I get on my phone and buy a ticket. I’m excited to be doing another opening act, but I’m filled with dread at the same time. Not only do I have to navigate a huge airport and transportation, but my life has just gone viral.
And I have no clue where my husband is or how to reach him.
11
FINN
SHE’S ALL THAT
The Breakaway—Theplayer picks up the puck with open ice ahead, no defenders in the way—full speed ahead, no turning back. It’s pure instinct, adrenaline, and confidence that scream, “Hell yes, I’m going for it.”
Atlanta, Evening
I barely made it.
I caught the last few chords as I stepped into the back of the venue, heart racing— not from the sprint to get up the steps of the venue, but fromher. From knowing she was here, somewhere up there, doing whatever it is one does on stage. She’s a country singer.
I spent the travel time researching her. She’s from modest beginnings. She’s almost too young for me, and she lives in Nashville.
I’m learning about my wife as the minutes tick by. I had to buy a ticket to get into the concert. Like what the hell? I have no idea who the headliner is, and I don’t care. All I care about is seeing Kate.
We have to figure things out. However, those thoughts leave me when I see her.
Kate.She’s a vision. The spotlights catch the shimmer in her darkhair, and she’s wearing the same boots as the night I met her. My chest swells with pride when she walks out on the stage.
That’s my wife. I want to shout it to the world.
She greets the audience, and the crowd claps and hollers. But when she strums her guitar and begins to sing, a hush falls over the crowd.
I’m mesmerized. Before I know it, she’s halfway through a song I didn’t know—hell, I don’t knowanyof them—but it doesn’t matter.
Because I can’t look away, she’s that powerful. It’s like watching a storm roll in andwantingit to hit you. Her voice wraps around the lyrics like she'd lived every single one, and the emotion in her voice makes me believe she means it. Her whole body moves in rhythm, her hips swaying, her head thrown back. She’s in the moment, and she’s incredible.
And God, I wasn’t a country fan. Never had been.
But tonight? I am.
Because ofher, watching her like this—spine straight, chin up, with the crowd in the palm of her hand. I felt something hit low and deep, making my chest tighten and my gut ache.
I’m falling for her. Is it love? If so, it’s not the easy kind of love. Not the kind you fall into with someone simple or sweet or safe.
No. These feelings are the kind with sharp edges. The ones that bring the fire, pain, joy, elation, and heat. I want all of her. Even the part of her that keeps trying to run, even while I know she’s begging to be chased.
And I’d chase her, as many times as it takes, to convince her to stay and give us a chance.
Standing here, watching her perform as if she were born for it, I know one thing with absolute clarity. I still want to be her husband for real. And I meant what I said. I wasn’t too drunk to know what I was doing last night. I’ve decided that dating hasn’t worked out for me, so why not dive in headfirst?
She hits the final chorus like she is daring the crowd to forget her. Her voice is bold, her eyes blazing. She’s all smiles and grit and that impossible mix of heartache and joy.
I can see her vulnerability, even though she does her best to hide it. But up there, her soul is bare.
The band behind her roars louder, the lights flare—and then her gaze sweeps the crowd and lands on me, in the front row, in the VIP area. She freezes for a second. I see the flicker of recognition behind her eyes—shock, disbelief, maybe a hint of panic.
Her mouth falters for half a second on a lyric she probably knew in her sleep. But then she catches herself and pushes through. The crowd didn’t notice. But I did. She tried to look away as if nothing had happened, but I know something did.
And for that one suspended moment, it was just the two of us in the middle of the arena. It was as if she were singing to me.
She holds my gaze like it hurts her to do it—and maybe it does. Perhaps it was easier for her when I was far away. She probably thought it was a mistake that she could forget.
