Chapter 7
“Y’all remember that sweet little ‘Sugar Pie’ from earlier tonight? Ms. Tana Zephyr?”
The crowd cheered.
“I gotta admit, you guys, I’m a bit sweet on her myself.”
They went wild.
“You think y’all can help me court that girl? Let’s get her out here onstage. See if she’ll sing with me. What do you think?”
The cheers were practically deafening. They began to chant, “Tana, Tana, Tana.”
Mick knew the moment she stepped out onstage because the crowd lost it.
“There she is.” Mick smiled as she strutted out in her sparkly pink jeans and rhinestone vest. “Hey, beautiful.”
Tana lifted a microphone to her mouth. “Hey, handsome.”
God, she is gorgeous.
She came toward him like she had been born for center stage.
“You wanna sing with me tonight, sweet thing?”
“I think that’s a mighty fine idea, Mick.”
“You ever heard the song ‘Hop on Up in My Truck’?”
“Course I have.”
He lifted his guitar. “Let’s do it. You guys ready?” he yelled to the crowd as the band launched into one of his number one singles the good Lord had taken double platinum.
Tana flicked off her mic and handed it to a roadie as she joined him and sang into his.
When Mick sang, “Slide over, girl, ’cause that’s what bench seats are for,” she came closer, and the crowd cheered.
“Going riding with youuuuu,” they sang together. “Until the sun goes down … and we see that moooooon.”
It was the most fun Mick had had onstage in months. The energy Tana brought was so sweet and fresh.
Mick trusted his gut. He always had. It had gotten him damn far in life. He wasn’t about to stop now. And it said this beautiful girl was for him. Just for him.
When the final bars echoed in the ballpark, the cheers of the crowd were overwhelming. Mick wrapped an arm around Tana. As soon as he pulled her close, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her.
The screams nearly blew them off the stage.
As the lights went down, he pulled back, and knowing damn well the mic was still hot, he said, “I’m gonna need some more of that, sugar pie.”
The crowd lost their damn mind.
Tana knew her life was never going to be the same after tonight.
As she walked offstage, waving, her eardrums nearly burst from the roar of the crowd, and her lips still tingled from Mick’s kiss.
He had well and truly put his public stamp on her.
Bill handed her a water bottle as soon as she stepped into the darkness.
“Holy shit, Tana. You and Mick were on fire tonight. And that kiss … hot damn. Tomorrow is a brand-new day for you, girl. You think your single was a big change? Just wait until everyone’s talking about what happened onstage tonight.”
A woman stood in the wings, shooting silent daggers at her.
Sorry, sweetheart, she thought. I might have no idea what really happened out there, but even I recognize a public declaration when I see one.
She had no idea if that had been real or fake, but it had sure felt real.
She also knew word would get back to Ronnie. Nine years, and that was how it’d ended. She should’ve known things weren’t gonna last when he’d said, “I just ain’t looking to settle down and get married yet. Don’t be hoping I got a ring to give you, Tana. ’Cause I just ain’t ready yet.”
That had stung … until Mick.
It wasn’t lost on Tana that he was the only person she’d wanted to see when her heart was aching.
That man …
Tana let out a breath.
Now, she just wondered if it was all too good to be true.