Page 38 of Rising Star

As long as those magical summer nights never get old

Just grab my hands, babies, and hold tight

And together, let’s forget about everything else for a little longer…

Riley walked to me and nudged my arm.

“Maddie, what you’re doing for those kids is priceless. You are a blessing in their lives.”

I squeezed my eyes shut to control the dampness forming behind my lids.

We returned our focus to the girls, so adorably dressed in matching ruffled denim dresses and teal cowboy boots.

The song ended, and Sam rushed to them, hugging his daughters and praising their performance.

From a safe distance, I melted at the scene, feelings of glee shooting through me.

Sam steered his face my way, and a spark I’d never noticed before flashed in his irises. A sparkle intended for me. Only me.

And right there, I had the certitude that if given a chance, we’d make it work because we were two parts of the same soul, always drawn together. And finding comfort in each other’s presence.

* * *

Seated outside the bus hours later, around the portable firepit he bought earlier, Sam and I enjoyed the silence of the night. The party had been a success, and the last guests had left over an hour ago. The girls were fast asleep in their beds inside, the day having drained all the energy out of them.

“You rarely talk about your dreams,” Sam said, uncapping a bottle of beer, his profile illuminated by the dancing flames. “Want one?”

I shook my head. I was satisfied with water at this late hour, my head still spinning from all the sangria I had earlier.

“What do you want?” he asked.

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“In life. Career-wise. Family-wise. Passion-wise. In general.”

I rubbed the condensation on the glass in my hand. “It’s funny you ask. My sister told me today to never put my own dreams on the back burner for someone else.”

Sam let out a throaty groan, and my gaze drifted to the rippling of his throat. “Are you? Putting your dreams on hold?”

I said no with a shake of my head, unable to stop smiling. “Nah. I’m exactly where I wanna be. The tour, this opportunity, it’s what I like. I can’t say it’s what I’ll always want, but for now, I’m perfectly happy where I am. Thank you for taking me with you. I never said it. But I’m thankful. Every day.”

His piercing eyes studied me. “What about the rest? Where do you see yourself five years from now? Still traveling the world or doing something else?”

“I will still work with children. That, I wouldn’t trade for anything. And I hope to be settled down. Maybe have kids of my own, a husband, be happy, and aim for new dreams. I know most people my age would cringe thinking about it and just wanna have fun, party, get high, and surf life, but I’ve never been like anyone else. I march to the rhythm of my own drums. Whatever it means.”

“I think too many people in their twenties miss opportunities because they’re trying to do it all without getting attached to anyone or anything. I’m not saying it’s bad. But when I was your age, I had a plan. And I stuck to it. And it worked out. So, I feel ya.”

I pinched my lips together, things I had meant to ask him burning my tongue. I breathed in a mix of air and courage and spoke, “Hypothetically, could you see yourself going the distance with me? I mean if it could work out between us or are you always gonna see me as a kid? Someone not old enough to be with you? Someone too inexperienced to share your life? And your world?”

Sam said nothing for a long while. I squirmed in my chair after I put my glass down on the ground and hid my hands in the sleeves of the hoodie he lent me earlier. The one that smelled of him. Woodsy aftershave and clean man. The moonlight shone on him, and it distracted me, as I couldn’t detach my eyes from his angular face. The one sporting a happy grin most of the time nowadays. And a part of me believed I was the reason. Or at least, a big part of it.

A wave of discomfort washed through me. The longer it took him to reply, the worst scenarios my mind fabricated.

“Maddie.”

I held my breath and stayed silent.

“I tried. I really did. To come up with tons of reasons why you and I wouldn’t work out in the long run. Age mattered at first. Or maybe it was just an excuse to find…well, an excuse to keep you at arm’s length. And for the record, I don’t see you as a kid. That’s another thing I tried to convince myself of. It didn’t work either. You’re a kickass woman. All grown-up. You’re smart, funny, distractingly beautiful, sassy, and you have me wrapped around your little finger.” He let out a contagious chuckle. “I can see the appeal because it seems to work great with the girls. Anyway, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, and we’re not even an item. So, conclude whatever you want and scratch the word hypothetically from your vocabulary. I don’t do hypothetical stuff when it comes down to you. To answer your question, yes, I can see myself going the distance with you. Have babies, share our lives, grow old together. If that’s what you wish too.”