“You were beautiful,” he said,letting his hands rest on the guitar.
“Thank you. It’s been so longsince I’ve sang anything.”
“Fooled me.”
“I’m a fool for you,” she saidwith a giggle, leaning forward to kiss his lips. Devon sighed, debating ifshe could go through with what she was thinking. Plucking up the courage, sheasked, “Do you mind…if I try something? You know…since we’re here.”
Brennan smiled that gut-wrenchingsmile and nodded. “What did you have in mind?”
Devon reached into her purse andpulled out the notebook that she always carried with her, the one she never letanyone else see. She flipped it open to a page near the back and left itresting on her lap. “You know that new song you’ve been strumming all week?”
He bit his lip like he wasconsidering something, and then he started picking out a tune. “You mean thisone?” he asked.
“That’s the one.”
“What about it? I’ve just beenmessing around.”
Devon glanced down at hernotebook and then back up at him, trying to draw on the courage he always gaveher. “I wrote lyrics for it.”
“You did?” he asked, surprised.
“Yeah. It seemed stuck in yourhead, but you weren’t going anywhere with it. I could hear it, um…the words. I could hear the words you wanted to sing but weren’t there yet. So, I wrotethem down,” she told him, looking up into his eyes. “I didn’t think I wouldever show you, but I think I could try…if you want.”
“Of course I want to!” he saidwith an even bigger smile. “You’re something amazing. You know that, right?”
Devon smiled hesitantly as hestarted the song from the beginning. The words flew out of her, like she hadbeen waiting all her life to sing this song. She sang of knowing when to bestrong, finding the strength buried within herself, and loving the person who showedit to her. She sang about Brennan and hope and acceptance. She poured hersoul into the words until a tear fell down her cheek.
When she closed her song, Brennanset the guitar aside and held her in his arms.
“Devon, I don’t know what tosay.”
“That’s a first,” she said with achuckle.
“I’ve never had anyone do thatbefore. It’s like…you were in my head.”
Devon sighed, planted a kiss onhis lips, and then pulled back to stare into his eyes. “You know, my mamaalways told me that you are given a chance at greatness once in your lifetime. She found her greatness in my dad through music. She said, ‘When it hits you,you won’t know how you could have ever lived a day without. It’s like the universealigned itself perfectly, just for you.’ I gave up hope on that a long timeago, I think.”
“Belle…” he said softy, reachingfor her.
“But I thinkI’ve known…well, especially after today,” Devon said, “I think I found what mymama was talking about. You’re my greatness.”
TheEnd
FOR THOSE PEOPLE who helped me, youknow who you are and you rock. I cried over this book, and when you cried withme, it made my heart happy. To everyone else who is crying and FEELS it, Ilove you too. And Joel, Hippo, and Goose.
K.A. LINDE ISAN independent author and publisher who enjoys writing novels that keep youguessing to the very end. She grew up as a military brat moving from base tobase. Books were her solace and continue to be to this day. She studiedpolitical science and philosophy at the University of Georgia and received herMasters in political science 2012.
SHE CURRENTLYRESIDES in Georgia with her boyfriend and two puppies, Lucy and Riker. Sheenjoys dancing in her spare time. She plans to finish the third novel in the AvoidingSeries and the Record Series along with her future endeavors.
Other titles by K.A. Linde
AvoidingSeries:
Avoiding Commitment (#1)
Avoiding Responsibility (#2)
Avoiding Intimacy(#2.5)
RecordSeries
Off the Record
AscensionSeries:
The Affiliate
FollowingMe
Youcan contact K.A. Linde here:
www.kalinde.com
www.facebook.com/authorkalinde
@authorkalinde
