Redemption's Road, page 27
part #3 of Five Points Series
My best friend’s protective nature was always present, even in her personal life.
Amy kissed her cheek. “I’ve got my marching orders, ladies. See you Sunday.”
Tank and Amy left, as we picked up the supplies and said our goodbyes. When we got home, Naomi made me wait while she carried everything upstairs. She returned to walk behind me in my first attempt at getting into our loft using my new leg.
The flight of stairs seemed more daunting than I’d thought they’d be. What if I stumble and fall backward? Naomi would try to catch me and possibly be injured in the process. What if my leg fails halfway up? What if I get too tired? What if—
A soft hand firmly encircled mine and spoke the words I needed to hear. “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Naomi kissed my cheek. “Have a little faith in yourself, my love.”
I closed my eyes and said a little prayer. I let my faith and Naomi’s words serve as a driving force. With each step, I became more confident and more at ease. With Naomi’s hand on my back, I took each tread, one at a time. When I pushed off the last one and up into our loft, I turned and looked at the passageway. Through faith, all things are possible.
Naomi kissed me and squeezed me tightly. “I knew you could do it. Now come on. Help me cook dinner, I’m starving.”
***
Thursday evening, I paced the loft with the guitar over my shoulder. Ellie was on speakerphone. I could hear the anxiety in her voice. Stage AE, on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, wasn’t the largest concert arena in the area, by any means. The nice part was every ticket holder would have visuals to the stage. The grassy outdoor arena offered standing room for over 5000 people. Stuart had booked the venue for the anniversary concert, two years ago. Fan club members were given first option on tickets, before sales were opened to the public. The concert was sold out.
“They’re going to be disappointed, Bek, I can’t give them what they’re coming to hear.”
“They won’t be disappointed. You’re going to give the fans all you have, and that will be enough.”
“Bek,” Ellie’s voice grew small. “How would you feel if the last sermon you ever gave was a flop?”
I stopped for a moment. She’d said last sermon. This was it for her. Though she may not have said it out loud until that moment, my sister was telling me she was retiring. “So, this is it?”
There was a long pause. Her soft sniffles broke my heart. That did it. I wanted nothing more than to already be in Pittsburgh. “Ellie?” I heard her blow her nose.
“Bek, I’m way past my prime. Since the surgery, my voice is shit. The other thing is I’m exhausted from this life. Do you know, the last few months I’ve spent with you is the longest amount of time I’ve spent in any one place in years?”
“I do. Naomi and I’ve loved you being with us.”
“And then there’s Siobhan. I’ve never felt the way I do about her. I’ve had so many people come in and out of my life. For the first time, I feel completely safe and so loved. Do you remember telling me about Naomi the first time? How your heart knew her before your mind did?”
“I do. It scares me to think about how I almost lost her.”
“And that’s my point. I don’t want to miss a single moment with Siobhan. I want all the moments, all the days, weeks, and years.”
I couldn’t help the smile that came over my face and the warmth in my heart. My sister had fallen hopelessly in love with someone who could allow Ellie to be her feisty self and yet comfort the scared little girl right under the surface. “I’m so happy for you.”
“I have to get through this concert. I’ll be making my retirement announcement during the opening remarks. It’s time. I want more to life than a night in a city with a name I have to write on my hand to remember and another hotel bed in a room that has nothing personal in it other than my clothes. I want a home, and I want it with Siobhan.”
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I heard Grandpa speaking to me. Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket. Decision made.
My wife was sitting on the couch with a book in her lap, watching me intently. I nodded to her. “Naomi and I will be there in four hours. We have a few things to arrange. We’ll get packed and on the road as soon as we can.”
Naomi smiled as she came to stand in front of me. She moved my guitar and wrapped her arms around me. She silently mouthed that she was proud of me. That was more than I deserved, but I was grateful. There had been many discussions about me performing with Ellie, though not since she’d left for Pittsburgh. I suspected my wife knew me better than I knew myself and believed I would eventually come to the right conclusion on my own. Letting Ellie down at this point in my sister’s life was not in my DNA.
I put my forehead against my wife’s and spoke softly to my sister. “I love you, Ellie, no thanks necessary. We’ll be there soon.”
***
Saturday night, I stood stage right in faded blue jeans, with no shoes. My black T-shirt was stenciled with Ephesians 2:8. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith.
I was listening to the opening act, as they finished their set. Strings and Silk reminded me of Regal Crimson’s early days. Two sisters with guitars had made their way in the music world, taking every opportunity as if it would be our last. With Ellie’s new interest in producing and representing new artists, these siblings had an incredible ally.
I high fived the girls when they came off stage. “Go do an encore, you’ve earned it.”
Kelly and Kira looked wide-eyed at me. “Really?”
I turned to Ellie, who stood beside me nodding.
“Go. I’m the boss, remember?”
The two women ran back out and waved to the clapping crowd that was still clamoring for more. I looked to my sister and pointed to the duet.
“The sky is the limit for those two. With you handling them, I see a long career.”
Ellie shrugged. “We’ll see. I feel it’s important to give artists like them a shot, the same way we got ours. Though, the way we did it was insane.”
I hugged her. “And we loved every minute of it. You ready for this?”
“I have been for a long time. To be honest, I’m looking forward to reliving a bit of the past. When you sang lead, all I had to do was follow you and add the harmony. I’ll never be able to thank you for this, Bek. We started this dream together. Now that we’re at its sunset, I wouldn’t want to do it without you.”
I squeezed her tightly then held up my pinky. “Together?”
A single tear dropped off her lashes. “Together. I do want the privilege of welcoming you back, so stay here, okay?”
“This is your show, little sparrow. Whatever you want.”
“Wrong, big sister. This is our show.”
With that, my incredibly talented sibling turned to hug Siobhan one last time, before she walked to center stage to greet the crowd. I stood in awe as I watched her. Naomi slid an arm around my side. Many years ago, she’d accompanied me to a few concerts and did this same thing. The difference now was that she did it as my wife. When we closed this last show, we’d be going home and not to the next tour stop. I kissed her, tethering us together in the very marrow of our bones.
She touched my face, radiating confidence in me with those ice-blue eyes. “This is it. The closing of one chapter in the story of your life.”
“One chapter, with the best part of the story left to come.” We watched my sister adjust the mic and look into the crowd.
“For the last twenty years, you fans have made this ride well worth taking. It all started right here in Pittsburgh, in a club that doesn’t even exist anymore. When my sister and I came out of the Fort Pitt tunnel and crossed that bridge into the city, we had grand dreams. We had no idea we would sleep in cheap hotels and survive on ramen noodles to pay the bills. Pittsburgh became our home base. We built a following here that stayed with Regal Crimson for the twenty years we’ve traveled the globe.”
The crowd whistled and clapped. Ellie stopped to compose herself.
“I need to take a moment to say a few things, if you’ll indulge me. I’m sure you heard I had to cancel a few tour stops recently. To squash any rumors, yes, it was because of cancer. I had to have my thyroid removed.” She raised her arms at the gasps. “The good news is they got it all. I’m cancer free.”
A thunderous cheer went up from the fans scattered around the lawn, and I smiled.
“This year makes twenty years since Regal Crimson first took the stage.”
I projected all my strength into the beautiful young woman standing center stage. Siobhan beamed at her as she addressed the crowd.
“This will be our last show. No farewell tour, just today with you, the incredible fans who have supported us through good times and bad. You’ve made being a musician fun, because you’ve stuck by us through it all. We realized there was no way to close out this incredible ride without bringing along someone who made every single song possible. If you’ve been a fan for over ten years, you know that I wasn’t always the lead voice of Regal Crimson.”
I heard the restlessness in the crowd as they anticipated her next words.
“When we started this long and winding road, my sister, Bek, stood beside me with a guitar slung over her shoulders, melting you with her powerful voice and incredible guitar skills. Tonight, Regal Crimson is complete again. For the first time in a decade, please welcome my sister, Bek, back to the stage.”
A deafening roar came up from the crowd. My heart thudded in my chest. My body was cemented to a piece of the floor, until Naomi softly kissed my lips.
“I’d tell you to break a leg, but you only have one good one. Instead, I’ll say I love you.”
I took a second to ask God for strength and did my best not to limp, as I walked onto the stage with my guitar in my hands. I waved to the audience and clasped my sister’s hand in mine, as I leaned in and kissed her temple.
I adjusted the mic to my taller frame. I’d told Ellie I wanted old school, a mic stand on the floor and an amp to plug into. I would need a stool before the night was over, and one had been provided. “What a road this has been. First, I want to say, we couldn’t have done this without all of you. It’s my privilege to be back here with my partner in crime, the incredible Ellie McNally. When I stepped away from the stage, she roared into the lead and did it better than I ever did. Enjoy yourselves tonight, because we plan to.”
The band started into We’re One Step Away, one of our very first songs. Within minutes, it was as if I’d never stepped away. The crowd sang with us. The lyrics to the song came easily, as did the music that flowed through my soul and into my hands playing my grandpa’s guitar. I could see the tears in Ellie’s eyes. I shook my head. No tears tonight. We played every song we’d done together and many more I’d written for the band after I’d quit. I lost myself in the music and in giving our fans their money’s worth. I checked in on Ellie more than once, as we let each of our incredible band members have their moment in the sun. I leaned in close to her.
“You okay?”
“Stop worrying. This is the best I’ve felt in months. Thank you. How’s the leg?”
“If I sit my ass on the stool for the next one, we’ll be good for the remainder. I want to do that song I showed you yesterday. You remember the chorus?”
She nodded, and I moved back to center stage. Reston finished her keyboard solo, and we wrapped up the song. I took a deep drink of water and adjusted the mic out of habit.
“You guys are definitely getting a great show tonight, don’t you think?” I waved my arm back to Ellie and the rest of the band. “We’re going to slow this down a little and play something completely new. I can’t say it will ever be recorded, so if you want to hear it again, get your phones out.” I laughed, when I watched most of the crowd do just that. “I won’t go into detail about how this song came about, but I’ll give you a little background. A few months ago, something life-changing happened to me. During the dark of night, I walked into a bar where I got the opportunity to watch some of the world’s guitar greats play together. From that experience, I wrote this song. It’s called Radio Stars in the Guitar Bar.” I looked back to Ellie and started the count.
“One, two, three, four.”
The band didn’t know this song, so they stayed silent. This was for me, Grandpa’s Gibson, and Ellie. While I sang the tale of a bar full of guitar greats, all playing a center stage, I pictured my MaMaw singing in a heavenly choir. Grandpa stood beside Chet Atkins, playing for a packed house of angels. I could see him smiling at me, offering me a vision of what the future held.
To the side of the stage, I saw Naomi, the living angel I was privileged to walk through this world with. I was blessed to be married to a woman who showed me I was worthy. Somehow, she’d gotten through all my doubts and showed me that grace was for all. Inside every sinner existed a saint. My shirt said it all, by grace, you have been saved, through faith. Somewhere on redemption’s road, I’d begun to believe that I too was worthy of that grace.
A Sovereign Chance-(Five Point Series Book 4)
Chapter One
CHANCE SAT AT HER desk feeding her godson, Jace, his afternoon bottle. She and Jax had been so honored that his parents had named their child after them. They’d settled on calling him Jace to give him his own unique name. Taylor sat across from her; dark shadows evident under her eyes. She looked down that the cherubic little face that ate greedily. “Little guy, you’ve got to start sleeping at night. Your mommas need the rest.”
Taylor scrubbed a hand down her face. “I wish he’d listen to you. We’ve tried everything, and the most he sleeps is in three-hour increments. You’d think at seven months he’d be sleeping through the night. We’ve asked his pediatrician if something’s wrong, but she can’t find anything. Penny’s mom is coming tomorrow to give us a break. She hasn’t been very supportive of our relationship. With Jace’s birth, she’s finally turned the corner about our marriage. I basically have no family since my brother made a lewd suggestion to Penny when we first got together. The guy practically raised me, after I turned fourteen and our parents decided they didn’t want kids anymore.”
Chance knew Taylor’s story and found herself eternally grateful she’d landed with mom-squared instead of in the foster system. With no living grandparents, she couldn’t imagine where she’d have ended up after her father’s death. “Definitely their loss, my friend. I’m grateful for her change of heart. It’s sad that it took four months after his birth for her to realize what she was missing out on.”
Taylor yawned and shook her head. “Penny’s dad will be coming with her this trip. He wants to do some fishing now that he’s allowed to come without repercussions. He always found a way to be in Penny’s life, even when his wife wasn’t happy about it.”
Chance put the bottle down and wiped the milk from tiny plump lips. She hated to disturb him when he was almost asleep, but it was a necessary evil if she didn’t want to be wearing his lunch in a few minutes. “Jace, it’s time for you to burp, little man. We can’t let all that goodness from Mommy go to waste.”
Penny leaned in the doorway. “You’d better not, if he actually ate, then I want it to stay down.” She came in and sat on Taylor’s lap. “I called Maggie, and she wants you to drop Jace off with her. You need to sleep if you’re coming back out at midnight. Even Midas is looking like he could use some uninterrupted downtime.”
Taylor kissed Penny’s cheek and pointed to Chance. “Your mother is a godsend as his oma. The fact that she’ll take Jace anytime of the day or night is a lifesaver.”
“Mom knows she’s going to have to wait for Kendra to provide grandchildren. You guys filled the void, and she’s going to take full advantage. Thank you for letting her choose what she wanted to be called.” Chance put the baby to her shoulder and rubbed gentle circles on his back until she felt him release the built-up gas in his tummy. “There you go, that has to feel better.”
Penny stood. “I’ll take him. It’s not long after he eats before that diaper will need changed. I’ll spare you that chore. I’ll get him ready to go.”
Chance kissed the downy hair that went every different direction and handed the baby to Penny. “I’ll take him every chance I can, and I know Jax feels the same.”
“That I do.” Jax walked in and held her arms out. “Oh, can I hold him for a minute?” Jax took him from Penny. “I can’t believe how big he’s getting. How much does he weigh?”
“The pediatrician says he’s almost seventeen pounds. Some days, it feels like fifty.” Penny put her hands on her back.
“You guys look exhausted. He’s still not sleeping?” Jax cooed at the baby. “Hey little Jace, how are you? Auntie Jax loves you.”
Penny yawned. “Taylor’s dropping him with Maggie in a bit, then she’s going home to sleep. My mom will be here soon. I’ll get some rest as well. Small price to pay for the blessing that he is. Come on, let’s go change him before we have to call out the hazmat team from that diaper. Taylor and Midas are going to get this little guy up the mountain.”
Chance watched them take the baby into the other room and looked back at her chief deputy. “While they’re gone, this came in the mail today.” She passed over an informational sheet sent out by the ATF office out of Clarksburg. “It seems a few of our new county residents have made claims of sovereign citizenship. The article describes a run-in between a Department of Natural Resource officer and one of them who refused to produce a valid fishing license.”
Taylor perused the pages. “If I remember right, these folks don’t think they need a license for anything, not even to drive a car. Most are pretty harmless; they tie up the courts with frivolous lawsuits and try to scam the IRS.”
“Not all of them. If you recall, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were convicted and executed for the Oklahoma City bombing. Both had declared that they were sovereign citizens. According to my research, as of two years ago, forty-two law enforcement officers have lost their lives to domestic extremists. Sovereign citizens are part of those groups and have been involved in several horrific incidents that I don’t want our people unprepared for. I’m going to bring in a friend of mine from the FBI to do a seminar for all of us, including the communications center. They have to be able to recognize the signs if one of our officers calls in with confusing information.”
