Stealing Kisses

Chapter 26 (Five Years Later)

Tim POV: 

I watch the ceiling fan spin as a TV plays softly. I hear her voice for a moment, before Rob switches the station. I glance toward the tv, watching him bounce around channels. His eyes land on me, before turning the TV back onto the station her voice came from.

"If it's a dream, don't wake me up. I'll scream if this isn't love. If bein' lost means never knowin' how it feels without you, I wanna stay lost forever... I wanna stay lost forever, with you." A clip of her singing plays, before they show her in an interview. 

"So you're turning forty this year. How does that feel?" The interviewer asks, as Faith laughs, a gleam in her eye. 

"Old." She jokes, before shaking her head. "It feels great, honestly. I am honestly so blessed, and I find that the older I get, the more blessings come along." She says, smiling so brightly, it makes my cheeks sore. 

"You have an nine year old son. What is it like raising a child while on the road?" the interview question as Faith shrugs. 

"It's definitely not easy, but our team has been so flexible with our schedule so we have time to spend with Jake on the road." She answers, waiting eagerly for the next question. She seems so confident in the interview. 

"Your husband also serves as your manager. Has this affected your relationship at all?" They ask as Faith laughs once more. 

"Surprisingly, no. I know a lot of people could never imagine it, but he is not only my husband or manager, he's also my best friend, so it just works for us." She continues, as I feel Rob's eyes watching me. He turns off the tv, before clearing his throat, as I continue to stare. 

"Are you going to be ready to go on soon?" Rob asks quietly. I nod slowly, hearing him start to stand. I follow him out of the dressing room and out onto a set where I'm supposed to be interviewed. I sit down on one of the two stools in the middle of a sea of cameras, feeling the tech crew mic me up. I clip the mic to the front of my shirt, as Katie Cook sits across from me. 

"Hey, Tim. How are you doin'?" She asks, as I force a smile. She puts on her own mic, before testing it. They adjust lighting as she looks over her notes once more. 

"Rolling in 3...2..." a stagehand lets out, causing her to sit up straight. 

"Today we'll be sitting down with country music mega-star Tim McGraw. Tim, thanks for sitting down with us." Katie says with a cheery smile. I smile in response, waiting for her first question. Unlike Faith, I've never been confident in interviews. "So your new album, Let It Go, is coming out later this month. From what we've heard, it's a definite change in tone from your previous albums." She says. She pauses, I guess expecting me to talk. 

"Yeah, I figured it was time to branch out a little." I let out, before noticing how closed off I'm being. "I've taken the last few years to figure out my own sound and how I'd apply that to an album." I elaborate, before looking over at Rob. He issues a thumbs up. 

"One of my favorite songs is Put Your Lovin' On Me, which you also wrote. What inspired that song?" She asks, as I think back on the lyrics. 

There's a chance that you might see something rolling off my cheek, but don't stop, it's not you. Make me forget, be my drug, get me high on your touch for the night, alright? Just close your eyes, and put your lovin' on me.

I stare at Katie for a moment, before clearing my throat. 

"I just wanted to write something a little vulnerable." I start, before feeling a pain in my chest. 

Faith and I lay in bed, my head on her stomach as she runs her fingers through my hair. I stare up at the ceiling, as I feel her watch me. My hand trembles, despite my attempts to hold it steady. She exhales deeply, before I hear her voice. 

"What's going through your mind?" She asks quietly, her voice warming something inside of me. I continue to stare, before shrugging. "You know what I'm thinking about?" She says, gently combing through my hair in a soothing motion. "I'm thinking about how incredible it is that you and I made three perfect human beings." She admits, smiling a little as she says it. She laughs a little, shaking her head as she continues to speak. "Even with how fucked up and traumatizing our pasts were, we made three incredible girls, who will never go through the pain we went through." She tears up a little as I roll onto my side, looking up at her. I reach for her hand, feeling her wrap her fingers in mine. 

"I wish I could take away that pain." I let out, as she smile down at me. 

"You have." She replies lightly, placing her free hand on my cheek. "You have taken that pain and replaced it with more love than I know what to do with." She whispers, her smile and tears blending in a beautiful collage. I sit up, looking over my shoulder at her as she still clings to my hand. She pulls me back to her, causing me to crawl toward her. She kisses me, resting her hand on my cheek, her cold wedding band brushing against my skin. Her hands rest on either side of my jaw, cradling my head. "Now, it's mine turn to take away yours. The only way I can do that is if you meet me halfway, alright?"  She releases quietly, as I nod, intoxicated by her. 

"Mr. McGraw?" Katie pipes out, causing me to jump slightly. She clears her throat, before sparing me a smile. "You turned forty years old this year, are you planning on settling down anytime soon?" She says, as I stare. I shake off my stare, and attempt to come off bubbly. 

"I mean, if the right someone were to come along, then I'd definitely consider settling down. Right now, I'm married to my career, so that's my main priority." I let out, as she flips to her next card. 

"A few years back, you duetted with fellow country star Faith Hill for a Dolly Parton tribute. Dolly recently came out to say that your tribute was the best she's heard, and even said that you two should form a duo. What do you think about that?" Katie says, as I try not to cringe. 

"There are few people in this business as talented as Faith or Dolly, so I was just in good company." I remark quickly, trying to breeze through the question before I can overthink it. "I'd definitely love to do another duet with Faith. I think it's rare to see an artist of her caliber, so it's a real privilege to have performed with her." I reply, somehow navigating the question.