Gavin's Song (Road to Salvation A Last Rider's Trilogy 1)

While their mirror images met for the first time, his heart beat again to a rhythm that only they could understand … that only they could witness their reflections converging into one … that only she and wind could hear his whispered answer.

“I can hear you.”

Chapter Forty-Three

When the music changed to another song, Ginny knew that Trudy and Dalton had come outside. Switching to the song she wrote for them, she never took her eyes off the man across the pool. She memorized his face, as if it were a song that she would have to sing in front of thousands, afraid that if he left before she finished, she would never see him again.

Her tight grip on the microphone eased when she realized Shade was standing next to him. She would be able to find him … be able touch to him.

When the song ended, she started to go around the pool, when a movement brought her into Trudy’s waiting arms as she thanked her for singing and attending the wedding.

“You’re welcome,” she was finally able to get the strangled words outs.

When Dalton would have thanked her, she hooked Trudy’s arm through hers. “Willa needed you to check on something in the kitchen.”

“Uh … I just talked to … Willa.”

Desperately tugging her sister through the crowd that had swelled to watch her sing, Ginny kept trying to get her around the pool to the back door.

Tilting her head sideways, she whispered to Trudy. “Who’s that man with Shade?”

Ginny didn’t slow, rudely passing Fat Louise and Sex Piston as they tried to talk to Trudy.

“Who? I don’t see Shade?” Trudy craned her neck, trying to look over the crowd.

“Bitch, you owe me a new pair of white heels!” Sex Piston snapped, catching up with them to give Trudy a piece of her mind.

“I’ll pay for them,” Ginny said, trying to shut Sex Piston up from distracting Trudy.

Going around Crazy Bitch and Calder, she pulled Trudy closer to her so she would have a better viewpoint.

“Can you see him now?” Ginny kept trying to move her sister before Trudy could even answer, not caring that Trudy’s friends were looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

“Do you …?” Ginny started to say when Trudy’s mouth dropped open and her eyes went from where Shade and the man were going out the door, to her hopeful expression. She knew Trudy knew who he was.

Her sister brought her hands to her hips. “Oh … hell … no.” Trudy started shaking her head, some of her curls falling down that Sex Piston had styled.

“Who is he?”

“No.” Trudy shook her head again. “Not in a million fucking years.”

“Sex Piston, did you see?”

Sex Piston turned pale, then looked down and decided to stare at her nails. “I couldn’t see him.”

“Crazy Bitch?”

Crazy Bitch looked at Sex Piston, then Trudy. “I didn’t see a fucking thing.”

“What’s going on?” Fat Louise asked.

“Nothing,” Trudy snapped.

“Did you see who Shade was talking to?” Ginny begged her.

“Excuse me. I need to go to the potty. Bye.”

Looking around at who else she could ask, her eyes met Killyama’s, and Ginny knew from the look in her eyes that she knew who the man was.

“If you don’t tell me who he is, I’ll just call and ask Shade,” she warned.

“It was Reaper, Viper’s brother.”

* * *

“Good morning,” Ginny greeted Willa as she walked into the church’s kitchen.

“Good morning. I thought you would still be asleep.” Opening the oven door, Willa slid a baking sheet in.

“It’s too beautiful a day to sleep in. Would you mind if I go out for a while?”

“Why would I mind? You don’t work for me anymore.” Willa smiled, beginning to roll out some pastry dough.

“I know, but I had planned to spend the day with you. But I ….”

“Ginny, you don’t have to explain. Go have a good time.”

“Thanks.” Ginny ran a hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “Do I look okay?”

The rolling pin stopped. “I’ve known you since you were eighteen years old. You’ve never once asked me how you look.”

Nervously, she pulled down the tan-colored top to make sure her pouch didn’t show. “It never mattered before.”

“And now it does?” she asked softly.

“Yes.”

“Can I ask why?” Willa’s eyes twinkled at her.

“You can, but I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Then I won’t. You can tell me when you’re ready. You look very pretty,” Willa complimented her.

Giving Willa a big hug, Ginny then gave her a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks, Willa.”

“Anytime.”

Leaving her friend to make pie crust, Ginny left the church. Usually, she stayed at the hotel when she was in town, but with so many of Dalton’s friends coming into town, Lucky offered to let her stay at the church, in the part where he and Willa used to live before they moved in with The Last Riders and built their own home on the connecting property.