Cross My Heart (A Contemporary Romance Novel)

crowd was clapping and stamping in rhythm. His heart rate picked up as he felt the slow build of anticipation.
    The theater went dark, as if someone had snuffed out a candle. There was a howl of approval from the audience, and then five spotlights came on, one for each member of the band.
    Pandemonium. All around him people were surging to their feet, cheering and shouting and stamping, and he and Claire were on their feet, too, carried away by the irresistible tidal wave that swept through the building.
    His eyes went to Jenna and stayed there. She was standing a few feet to the left of the redhead at the microphone. She was wearing jeans and a black tee shirt, her hair loose and wild around her face. Her guitar was in her hands, and she was looking out at the crowd with a crooked grin on her face, like she knew every single one of them by name.
    “Hey, Des Moines!” the redhead shouted. “Where the hell have you been for the last five years?”
    A roar of laughter greeted her, and then she took two quick steps back and looked to the right and left. “One, two, one-two-three- four !”
    For the next two hours, everyone in the building stayed on their feet. They sang with the band, they danced in the aisles, they clapped until their hands were sore and cheered until they were hoarse. Michael and Claire clapped and cheered with them, and even though Michael only had eyes for one member of the band, he could feel and hear how good every one of them was, and how good they were together.
    The music was more than infectious—it was electrifying. And the spark at the heart of it all was Jenna, her hands moving so fast and skillfully over her guitar strings that Michael could hardly follow the movements.
    He’d seen her play guitar but never like this. Nothing like this. And the way she sang, the way she moved—it made his body tighten and his mouth go dry.
    She belonged there. He’d never seen a human being belong anywhere as much as Jenna did on that stage, bringing a crowd of people to their feet.
    The band was encored three times and the audience still didn’t want to let them go. Finally they took their last bows and the house lights went up, and all around him Michael heard people raving over the performance as they reluctantly left the theater.
    He couldn’t seem to move. He stayed where he was, staring down at the empty stage, until Claire poked him in the ribs. “Dad! Are you ready to go backstage?”
    “She should do this,” he said softly, his eyes on the place where she had been.
    “What? What are you talking about?”
    “This. She should do this. I can’t believe she ever stopped.”
    “Well, bands break up all the time. Sometimes they get back together, and then break up again, and—”
    Claire’s chatter faded into the background. He couldn’t believe he’d been so selfish as to think Jenna should stay with him, buried in Iowa, when she could do something like that.
    He took a deep breath. “Let’s go find her.”
    It was a zoo, of course. They had backstage passes, but even so, Michael was on the point of suggesting they leave when Jenna caught sight of them. She called out a greeting and made her way towards them, pushing through the crowd. Her face was glowing.
    “I’m so glad you came. What did you think?” she cried out when she reached them. She gave Claire a huge hug and then turned to give him one, too. It was the first time they’d touched since that last morning, and in spite of his new resolve, he had to force himself to let her go.
    “It was unbelievable,” Claire said excitedly. “You guys were tight.”
    “We really were—if I do say so myself,” she added with a grin. She turned to him. “What about you, Michael? What did you think?”
    “I—” he couldn’t think of the words to tell her how good she’d been.
    “Not your cup of tea?” she asked after a moment, the bright light in her eyes fading a little.
    “My God, no. Jenna, you were incredible. The whole band was incredible. In fact...” He hesitated. “I know you’ve got a hundred people waiting to talk to you, but if you have a minute—there’s something I have to tell you.”
    Jenna glanced over her shoulder. “Molly! I’m taking five, okay?”
    Molly gave her a thumbs up from several yards away.
    Michael looked at his daughter. “Claire, do you mind waiting for me for a few minutes?”
    Claire was looking at him with big eyes. “No, of course not.”
    He was acutely aware of the ring box