Heart Strings by Annabella Michaels

Author:Annabella Michaels [Michaels, Annabella]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-09-27T16:00:00+00:00

I’d marched back upstairs after that, telling myself I needed plenty of time to get ready, but mostly because I didn’t want to see Marvin fawning all over Jesse again.

I finally came back down about ten minutes before I was supposed to go on. Butterflies took flight in my stomach, and I gripped my guitar tightly as I looked out over the crowd. It was much bigger than I’d thought it would be and while I was thrilled for Jesse, I was worried I might throw up.

“Can you believe this crowd?” Jesse asked as he sidled up next to me.

“Yeah, uh…it’s…a lot.”

Jesse reached down and took my hand, lacing our fingers together. The move surprised me, but it also had the perfect calming effect. “I know you’re nervous, but this is it. This may not be Nashville, but it’s time to go after your dream and show everyone what you can do. Besides, I’ll be right there behind the bar. You get nervous, all you have to do is look at me. I’ll have your back.”

“Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I made myself stop before I could get too choked up.

Jesse squeezed my hand then let go. “Are you ready?” I nodded once, not trusting myself to speak. “Okay, I’ll go announce you. Oh, and by the way, you look amazing.”

I was smiling as he walked away. The loud chatter in the room began to settle as he took the stage and pulled the microphone toward his mouth. Someone had already set a stool up there for me and a glass of water sat on the floor next to it.

“Hey, everybody! I’m so happy to have you all here tonight. I’ve been wanting to get some live music in here for a while, but I was waiting for the right person to come along. Someone with all the talent and charisma you deserve. Well, I finally found him, so let’s all give a warm Cedarville welcome to Mr. Colton James!”

The room erupted into cheers as I made my way to the stage with my guitar. Jesse was practically beaming as we passed each other. “Knock ’em dead,” he said so only I could hear.

They were still cheering as I climbed the stage and got settled on the stool, moving the microphone down to a comfortable level and pulling my guitar strap over my head. I played a few notes, making sure my instrument was still in tune.

Then a hush fell over the crowd as I played the first few cords. I located Jesse standing behind the bar, his arms crossed over his chest and every bit of his attention on me. His smile was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began to sing.

My first song was a slow ballad and my voice sounded smooth and steady in the stillness of the room. For those few minutes I was able to forget there was anyone else watching as I sang my words to the image of Jesse’s smile that hovered right behind my eyelids.

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