Hanging by a Moment

Having not seen this coming from a country mile away, Rebel stood on stage next to her boyfriend, mouth agape. Sure, she’d seen the loving, caring side of him who stayed up all hours of the day and night with a sick baby, which sometimes wasn’t even his own, but she hadn’t thought he’d ever take this leap of faith.

He’d gone so far as to get the guys to learn the rest of the parts to one of her favorite songs and perform it with him at the end of one of their shows. Now he still knelt on one knee, anxiety and worry flashing in his chocolate eyes, biting his lip nervously as he awaited her response. She knew without being told when he looked down with a sigh audible only because of his headset that he thought she wasn’t going to say yes—that he thought he’d made a horrible mistake and allowed her to publicly humiliate him.

The second he’d gotten back to his feet, she finally managed to pull herself from her shocked stupor. Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him as tightly as she could manage without strangling him, her face turned toward his headset. All she had to do was raise her chin just slightly, as if she were going to kiss him, and everyone in the crowd—and even on stage, would hear her response.

“Yes.”

A surprised gasp was heard through the audio system as Ash pulled back enough to meet her love-filled gaze, his mouth now agape for a moment. The lone word brought such happiness to his eyes that she knew she’d never top it—not unless she were to tell him she was pregnant at a time that was right for both of them. For now, though, that happiness was enough to make her grin so widely her cheeks hurt, her happy laughter smothered when he captured her lips with his in a searing, head-spinning kiss. It was filled with far more love and happiness than any he’d ever given her before.

“Oh, my gods, Rebel… You’ve made me the happiest man on the planet tonight,” Ash laughed, grinning as he slipped the custom engagement ring onto her finger.

“Or was it you who made me the happiest woman on the planet tonight?” she chuckled, smiling as she watching the round-cut amethyst and marquis-cut opal sparkle in the stage lights.

“Either way, I say it’s time to celebrate!” the bassist said, laughing as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“And I’d say that’s our cue to get going! Thank you so much for coming out to our show tonight!” Andy said, holding his mic, which he’d swiped back from Rebel, up to his face again. “Good night, everybody!”

With a laugh, Ash swooped his new fiancé up into his arms, cradling her to his chest as he’d done many times before. She squealed loudly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, grinning as she gazed into his eyes, then leaned forward to kiss him as he walked off stage. It was a good thing they had no meet-and-greet planned for that night because even if they did, he had no intentions of showing up at it.

* * *

Later that night after putting their girls to bed, Ash lay in the bed he’d shared with Rebel on many more occasions. He still remembered back when they’d first met, when she’d accompanied him on that very first tour after finding Legacy, and they were mere roommates. Now they’d come so far from that time, and he couldn’t have possibly been any happier than he was. He had the woman he loved more than Life itself, would gladly lay his own life down for if he wasn’t laying it down for Logan or Legacy, in his arms after showing her how much he loved her.

Rebel sighed happily as she snuggled closer, a dreamy smile on her face as she watched the dim light glint off her engagement ring. She’d never thought to have this kind of happiness with a man, but especially not with Ashley Purdy. She’d never even expected to meet the man who’d held her heart long before he ever realized it, much less find the storybook romance everybody raved about like lunatics.

In the afterglow of their lovemaking, the bassist realized he’d never loved anyone as much as he loved his beautiful fiancé. While he’d had some pretty damn good sex over the years, most of it occurring when he was drunk, he’d never felt quite the same completion he felt after truly making love with this young woman. There was an emotional tie with her he’d never had with anyone else, not even Kina. Beautiful though the model had been, she didn’t have the same kind and caring heart that his sweetheart had.

A soft purr drifted up from the back of Rebel’s throat as she nuzzled his throat, knowing it was a turn-on for him. Seemingly unable to ever get enough of her, he growled softly as he rolled them over so she was on her back, he gently using his body to pin her to the bed. It was something both of them greatly enjoyed, but he enjoyed looking into her eyes more.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell you just how much I love you,” Ash said softly, gently nuzzling her throat much the same way she’d done to him.

“I don’t think you’ll ever have to try, Ashie,” his sweetheart chuckled, her limbs wrapping around him tightly. “I think your proposal, which is no doubt flooding every form of social media out there as we speak, and the ring now on my finger says that well enough.”

“True, but that doesn’t mean I have to be a jackass and never tell you again,” he argued gently. “Besides, as far as I’m concerned, nothing’s set in stone. Even having that little piece of paper that makes our marriage official won’t since I know that, should we ever decide it’s best, those vows can just as easily be undone.”

“And while you’ve got a point, the love we have, that we’ve made together over the last year, won’t be as easy to rip apart,” she told him. “You’ve left your own special mark on me, just as I’ve left mine on you.”

“Mmm, that you most certainly have,” the bassist agreed as he began to tease her again. “And if I’m honest with anyone, most of all you and myself…I don’t ever wanna get rid of that mark you’ve left.”

“Mmm…good, because I don’t either,” Rebel moaned, gasping and groaning softly.

Even as he started yet another round of beautiful lovemaking, he forced other thoughts to the back of his mind. There were a few times he’d asked himself what his life would be like if he hadn’t found his daughter, much less his beautiful fiancé. He’d asked himself if he would still be the same drunken rock star moving from one woman to the next in an attempt to fuck away the pain of pining for love.

When he honestly thought about it long after Rebel fell asleep, Ash realized that he could care less who or what he’d be if he hadn’t found his little family. He decided that he wouldn’t like that man, whether he was good or bad, and that he liked who he’d become better instead.

A gentle smile curved his lips, which were swollen and a deeper pink than usual from their passionate kisses, as he watched her sleep. He really loved her more than words could ever say, and he felt a measure of pride in knowing he’d been the one to heal her, that he’d been the one she’d chosen. He knew she could’ve easily chosen any other guy on the planet, but she’d seen past his exterior to the man he was at heart. The bassist knew he couldn’t ask for a better woman than that, and he vowed to never take her for granted.

Notes