Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“So, you’re Harper?” a familiar voice asked.
Harper turned to see a young woman. Her expression was hard and devoid of friendliness or happiness. The jewelry lavished over her stylishly thin frame was blinding and to Harper, overkill. If there had been a picture in the dictionary of a gold-digger, this woman would be perfect. Harper could have kicked herself. She would have thrown away everything for this woman? Colt would never be attracted to her.
“Hi. You’re the fourth wife, right?” Harper asked with a relieved smile.
“What?” The woman glared at her before warning, “He’ll tire of you.”
“Maybe, but he’ll never be interested in you,” Harper stated, standing up for herself. She turned to look back at the stage and found Colt watching her as he sang. She could read the concern in his gaze even from this distance away. He held one finger up to ask her to wait for a second. Harper felt the malevolent presence of the woman who’d answered the phone slink away.
As soon as that song was finished, he announced to the audience that he would be right back. Dashing to her side, he kissed her fiercely before running back on stage. “My Angel’s backstage tonight. I’ve waited a long time for it to be our time.”
The crowd roared its approval, making Harper smile. These were his people. His fans. She loved that he had created such a bond through sharing his music.
He talked about the next song as Harper half-listened. She focused more on his band, who all waved her way and seemed happy to see her. When the notes sounded, she met Colt’s gaze and watched him extend a hand in invitation. It was their song. The one they’d always sang at Murphy’s. She looked at the crowd and shook her head. I can’t go out there.
“Trust me, Angel. Join me,” he requested firmly.
Shocked as the crowd chanted “Angel, Angel, Angel,” Harper found her feet walking forward, carrying her body toward him. The audience hushed as she appeared at the side of the stage. She knew what they were thinking—how could she be what Colt wanted?
“Come on, Angel. I can’t do this alone.” He nodded to the band, and she realized that they’d repeated the intro several times to give him time to coax her forward. This time, they continued into the first verse.
Harper leaned into the microphone that she swore smelled like him. Keeping her eyes on him, she sang. Her voice warbled a bit, but steadied and strengthened as he smiled at her. When Colt leaned forward to sing the joint chorus together, she loved the heat of his skin millimeters from hers.
The hush that had fallen over the crowd broke as a few people chanted “Angel” once again. When her chorus arrived, they hooted and hollered as she confidently brought the most from the familiar notes. She channeled her love for Colt into the song and loved the feel of his hand stroking over her back briefly before returning to the neck of his guitar.
When the song ended, she felt like she heard the combined inhale of the crowd before they erupted in cheers and wild applause.
“That’s my Angel, folks. She’s pretty special, isn’t she?”
The band members all nodded and chimed in with their agreement. Harper didn’t know what to say. Flustered, she leaned into the mic and said, “Thank you for loving my… Colt.” Glancing back at Colt, she made sure he wasn’t mad that she’d almost said Daddy as the crowd reacted to her words. She looked back at the sheltered spot where she’d stood in the beginning.
“Go, Angel,” he whispered for her ears only. “I love you.”
With a wave at the crowd, she exited the lit stage and took refuge in the shadows. She felt ridiculously proud of herself. As he continued the concert, Harper relaxed against the crates and basked in his music. They were fantastic in person. The band’s talent sounded very close to the polished, professional performances recorded in a studio.
If he was as tired as the illness-affected children in her care, Harper couldn’t tell. Colt and his band were putting on a phenomenal show. If she were here for nothing else, seeing her Daddy in his element was totally worth it.
CHAPTER 19
Waking up the next morning in Colt’s arms, Harper cuddled closer to his body. She smiled at the feel of his lips pressed against her hair. Colt had made slow, devastatingly sweet love to her last night. There was no mistaking the emotional connection they shared. He was her person. Her everything. Her Daddy.
“I love you, Little girl.”
“I love you, too, Daddy. I’m sorry I caused us to lose time.”
“You didn’t cause anything. But I need you to promise that you’ll tell me if something disturbing happens and listen to what I say.”
“That’s hard sometimes because people don’t always tell the truth.”