Chapter 23

23

Kara

I’m playing my guitar in my living room when I get a call from a number I don’t recognize.

“Hi, this is Kara,” I answer.

“Kara, hi. This is Mike from Sweetwater,” a man says, making me stop what I’m doing as I stand in disbelief.

“Excuse me?” I say, then instantly regret it.

Sweetwater is a huge band in the Nashville area that is working on their debut album now. Mike is their lead singer.

He chuckles into the phone. “You heard me correctly. Rumor around town is, you’ve been putting on some pretty amazing shows down at Ruby’s.”

“Rumor?” I choke out, then close my eyes, feeling like a complete idiot. “How did you get my number?”

“Joey gave it to me. He and I go way back. I hope you don’t mind me calling you like this.”

“No. Are you kidding me?” Great. Now, I sound like a high school Valley girl. I sit down and take a deep breath to compose myself. “No. I don’t mind you calling me. Can I ask though why you’re calling me?”

This gets another laugh out of him. “I’m calling because we have a show next month, and our opening act just bailed on us. You interested?”

“Me? You want me to open for you?”

“Yeah. We’ll have four acts total. You’ll be the first one, then The County Line, then Luke Dickson, then us.”

“Luke Dickson?” I say a little too loudly.

I’ve seen a few of his shows, and with the crowd he brings, he could probably fill the house on his own.

“We’re co-headlining the show at Ascend Amphitheater.”

I clasp my hand over my mouth before I say anything else stupid because I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now. Ascend Amphitheater is an actual live-concert venue. It’s not a local bar or a small thousand-seat place. I saw Morgan Wallen play there three months ago, and I’ve only dreamed that I’d get to perform there one day.

“So, you in?” he asks after a few seconds of me not saying anything.

“Yes!” I say way too enthusiastically. “Yes, I’m so in.”

“Great. Save my number in your phone. I’ll talk to the rest of the band, and we’ll set up a time to meet soon and go over all the details.”

“Yeah, okay. Thank you!”

“It’s our pleasure. Talk soon.”

“Okay. Bye.”

“Bye.”

I click the End button and stare at my phone in shock, not really able to process what just happened. After I save Mike’s number in my phone, I check the time and see it’s one in the afternoon, so I pray Silas is awake when I call him to tell him the good news.

“Good morning, Angel,” he says sleepily into the phone.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?”

“All good. I was just waking up. What’s going on? How’s your day been so far?”

“I have the best news ever!”

“Really? Tell me.”

“Mike from the band Sweetwater just called me.”

“No shit? What did he say?” His voice no longer sounds sleepy as it rises a few octaves.

“They are playing next month with Luke Dickson at Ascend Amphitheater, and they want me to be one of their opening acts!”

“Seriously?” he asks, sounding full of just as much excitement as I did when Mike called.

“Can you believe it?” I squeal, trying to blink back my tears of joy.

“Of course I can believe it. You’re amazing. I knew that from the first moment I saw you play. I’m so proud of you. This is truly the best news ever!”

I can tell he’s not just saying that either. His support has always meant so much to me, and I can feel it now more than ever.

“Thank you. I had to call you first, but now, I need to call my parents and Nikki.”

He laughs into the phone. “I’m honored I was your first call. Come over tonight when you get off work, and we’ll celebrate.”

“Sounds good!” I dance around. “I can’t believe I’m going to play at Ascend Amphitheater!”

His laughter fills me with even more joy. “Believe it! You’re doing it. You’re getting to live your dream.”

I pause and take a breath. I really am. I have the best boyfriend, and I’m living in a town I absolutely love, taking care of two little girls I adore, and getting some real chances to follow my love of music.

“How did I get so lucky to find you?”

“I ask myself that question every time I’m with you,” he responds without hesitation. “Now, go call your family to tell them the good news.”

“Okay, see you later. Bye!”

“Bye, my sweet angel.”

I hang up, feeling even more happiness than I did when I first called him. It’s a sensation so amazing that I would never think it was possible, yet here I am, floating above cloud nine, all thanks to him.

Once Heather and Steve are home, I grab my things and head to Silas’s place. He texted earlier, saying he’d be in the backyard and he left the door unlocked for me, so I don’t think twice before entering through his front door, only to stop in my tracks.

Standing before me is Silas with flowers in his hands and a grin on his face.

I cover my mouth in shock. “What is this?”

He hands me the flowers, then guides me toward the kitchen, where he has a candlelit dinner prepared.

I take in the room, then look at him. “You did all of this?”

He steps toward me, holding his arms out to me. “I wanted to celebrate your good news.”

I wrap my arms around him. “This is amazing. Thank you!”

He takes the flowers back from me and places them in a vase on the kitchen table that’s already filled with water.

“It smells so wonderful in here.”

“It’s almost ready. Can I get you a glass of wine?”

“Yes, please.”

I lean against the counter, taking everything in. He really went all out. The table is set with place mats, napkins, and silverware, sitting correctly on each side. A large salad bowl is already on the table, and our glasses are filled with water.

“I can’t believe you did all of this,” I say in disbelief.

He steps toward me and pulls me close to him. “I wanted tonight to be special.”

I place my palm on his cheek. “Just being with you is special.”

He kisses my lips, then says with a cocky smirk, “True, but dinner is going to make it even better.”

We spend the night sitting at the dinner table, eating and talking. He’s right. Dinner is delicious, but being with him is even more than that. I feel like someone needs to pinch me and wake me from this dream I’m having because there’s no way my life could be going this well—in both my relationship and my career at the same time.

God has blessed me for sure, and I pray he’s leading me on these paths because both my music and Silas are my forever.

I want to make sure he knows that, so I stand up from the table and reach for his hand, motioning for him to follow me.

“Oh,” he says with a laugh, knowing exactly what I have in mind.

We walk to his bedroom, where I turn to face him. I lift my shirt over my head, dropping it to the floor. He grabs my hips, pulling me closer to him as he kisses me softly.

I place my hand on his chest. “Hey, I’m in charge here.”

A gorgeous smirk covers his face as he holds up his palms to me. “Yes, ma’am.”

I lift his shirt over his head and toss it onto the chair in the corner of his room, then reach for his jeans to unbutton the top button. Before I slide them down, I unclasp my bra, remove it completely, and press my bare chest on his. When he tries to raise his hands to touch me, I swat them away playfully, then continue my task at hand.

Keeping pressed against him, I slide down his body until I’m on my knees, where I unzip his pants and bring them to the floor, motioning for him to step out of each leg, then moving his pants to the side.

With just his boxer briefs on, his erection is extremely evident, so I clasp it with my hands over the fabric, making him drop his head back and let out a soft moan. With the tips of my fingers, I move up and down his length.

“Are you trying to tease me?” he says with a laugh.

“Maybe,” I reply as I grip him again, then loosen and go back to my little game.

He swoops down and picks me up so easily that I don’t even realize what he’s doing until I’m on my back on his bed, laughing.

“Playtime is over,” he says with a sexy grin. “You’re driving me crazy, and I’m not sure how much more I can handle.”

I laugh out loud. “Impatient much?”

“When it comes to being inside you? Yes.”

He slides my shorts down my legs and is quick to remove my panties as well. When he stands up to take off his boxer briefs, he reaches for a condom in the drawer before he joins me back on the bed.

I place my hand on his shoulder. “We’ve already not used one. I’m okay with not using it again. I’m on birth control.”

He takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I’m glad to hear that, but I’d still feel more comfortable using it. I just want to protect you.”

A soft grin forms on my lips. “Okay.”

He kisses me passionately, bringing back our desires in full force before putting on the condom and entering me. A moan escapes my mouth so loud that I even surprise myself, but that’s what he does to me every time, and I only pray it will always be like this when we are together.