She picked her way through the crowd, avoiding elbows, making sure not to step on toes, until she reached the kitchen area.
“Honey,” said her mom, exiting the same area. “What a wonderful surprise.” She embraced her daughter and held her there for quite a while before parting. “You’re really racking up those frequent flier miles, aren’t you?”
“Well, Mom, I’ve been—”
Her mother gave her an understanding look. “You don’t need any explanations, honey. I’m just glad to see you. You never need an excuse to stop by. Our house is your house. Remember that.”
“Even if I had five kids, a dog, and a lazy husband.”
“I suggest starting with the husband.” She looked beyond the kitchen to one of the back rooms. “You might have an opportunity awaiting you.”
Ashley smiled. “Thanks, Mom.” She followed the direction her mother had glanced, making her way past the kitchen and into a vacant hallway through which loud voices, clapping, and cheering drifted. Her heart hammered and her breath came tight the closer she drew to the room on the left, where the noise emanated. She stopped outside the doorway, took a deep breath, and…
The drummer and bassist, wearing big smiles, left the room and almost collided into her. They apologized and made their way in the direction she’d come, no doubt heading for the stage.
Ashley poked her head inside the door.
Gabe crouched down, sucking in breath after breath, while Scott stood over him with a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It’s been how many years since you played sober? Nerves are normal. I’m always nervous when I head out there.”
“But we’re two songs in,” said Gabe. “And I’m still dizzy. My chest feels like someone’s standing on it. It can’t be a heart attack, right? It’s gotta be a panic attack or something.”
Ashley hadn’t expected the former party-monger extraordinaire to suffer from anxiety. Having performed in front of others for a career, she sympathized with his plight. She stepped into the room. “Gabe, you’re doing really good out there.”
Scott saw her and smiled. He whispered the words: he’s kicking ass.
She nodded. “You’re really kicking ass out there.”
Twisting his neck in her direction, Gabe narrowed his eyes on her. “Hey, you’re Ashley, right?” He raised himself upright and stared at his brother. “She’s the one you write about,” he said more to himself than the couple standing on either side of him.
Scott shrugged and nodded grudgingly.
The apprehension about this situation left Gabe with such rapidity that it looked like he hadn’t almost hyperventilated only moments ago. He held out a hand and smiled at Ashley. “Hi, I’m Gabe.”
She took his hand, and although it was sweaty, she made no attempt to remove it, fearing that he’d once more acknowledge his apprehension, which might cripple his confidence. “It’s great to finally meet you, Gabe.”
“Same here.”
He released her hand. “We need to finish this set.” Since the moment she appeared, Gabe appeared almost relaxed. “But it’s awesome to finally meet my brother’s muse. Maybe we can chat after the gig?”
“I would love that.”
He smiled then turned to his brother. “Whenever you’re ready, bro.” Then, lowering his head, he left the room and made his way back down the corridor towards the stage.
“A panic attack?” she asked Scott. “I thought he was supposed to be a prodigy. Why would he be so nervous?”
“Because he’s human. The problem was that he always played wasted. We really needed to start small, so I’m glad Kelsey wanted us to play tonight. He needed to get back to the basics.”
“You were really great up there yourself.”
“Thanks. What’re you doing back here?”
Ashley lowered her head, feeling a bout of shyness overwhelm her. “That was really something, what you said at Christmas.”
“Yeah, well it needed to be said.”
Without looking up, she could feel him looking at her. His gaze felt like the hot rays of the sun battering down on her. In short, it felt good. “You were right.” She shook her head. “I was foolish and stubborn and…”
“A pain in the ass.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, that too.” Ashley didn’t know where to go from there.
“Well,” he said. “I better get back out there.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw him walk past her, and she reached out, catching his arm, stopping him. “I don’t know how to say this,” she said, hoping the right words would come to her.
“Say what you feel. It always works for me.”
“Okay.” She let out a heavy gust of air, but her chest remained compressed. It seemed that she’d traded places with Gabe: he’d given up his anxiety in place of her stoic nature. “I have trust issues.”
He cracked a smile. “You don’t say?”
It made her laugh, while underscoring some of her fear. “I don’t know how to say this.”
“Well, you’ve said that twice now, so it seems you can say it just fine.”
Ashley laughed out loud again and lifted her eyes. “You never gave up on me. Why?”
“Because when you meet someone special, that person who steals your heart and never gives it back, you can’t give up. Your soul won’t let you.”
“Is that what you think we are? Soul mates?”
“I don’t have to think it. I know it.”
Comforted by his certainty, Ashley had no intention of saying another word. She drifted toward him until she felt his arms around her, grasping her tightly. She felt protected and loved and completely vulnerable. And she wouldn’t have asked for it any other way.
The crowd began chanting: “Me-ttle! Me-ttle! Me-ttle!”
After a long moment, Scott released her. “I better get out there.” He started toward the door.
Ashley spun around. “Scott?”
He stopped and looked at her with a cocked eyebrow.
“It’s always been you.”
A slow grin spread across his face. He approached and stood before her, walking her backwards until she leaned against door. “This seems to be a good spot for us.” He smiled for an instant, but soon his lips evened out as a lustful expression took shape. He moved closer, pressing his body against hers. “I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.”
He kissed her lips, at first warm and delicate, but then he took her mouth with wanton abandon, letting his hands move up her thighs until they settled on her hips. He reluctantly pulled away, needing a moment before opening his eyes. “Ready for my brand new song? The one I wrote with that girl who stuck her head out the bathroom door?”
Ashley rolled her eyes at the reminder. “Do you have to stick it in my face?”
“You know you deserve it. See you in a bit.” He rushed out of the room.
She followed him down the corridor, and while she approached the kitchen, the volume of the crowd increased double-fold, as Scott no doubt took the stage. Soon enough, Gabe began strumming an acoustic guitar, setting up a power ballad.
Am I really all that bad?
To make you so damn mad
Why don’t you trust a word I say?
It’s something I ask every day
Ashley slowed down as she went down the hall, preferring to hear the music and not be among the crowd. She wanted to feel the message in Scott’s words.
Why is it so difficult to see?
That you mean so much to me
Wanna hold you tight, wanna feel all right
But you want to fight or just stay out of sight
Ashley didn’t want to hear those truths, and she appreciated that Scott remained loyal to what happened and didn’t exaggerate their past. But it didn’t matter why they’d managed to stay apart. It only mattered that they’d found their way back to each other.
That silky dark hair, those sweet curvy hips
Don’t wanna play fair
And
this ain’t no dare
So stop running away
‘Cause I want you every damn day
Ashley continued down the hall, unable to crush her smile, relieved that she’d found her way back to Scott. She walked back into the crowd, and soon she found Kelsey and her boyfriend, Damon, flanking her.
Kelsey put a hand on her shoulder. “So glad you came back.”
“Me too. We need to spend more time together.”
“Then we will.” She gestured to the band. “Now, do you understand why I love his band so much?”
“Scott’s honest,” Ashley said. “And direct. And… incredibly hot!”
“Heard you two talking a few minutes ago. How’d that go?”
“I think we’re ready… for something special.”
Her little sister hugged her. “It’s about goddamn time!”
A voice interrupted their conversation: “Remember that favor you owe me?”
Ashley turned to see a beautiful red-headed woman in her early twenties, wearing a pink sweater that accentuated her breasts and a pair of fashionable jeans that did the same for her thighs.
Damon said, “Oh, hey, Cassandra. Glad you came out. I told you the band would be great.”
She directed her gaze, one heavy with excitement and lust, on Gabe Mettle. “I sure am. It’s time to cash in.”
“Oh,” he said, obviously thrown for a loop. “Okay. What did you have in mind?”
She grinned, still holding her gaze on Gabe Mettle.
Ashley, who didn’t know Cassandra and barely knew Damon, set her attention on Scott.
Wanna hold you so tight
Till the morning light
So come right on up here
Because there’s nothing to fear
Ashley made her way through the crowd toward the stage. And because Scott extracted a hand, curling a finger toward her, he’d given warning to the spectators around her to let her make her way toward the stage. So she hurried up the steps and reached the stage.
Scott faced her, ignoring the music playing behind him and the crowd in front of him. He smiled then grabbed hold of the microphone. “If you’re a longtime listener, you’ve probably wondered who I’ve been singing about for all these years.” His smile intensified. “Well, here she is, ladies and gentleman: the love of my life.”
Ashley rushed up to him.
He swept her into his arms, whirling her around in a circle before stopping to take a long look at her. “I’ve waited so long.”
She matched his grin. “I hope it was worth the wait.”
“I’m a very patient man.” Scott glanced at the crowd before meeting her gaze again. “Are you ready for this?”
“I’m ready for anything and everything.” She looked deep into his eyes. “I’m yours, Scott. And I always will be.”
Thank you for reading One More Chance. I hope you enjoyed it. This novel holds the distinguished honor to be considered a prequel, a sequel, and also a stand-alone book. The first part occurs years before the first book in the series, One Step Away, and the second part takes place exactly one second after the second book in the series, One Last Promise.
I’m currently working on my urban fantasy series, but if enough readers review my contemporary romance novels on Amazon and spread the word about these books, I’d be incredibly excited to return to Bedford Falls, especially considering I have even started work on Cassandra and Gabe’s story, but…well, when it comes to series’, readers are often just as important as authors in determining how long they will be!
If you’d like to read and review any of my novels, please feel free to email me at [email protected], and I’d be happy to send you a copy! And if you’d like to know when my next book is available, please sign up for my new release e-mail list at www.sydneybristowauthor.com,
Also by Sydney Bristow
Contemporary Romance
One Step Away
One Last Promise
Urban Fantasy
Nightwish
Silverthorn
Bloodstone
www.sydneybristowauthor.com
One More Chance (A Bedford Falls Novel Book 3) Page 26
