Music of the Soul (2 page)

I knew I was rattling on now to try and steady my out-of-control emotions, but somehow in some

small way, it helped. A breeze rippled my clothing, and I shifted on my feet, fighting the tears that

burned my eyes. “I’d give anything in the world if you could be there, Mama—for you to be sitting

there in the first row wearing a beautiful dress.” I shook my head and then wiped my eyes. I brought

my fingers to my lips and kissed them. Then I reached down to touch her marker. “I love you as high

as the sky,” I murmured. With the familiar ache of grief burning in my chest, I turned and started

making my way back to the truck.

It was hard to believe that almost two years had passed since my mother’s death. Sometimes it

seemed like forever since I had seen her smile, held her in my arms, and kissed her cheek. Then other

times, her memory was so strong that it was like I expected to turn a corner in the house and see her

there. Through the dark cloud of grief, I hadn’t been the easiest person to be around or to love. Those

first few months I drank too much, slept too much and generally acted like an asshole too much. But

somehow Abby held on and wouldn’t let go. Having proposed to her so many months ago, I couldn’t

wait to make her my wife.

But unfortunately, life had gotten in the way. Just as I was dealing with the implosion of my

personal life, the band experienced an explosion of popularity. More was expected of us than ever

before. Our crossover tour with Jacob’s Ladder grew bigger and bigger, and we sold out more and

more shows as we crisscrossed the country. Then came the Grammys eight months ago when we

really found ourselves in the celebrity stratosphere.

Each and every time Abby and I tried to set a wedding date, another concert or appearance came

up. I thought I was never going to get to make my angel Mrs. Jake Slater. But fortunately, we had

finally found a one week window between the last leg of our tour and the holiday season, and in less

than twenty-four hours, we would be exchanging vows on our own private beach in Mexico.

Just the thought sent a goofy grin curving on my lips. As I turned onto the road I’d called home

for the last fifteen years, I threw up my hand to one of my older neighbors who sat on his front porch.

While he waved back, I could only imagine he was grumbling about me and how I’d caused all the

traffic on the one way, gravel road. Well, it wasn’t entirely all me. Abby was to blame as well since

it had been her idea to have a pre-wedding party at the farm.

When I pulled in the driveway, I found cars lining both sides of the road along with several

catering trucks. I eased up beside the barn and hopped out. My dog, Angel, came yipping to my side.

“Hey girl, you keepin’ an eye on things for me?”

She barked and wagged her tail. I patted her head before I started back up the hillside. Down

below the house where we usually held our bonfires, a huge, white tent had been erected. We were

doing a sit-down dinner and dancing celebration for over two hundred people who would be unable

to come to Mexico since it was a ‘destination wedding’, as someone had called it. Tonight was

mainly friends, extended family members, along with our road crew. Tomorrow was intended to be

only our closest family and friends. Abby had wanted to keep the actual ceremony small with only

fifty people in attendance. She claimed that she had to share me with so many people—the world

when it came down to it—that on our special day, she wanted it to be as private as it could be.

As I started up the front walkway, the sweetest sound in the world floated back to me. Abby’s

singing. Although it was a part of my daily life when we were on tour, I never tired of hearing it.

Without her voice, she would have never accidentally fallen into my bed for me to fall in love with.

Craning my neck to find her, I jogged up the front steps.

Down at the far end of the porch, Abby sat cross legged on the wicker couch with a guitar on

her lap. Eli sat to her right in one of the rocking chairs. He strummed along with her, harmonizing on

some of the lines. Gabe leaned back against the porch railing, tapping out the beat with his foot. Since

we were coming right off our honeymoon to go back onto the road, I imagined they were trying to get

in a little last minute rehearsal time.

Abby’s eyes pinched shut in concentration, but as I made my way down the porch, they flew

open as if she sensed my presence. Her gaze locked on mine as she sang the lyrics, “And I get lost in

your eyes and thrilled at your touch. Nights like these were made for love.”

With a smile, I winked at her. A pleased flush entered her cheeks as she continued singing. When

she strummed the last chord, she glanced anxiously at me. It tugged at my heart that she always sought

my approval when it came to her music. I nodded. “Very nice.”

She gave me a beaming smile. “Thanks. It’s a cover of an old song by The Lynns. We wanted to

add a song or two to the set arrangement while we’re writing the new stuff.”

“Hmm, I knew it didn’t sound too familiar.”

Eli snorted. “The daughters of Loretta Lynn were the best compromise we could make with

Abby that didn’t involve busting out Coal Miner’s Daughter or something hideous like that!”

I laughed as Abby scowled. “I can’t help that I appreciate the greats of country music,” she

replied.

I grinned at her. “I’ll agree with you on that one. I seem to remember some Dolly Parton karaoke

in your past.”

Abby grinned. “That’s right.” Glancing back at Eli, she said, “Be glad I’m not asking you to do a

duet of Islands in the Stream.”

“Over my dead body,” he grumbled.

“You have nothing to worry about. I’m her only duet partner. Right, Angel?”

“No one but you—now and forever.”

Gabe made a gagging noise behind us. “Why don’t you guys get a room?” he suggested.

Eli shook his head. “Don’t give them any ideas. That’s all we need to send Mom completely

over the edge—Abby late for the reception after a bang-fest.”

When I opened my mouth to tell them to go fuck themselves, Abby distracted me by leaning in

and peering at my watch. “Oh shit, it’s after five? I’ve got to go get ready.” She handed her guitar to

Gabe before bridging the gap between us. Glancing back at her brothers, she then asked in a low

voice, “Did you get your errand done?”

“Yes, I did.”

She reached up on her tiptoes to plant a tender kiss on my lips. “I wish you would have let me go

with you.”

I shrugged. “Just something I needed to do. Besides, you had enough to do here.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Oh please. Between the wedding coordinator, the caterers and my

mother, everything is taken care of. I seriously got shooed out of the kitchen when I tried to help.

That’s why I got the boys together to rehearse.” A shudder rippled through her. “Too much nervous

energy.”

As she started into the house, I teasingly asked, “Having cold feet?”

She skidded to a stop before whirling back around to wrap her arms around my neck. “Never,

ever, Mr. Slater. You’re getting me as your lawfully wedded wife whether you like it or not.”

I grinned. “Oh, I like it. In fact, I fucking love it.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” She kissed me again before pushing out of my arms. “Okay, I gotta

go get presentable for this pre-wedding shindig of ours.” She eyed my ratty jeans and T-shirt. “I’d say

the same for you, too.”

“You’re such a bossy thing.”

With a wink, she replied, “Get used to it, babe.”

A warm rush filled my chest as she started into the house. I didn’t care if she bossed me around

for the next fifty years, just as long as she was in my life. I’d never imagined loving anyone as much

as I did Abby. Selflessly and unwaveringly, she had reached into the very darkest places of my soul

to bring me back to the light. She’d shown me what the true, unfailing love of a good woman was. I

would always owe her for loving me that much.

Close on her heels, the urge to show her just how much I loved and wanted her overcame me.

My dick instantly swelled at the idea of being inside her. Just as she rounded the corner to go into the

master bedroom, I grabbed her wrist, jerking her back to me. My other hand came around to press her

body flush against mine. When I ground myself into her core, her eyes bulged. “Jake, what are you—”

she questioned breathlessly before I crushed my lips to hers. My tongue danced along hers as I

wrapped my arms tighter around her. Her little moan caused me to shiver.

When she felt my half-mast hard-on pressing into her stomach, she jerked away. “No, no, no!”

she hissed. Her blonde ponytail flipped wildly back and forth as she shook her head at me. “We’re

abstaining until our wedding night, remember?”

I groaned. “You’re the one who made that decision, not me.”

“You agreed to it,” she countered.

“Yeah, that was a week and a half ago when I was coming off of an all-day sexathon with you. I

didn’t realize what I was agreeing to.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “It’s only twenty-four more hours, Jake.”

Reaching over, I nuzzled my lips against her neck. I wasn’t playing fair since I knew it was one

of her sensitive zones. A little sigh escaped her mouth when I ran my tongue across her jawline to

suck on her earlobe. “I could explode by then.”

“I just want our first time as man and wife to be special, that’s all.”

I pulled away to arch my brows at her. “Do you really think tomorrow night is going to be the

most amazing sexual experience of your married life?”

She jerked her chin defiantly up at me. “Maybe,” she countered.

My amused chuckle almost seemed to piss her off more. “Angel, we’re going to be exhausted

from tonight’s party, jetlag, and the ceremony and reception. Bray and Lily didn’t even have sex on

their wedding night—they passed out into an exhausted coma.” Taking her face in my hands, I grinned

down at her. “By the flush on your cheeks and the way you just moaned into my mouth when I was

kissing you, I can tell you really want to take me in that bedroom and have a quickie.”

Abby chewed on her bottom lip, and I could tell her resolve was slowly fading. “It’ll have to be

fast. Everyone is supposed to be here at six.”

“We can shower together—you know, multitask.”

She grinned. “Oh, you say the most romantic things. Think you can whisper more sweet words in

my ear?” she teased.

“Yeah, how about this? You’re such a sweet looking smartass,” I said before bringing my lips

back to hers. Her eager tongue thrust into my mouth as she tightened her arms around my neck.

Grabbing Abby by the ass, I hoisted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist. We both moaned

at the closeness. With my lips locked on Abby’s, I balanced her under the ass with one hand while my

other groped blindly for the doorknob. When I finally found it, I flung it open and staggered into the

room.

“Shit!” came a voice from the bed.

When my eyes flew open, I was a goner. One glance was all it took to kill my wood. On the bed,

Mia scrambled to close the front of her shirt with one hand while she held Bella in her other arm. She

pivoted on the bed, so her back was to us.

“Jesus,” I groaned as I glanced down at my crotch. Just that one glimpse of AJ’s breastfeeding

fiancée was enough to completely obliterate my junk. My dick shriveled even further when Bella

began shrieking and howling in protest that her meal had been interrupted.

Mia gave us an apologetic look over her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, guys. With all the catering staff

and people buzzing around, I thought this would be the best place to feed her before we got dressed

for the party. I should have gone in the bathroom.”

“Oh, don’t apologize, Mia,” Abby said.

When I didn’t respond, Abby elbowed me in the ribs. “Oomph,” escaped my lips before I could

stop myself. “Yeah, uh, it’s fine,” I replied. Gently, I set Abby down on her feet. I jerked my chin

towards the bathroom. “You go on and get a shower. I’ll use the one off the guest bedroom.”

“You don’t want me to come with you?” Abby asked coyly.

I scratched the back of my neck furiously. Part of me really wanted to shower with her, so we

might finish what we started. But the other part was so traumatized that I knew there would be no way

I’d be ready. “Um, no. I better take a rain check.”

Abby’s blue eyes widened in surprise. She stared at me for a moment before turning to Mia.

“Excuse us,” Abby said, as she grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom. “What is wrong with

you?”

With a shrug, I replied, “We were interrupted.”

“It’s never stopped you before.” She cocked her head at me. “Did seeing Mia bother you that

much?”

I couldn’t help shuddering. “Yeah, it did.”

“It’s just a breast, Jake. I mean, you’ve seen your fair share of them.”

“Not like that I haven’t.” At her amused expression, I threw up my hands. “That’s my best

friend’s fiancée out there. I don’t need a mental image of her boobs seared into my mind.”