CupidRocks
Page 22
“We’re counting on you, punkin. We need you. We don’t have anything else and if you don’t perform we don’t have enough music for the night. We perform until Zach closes at two.” Joe shot Eddie a look of death but his father-in-law shook his head.
Mandy took a deep breath and nodded. “I know. I can do it. I’m just scared.”
“Joe told you the truth, baby. If you forget the words, or anything else happens, we’ll back you up.”
“You guys are just so good. You totally killed with that second set. I don’t want to disappoint the crowd or embarrass all of you.”
“You won’t,” Joe assured her. “You have a great voice.”
“Not superlative?” she teased.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. I believe in you. Can you at least try?”
“Yoda.” She chuckled.
“Right. So let’s do it.”
“Let’s do it!”
She took a deep breath and led the way out the door. She paused for a minute when the crowd started to cheer. Joe took her hand and she smiled up at him. Then they climbed onto the stage and set up. Mandy took the mike and looked at him, her gaze locking. Pupils dilated with terror. He strapped on his guitar and leaned over to give her a kiss. She relaxed a little bit.
Just follow me, angel. I’ve got your back now and forever.
She nodded.
He began Landslide. She missed the entrance. Her eyes widened in fear. Joe shook his head slightly and smiled while he improvised, playing back for her to catch the entrance. This time she got it. Singing directly to him. Standing still, but the song flowed anyway. He moved closer to her.
“Take my arm,” he whispered. She did and her voice gained strength.
Mandy relaxed into the music. She laid her head on his shoulder for a minute and kept singing. At the end of the song, there was a moment of dead silence. She looked out at the crowd.
“Oh God,” she whispered.
Then the crowd began to cheer. Her eyes widened and she looked at him, a grin spreading over her face and she bowed. Joe moved right into the second song of the set so she wouldn’t panic. She relaxed, moving forward. Something changed and she got into the song. He glanced over at Carly and she winked. They’d been right. As Mandy relaxed, her natural magnetism emerged. She began to tease and flirt with the crowd as she sang. They whistled and danced in the space in front of the stage. Mandy started to command the audience, drawing them in.
Joe marveled at his True Mate. The way she moved. Danced. Sang. Her voice steadied and her face shone. She winked. Eddie edged over and leaned close.
“Told ya,” he whispered.
“She’s crazy good,” Joe said.
“Yup.”
Mandy couldn’t believe it. The fear had faded. As the crowd clapped and danced she got into it, moving to the front of the stage and taking command just the way she used to. It felt incredible. God how she’d missed this. And it wouldn’t have happened if Joe hadn’t pushed her and supported her.
The solos were great, but the duets with Joe were special. She felt his encouragement and love. As they sang to one another she realized that Joe had been honest with her. He hadn’t left her hanging tonight and he never would. He’d always have her back. No matter what. At the end of the set Joe started to speak, but she covered his mouth and winked.
“Thanks for welcoming me back to The Pack,” she told the crowd. “You’ll be seeing me more often.” There were loud cheers. “But to end the set, I have a surprise for my True Mate. This is an old Peggy Lee song. And I’m sure he’ll understand when I sing it.”
She motioned Eddie forward. Eddie and Carly accompanied her on guitar and piano as she began a tune called Happiness is a Thing Called Joe. She crooned it directly to her love. The best person in the world for her. Her one and only.
“He’s got a way that makes this angel heave a sigh, when I know little Joe’s passing by.” She ran her finger along his jaw and over his lips. They danced as she sang to him, finishing up with, “Seems like happiness is just a thing called Joe.”
The crowd cheered as they kissed. “Is it Mandy?” he whispered in her ear. “Is happiness a wolf called Joe?” She went into his arms for a loving kiss. And this time it wasn’t just the crowd cheering. It was their families too.
“Yes, Joe, it is. And it always will be.”
About Francesca Hawley
Hi. I’m Francesca Hawley and I’m a fat chick. A woman with dangerous curves just like my heroines. Many people don’t like the word, “fat” but I do because it’s the truth and I’ve learned to own it. I am a fat chick and I always will be.
When I began writing, I wanted to create a fat heroine who loved herself—or at least learned to love herself—and a hot alpha hero who liked her jiggly bits just the way they were. Since I didn’t find many big girls to read about, I decided to write about them myself. After all, I loved to write and had been writing almost as long as I’d been reading, so Francesca Hawley – author of "Romance with Dangerous Curves" was born.
In a Francesca Hawley romance, my readers will find authentic, sensual, fat heroines who love and are loved by their intense, passionate, and seductive Alpha heroes. I hope you enjoy their dangerous curves just as much as their hunky heroes do.
Francesca welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Francesca Hawley
1-800-DOM-help: Controlling Interest
Alpha vs. Alpha
Leader of the Pack
Protect and Defend
Seeking Truth
Whirlwind Affair
Print books by Francesca Hawley
Dial B for Bondage anthology
Protect and Defend
Red Stilettos anthology
Seeking Truth
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Cupid Rocks
ISBN 9781419945281
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cupid Rocks Copyright © 2013 Francesca Hawley
Edited by Shannon Combs
Cover design by Dar Albert
Photos: Olly and Curaphotography/Fotolia.com
Electronic book publication February 2013
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