Epilogue
· Brooks ·
“Evening, folks.” I stepped up to the microphone, silencing the applause but still getting a few whoops and whistles from the staff balcony.
The crowd in the Rattlesnake Saloon was densely packed.
I loved the lighting in here. We had tweaked it a little over the last couple of months, to get the perfect balance.
Even with the stage lights, you could see so many faces in the audience.
It was one thing I’d always loved about playing small venues.
The direct interaction with the people. “Thank you for coming out tonight. Some of y’all know that we’re gearing up for a summer of music here in Bravetown. ”
I paused, giving the crowd a moment to cheer their excitement and support.
Once the house had been fixed up, I’d suddenly found myself with a lot of free time.
Between Skye’s school schedule, her riding lessons, running around the park, and her monthly week with her grandparents, I had taken the chance to actually become invested in Bravetown.
The park had been making enough money to keep the lights on, but it had been teetering on the edge for a few years, barely making profit.
When they had a stage right here, and it was going largely unused.
The night I’d played the Rattlesnake had been one of the best gigs in my career.
I’d come up with a list of two dozen musicians, just off the top of my head, who would all love playing a small venue just for the hell of it. Not because their label sent them there, or to promote anything, but to feel like they were jamming with friends again. Music for the sake of music.
They all agreed to come and play in exchange for room and board at the hotel, and a tiny fraction of the ticket sales.
“It’s my personal pleasure, and a great honor to announce our first headliner of the summer.
You know her well. Her second album comes out next week, and you should all go ahead and pre-order it, because it’s a masterpiece.
I genuinely mean that. I’m not just saying that because we’re getting married.
” I couldn’t help the big smile that spread across my face.
And I got myself another cheer from the audience.
I glanced to the side, where Addie stood backstage.
She smiled right back at me. “Please help me in welcoming the talented, the beautiful, kind, and all-around breathtaking Adriana Banks.”
The crowd erupted in cheers as Addie strolled on stage, her green guitar strapped to her chest. Her hair was a wild halo around her under the spotlights, and her smile shone just as bright as those bulbs.
I jumped off the front of the stage. The stage wasn’t mine to give, but it was undeniably hers now. She claimed it with the kind of presence you couldn’t teach. It was where she belonged.
Skye stood next to Esra, Noah, and Maureen in a small sectioned-off part right in front of the stage.
She didn’t even look my way, too focused on Addie.
It had been almost a year since we’d first set foot in Bravetown, and still, every reminder of how much my girls loved each other filled my chest with warmth.
I wrapped an arm around Skye’s shoulders and pulled her against my side, earning myself an annoyed “Da-ad,” but Skye still wrapped her arms around my middle as she watched.
Addie launched into her first song without preamble.
It was the first she’d recorded for Kiki Nguyen last year.
The one that had gotten her a new record deal and had launched her back into the charts the day it was released.
Kiki hadn’t come onto the music scene to play nice—at least not with other labels.
That woman was a powerhouse when it came to business, ready to jump into the ring and fight for her musicians.
She was exactly who Addie deserved to have in her corner.
Even without having played a stage in years, Addie was mesmerizing to watch.
She sang from the heart. She sang with the kind of charisma that had you hanging on to her lips, afraid to miss even a single syllable or note.
It was fucking rare to find a singer who didn’t need stage outfits or light shows or choreographies to captivate their audience, but all Addie needed was her voice.
“I have one more song, but I want to take a moment to talk to y’all.
” Addie took the mic from the stand at the end of her set.
“Thank you so much for having me, Wild Fields. I just want you to know that I consider everyone in this town my family. I know that I haven’t always had the kindest words for it, and vice versa, but at the end of the day, this place is home.
I wouldn’t trade it for anywhere else. And I’m lucky enough to have my actual family here, too.
” She smiled in our direction and gave us a little wave.
Skye returned it enthusiastically. “The next song is about coming home and finding your true family, and how that sometimes looks nothing like what you expected. This is ‘Comeback.’ ”