Home Is Where You Are

by Melissa Grace

  Luca couldn’t hide his snort as the lie escaped my lips, but the girls didn’t seem to notice.

  “Doin’ it for the Gram.” Grace resumed her position next to Derek.

  “We can take as many of these as you want, sweetheart.” Ella joked, throwing her arms around the guys. “This is the most action I’ve had in at least a decade.”

  “I’ll take it for you,” Cash offered, eyeing me as he reached for the phone. He was clearly clued into my batshit crazy behavior.

  “Thanks, man,” I said casually. With that, I pulled Liv into my chest and folded my arms around her. She smelled delicious, like citrus and champagne, and all I wanted was to get drunk on her. I felt her relax in my arms as Cash counted us down and took the photos.

  “Alright, everybody.” Cash handed my phone back to me and clasped his hands together. “It’s showtime.” Assistants entered the room in a flurry of movement along with Brady, who began herding us all toward the door.

  “It was nice meeting you guys,” Ella exclaimed, giving Luca and Dallas another hug.

  “The pleasure was entirely ours,” Dallas insisted, shaking his hair down from its ponytail and fist-bumping Grace. “You ladies are welcome to stowaway on our bus anytime.”

  “Don’t encourage her, Dallas,” Liv warned with a laugh. “I don’t have that kind of bail money.”

  “Y’all are the best,” Grace drawled, as Derek enveloped her in another hug.

  Liv turned to me, chewing her bottom lip. I wanted to know what those lips tasted like. They looked soft and inviting as they curled into a sweet smile. “Seriously, thank you. And... you know you don’t have to… I don’t expect you to...” She stumbled over her words, and it was the cutest thing I’d ever seen. I already wanted to call her even though she was standing right in front of me. “It was really great meeting you, Jaxon.”

  “You can call me Jax.”

  “Jax.” She stuck her hand out to shake mine. “Thanks again.”

  I took her slender hand and held onto it a little longer than I probably should have. “Cash, will you take these lovely ladies to watch the show from the stage please?”

  With that, Cash whisked them away. Before they turned the corner toward the stage, I saw her look back at me, and I could swear, she smiled.

  Chapter 3

  Liv

  “You ladies are getting the VIP treatment tonight.” Cash wound us through the backstage area where people bounced back and forth like pinballs moving equipment behind the scenes. The opening act was still playing, and the closer we got to the front of the side stage area, the more the sounds of the crowd swelled around us.

  “Thank you for this,” I said, catching up to him. “Does this happen often? Fans getting chosen to watch the show backstage?” Though I was sure this had to be a regular occurrence, there was a certain innocence in the way Jax looked at me that made me question it.

  “Honestly? No,” he admitted, running a hand through his whiskey-colored hair. “The only people that have ever been invited to watch the show from the stage are family members and maybe a few close friends. You guys must have made quite the impression.”

  Ella’s eyes widened, and she elbowed me swiftly in the side. I felt Grace tug on my jacket.

  “Antoni!” Cash caught the attention of a gorgeous man wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard, who at the sound of his name, fell into stride beside us. He wore a sharp black suit with purple sparkles on the lapel and exuded the confidence of a man that could be running this joint. His dark hair was gelled to perfection, and his five o’clock shadow was meticulously groomed. “This is Liv, Ella, and her daughter Grace. They’re going to be hanging out stage right tonight. Would you mind getting them something to drink? A couple of glasses of champagne and let’s see if we can get a virgin cocktail for Miss Grace. I want you to load them up with some merch too.”

  “On it, boss,” Antoni said before practically vanishing into thin air.

  “You really don’t have to do that.” Ella tried to stop Antoni, but he disappeared before she could even finish her sentence.

  “Nonsense. We want to,” Cash insisted, bringing us all to a stop. “Here we are. Best seat in the house.”

  Grace squealed with delight, her eyes sparkling. When I turned toward the stage and my eyes adjusted to the lights, I saw exactly why. We had a perfect view of Sam Corbyn’s mop of red hair. He and his band were in the middle of an upbeat performance with a heavy bass drum. I shifted my gaze to look out into the crowd and felt my heart catch in my throat. The fans were on their feet, clapping along and singing the lyrics back as Sam pointed his microphone toward them. Their energy was palpable and so damn happy. I detected something that felt a lot like regret bubbling deep inside me.

  I felt Jax’s perfect hand on my shoulder before I heard him. “What do you think?” He leaned in so I could hear him over the crowd. His velvet voice was so close I could feel the warmth of his breath on my ear. I turned to face him, and butterflies swirled around in my stomach as I gazed up into his soulful, stormy eyes. His expression was so sweet and excited as he awaited my response that my heart was ready to swan dive right onto his black Chuck Taylors.

  “This is really amazing.” I glanced back at Grace who was dancing as Ella chatted with Cash. “Thank you so much. You seriously made Grace’s night.”

  “And what about you?” He flashed me that dazzling grin, making my heart flutter.

  “Seeing her happy makes me happy.” I loved Grace as if she were my own, and seeing her so overjoyed and animated made me happy.

  “Well, that won’t do.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “I want to make your night too, Olivia Sinclair.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean—”

  “Nope. I’m gonna make your night too. Those are the rules.” His eyes sparkled, and he shrugged nonchalantly.

  “And whose rules are these exactly?” I laughed. Whether I was laughing at how adorable he was, or at how absolutely fucking absurd this was, I wasn’t sure.

  “Mine.” He smiled at me in a way that made me understand why women used to throw their panties at rockstars. Did people still do that? If not, they should. “I’ve got to go play this show real quick, but after that, I’m gonna make your night. I promise.”

  Before I could protest, he jogged over to where the rest of the band was huddled. His eyes found mine again before I made my way back to where Grace, Ella, and Cash stood.

  Ella gaped at me as Grace grabbed my hand and squealed in my ear.

  “I’m going to go check in with the guys,” Cash told us. “And I’ll check on that champagne.”

  “Thanks, Cash.” Ella chirped, yanking me closer as he stepped away. “WHAT IS GOING ON?”

  “I think Jaxon Slade has a crush on Aunt Liv,” Grace sang, bumping me with her hip.

  “Yeah, in my dreams maybe.” I snorted. “First of all, I have to be older than him. Have to be. Second of all, have you seen him? I’m pretty sure he’s the great, great, great, great-grandchild of Adonis.”

  “He’s gorgeous and famous.” Grace rested the back of her hand on her forehead and pretended to faint.

  “He’s gorgeous, but so are you.” Ella poked me in the shoulder for emphasis. “You don’t give yourself enough credit.”

  “Y’all, this guy is famous. He’s probably dating some supermodel that carries a small dog in her purse. He’s cute, but I’m sure he just enjoys flirting.” I shook my head. “This is not a thing. Don’t make this a thing.”

  “Oh, it’s a thing,” Ella fired back. “You heard what Cash said. They don’t invite just anyone to do this.”

  “He did it for Grace,” I insisted. “For her birthday.”

  “But he wanted your phone number,” Grace reminded me. She had me there. I couldn’t explain why Jaxon Slade had insisted on having my phone number,
but I knew it didn’t matter. There was no way I’d ever hear from him, and that was perfectly fine because this was not a thing that happened in real life.

  “You guys are crazy.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “This isn’t a thing. It’s not.”

  Ella narrowed her eyes at me. “What did he say to you over there?”

  “He asked what I thought about the view.”

  “Uh-huh.” Ella would not be deterred. This was no longer a conversation. It was an interrogation. “And?”

  “I said it was amazing. I thanked him and said he’d made Grace’s night.”

  “And? What else?” Grace raised an eyebrow at me. Damn. The girl was exactly like her mother.

  “And he asked if he’d made my night too.”

  “And?” Ella grabbed ahold of my arms. “What did you say?”

  “I said that seeing Grace happy made me happy. He said that simply wouldn’t do, and he was going to make my night too because those are the rules.” I curved my fingers into air quotes.

  “Oh my God!” Grace bounced with excitement. “A rockstar is in love with you!”

  “That’s a little premature, don’t you think?” I shook my head. “And insane. He’s a hot rockstar and I’m… me.”

  “So what?” Ella brushed me off. “Famous people fall in love with normal people all the time. Look at George Clooney.”

  “The fact that you are now comparing me with Amal Clooney should be a clue as to how far we’ve strayed from reality.”

  “Nope.” Ella shook her head incredulously. “Stop that. You think you don’t deserve some hot, incredibly sweet, successful person that thinks you’re amazing, but you do. Liv, you do deserve that.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I’ve got the two hottest dates in this place right here.” I linked my arms through theirs. “Let’s just enjoy the show and this amazing view.”

  Grace sighed dreamily. “You could be dating a rockstar.”

  “You’re going out with him.” Ella squinted at me.

  “He hasn’t even asked me to go anywhere.” I threw my hands up. “You guys have lost it. I’m not—”

  “Champagne for the lovely ladies.” Cash approached with two sparkling flutes in his hands, saving me from any further conversation about Jaxon Slade. Antoni was on his heels with a tall, sparkly glass in one hand and a black shopping bag packed to the brim, with what I assumed was the merch Cash had mentioned, in the other.

  “I got a Shirley Ginger for you, honey.” Antoni shimmied his shoulders. “Nothing like a good mocktail.”

  “Thank you so much,” I said gratefully. We took the drinks and the bag from their hands, thanking them profusely. “Y’all have done too much. We really appreciate it.”

  “Truly, it’s our pleasure.” Cash smiled brightly. “You guys mind some company? We’re usually working throughout the show, but the band is on a little break after tonight, so things aren’t as crazy as usual.”

  “Of course,” I said, perhaps a little too eagerly. I knew that as long Cash was there with us, there would be no further mention of Jax.

  “You guys are in for a treat.” He moved to stand by Ella. “These guys put on such a great show. Jax’s voice is even better live.”

  Well, shit. You had one job, Cash.

  “Jax is quite impressive.” Ella smirked in my direction, letting me know that though I may have avoided the topic for now, this conversation was far from over.

  Cash was right. Midnight in Dallas put on a hell of a show. I don’t think the audience sat down the entire ninety minutes they played. As promised, Jax’s voice was otherworldly. Every word he sang felt like salve on a wound. By the time they stepped on stage for their final encore, Cash, Ella, Grace, and I had felt every end of the emotional spectrum. We’d even managed to pull Antoni in to dance with us for a couple of songs.

  I watched the way the crowd responded to Jax, how he seemed to hold them in the palm of his hand. My hands twitched with memory, and I suddenly felt a familiar ache to feel my fingertips on the neck of my old guitar.

  I watched as Cash twirled Ella, her head thrown back with laughter, and the sheer bliss plastered on Grace’s face as she sang along to every word, and I felt grateful. Ella had been right the day before. I had been wallowing in my misery for the last six months. Really, if I’d been honest with myself, I’d been drowning in it a lot longer than that. It felt good to come back to the land of the living with the two people I loved most in the world.

  But just as the carriage turned back into a pumpkin in Cinderella, I felt the sadness beginning to grip at my heart. It threatened to morph me back into the sad sack I’d been the day before.

  Antoni bumped my hip with his. “Why the long face, gorgeous?”

  “Hmm?” I looked up into his chocolatey eyes that seemed to see right through me. “Oh, nothing. Sorry. I guess I spaced out there for a second.” He studied me as though he were trying to decide whether he believed me or not. Even if he didn’t, he decided not to press the issue any further.

  He clutched his headset to his ear, listening intently. “Duty calls.” He groaned before disappearing through the backstage area.

  Midnight in Dallas closed their set with “Fortress.” As promised, Jax dedicated it to Grace who dissolved into a puddle of happiness. From the response of the crowd, the song appeared to be a fan favorite. Upon closer inspection, the lyrics told the story of a girl who’d built a fortress to protect her from pain. In doing so, she discovered she’d locked out the whole world, and the hurt she’d tried so hard to run from had become her only friend.

  At one point, Jax stopped singing, and the audience filled in every word in perfect harmony. Because Nashville, of course. The show ended in a much deserved decibel-crushing explosion of applause and screams.

  “That was fucking amazing,” Ella said breathlessly as the band ran off the stage opposite to where we were stationed.

  “I told you.” Cash nudged her arm and beamed with excitement. “Man, that was fun. Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys.”

  “Are you kidding me?” I asked. “Thanks for letting us hang out with you.”

  “I am ruined for all other concerts in the future.” Grace laughed. “Ruined.”

  “I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it.” Cash’s eyes settled on Ella.

  I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. I made a mental note to mention how many times Cash’s eyes found their way to Ella during the course of the evening when she inevitably tried to bring up this Jax business again.

  “We should probably get going.” I was admittedly a little sad that our evening had come to an end.

  Ella pouted. “It’s going to be a bitch trying to get a Lyft outta here.”

  “Why don’t I have Antoni give you guys a ride?” Cash asked. “I’d offer myself, but I’ve got to wrap up a few things here.”

  “That’s so sweet of you,” Ella said, “but we don’t want you guys going through all that trouble for us.”

  “It’s so nice of you to offer, though,” I added. “You guys really rolled out the red carpet for us.”

  “Really, it’s no trouble.” Cash dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand. “Besides, it would make me feel better to know you ladies made it home safe.” He placed a gentle hand on Ella’s arm and began to move us through the bustle of the backstage area. He began tapping out a text on his phone, presumably to Antoni, as he guided us through the clusters of people. “I insist. He’s parked out by the bus and our security detail, so you won’t even have to get out in that mess of people.”

  “Cash, you’re so damn sweet.” Ella smiled gratefully. “Such a gentleman.”

  Grace and I echoed our thanks as he navigated us down the now empty corridor with the framed photos and posters that led beyond the dressing room. My phone buzzed in my back pocket, and I narrowly avoided dropping it as
I extracted it from my jeans. A number I didn’t recognize flashed across the screen, and I immediately felt heat threaten to rise into my cheeks. Ella looked back at me, her face laced with an ‘I told you so’ smugness as Grace squeezed my arm. It was far too late for a telemarketer. Surely it wasn’t...

  No. Absolutely not. There was no way in hell.

  “Hello?” I answered cautiously.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Jax’s warm voice came through the phone.

  “Hi, Jax.” I laughed nervously as Ella and Grace exchanged a knowing glance. “We’re heading home. Cash has Antoni giving us a ride.” At the sound of his name, Cash cocked his head curiously.

  “Correction,” he said. “Giving Ella and Grace a ride home. You’ve got a prior commitment.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I told you earlier. I’m still gonna make your night. It must be done. Sorry. I don’t make the rules.”

  “You need to get your story straight because ninety minutes ago you did make the rules.”

  “Turn around.” His voice was soft, but I could hear his smile through the phone. The hairs on the back of my neck raised with anticipation. I stopped mid-step and turned around, my mouth curving into an involuntary smile. He was standing in the middle of the hallway outside the dressing room while the bodyguard stood watch a little further down. “Hi.” He grinned as he started toward me.

  “Hi.” I dropped the phone to my side as he approached.

  “Did you guys enjoy the show?”

  “Y’all were amazing,” Grace gushed. “This was seriously the best night of my life.”

  “I’m glad.” He chuckled before addressing Ella and Grace. “Listen, ladies, I made a promise to Liv earlier that I’d like to keep. Do you mind if I take her off your hands for the rest of the night? That is, if she’ll agree to come with me.” He looked over at me hopefully, and my mind began to spin out of control. He really wasn’t going to let this go.