“You don’t like it? I guess you could rename him.”
“Larry is fine,” she said, looking out the window as they drove through the city she’d known all her life, a city she loved.
The city her dad had loved so much.
“You okay?” he asked her.
“Yep. Except...”
“You’re frustrated. And it’s okay. We’re here. Just...act normal.”
“Right. Normal.”
Parking by the doors had been arranged for the band, and it was easy to reach the backstage doors. As they stepped around in the wings, Sky saw the crew was already rehearsing with the lights. Hundreds of lights were spread about the stage and the massive audience. They turned to various shades of blue, pink, orange, yellow and purple.
“It’s fantastic, and wait until you see the spotlights going and everything up on the Jumbotrons!” said Justin, who was adjusting the levels on the giant soundboard.
“Can’t finish that setup until I have the band all here,” he said. “And if there’s a problem, I’ll be right there in the wings, ready to run on out. I’m going to be switching out the mics and the instruments when needed, too.”
“Thanks, Justin. We’re the first?” Chase asked.
“No!” Mark Reynolds said, hurrying in from the opposite wing. “I was just talking to Kenneth Malcolm, assuring him we’ll be perfect with two techs, more than we’ve had a dozen times in the last decades. But...this is his place, so...”
“Sky!”
She heard her name called and turned to see Kenneth Malcolm was coming out. He was smiling broadly, ready to greet her.
She forced a smile to her lips.
He drew her into a hug instantly, and she tried not to stiffen, tried to return his touch. He drew back, a man like the roadies, somewhere between forty and fifty, lean and sharp with a full head of neatly combed dark hair and light gray eyes. And, always—always—the businessman, wearing a perfectly tailored suit.
“I can’t tell you how delighted we are that you’re here. I know you’ve avoided the spotlight, but people see it as extra special that you’re doing your dad’s numbers. He was such a showman, writer, guitarist, vocalist...talker! You’re going to talk to the audience, too, I hope.”
Sky glanced at Chase.
“Oh, she can talk!” Chase said.
“Oh, Chase, cool, welcome, and I can’t tell you how glad we are that you’re here, subbing for Hank. How’s he doing?”
“Great. He’ll be back to it all very soon,” Chase said.
“When you can’t have all of Skyhawk, it’s amazing to have a Skyhawk legacy!” Malcolm said. “Seriously—”
“Ah, there’s Joe!” Chase said. “We can get this started, and thanks, the venue looks terrific—”
“We have a great staff here, and they’ve worked great with Skyhawk’s guys,” Malcolm said. “I’m out of here—or out into the audience. I want to see all that’s going on tonight, make sure... Well, you know, tomorrow night, I’ll be dealing with all kinds of stuff, so...”
“Great to see you, and thank you,” Sky murmured, noting that Chris and Brandon had come in and Justin was talking to them.
“Ready to get some sound checks going!” Mark called.
Brandon walked up to her with a guitar. “One of your dad’s,” he told her.
She thanked him. He headed to the side, saying that everyone had everything.
Before he walked to the drums, Chase paused by her.
“You okay for this part?” he asked her.
She nodded. “I... Yeah. Probably not so much talking tonight—”
“Tonight is sound and light check. Channel Jake tomorrow night,” he said, lightly touching her hair.
“Ready to go. List is up on the screen right now!” Mark called.
Sky held her father’s guitar. She closed her eyes tightly for a moment, and a sad smile came to her lips. Jake would be glad to see her there.
If only the cloud wasn’t there, gray and creating something over it all...
But minutes later, after the first numbers, she let her fears, her anger, her loss and her pain all go. She thought of the amazing artists she had seen just walking down the streets of New Orleans, artists who would have given just about anything for the chance Jake had given her, the chance to do what she loved on such a stage.
No matter what, music and family had been Jake Ferguson’s life.
And she would give his music everything that she had within her.
The spotlight fell on her, and there seemed to be a hush despite the music as she sang—and channeled Jake.
She did talk. She introduced the drum solo, spotlighted each member of the band, drew Brandon out from the sidelines and had him play and sing with her.
