Yes to Everything

by Shayne McClendon

  On her blog on the band website, she made a list of what kinds of things she’d received and what she’d done with them. She thanked her fans and explained it looked like her days of struggling financially were behind her. That they should keep the money for their own families but if they sent it to her, she’d give it to those in need.

  “Instead, why don’t you look around in your city or town and find a family like mine? People who work real hard but are hurting anyway…those people could use your help. A few dollars buys eggs and bread or a couple of gallons of gas they might not be able to afford. There are individuals and families struggling everywhere; mothers and fathers who’ve fallen victim to the financial crisis who have children who could use a jacket or a stuffed animal. Thinking globally starts with acting locally. Look around. We’re a family of human beings and sometimes a person can use a hand up, not always a hand out.

  “In the meantime, I hope you’re not unhappy with my use of your gifts. I always wanted my parents to be proud of me. Maybe now I can make my extended family of fans proud of me? Maybe if I always remember that my actions reflect on your belief in me, I can always remember to use the opportunity I’ve received for the greater good. Until I see you in the stands or at autograph sessions, know I’m working hard to make you proud. Love, Brooke.”

  Over the next two weeks, Jackson helped her twice more and positive comments were pouring into her blog. People who’d been helped, people she’d inspired to help others. The site was growing by hundreds of people every day.

  Each afternoon Brooke made an entry using her new phone explaining where she was and what was going on with her and the band. How hard they were working to get ready for the tour. What an honor it was to be part of Broken Bronco and how talented her fellow band mates were.

  She wrote about her first meeting with the roadies and support staff that kept everything running behind the scenes and how they’d welcomed her as if she’d been part of the band from the beginning. There were a dozen entries about Jeanette, Sidney, and Travis. She made it clear that she thought of them as family. She blogged about particular people on their birthday or anniversary and made a point of singling someone out regularly for praise just because. The label was taking care of her and everyone helped her now with her siblings – she made sure the world knew it.

  She told her fans she’d have more time to post on the road between performances. The main website daily hits tripled again and her blog in particular surpassed the band’s hits each day. When the IT guys brought her popularity to Travis’s attention, he and the Bradshaw brothers logged on in his office and read through it themselves.

  “Well shit…,” Decklan whispered when he read about everything she was doing while they partied every night.

  “I feel selfish,” Logan added just as quietly. “She’s so damn…good. Wow.”

  There was a scowl on Travis’s face as he scrolled through page after page of Brooke’s communications to her fans. “She does videos to the fans. She sang Happy Birthday to all the June birthdays the other day.” Reading what she’d written about him made him even more protective of her than he already was.

  “She writes a lot about the two of you. Mainly, it’s about your talent and dedication to the band and your fans. Answers questions women out there have about you. She’s kinder than I’d be, I can tell you that right damn now,” there was no denying he was just plain annoyed with Logan and Decklan.

  They looked at him with a frown. Logan asked, “What’s wrong with you, Travis?” They stepped away from the computer. He never really got pissed at them but it sounded like he was pissed now.

  Sitting back in chair, the older man crossed his hands over his stomach and studied the brothers for a long moment before he told them, “You’re out whorin’ every night, not carin’ about anythin’ but the next time you can get your rocks off. This girl is literally makin’ the world a better place. It fuckin’ annoys me. Don’t look at me like that. Damn, go get some work done.” With that dismissal, he turned back to his computer and ignored them.

  The twins left, more than a little confused. As they walked through the business offices they passed the employee lounge and saw almost a dozen people surrounding a small table. Decklan asked cheerfully, “Hey, what’s going on?”

  A technician turned with a grin, “She brought in homemade cookies and banana bread for all of us. Said we all work too hard and she never sees any of us eat.”

  The main receptionist added, “Jackson said Brooke cooked all day yesterday so she’d have it ready when she picked them up from school and headed down here.”

  “This stuff is fucking delicious. Four different kinds of cookies, banana bread, and pecan bars. Unreal. I wonder if she can cook everything this good,” their drummer said with a look of pure rapture as he bit into a peanut butter cookie. “She’s so damn precious I can barely stand it.”

  Logan nodded, “She’s a great cook. And yeah, she’s damn precious.” The brothers each snagged a cookie and headed for the studio. They threw themselves into the day with renewed energy.

  A couple of weeks later the album was certified gold and CMT linked the band’s renewed success to the addition of Brooke. They showcased the tracks she’d done with the Bradshaw brothers. They did a ten-minute character piece on her and Travis couldn’t budge her on giving an interview.

  She insisted she wasn’t ready to talk about herself and she was one of three people in the band. CMT interviewed everyone else they could, including Travis and the technicians who worked with her every day at the studio.

  Without ever performing in concert or doing a single interview, Brooke was already famous.

  Then the kids were out of school and her hired ranch hand Randy was established in an apartment over her stables to watch her place. Suddenly they were rolling across the United States none of the Kincaid kids could believe it was really happening at first.

  The first show of their tour was in Seattle. The road trip was an amazing experience for all of them. Jeanette and Sidney took tons of pictures and uploaded them to her blog asking fans to ‘wish her luck’. Their tour bus was filled with music and laughter while they played games.

  Arriving the day before the concert, the roadies worked nonstop to set up while staying out of the way of the three members of Broken Bronco while they rehearsed. They brought up the audio for the stadium and the brothers watched Brooke acclimate to the different sound.

  The first run-through was to teach her. The stage was enormous, the audience closer than she’d thought they would be, the acoustics totally different, and they had a ton of room to use. In her boots and jeans, sporting a retro Farm Aid t-shirt, with a furled baseball cap keeping her long hair back, Logan and Decklan watched her try to learn her environment.

  Brooke took off her boots and walked to one side of the stage, causing all their jaws to drop as she did traveling back flips across the front edge. Spiking her landing, she did a couple of spins and pirouettes. Getting a running start, she skated in her socks back to her boots and pulled them on with a smile.

  Picking up the microphone, she asked to run through it again.

  This time, she seemed more certain of herself. As the music came up, she danced alone and with each of them as they played. When she had her guitar in hand, she was usually back to back with one of the brothers. If she was playing piano, she liked one of them to be somewhat close. They positioned it center stage so they’d still be able to be seen by the entire audience. If she was on fiddle, she moved back and forth along the edge, singing and playing.

  By the fourth time they went through the set list, at her request, she was much more at ease. Everyone watching could see her nervousness but she was ready. There were bets on her blowing the crowd away.

  Arriving at the venue the night of the concert, Brooke was a wreck. Jeanette assured her several times that she’d keep a close eye on the kids and Jackson told her he’d help and not to worry about them, they’d see her afterward and she w
as going to be incredible.

  Getting out of the limo, there were hundreds of people pushing and shoving, trying to touch her. She was trying to be nice but they were so close. Jeanette was taking the kids to the next entry door so they wouldn’t get freaked out or trampled.

  A couple of the roadies and a very pissed off Sidney moved to get her through the crowd. Someone’s camera caught Brooke hard in the cheek and Sidney looked ready to rip the guy’s head off as Brooke shook her head to clear it.

  Sidney wasn’t big but her sheer presence of will more than made up for it. Plowing through the mass of people who had easily overwhelmed the two security guards someone had thought would be enough, she held Brooke behind her and slammed through the entrance.

  Pulling her further into the thankfully empty hallway, leaving the crowds behind them, Dave and Greg led them to her dressing room while Sidney moved ahead furiously. Greg brought her a bag of ice for her cheek and Sidney said she could cover it but she was not happy about it at all. She made Brooke get dressed and cover her clothes with a robe while she prepped to do her hair and makeup.

  When the brothers breezed in to check on her more than an hour later, they were riding high from working the crowd. It took a moment for them to notice she was holding an ice pack to her face. “Hey, what happened, honey?” Sidney told them, barely containing her temper, and the twins’ eyes went wide as they moved closer. “Brooke, are you alright?” She nodded brusquely but said nothing. “How long ago did you get here?”

  Brooke turned to them, “I got here at six just like you told me to. Remember? You said you wanted one more rehearsal. I guess you got held up again.” She was pleased to see both of them flinch. “We couldn’t get through. If not for Sidney and the guys…” Closing her eyes with a sigh, she said quietly, “Just forget it.”

  Decklan crouched in front of her, stroking his knuckles lightly over her bruised cheek. “I’m sorry, Brooke. We won’t be late anymore. From now on, you’ll come in with us. That way we can help keep the fans off you. Alright?” She gave a small nod and turned back to Sidney, who patted a moist powder over the purplish mark.

  She wasn’t speaking to them and they couldn’t blame her. Brooke looked sad and worse, she looked disappointed in them. “Forgive us, Brooke. We wouldn’t leave you vulnerable on purpose. We’ll make it up to you, honey. Don’t be mad.”

  “There were so many people, so many, all pushing and shoving. Greg and Dave watched my sides and my back, they’re huge so they just blocked me. Sidney, as tiny and pretty as she is, bulldozed her way through to the doors. I’ve never seen anything like it. Thank you so much, so much, Sidney.”

  The smaller woman leaned forward and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry you were scared, Brooke. I’m scrappy and I’ve always got your back. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. If I’d had to tell the kids…” Sidney swallowed hard and they saw tears in her eyes, “I couldn’t face those kids if anything happened to you.” She blinked and shook her head. “Enough of this, I’m not starting over with your makeup. Get happy, chica.” A bottle of water and two Tylenol lessened the throbbing in her cheek and Sidney managed to cover it completely.

  When her hair and makeup was done, Brooke stood and took off her robe and the men inwardly groaned at how good she looked in heeled boots, low hung designer jeans that clung to her every curve, and a snug leather vest over a little tank top.

  There was a gap of bare skin between the denim and the leather that was smooth, tight, and tan. Looking at one another, there was no doubt both brothers’ mouths were watering.

  Brooke got sick but felt better once she brushed her teeth and drank another bottle of water. Putting her cowboy hat over her flowing blond hair, they led her to the stage. Logan wore a button down dress shirt and Decklan wore a Toby Keith concert shirt, both of them in boots, jeans, and cowboy hats.

  The equipment manager handed them their guitars and Brooke her fiddle and watched as all of them were plugged in. Attaching her headset and microphone, the battery pack was secured to the back of her jeans.

  The crowd was already warmed up with the new band Travis had found to open for them, One Man’s Dream. As they exited the stage, the lead singer, Kyle, kissed Brooke and wished her luck. “You look seriously smokin’ hot, honey. You’re gonna be famous so you go out there and knock ‘em dead. Hang with us after the show, Brooke.”

  Her smile was careful then he was gone and the brothers were trying not to get pissed. Looking at one another over Brooke’s head, they accepted what hypocrites they were.

  As their drummer set the beat, Brooke started strumming the opening notes to their song about being on the road. Decklan led out with Brooke then Logan behind him. The crowd went insane as they realized Brooke was playing and the brothers came in on guitar. They played and sang two songs before speaking to the crowd. Logan asked them to welcome Brooke and it felt like the stadium was going to collapse from the stomping and screaming.

  She waved and spoke to the crowd at the twins’ urging, “Thank y’all for being so great. We’re gonna do what you came here for. Hope you like it.” Then she spun off on the fiddle, the Bradshaw brothers right there with her.

  By the fourth song, she was dancing across the stage. By the fifth song she was covered with a sheen of sweat and whipped off her hat between songs, yanking her hair up in a sloppy bun that looked professionally coifed and gorgeous on her. “It gets hot up here, y’all. Don’t know how girls keep lookin’ so put together. I’m just a girl from the country. I sweat so this is what you’re gonna get.” They screamed and shouted for her and the brothers glanced at the screens showing the stage. She looked fucking amazing.

  She insisted on the brothers doing most of the talking. Switching to mandolin for two songs, she kept her back against Decklan’s during his electric guitar solo and he bent for her to kiss his cheek when he was done. She gave him a wet smack and they sang in each other’s face during the chorus.

  Sitting at the piano, she led them through a pretty love song about an elderly couple wondering what they’d done with their lives. It was a dedication to her parents, had they lived to see their kids grow up and been able to grow old together. One of her songs included on the album. Logan sat on a stool beside her and Decklan played behind her, leaning down to kiss her temple.

  She sang it beautifully, the men coming in on chorus as she did for a couple of their songs. When she hit and held the last long note, Logan watched a tear track down her cheek and she wiped it away as the crowd went crazy.

  They sang a fun song to close then came back out for an encore and did Devil Went Down to Georgia to the thrill of the audience. Logan sang, Brooke played the hell out of the fiddle, and Decklan rocked his guitar solo.

  The techs ran out to get their instruments and the three of them linked their arms around one another, bowing to the crowd. They were leaving the stage when Brooke saw a little girl on her daddy’s shoulders who was waving at her madly. Shielding her eyes from the lights, she went back out and asked the security people to allow the family through. The girl reminded her of Becca.

  “Hi there, honey…what’s your name?” Brooke asked as she sat down on the edge of the stage, her feet dangling off the side, and held her hands out to the father who handed a country star his child in a daze.

  “I’m Stephanie. I’m five and I want to be a singer, too, Miss Brooke. I’m gonna be just like you when I grow up. You’re my favorite singer cuz you wrote that song about your sisters and I can sing it all the way through.”

  It was impossible not to grin at her enthusiasm. She didn’t even look nervous. “Well, Stephanie, I hope you learn an instrument like guitar or piano because it helps you feel the music. You seem like a very happy and outgoing little girl. Make sure you do very well in school once you start. You want to be really smart so you can do all the boring business stuff you have to do that no one tells you about.”

  The little girl was nodding happily, her red pigtails bobbi
ng. “I’m in preschool, I start Kindergarten this year! I’m so ‘cited! You sure are pretty up close. Mama says most people aren’t really pretty in person but you sure are.”

  “Thank you honey, you’re so pretty, too. It was sure nice to meet you, Stephanie.” Looking at the parents, she asked, “Do you have a marker? I’ll sign something for you, if you want.” Nodding, they handed her a small pink cowboy hat that had to belong to the little girl.

  Brooke signed the brim and took her card from her back pocket and put it under the band. “Stephanie, when you get done with school, you show me you made real good grades and stuck it out. Then have your parents contact me. If you still want to be a singer, I bet I can help you.”

  Handing the hat to her stunned parents, she smiled as the mom realized her email information and business manager phone was listed. “I have to go now, honey. Thank you so much for coming to my very first show ever. I was really nervous, did you notice?”

  Shaking her head sent her hair flying and she said seriously, “You were perfect and so, so pretty.” Stephanie leaned over and kissed her, Brooke hugged her before handing her back down to her father.

  “I’ll follow everything you ever do, Brooke,” her mother said. “You’re an inspiration. Thank you so much.”

  Nodding she jumped to her feet. She blew Stephanie a kiss and waved at the crowds watching her in wonder. When she got backstage, one of the techs handed her water and disconnected her mic. They were showering her with congratulations. Their opinion, as veterans, meant more to her than they probably realized.

  Happy tears in her eyes, she was practically jumping up and down, “Thank y’all so much. I would have been an idiot without your help. I mean it. See y’all in the morning.” Most of the roadies stared after her; a positive attitude like Brooke’s was not common, not to them.

  Back in her dressing room, Sidney removed her makeup and brushed out her hair, talking a mile a minute about well it had gone and how proud she was. Suddenly the door crashed open. Jackson and the girls rushed in with Jeanette and all of them fell all over her squealing with happiness and talking over one another.