Take Me Away From Here

Chapter 35

Tim POV: 

I sit backstage in a trailer, while stage managers try to explain to me how things are going to work tonight. It's always the same at venues like these, so listening is fruitless. I watch the tv, as it plays an avocado commercial, making me laugh and roll my eyes. You can tell we are in California. The ad changes to the local news. 

"Tonight, country mega-star Tim McGraw plays the Northern California State Fair, marking just his third performance since the tragedy in Dallas. McGraw and his ex-wife, fellow superstar Faith Hill were both wounded in the incident. Hill still remains in critical condition a full four months later." The anchor says, making me cringe. No matter where I go, it always seems to track me down. The stage managers leave, before Craig comes in, sitting across from me. He looks like hell. 

"How are you holding up?" He asks, as if this is the first time we've seen each other since. Kim hired him on temporarily as my assistant manager so she could stay by Faith's side. She emphasized strongly that if I fell off the wagon, she'd hold him directly responsible. 

"I'm fine." I say, before grabbing water from the fridge. I chug some, before looking out the window at the massive crowd forming on the lawn. He sighs, leaning back on the couch. 

"Sara's here." He admits, making exhale deeply. "She wanted to see you." He adds, now causing me to wince. I open my mouth to decline, before hearing the door to the trailer open. She steps in, sparing a smile. "And that's my queue to go..." Craig says, clasping his hands together and walking out. I shut off the tv, sitting down on the counter, and watch her walk in. She crosses her arms, biting her lip and cocking her head a little. 

"Hey." She lets out. I spare her a smile, watching one form on her. "Listen, I just wanted to let you know I'm sorry. I understand why you went to her, and it was wrong of me not to reach out." 

"I shouldn't have just abandoned you like that though." I reply, watching her laugh. She shakes her head. 

"Tim, I'm a grown woman. I can handle myself. But she... she was terrified. She needed help, and you helped her, as the mother of your children, and I understand that." She explains, while I nod slowly, feeling like that's a bit of an oversimplification of it. "I know she's the love of your life... and I know right now, this whole situation really, is really hard on you. I just want you to know that I'm here for you still." She says, sparing me a smile. I nod once more, looking down at the ground as she walks off the trailer. 

I wait for a couple minutes, taking some time to think, before walking out toward the stage. I have about fifteen minutes till I go on. I stand on the side, recognizing her voice immediately. I smile, watching her belt out one of her more popular songs. 

"On the backseat of a Greyhound bus... head hung down with the windows up... staring at the rest of her life... She never thought this would be the place, where she would find her saving grace. But she fell in love, she fell in love... On the backseat of a Greyhound bus..."She sings, before the crowd cheers. She spares them a sweet smile, before looking over and locking eyes with me. The band stops between songs, before she smiles my way. "Hello, California!" She lets out, causing them to erupt. "Why don't we kick this off with my newest single, As If, co-written with me by the wonderful Tim McGraw." She says, receiving even more cheers. "It'd be quite the honor if he'd like to step out and help me out on this one." She says, looking my way. I spare her a smile, before grabbing a mic. I wave to the crowd, causing them to shout louder. "You want to pick up the harmony?" She asks, covering the mic. I nod, as the band begins to play. 

"I love the way you wear those worn-out blue jeans... walkin' all around in the big sunshine. Baby, let me believe that you're perfect, at least for a little while... And you don't have to tell me what you're thinkin'...  you can keep all that to yourself. Baby, we got such a good thing goin'. Don't show me that your someone else." She sings, smiling my way. I smile back, before coming in on the chorus. 

"'Cause I'm actin' as if this blue skies never gonna rain down on me. I'm tellin' myself this true love's never gonna leave me lonely... Unless there's something I've missed, I'm actin' as if..." We harmonize, her smile clear as day. "As if your sweet kiss is never gonna fade away... and the way you look at me will never change..."

 "'Cause I love the way you wear those worn-out blue jeans, walkin' all around in the big sunshine..." She sings acapella, mastering every note. 

"'Cause I'm actin' as if this blue skies never gonna rain down on me. I'm tellin' myself this true love's never gonna leave me lonely... Unless there's something I've missed, I'm actin' as if..." We sing together again, her eyes never leaving mine through our combined parts. 

"Oh, I'm actin' as if..." She holds out the last note, before the fans cheer. We wrote that song right before the shooting, when our relationship seemed to be getting serious. We used to write all the time. That was part of what brought us together, and what sobered me up. Whenever I wanted to turn to whiskey, she'd sit down with me and a guitar. 

I walk off stage, watching her finish her set. She blows them away, before bowing and walking off the stage three songs later. She walks past me, patting my chest, before smiling. 

"Go get 'em, Cowboy." She remarks.