the gospel singer and the other two. The group nodded, all of them clearly nervous. William Gaines and Samuel Meier had made it clear they weren’t to overtly involve faith in their time on the show. Zack didn’t care. If he didn’t pray now he might as well go home. Besides, they were in a room where they couldn’t be heard from the main stage and auditorium.
Zoey took his hand first, and the others followed suit. Zack didn’t hesitate. “Dear God, we know that Your purposes are greater than ours. Help us shine for You on that stage. Make it clear what Your plans are for us. In the name of Jesus, amen.”
A TV monitor showed a group of pop singers on the stage, one of the strongest of the day. Chandra Olson gave them a standing ovation, which made Cullen laugh out loud. “They were good, Chandra, not great. Save the standing O for perfection.”
Whether it was an act for ratings or Cullen was having a rough day, Zack wasn’t sure. But the judge’s harsh intensity made him question his earlier confidence about his own group number. Maybe they weren’t as ready as he thought. Either way their turn had come. Zack led the five of them onto the stage and tried not to notice the multiple layers of balconies in the storied auditorium. A set had been built at the base of the stage, a place for the judges. The remainder of the show would be filmed at Carnegie Hall, the first time
As they took their places, Zack smiled and nodded at Kelly, then Chandra, and finally, Cullen.
“G’day, Zack. You look awfully happy.” Cullen gave Zack a smirk. He nodded in Zoey’s direction. “And look at you, Zoey girl. You look cheery, too. Something going on you wanna share with the viewers?”
Zack had hoped this wouldn’t come up, but he was ready. He chuckled, keeping his demeanor and tone easy. Beside him, he could feel Zoey blushing, shifting uncomfortably. “We’re a tight group.” Zack held out both arms and, as if on cue, the other four singers filled in around him. “We’re all happy, right?”
The others nodded. Definitely happy.
“Zoey, you look happier than everyone else.” Cullen raised his brow. “Doesn’t she look happy, Kelly? Chandra?”
Kelly laughed and shook her head, but Chandra gave Cullen a teasing shove on his shoulder. “Leave them alone.”
“Just saying . . . I think we’ve got ourselves a couple of lovebirds.” He shrugged, feigning innocence.
“Zoey and Zack.” Kelly grinned. “Has a good ring to it. Cutest couple we’ve seen on the show for sure.”
Chandra leveled her gaze at Zack. “You have a girlfriend, right?”
“Yes, ma’am, I do. Her name’s Reese.”
“See!” She shoved Cullen again. “Leave them alone.”
“Play your cards right, Zack.” Kelly gave the two of them a sly smile. “Sometimes you have to let go of the old and grab on to something new.”
“
Zack figured the comment had something to do with Kelly’s boyfriend hooking up with some South African singer. The story was all over the media.
But still . . . he wished the producers would quit assuming some kind of affair between him and Zoey.
“All right, enough.” Cullen waved his hand, his face still lit up in a grin. “What are you singing this afternoon?” He leaned his elbows on the table and studied the group. He looked more relaxed than he had all day.
Zack leaned in to the microphone. “?‘I Can Only Imagine.’ The Wynonna Judd version.”
“Keeping it country, huh?” Cullen raised his brow. His expression said the group had a lot to prove.
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, good on ya’ll, then.” Cullen crossed his arms, focused. “Give it a go.”
Zack took a step back and looked at his group. Then he cued the music and they began. The song was a hit from Christian group MercyMe, and it spoke of the first moments in heaven, the glory of meeting Jesus face-to- face. Wynonna’s version added folk flair and a fiddle, but the ballad soared just the same.
The lead vocal went to Zack. He watched the red light come to life on the camera just behind the judges’ table and he sang straight into the lens. As if he could see his parents and Grandpa Dan and AJ and Duke. As if Reese were sitting across from him, cheering him on.
“?‘I can only imagine, what it will be like . . . when I walk by your side . . .’?”
Zoey stepped up. “?‘I can only imagine . . .’?”
They each took a part and on the chorus they harmonized in a way that made Carnegie Hall sound like heaven. Midsong Zack saw Chandra rub her arms and say something to Cullen, as if she had chills at the beauty of the music. At least that’s what Zack hoped was happening.
When the song ended, the audience of contestants erupted into applause and shouts. Kelly and Chandra jumped to their feet, and Kelly pulled Cullen out of his chair. “Get up! You said we could give a standing ovation for perfection.” Kelly shouted above the cheering contestants. “
Cullen looked reluctant, but even he rose to his feet. He clapped slowly at first and then more powerfully. “Okay, okay,” he quieted the crowd. “Yes. That was impressive, Zack. Your group sounds ready for the stage. Maybe you should stick together when this is all done.”
“We might just do that.” Zack motioned for the others to join him again, arms around one another. “We liked group week.”
Chandra waved off the cheering crowd again. “That was easily the most beautiful rendition of that song I’ve ever heard.” She shook her head, clearly amazed. “Where did that come from, that sound?”
Zack didn’t hesitate. He leaned in toward the mic. “I think it only could’ve come from God. We asked Him to shine through us.” He smiled at the others. “I think He did that today.”
“I guess so.” Kelly Morgan chuckled, though something about her expression looked off. She looked at her peers and held out her hands in a grand shrug. “You sing a song about God, that’s what you get.” She spun around and pointed at the remaining contestants. “It’s not too late. You can sing a song about the Father, too. Everyone can use a little divine help, right?”
She was making light of the situation, but Zack didn’t care. The song, the moment, the glory to God—all of it had been captured by the cameras. Never mind the romance they were trying to conjure up between him and Zoey. This was the real story. And now all the watching world would see it. Never mind the limitations Meier and Gaines wanted to put on him. The judges had asked and he had answered. Nothing wrong with that.
As they filed off the stage, each of them swapped hugs. Zoey held on a little longer and spoke close to his face. “I was serious about talking later. I want to hear more about God, okay?”
Zack pulled back and met her eyes. “Yes.” He couldn’t tell if she meant it or if this was just another ploy to spend time with him. “After dinner.”
Her eyes lit up. “Perfect. I can’t wait.”
They headed back to their seats to watch the final groups. Seventy-five contestants remained in the room, all eighty minus the country group Cullen had sent home. As the performances played out, Zack allowed for the fact that maybe one of them—and not him—would be better suited to win this year.
By then Zack wasn’t hungry.
Not when all he could think about was his looming talk with the relentless girl beside him.
THE STORY ABOUT Michael Manning ditching Kelly was all over the Internet, no surprise. With all eyes on her, she had stopped at a clinic on the Upper West Side early that morning before the office opened. A doctor she knew had given her eyes and cheeks a treatment, a mix of mild Botox and glycolic acid intended to remove any proof of her tears.
On top of that, her fellow judges had been nothing but kind since they arrived early that morning. Cullen had pulled her aside before the taping began. “The guy’s a jerk, Kelly. You’re rich and beautiful and famous. You deserve better.” He pointed to the
