the fans, accompanied by a barrage of hoots.

I try to focus on the crowds, but the stage is bright, and my eyes start to water. Faces are melding with the light.

Reba gives me a squeeze. “This is the last night of Aubrey’s hundred-city FRESH! tour”—more cheering— “and her thirtieth birthday.”

Well, there’s that secret. “Shhh, Reba, no one is supposed to know.” Dozens of Happy Birthday signs pop up. Camera flashes explode around the coliseum like tiny white bombs. When a couple of stuffed bears and wrapped boxes fly at the stage, the coliseum’s security team move into action.

Reba sweeps her arm wide and, looking over her shoulder at the band, begins a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday.”

The fans sway and join the song, their voices chasing around the coliseum.

“Happy Birthday, dear Aubrey . . .”

Cheers and whistles rise as the song ends. The band holds out the last note, crashing the cymbals and whining the electric. Laughing, I face them, cutting the air with my hand. The music stops. But now Car appears from the shadows, walking toward me with a lopsided smile that makes my heart skip a beat.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.