Moves” so beautifully James Taylor would have been proud. His eyes never left her face. For the first time ever, she truly listened to the words and she was touched. Robbie left no doubt in her mind he meant them.
As he finished the song, the nurse pulled back the curtain.
Robbie glanced up. “I’m sorry. Was I too loud?”
Jenna shook her head and smiled. “Not at all. In fact, a few of the patients would like you to sing the next one a little louder, so they can all hear. And the man next door has requested ‘Sweet Baby James’.”
Zoey grinned as the nurse walked away. “My rock star,” she whispered.
“I like the sound of that.”
“I call you a rock star all the time.”
He kissed her hand. “Not that part, silly. I like the idea of being yours. Finally.”
Her breath caught. She couldn’t find the words to say she’d considered him hers since she was ten years old and that he’d owned her heart just as long.
Instead, she sidestepped. “I think your audience is waiting.”
He grinned and started to sing again, a little louder this time. When he finished, applause came from the surrounding rooms. Zoey laughed when the woman across the hall requested “Carolina on my Mind”, while another voice down the hall shouted out “You’ve Got a Friend”.
“Do you think they all believe James Taylor is in this room?” she teased.
“God. See what you’ve started?”
“I think it’s nice. This place needed some music.” She yawned.
“Maybe so, but for now, I think it needs quiet. Try to get some sleep. I’ll be right here if you need me.” Robbie turned to his laptop and clicked a few buttons before putting on his headphones. He’d recorded several tracks last night so that he could spend today working on lyrics to fit the tunes he’d created. She’d watched him write at least a hundred songs over the years and she never ceased to be amazed by his talent.
She blinked slowly, her eyes too heavy to hold open. She was just about to drift to sleep when she realized she wasn’t afraid anymore.
She smiled, closing her eyes to dream of another time when Robbie had found the perfect song.
Eighteen years earlier
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” Robbie ducked beneath the limbs of one of the huge pines. “What are you doing here? You missed dinner and your mom is having a shit fit. She’s got your dad and me and half the neighborhood looking for you.”
Zoey didn’t look up, didn’t reply.
“Zoey? What’s wrong?” Robbie dropped to the ground, sitting beside her.
“I missed my period.”
She hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, drop the bomb she’d been carrying around for the past three days on him, but she was scared sick and she needed to talk to somebody.
“I don’t understand. You can’t be pregnant. You’re on the pill, right?”
She closed her eyes, cursing her stupidity. She’d had sex one time. One fucking time. “Remember how I had bronchitis last month?”
He nodded.
“Apparently antibiotics sort of make the pill useless.” When she realized she’d missed her period, she’d done some research. The information she’d uncovered had obviously been too little, too late.
Robbie’s jaw tightened. He’d been acting funny ever since she’d told him about her rather reckless, not entirely thought-out adventure in the backseat of Reese Carper’s car. She’d been dating Reese for almost two months and she genuinely liked him. When things started to get a little hot and heavy, she’d decided why not go all the way? Why not have sex? Why not get rid of her pesky virginity? Reese was good-looking and sweet and…
Fuck. It had been a mistake. The sex had been awkward and uncomfortable. The condom—some antique Reese had been carrying around in his wallet since middle school—had broken. They’d tried to carry on the next day as if the sex had never happened, neither of them in any hurry to repeat the experience, but it
As he finished the song, the nurse pulled back the curtain.
Robbie glanced up. “I’m sorry. Was I too loud?”
Jenna shook her head and smiled. “Not at all. In fact, a few of the patients would like you to sing the next one a little louder, so they can all hear. And the man next door has requested ‘Sweet Baby James’.”
Zoey grinned as the nurse walked away. “My rock star,” she whispered.
“I like the sound of that.”
“I call you a rock star all the time.”
He kissed her hand. “Not that part, silly. I like the idea of being yours. Finally.”
Her breath caught. She couldn’t find the words to say she’d considered him hers since she was ten years old and that he’d owned her heart just as long.
Instead, she sidestepped. “I think your audience is waiting.”
He grinned and started to sing again, a little louder this time. When he finished, applause came from the surrounding rooms. Zoey laughed when the woman across the hall requested “Carolina on my Mind”, while another voice down the hall shouted out “You’ve Got a Friend”.
“Do you think they all believe James Taylor is in this room?” she teased.
“God. See what you’ve started?”
“I think it’s nice. This place needed some music.” She yawned.
“Maybe so, but for now, I think it needs quiet. Try to get some sleep. I’ll be right here if you need me.” Robbie turned to his laptop and clicked a few buttons before putting on his headphones. He’d recorded several tracks last night so that he could spend today working on lyrics to fit the tunes he’d created. She’d watched him write at least a hundred songs over the years and she never ceased to be amazed by his talent.
She blinked slowly, her eyes too heavy to hold open. She was just about to drift to sleep when she realized she wasn’t afraid anymore.
She smiled, closing her eyes to dream of another time when Robbie had found the perfect song.
Eighteen years earlier
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” Robbie ducked beneath the limbs of one of the huge pines. “What are you doing here? You missed dinner and your mom is having a shit fit. She’s got your dad and me and half the neighborhood looking for you.”
Zoey didn’t look up, didn’t reply.
“Zoey? What’s wrong?” Robbie dropped to the ground, sitting beside her.
“I missed my period.”
She hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, drop the bomb she’d been carrying around for the past three days on him, but she was scared sick and she needed to talk to somebody.
“I don’t understand. You can’t be pregnant. You’re on the pill, right?”
She closed her eyes, cursing her stupidity. She’d had sex one time. One fucking time. “Remember how I had bronchitis last month?”
He nodded.
“Apparently antibiotics sort of make the pill useless.” When she realized she’d missed her period, she’d done some research. The information she’d uncovered had obviously been too little, too late.
Robbie’s jaw tightened. He’d been acting funny ever since she’d told him about her rather reckless, not entirely thought-out adventure in the backseat of Reese Carper’s car. She’d been dating Reese for almost two months and she genuinely liked him. When things started to get a little hot and heavy, she’d decided why not go all the way? Why not have sex? Why not get rid of her pesky virginity? Reese was good-looking and sweet and…
Fuck. It had been a mistake. The sex had been awkward and uncomfortable. The condom—some antique Reese had been carrying around in his wallet since middle school—had broken. They’d tried to carry on the next day as if the sex had never happened, neither of them in any hurry to repeat the experience, but it
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