Chapter 19
KEELY DIDN’T HATE the sound of her voice. And not only had it held up, but it had created a sort of grounded, deeper effect from the stage, even as she finished the last of “Forever Found.”
And when the years have passed, and we look back to see,
Every step, every dream, you were right there with me.
In your eyes, I still find the place where I belong,
In our world full of love, your voice is my song.
She already saw the new album—maybe she’d called it Hearthstone, and it would be a departure, something that spoke to the deeper themes of home and true love and . . .
The crowd erupted as the final tones ended, and she smiled into the shadowy crowd. “Thank you.” Sitting back, she raised her hand, then glanced to the wings.
Dawson’s friends Flynn and Axel had left—she’d seen them go when he ran onstage. She’d nearly stopped singing, but Goldie had stayed and shot her a thumbs-up, and she’d settled into finishing her set.
Now, Goldie stood, her arms akimbo, her mouth a tight line, and the entire posture strummed a thread inside her. Something wasn’t right.
Keely leaned into the mic. “You’ve been a fantastic audience tonight. Thank you for coming out and supporting Wren and her family. Have a great night!” Lifting the guitar, she headed offstage toward Goldie.
The shouts of “Encore” lifted, the crowd clapping, chanting, and Goldie stepped back, into her path.
“What’s going on?”
“Everything’s fine,” she said. “Your fans want an encore.”
Keely looked past her and spotted Griffin standing with a couple security guards. “Is . . . is Zoey okay?”
More shouts, and the chanting continued.
“She’s fine,” Griffin said.
Keely headed for the greenroom, but Goldie caught her arm. “Your fans are calling!”
She yanked her arm from Goldie’s grasp. “Where. Is. Zoey?”
Griffin stepped up to her. “She’s fine—she’s with Dawson.”
The words loosened the knot in her gut. Except—“Where is Dawson?” She expected him to emerge from the greenroom, but a glance in that direction suggested it might be empty.
Goldie wasn’t giving up. “Bliss, just one more song—”
“I’m not Bliss!” She didn’t mean for her voice to emerge in a shout, but—“I’m Zoey’s mom. What. Happened?”
Goldie’s mouth closed, pinched. “There was an incident. The dog got shot.”
The dog. “Caspian? Oh my—and Zoey?”
“She’s fine,” Griffin repeated. “I mean—probably a little shaken, but—”
“Probably a little shaken? What the—”
“One of the Sorros brothers got into the greenroom.”
And her knees nearly buckled. She shoved the guitar at Goldie. “Tell them that everyone will get an advance copy of my newest single. That’s my encore.”
Then she looked at Griffin. “Take me to my daughter.”
He turned and, “Out of the way!”
The security guards stepped aside, and she followed him out of the theater, into the parking lot, now lit up with the cycling red and white lights of police support.
Griffin walked her across the lot, maybe toward his car, but Flynn came running up.
“We got him, Keely. Conan, at least.”
All she cared about was—“Where’s Dawson?”
“He’s at the vet,” Flynn said.
“Please tell me that Zoey is with him.”
“Axel has her. She’s fine.”
Sure she was. Because a four-year-old who’d just lost her parents and saw a dog get shot certainly didn’t have any trauma.
“And Caspian?”
“Dunno. Axel texted that they’d gotten him to the vet okay. We can take my car—Dawson took your SUV.”
She had no room to process that. Whatever. Keely slid into the passenger seat of Flynn’s SUV, and Flynn pulled out, past the police presence, onto the darkened street.
Silence, then, “You were amazing tonight.”
“Thanks.”
“I think probably you’re the best thing that has happened to Dawson.” Keely’s glance fell on Flynn. The woman met it. “I just have one request.”
Keely raised an eyebrow.
“Just don’t let him be a brokenhearted love song.”
Keely’s mouth tightened, but she nodded. “That’s fair. But to be truthful, I think he’s the only love song.”
Flynn matched her tight smile, but it hit her eyes.
“That song ‘Hear My Name’ sounds more like your original stuff.”
“I wrote it during the blizzard, while I was waiting for Dawson to come home.” No, not home. “Back. Anyway, yeah, I guess it is more like me.”
“Honest. Real. And the way you sang it—a little rough-edged but soul-true.”
Soul-true. She smiled. “Thanks.”
“It’s going to be okay, you know. Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be happy. You just have to look for the happy in the middle of all the darkness and keep your eyes on hope.” She pulled off the highway. “Something I learned while I searched for my missing sister a few years ago.”
“Missing sister?”
“Kennedy. Sully’s wife. Long story. But I eventually found her.”
Funny, it seemed that maybe she’d been on a search too. And had eventually found herself.
They pulled into the lot, and lights pushed out into the darkness from a vet clinic. She spotted Zoey sitting inside on Axel’s lap, him reading to her.
Flynn turned off the car. “I really need to marry that man.”
Zoey looked up when Keely walked into the vet clinic, and for a moment, the past hour, maybe more, played on her face.
Then, as Keely froze, the little girl squirmed off Axel’s lap, landed on the floor, and ran for her.
Oh—oh! Keely crouched and caught Zoey, whose small arms clamped around her, her body shaking.
And Keely couldn’t stop herself. “It’s okay, baby. Mommy’s here. I’m here.” She picked her up, held her against herself, rocking her. Oh well, the name was bound to spill out from her heart at some point.
Flynn came in and took Axel’s hand. He rose, blew out a breath.
Zoey wrapped her legs around Keely, clinging to her.
“How’s Caspian?”
Axel shook his head, drew in a breath.
No.
Just then, the door to the back opened. Dawson came out, his eyes reddened.
“Dawson—”
“He’s okay.” Then he walked right up to Keely and wrapped her in his arms. Her and Zoey, and they stood, a clump, together.
A family, maybe. Or the beginnings of one.
She closed her eyes and sank into the abundance.
Finally, he stepped back.
“Griffin said he was shot.”
“He was. But it was a glancing shot—more blood than damage. Scary though.”
“To be clear, it sounded a lot worse,” Axel said. “Mr. Drama howled the entire time to the vet.”
“You try getting shot in the chest and see how you feel,” Flynn said, whacking him on the shoulder.
“Is he going to be okay?” Keely asked.
“Yes. The doc shaved the area and just finished stitching him up. She’s bandaging him so we can take him home.” He settled his hand on Zoey’s back. “Hey, sweetheart. You okay?”
She lifted her head, still tucked against Keely’s chest, still holding on. Keely put her head down atop hers. “She doesn’t sp—”
“Puppy?”
Keely stared at Zoey. “Puppy?”
Zoey reached out, looking past them.
Caspian stood at the door, a bandage across his chest, wearing a cone of shame. He barked and came over, his tail thumping as he crouched and crawled toward Zoey.
She wiggled out of Keely’s arms, and Keely put her daughter down. “Puppy!”
Dawson caught her just as she advanced on Caspian. “Let’s give puppy some room.”
But Caspian lay down, then rolled over, his tongue hanging out, and Keely laughed. “I don’t think he needs any room.”
“I’ve never seen him do that before.”
But even Keely could see the way he swallowed hard, the sudden shudder of his breath.
“He heard voices and wouldn’t stay put.” This from a vet who came out of the room, taking off her gloves. “Sorry. He’s determined. Knows what he wants.”
Dawson was half crouched next to Caspian, helping direct Zoey’s hands away from his wound. But Keely’s entire body lit up with her giggles.
And right then, Keely knew exactly what she wanted.
What she’d really come to Alaska to find.
Dawson stood up as Caspian rolled to his feet and shoved his muzzle into Zoey’s hands. “How’d the concert go?”
“I think it was a hit.”
“Of course it was.” He picked up Caspian’s lead. “Did you give them an encore?”
She stepped up to him. “I saved it for you.”
Then she took his face between her hands and kissed him. Something sweet, but exactly the song she wanted to sing.
She felt Caspian lean against Dawson’s leg, and she let him go, looking down.
Dawson scratched his ears. “Buddy, I promise you, I’m okay.” He met Keely’s eyes. “I’m very, very much okay.”
She took Zoey’s hand. Yes, yes they were.
“I think it’s time that I finally get you home.” He slid his hand into hers.
“Promises, promises,” she said.
He looked at her and laughed.
And as they walked outside, in the dark of the Alaskan night, the northern lights ribboned above them. We found our forever, beneath the Alaskan stars.
Yes, yes they had.