January 22, 1996

“Hey, Maggie?” Jen made her way through the living room, glancing up at the redhead’s bedroom door and finding it open, the room dark. “Mags? You still here?”

Suddenly, she heard music from the basement, the orchestration muffled through the floor, and walked to the door in the hallway. Pulling it open, she paused as the sound of Maggie’s voice carried up to her, clear and emotional over the track resounding through the studio.

Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted

As Maggie allowed her voice to swell with the arrangement, Jen moved down the stairs, stopping only when she could sit and watch her performing to the mirror, somehow managing to both remember the lyrics and study how her movements could accent the interpretation of the song. Whenever a hand gesture or a head position didn’t seem to work, her brow would furrow and she would adjust, seeming to make a mental note of how to improve the delivery for the next run through. The music came to an end and she gave a nod to the mirror before turning to move toward the sound system.

“Wow, Mags. That was awesome.” Jen stood and came down the rest of the stairs, grinning as her friend plopped down on the couch, pressing buttons on the remote lying on the armrest, sending the discs in the player to spinning. “Is that for one of your classes?”

“No, I’m auditioning for a show the Orlando Orchestra is putting together with my Theatre Players group. Les Miserables.” Maggie let her fingers comb through her hair as she smiled. “The rehearsals are all semester with performances in April, so if I can get a part, I’ll be able to get the director to sign off for it and it’ll count as a performance elective without actually having to take a class.”

“Really?” Jen tilted her head. “Well, if that’s what you’re auditioning with, I don’t see how they’d turn you down.”

“Thanks. We put on a small-scale version of it in high school and I played Cosette.” A grimace settled over the redhead’s features. “I don’t have that range anymore, so I thought I’d try for Fantine, Cosette’s mother.” Laughing quietly, she shrugged. “She dies in the first act, but her part is fabulous, even if I’ll have to dye my hair. No redheads in this show.” Glancing over at Jen, an idea began to form, and she picked up the remote again, skipping forward on the disc. “You know what? Listen to this.”

Both girls sat back as the song she’d selected reverberated through the room. A few lines in, Jen found herself closing her eyes, losing herself in the orchestration and lyrics, beginning to hum along as she became familiar with the melody. “This sounds different. Would it be one of your songs?”

“No, this belongs to Eponine in the second act.”

“It’s beautiful.” Taking a deep breath, Jen twisted sideways on the couch and relaxed into the cushions. “Play it again.”

“Here.” Reaching down, Maggie picked up a score book from the floor. “It’s on page fifty-two. Try a dry run.”

“Okay.” A dark brow arched questioningly as she flipped the pages, catching up quickly with the recording and following along with the sheet music. She made it through the number fairly easily, her brow furrowing whenever she had to search for the right note. “Well, I guess that wasn’t too bad. You know, for a sight read.”

“Not too bad? Girl, I’ve heard rehearsed professionals who didn’t perform it that well.” Green eyes sparked with enthusiasm. “You should come audition with me on Friday.”

“Oh, Mags, I don’t know.” Jen was already shaking her head, fear flashing in her eyes. “I’m not ready for something like that yet …”

“You need to get past your stage fright if you want to be ready for that senior showcase you’re so worried about.” Her shoulder nudged Jen’s in encouragement. “It’s just one audition. One song to learn. You’re the queen of lyrics, so you’ll memorize it in no time, and I’ll help you with the delivery.” A smile brightened Maggie’s features. “You’re almost there already, Jenny. Just a little work and we’ll have you show ready.”

“You think so?” Interest sparked in Jen’s expression. “I’m a total novice at this, you know. I’ve never been on stage unless it was to play in an instrumental ensemble.”

“Seriously, let’s get you up for an audition. It’s a huge group of performers, so the chances that either of us will get a part is kind of slim, but at least it’ll get your feet wet.” Maggie bounced in excitement. “Auditions are in a full theatre and they keep the lighting set up as if a show is running. You won’t even be able to see the director and staff. And this is a community group that’s not connected to the school. Adam is helping with the sets and plans to audition, and there’s a few other students involved, but I don’t think you’d know any of them. They’ll audition each part individually, so I promise I’ll stick with you in the wings for support.”

“Well …” Jen let her teeth work over her bottom lip as she read over the sheet music again. “Is it a large part?”

“Not really. Eponine doesn’t show up until toward the end of Act One and she dies around the middle of Act Two. She has some supporting and background vocals, the one solo song and then a duet with one of the male leads as she dies.”

“Both of these characters die?”

“Yeah, it’s not really an overly happy musical. The title translates to 'The Miserable Ones'. Or something like that.”

“Wow.” With a quick laugh, she let her fingers flip through the book. “Where’s the duet? Let’s hear it.”

“It’s on page seventy-eight.” Maggie skipped ahead on the disc. “Eponine is dying after being shot and she’s made it back to Marius just in time.”

“I love the orchestration.” Jen glanced up quickly. “The music is fabulous.”

“The Orchestra has been working on it for about six weeks and they’re ready to begin full rehearsals. The crew has been building sets about that long, so we’re finally to the point where casting can begin.” Reaching out, Maggie’s hand gripped Jen’s arm. “Do this with me. Please?”

“I …” Brown eyes met green, and she sighed, feeling herself caving. “Okay. Let’s get to work.”

*********************

Hey guys,

So, Jen’s audition is today and she just walked into her office with the sleeve of that plaid shirt she’s always wearing wadded up in her hand, looking totally wigged out. I went to the laundry room and found the rest of it in pieces on top of the dryer.

What gives? Is this like a make-or-break thing for her?

If anybody gets this in the next few minutes, give me a call.

- Mags

“God, Girlie.” Lance’s eyes widened as he read over the message that had just popped up in his inbox. At the sound of footsteps in the hallway, he leaned back in his chair to see Justin headed for the stairs. “Hey, J. Where’s Jace?”

“I think he’s already downstairs. We’re supposed to be out of here in fifteen minutes.” Justin glanced down at his watch. “Make that ten. Get a move on, Bass.”

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Leaving the computer powered up, he grabbed his jacket from the bed and jogged down the hallway, then bounded down the stairs, passing up his younger friend.

“Dude, what’s your deal?”

“Jace needs to call Maggie before we leave.”

“What? Why?”

“Hey, C …” As the two made their way into the living room, Lance spoke quickly. “Jen’s audition is today and that flannel shirt of hers just went to pieces in the dryer. Call Maggie.”

“Damn.” JC shook his head as he moved into the kitchen and picked up the phone, his thumb flying over the numbers. “She must be freaking out.”

“Hey.” Before it could ring twice, Maggie’s voice came over the line. “Please tell me this is a pop star wannabe who’s got the answers to fixing my friend.”

“Well, I think I might.” His voice shook with laughter. “Is she there?”

“Yeah. Hang on.” A light thumping sound was in the background as she skipped down the stairs, then came the rapping of knuckles knocking on a door. “Hey, Jen? Jace is on the phone.”

“What?” Jen’s voice was muffled at first, then more clear as the phone changed hands. “Josh?”

“Hey, Boof. How’re you doing?”

“Well, I … uh …”

“It finally fell apart, didn’t it?”

“Y-yeah.” Her voice was puzzled, and he could picture her shaking her head. “How did you …”

“I’ve only got a few minutes, so let’s fix it.” He interrupted with a smile, leaning against the wall beside the phone base. “Go to my room, okay?”

“Okay.” She still sounded confused, but he could hear her moving. “Why?”

“Because I noticed the fraying on that shirt last year and knew this would happen.” He heard her opening a door. “Are you there?”

“Yeah.” A deep breath carried over the line. “Now what?”

“Go to the dresser and open the third drawer.”

“The third drawer?”

“Yep.” The drawer scraped as she pulled it open. “Take your pick. I thought you’d probably like the purple one, but green would look good, too. Or you know my favorite color on you is blue.”

“Josh …” She laughed and he could imagine her reaching into the drawer, her fingers testing the softness of the variety of flannel shirts. “Did you actually wear these?”

“I had to have something when I gave you that other one, so I bought new after I got moved for the Club. They were shorter than I like to wear after that last growth spurt and Mom had them in a stack for Goodwill, but I rescued a few for you. I’m pretty sure they’re worn out enough to be as comfortable as that old one.”

“You’re the best, you know.”

“Just watching out for my girl.” He glanced at the clock on the wall. “We’re meeting a new choreographer in twenty minutes, so we need to get on the road.” Clearing his throat, he lowered his voice. “Are you wearing your necklace?”

“Uh huh.” She reached up toward her neck, her fingers playing with the silver-plated heart engraved with a J, one of the gifts he’d left for her to find after seeing him off a few weeks ago. “Every day.”

“Good.” A smile lifted his tone. “You’re going to be amazing today, Jenny. Wear your new shirt, keep that necklace on and put on your bracelet. It’ll be like I’m right there with you. Just let me know how it goes. Okay?”

“I will.” Her sigh carried to him and his heart skipped a beat. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem.”

“Yo, Jace! Get a move on!” Joey’s voice boomed from the living room. “Tell Hot Stuff good luck from all of us and let’s hit it!”

“I guess you heard that.” He laughed quietly. “I’ve gotta go. Have a good day and I’ll talk to you later.”

“Tell the Funky Bunch hi for me. And have fun dancing tonight.” The grin was obvious in her tone. “Talk to you later.”

*********************

“I don’t sound anything like that.” She gripped Maggie’s hand as they stood in the stage right wing, shaking her head as the girl on stage worked her way through the required audition piece in a fashion almost identical to the previous ten girls. “And I definitely don’t look like that. There’s no way I’m getting this part.”

“Don’t count yourself out, Jen. You’re fantastic. You just need to have the confidence to show everyone else.” Maggie smiled, stepping closer to give her a supportive hug. “You’ve got this. Just pretend we’re back in the studio and you’re staring at yourself in the mirror with Brian and Adam making those faces at you.” Both girls laughed quietly. “Okay, she’s finishing up. Deep breaths.”

“Here we go.” Taking a cleansing breath, Jen closed her eyes, letting it out slowly as she listened to the music ending, the seemingly obligatory polite smattering of applause echoing in the backstage area. “I can do this.”

“Of course you can.” Reaching into her pocket, Maggie pulled out a scrap of the ruined shirt from that morning. “I know Jace gave you a new shirt, but this might help, too. Give me your arm.” Very quickly, she tied the strip around Jen’s wrist, then pulled down the sleeve of the purple shirt to hide it. “There, it’s like he’s all around you, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, he is …”

“Thank you, Emily. Next Eponine, please!”

“That’s you. I’ll be on the other side when you’re done, just exit the stage straight across from where we are now and you won’t be able to miss me. Go knock ’em dead, girl.” An excited grin lit the redhead’s face. “Do yourself proud.”

With another deep breath, Jen straightened her shoulders and walked out to center stage, blinking in the bright lights and sighing in relief when she realized that it was impossible to see anything past the front of the stage. Clearing her throat, she nodded toward the center of the room and stated her name as the others before her had done. “Jen Lawson.”

A moment later, she closed her eyes as the music began, centering herself into the character that Maggie had been introducing her to for the last four days. As she opened her mouth and began to sing, she lost herself in Eponine – the lonely girl who hid behind a brave attitude, willing to do anything for the friend who had her heart, only to have him fall in love with her polar opposite. Her eyes came open, focusing on the darkness before her as she told the story, relaying the thoughts of the poor thieves’ daughter, pouring out her heart to the man she loved while walking alone through a rainy Paris night to deliver a note to the girl who’d stolen his affections.

As if on autopilot, she moved around in the area lit by the stage lights, allowing her body language and expressions to give life to the piece. Her head tilted back and her hands clasped to her chest as she came to the heartbreaking crescendo and she could almost feel the energy draining out of her, a tear rolling down her cheek as she finished with the quiet admission of one-sided love, the music fading away as the orchestration came to a close.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, and she blinked in surprise that it was already over, reaching up to wipe the tear away. Looking from side to side, she tried desperately to remember which way she was supposed to exit, relief crashing over her when she caught a quick glimpse of red hair in the left wing. Before she could take the first step toward the safety of her friend, thunderous applause filled the auditorium, the tidal wave of noise freezing her where she stood. Wide brown eyes searched the rows of seats behind the lights, whistles and cheers cutting through the darkness toward her.

“Jenny!” Maggie’s voice came through the racket. “Take a bow!”

She obeyed, bending slightly at the waist and giving a nod to the not-so-empty auditorium, just barely able to hear the director’s dismissal over the din. A smile was forming as she left the stage, the noise still echoing through the building. Once safely behind the curtain, she grasped Maggie’s hands and began bouncing up and down with giddy laughter. “I did it! I did it!”

“Come on, let’s get out of the way.” Shaking her head with a smile, Maggie pulled Jen further away from the stage, beginning to laugh herself when she saw the childish glee on her friend’s face. “Jen, do you hear that? They love you. You’re amazing.” Green eyes glanced back toward the stage, where the next singer was taking her place, looking their direction with a nod and a thumbs up before turning to face the auditorium, shrugging as she gave her name. “I think you just set the bar, girl.”

As the music began again, a door opened next to where they stood and Adam came through, a bright grin on his face when he found them. “Jen, that was awesome!” His arms went around her in a tight hug. “You even had the guy next to me crying. If you aren’t our Eponine, then somebody’s paid off the director.”

“I-I … wow.” Jen smiled against him as her brain still tried to process what had just happened. He released her and she stepped away, her fingers playing with the fabric tied around her wrist. “All I wanted was to prove to myself that I could get through one song on a stage without losing it. If I actually got the part …”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, I think we need to celebrate the little victories.” Maggie turned to Adam. “What do you think? Can we tear Brian and Nick away from the studio to go for some pizza?”

“Actually …” He glanced down at his watch. “I think they should be home by now. I’ll run to the office and call to see if they’ll meet us. Gino’s?”

“Ooh, breadsticks. Yeah, definitely Gino’s.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

After he left, Maggie turned her focus back to Jen, who was still staring at the strip of fabric, her brow furrowing. “Jen? Are you okay?”

“I wish he was here, Mags.” Jen’s voice was quiet as she pulled the purple shirt tighter across her body. “I just … I just really wish he was here right now.”

“I know.” Maggie hugged her, trying not to get choked up at her friend’s faint sniffles. “And I know that he’d much rather be here than where he is.”

“Well, I don’t know if I’d go that far.” A watery laugh escaped as Jen’s arms came around to return the hug. “I’m just missing him. More than I thought I would.”

“Send him an e-mail tonight and tell him all about this. He’ll be so proud of you.”

“Yeah, I will.” Jen stepped away, shaking her head as she wiped away her tears. “Look at me. This was so awesome and here I am crying because I’m missing some guy. Mom would be smacking the back of my head.”

“He’s not just some guy, Jen. He’s your guy.” A red eyebrow arched as Jen opened her mouth. “Don’t bother denying it. You two complete each other and if he’s got any sense in that head of his, he’ll be coming home real soon.”

“They don’t know when they’ll be back. Maybe in the spring. April or May?”

“That would be perfect.” Maggie smiled and draped an arm over Jen’s shoulders. “Put a bug in his ear about getting back here in April. Then you get this part and your boys will make it home in time to see you being fabulous on stage.”

“There’s no guarantee of any of that, but it’d be really cool if they could be here, whether I get the part or not.” Letting out a long breath, Jen felt a smile forming again. “How many shows are there, anyway?”

“Every weekend after Easter. Friday and Saturday nights, matinees on Sundays except for the last weekend. It’s a Thursday night show for that week.”

“Wow. I guess that’d be a quick cure to my stage fright, huh?” A spark of excitement lit her eyes. “This was really fun, Mags. I loved getting to pretend to be someone else for a while.”

“Well, like Adam said, they’d be crazy not to cast you.” Maggie looked up when he came back through the doorway. “Hey. Were they home?”

“Yep. They’ll meet us there. Mark, too.” He sent an apologetic look in Jen’s direction. “Sorry. I know he gives you weird vibes, but he’d just walked in and they couldn’t not invite him.”

“It’s all right. Just make sure he’s not next to me, okay?” Jen bit her lip. “I’m sure he’s a perfectly nice guy, but there’s something about him that doesn’t sit right.”

“No problem. Maggie will be on one side, I’ll take the other and we’ll put Nick across from you.” His gaze bounced between the two girls. “Ready to go?”

“We rode together and we’re in the back lot, so we’ll see you there.”

“Sure.”

They split up on the sidewalk outside the back entrance to the theater and the girls chatted animatedly as they walked toward Jen’s Tracker. As they came close to the car, Jen’s eyes narrowed when she noticed something laying across her driver’s side windshield wiper. “What’s that?”

“It’s a rose.” Maggie smiled, coming up beside her as she picked it up. “Someone must’ve wanted to wish you good luck.”

“Who’d leave me a rose?” Brow furrowed, Jen twirled the flower in her fingers, searching for any clues. “I can’t think of anybody who'd leave me flowers. Maybe it's supposed to be for you. Did Brian know we were riding together?”

“Yeah, he knew, but I’m allergic to roses, so it wouldn’t be for me.” Maggie shrugged and moved around the car to open the passenger side door. “I guess you’re just becoming little Miss Popular, aren’t you?”

“Ugh, no. Unless being Miss Popular gets me free pizza. Then I’m all in. Otherwise …” Jen paused with a laugh, laying the rose on the dash as she turned the key in the ignition. “God, I hope not.”

*********************

“Okay, so Chris is still convinced that You’re Still the One could be the next big thing for you.”

“Really?” Jen smiled, twisting back and forth in her chair as his voice carried over the speaker phone on the desk. “What do you think?”

“I’ve got three more discs to go through, but I’m really liking Whiskey Lullaby.” He sighed, and she could picture him relaxing back on his bed, one arm behind his head, the phone cradled to his ear. “There’s not a story sheet for it in my binder, though.”

“That was one of the last masters we were able to finish before you left, so I didn’t get a chance to add it.” Leaning back in the chair, she propped her feet on the corner of the desk and closed her eyes, grinning as she imagined him leafing through the pages of stories that accompanied the CDs she’d hidden in his bag the morning of his flight. She’d taken the time to type out the journal entries and memories, then printed out the sheet music for each song, compiling it into a large binder. And she hadn’t been able to resist getting him a new Discman with sound-canceling headphones to go with it. “I was able to get most of the tracking done on my own, but Brian had to pull a few strings to get the folks we needed to record it. We were really lucky that Adam was hanging around that day.”

“Yeah, I love that it’s a duet. You guys blend really well together.” She heard him clearing his throat, then shifting on his mattress. “But what’s the story, Boof?”

“Well, when we were out decorating Gram’s headstone last spring, I noticed a willow tree in the far corner of the cemetery and went to check it out. There were two headstones hidden under the vines. They were both heart-shaped, with angels etched around the names. It struck me as odd that they had the same last name but were separated. I thought if they’d been married, then surely they’d have shared one headstone. So that made me wonder if something had happened between them – maybe they’d gotten divorced or something – and that’s why they weren’t together.” Taking a deep breath, she let the memory resurface. “Then I saw the bottles of whiskey sitting on the base of each stone. They weren’t opened and looked like they’d been there a long time, maybe even as long as the stones had been there. The date on the guy’s stone had him passing away in 1972. The woman died about two years later. Neither of them were that old. Mid-thirties.”

“Wow.”

“I know. It didn’t look like there’d been any decorations there in a long time, so I figured that they probably hadn’t had family left in the area. By the time we got home, I was already blocking out a whole scenario around those whiskey bottles and a pair of broken hearts. It didn’t take too long to finish it.”

“I know you did the acoustic work, but is that a fiddle in there, too?”

“Yep.” She laughed quietly. “I’ve met a lot of new people since December.”

“I’ll say.” His grin was obvious over the line. “It still cracks me up that you’re so good at country music.”

“Well, I guess you can blame Lance.” Her fingers played with the edge of the CD case lying on the edge of the desk. “After he heard Commitment, he lent me some stuff by Martina McBride and George Strait and got me hooked on the style.”

“Whatever works, Boof. You know …”

“Hey, Jen!” Before he could say anything else, there was a quick knock at the door, then it burst open as Maggie came dancing into the room. “Girl, check your e-mail!”

“What?” Jen’s feet hit the ground as she sat up. “Why?”

“The director got an early start on notifications.” Maggie hopped in place. “Guess who gets to die a fabulous death in Act One?”

“Really? That’s awesome, Mags!” Standing up, Jen gave her a quick hug. “Congratulations.”

“Congrats, Maggie.” JC’s voice shook with laughter as it carried into the room. “How exactly are you going to make dying fabulous?”

“Oh, hey, Jace.” Casting a sheepish look toward her friend, she mouthed a silent apology. “Don’t you know by now that I make everything fabulous?” Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Anyway, get to it, Jenny. Let’s see the good news.”

“Okay, okay.” Jen sat back down, bringing the computer to life and opening her inbox. “Just … don’t get your hopes too high, all right?” The mouse hovered over the director’s message. “There were a lot of girls there with a lot more experience.”

“And not one of them brought the house down like you.” Maggie’s toe tapped impatiently. “Open it!”

“Okay, here goes.” Taking a deep breath, she opened the message and read the text slowly, her eyes widening in surprise as she sat back in stunned silence.

“She just went quiet, and that could go either way.” His tone was inquisitive. “Help me out, Mags. Which is it?”

“Hang on.” Leaning over Jen’s shoulder, she read the paragraphs quickly. “Oh, she got it. She totally got the part. As if they’d have gone with anyone else. You should’ve seen her, Jace. She was perfect.” Letting out a quick laugh, her eyes ran over the short sentences at the bottom of the screen. “And get this. The director says the decision to cast her was immediate and unanimous across the board. He’s eager to work with her and hopes that her experience with our group is gratifying.”

“I got it.” Jen’s voice was a little detached and her skin took on a slightly green tinge. “They actually cast me. I-I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“Okay, we’re in musical theater, not opening for Alice Cooper.” Maggie reached for the trash can as a precaution. “This is a great thing, Jenny. You were fantastic. The best one for it. Remember how much fun you had?”

“Yeah. It was a blast.” Her head shook back and forth. “I’m just not used to … to being the center of attention.”

“Well, you’ll have months of rehearsals to get used to it. Just think of how good it’ll be for you. And you’ll be earning a performance elective credit, to boot.” The redhead raised her voice so he couldn’t help but hear her. “Consider this your warning, C. Shows are the last three weekends in April. You need to make sure your butt is in one of those seats so you can see your girl do her thing.” A sigh escaped. “Bring the Goof Troop with you, if you must.”

“I hear you. I’ll do what I can.” Concern sharpened his voice. “Boof? How’re you holding up?”

“I’ll be okay.” With a deep breath, she sat back in her chair. “I’m just freaking out right now, but it’ll be fine.”

“Hey, Maggie? Think I could have her back?”

“Sure.” Maggie sent a wink Jen’s direction, a knowing smile lighting her features as she headed for the door. “Later, Jace.”

“Later.” He waited until he heard the door close before he continued. “Go ahead and take me off speaker, Jenny.”

Leaning forward, she picked the cordless unit off the base, pressing the button to activate the handset. “All right.”

“Are you okay? Be honest.”

“I’m terrified.” Her hands trembled as she shook her head. “What if I can’t repeat what they liked so much? What if the whole thing was a fluke and I completely blow it? What if …”

“Hey, hey. Stop psyching yourself out. You’re going to be wonderful.” She heard him sigh. “Apparently, you’ve already been wonderful. I wish I could’ve seen it.”

“I kinda fell apart after it was over, wishing you were here.” Her nose wrinkled a bit at the admission. “But it’s okay, Josh. Like I said, I’ll get used to it.”

“I’m so sorry, Boof.” His regret was clear. “Is Coda close enough to grab?”

“Yeah.” She reached out to retrieve the stuffed white bear with patches of black fabric printed with a rainbow of musical symbols accenting his paws and a multicolored treble clef on his overstuffed belly, cuddling him to her chest. With a quiet laugh, she pressed her cheek into the soft fur on top of the bear’s head. “He pretty much lives on my desk, unless I take him upstairs with me.”

“Well, go ahead and give him a hug for me.”

“I already am.”

“Good. Squeeze him extra tight, okay?” An unusual roughness entered his voice. “God, I wish I was there with you right now.”

“I know. Me, too.” Another laugh escaped. “Sucks, huh?”

“Like hell.” He took a deep breath. “You know I can’t guarantee that I’ll make it, but I promise to do my absolute best to get home for your show.”

“All I need is to know you’ve tried.” Her finger traced the stitching on Coda’s belly. “Anything more than that is just a bonus.” Brown eyes drifted over to the clock on the wall. “I should let you go. It’s nearly one o’clock where you are.”

“It’s all right.” She could hear him fighting back a yawn. “I’m good.”

“You’re going to be asleep in five minutes.” Her voice trembled with humor. “Go to bed, Josh.”

“I’m already in bed.” His grin carried over the line. “Comfy under the covers, lights out, talking to my favorite person.”

Her gaze traveled over to the framed photograph that Coda usually sat next to and she couldn’t help her smile. The bear had been sitting on his bed when she made it back in from the airport, a little tag tied around his foot: Whenever you start missing me, just hug this guy as tight as you can. The box holding her necklace had been cradled in his lap, a folded piece of paper tucked inside: Wear this every day and think of me. Lying next to him on the comforter had been the photo of the two of them after he’d helped her off the stairs at Pleasure Island, a sticky note attached to the frame: Kissing you is amazing, but this is what I’m going to miss the most.

She hadn’t needed to look twice to know what he meant. That photo made her question any doubts she’d ever had about possibly being right for him. The way they smiled at each other with their foreheads touching, her hands on his face as his arms held her tightly … even in print, it was glaringly obvious that there was more between them than friendship. Much more.

Besides, her Mr. Right would bring stuffed animals, wouldn’t he? Coda had already been laying on his bed when they’d said their goodbyes at the airport. Jen couldn’t help but grin as her fingers rubbed across the bear’s fur. Either JC was a mind reader, or he knew her better than she’d thought.

“Yeah, you’re my favorite person, too.” She bit her lip when she heard his breathing deepen. “Get some sleep and I’ll talk to you later.”

“Uh huh.” His tone gave away how close to sleep he really was. “’Night, Boof.”

“’Night, Josh.”

----------------------------------------

February 14, 1996

“Somebody’s wasting a lot of money.” Jen shook her head as she lifted the rose off her windshield, twirling it between her fingers for a moment before choosing another car to leave it on and heading toward her next class. The flower she’d found after her audition last month had only been the first, one flower – or sometimes two or three – showing up on her car each week since. She’d find them between classes, when she’d stop by her car to swap bags before heading into the Music building for sessions with Brian, and there was never a hint as to who they were from.

She’d sent Chris a message, asking if he or the guys knew anything. None of them were involved and none of the people in her circle of friends had any reason to be leaving her the gifts. After the first few, she’d come to the conclusion that someone was mistaking her car for someone else’s and began passing them on, hoping they’d land on the vehicle they were really intended for.

If nothing else, she had to applaud the persistence.

Three hours later, the answer was lying underneath a full dozen roses that had been delivered to the hood of the Tracker. The card was pristine, with crystal clear calligraphy addressing the gift to Alexis.

“Ah. Yeah, no Alexis here.” Picking up the bouquet and card, she quickly scanned the other vehicles in the lot, looking for anyone driving a similar model to hers. Walking down the next row, she focused on a small black SUV with a vanity plate sparkling with the letter A.

A blonde girl walking down the opposite side of the lane crossed over, heading for the vehicle, and Jen sped up, hoping to catch her before she left. “Excuse me! Is your name Alexis?”

“What?” The girl’s head turned in surprise, her eyes widening as Jen approached with the flowers. “Yes. I’m Alexis.”

“I’m pretty sure these are for you.” A relieved smile spread across Jen’s face as she handed over the bouquet. “I think someone’s been mistaking my car for yours. They’ve been leaving single roses for the past couple of weeks, but they didn’t say who they belonged to.”

“Oh, wow.” Alexis took the flowers, her fingers working on the flap of the envelope until she could pull out the card to read it. “Aw, he’s so sweet!”

“You wouldn’t happen to be working on a production with the Orlando Orchestra, would you?”

“I play the violin.” Blue eyes focused on her, sparking in recognition. “You’re in the cast, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” Jen shook her head and laughed. “I think you might want to make sure he knows which car is yours. And tell him that I’m sorry about all the others. I’m hoping they went to good homes.”

“Thank you so much.” Alexis sent her a bright smile, holding the roses just a little tighter. “I’ll be sure to let him know.”

Just in case, Jen laid a note on her dash, making sure anyone standing outside would know that she was Not Alexis. Two days later, a large artificial sunflower was on her windshield, with a tag thanking her for straightening out the mix-up. She couldn’t help her smile when she read that Alexis and Ben were now making beautiful music together.

Backing out of the parking spot, she never noticed the rose left mangled by the driver’s side front tire.

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April 26, 1996

The sky was sparkling with stars as he pushed through the door, thanking the heavens that he’d remembered his keys, and cringed as the alarm began beeping in the hallway. Quickly, his fingers flew over the code and he sighed when all was quiet again. Making sure the door was locked behind him, he reset the alarm and headed toward his bedroom, blinking wearily in the darkness.

A dim light shone through the doorway and his brow furrowed until he stepped into the room, his gaze immediately focusing on the glowing bathroom light, then turning to the bed. A smile formed when he found her laying there, curled on her side, shivering a bit as she burrowed into the comforter.

Letting his duffel drop to the floor, he walked to the bedside and leaned over her, his fingers brushing the hair out of her face. “Jenny?” She gave no response, a sigh lifting her chest as she pressed her face deeper into the pillow. With a quiet laugh, he kissed her forehead and moved around the bed, kicking off his shoes and tossing his jacket onto the chair in the corner.

He almost groaned in relief as he settled onto the comforter, his eyelids becoming extremely heavy the instant his head came down on the pillow, only to become slightly more alert when she moved next to him. Taking a deep breath, she rolled over and into his arms, never coming awake as she hugged him around the waist and snuggled herself to him, her cheek settling against his chest.

Every ounce of the tension he’d been carrying since being notified of the cancellation of his morning flight drained away, having her in his arms suddenly making the stressful rush to book and make a late flight from D.C. entirely worth it. She shivered again and his hold tightened on her, pulling her closer to his chest as he reached across to tug the comforter over them both, creating a cocoon of soft warmth. He tilted his head down to inhale the floral scent of her shampoo and finally relaxed completely, drifting to sleep as she breathed against him.

What seemed like minutes later, he felt her suddenly tensing in his arms and knew that she was waking up. Wearily, he opened his eyes to find her blinking sleepily in confusion, staring at his chest. “Hey, Boof. I’m home.” With a tired smile, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Do you have class today?”

“No … no classes today. If I have my way, I’ll never have another Friday class.” Her brow furrowed as she shook her head, raising her eyes to meet his. “How are you here? I wasn’t expecting to see you until after your showcase thing tonight.”

“Morning flight got canceled, so I had to rebook for a late flight with a layover in Knoxville. Got in a little after three.” His arms squeezed her as his eyes closed again. “The others are all getting into town at different times, so we’re not meeting up until just before we have to be at the high school for a warmup.” He arched his back in a stretch, moving her with him. “What time do you need to be at the theater?”

“I have to appear for makeup and wardrobe by six.” The warmth of his body was tempting, but she kept her gaze on his relaxed features. “You did say you wanted seven tickets for tomorrow night, right?”

“Yep. Diane and Lynn wanted to come, too.” He let his fingers comb through her hair. “If you don’t have to be anywhere until six, how about we just nap for a few more hours and then head out for some lunch?”

“Sounds perfect.” She settled back against him, one hand reaching to touch his face. Brown eyes lit with a smile when he turned to kiss her palm, his eyes blinking open to look down at her, and she scooted herself closer to him, brushing her lips against the side of his chin. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too, Jenny.” A sigh rattled through his chest as he hugged her tightly, his lips moving against her forehead as his heavy eyelids lost their battle, quickly falling closed as sleep returned. “Me, too.”