Jacob's Ladder: Gabe (Jacob's Ladder #1)

One month later

It was just a usual Friday morning that found me out working in the warehouse, rather than behind my desk. Armed with my clipboard of paperwork, I was inspecting the progress on some of our latest jobs. Since I’d starting dating Gabe, Fridays were spent counting down the hours until I could see him. Either he would drive up to Hayesville or I’d drive into Atlanta, and sometimes we would meet halfway to stay in the guesthouse at Abby and Jake’s farm.

True to his word, he spent two weeks with me before he had to return to Atlanta to begin work in the studio. We’d have breakfast together at my house. Then I’d go to work, and he’d go do what I joked were his musicly things. When lunch rolled round, he would bring food to the shop. Most days, he would bring lunch for my dad as well, and the three of us would eat together. He’d quickly picked up the names of most of the men who worked for us, and like Dad, he would hang around shooting the shit, until it was time for Linc to get in from school.

Sometimes we would sneak in a quickie. We’d gotten pretty creative with picking locations, and some of my favorites were banging in the back seats of some of the abandoned cars in the junkyard.

Once Linc arrived home from school, Gabe’s attention became focused on him. He helped him with his homework and made sure he had a somewhat healthy afterschool snack. They would sometimes disappear for hours on end somewhere away from the shop. Whenever I would question what they were doing, Gabe would tell me they were just throwing a football around. I knew he was secretly hoping to get me to lighten up on Linc’s desire to play guitar.

Although I’d been heartbroken when he’d had to go back to Atlanta, Gabe worked double time to make it seem like we weren’t apart. There were Facetime chats through the day, as well as some late at night for phone sex. While I’d been skeptical at first about if we could make a long-distance relationship work, things had rolled along well these last two weeks. Still, I did worry about what it would be like when Gabe went back on the road. Even though he assured me it wouldn’t be as bad as I feared, I still couldn’t help being worried.

I’d just finished inspecting the replacement of a rear deferential when I heard my name called. When I looked up, I saw one of the mothers from Linc’s class in the doorway. I hurried across the floor to meet her.

“Hey Britt. What seems to be the problem?”

An embarrassed flush filled her cheeks. “I sort of ran off in a ditch on the way home last night. I think I’ve done something to the front wheels.”

Smiling, I said, “Well, you’ve certainly come to the right place.” I scribbled on my notepad. “I’ll get someone to head outside and check on your front-end alignment.”

“Thanks, Rae.” As I started to call for one of the guys, Britt said, “You know, I didn’t think I’d find you here this morning.”

“Oh? Why not?” I questioned absently as I craned my neck to see who might be free.

“I figured you’d be at the school.”

Shiiiiit. With being hot and heavy with Gabe, had I somehow forgotten something important at Linc’s school? “Uh, remind me again what’s happening at school today?”

“It’s the talent show.” Britt rolled her eyes in a huff. “I would be there myself if Mackensie hadn’t chickened out at the last minute and refused to do the number she’s been practicing for weeks on the piano.”

I furrowed my brows at her. “What does the talent show have to do with Linc?”

“He’s playing Love Me Tender on the guitar.”

“Excuse me?”

Britt looked taken aback. “That’s just what the program said.”

I shook my head. “There must be some mistake. Linc doesn’t even own a guitar. How could he be performing today?”

After digging in her purse, Britt produced a folded red sheet. “Here. See for yourself,” she said as she handed it to me.

When I gazed down at the program, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There it was in black lettering: Lincoln Hart—Love Me Tender, guitar solo. Blinking, I tried fighting the feeling that I had slipped into some alternate universe. The one thing I did know was that I needed to get to the school and find out what the hell was going on.

“Thanks, Britt. I, um, I gotta go.”

“Rae?” Britt questioned as I sprinted past her and out the door. Of course, I realized halfway to my car that I didn’t have my keys. After turning around, I hurried back inside, and Britt once again asked, “Rae?”

“I’m sorry. I just came back in to get my keys.” Once I had retrieved my purse from the office, I grabbed the first man I saw, which happened to be Donnie Granger. “Go take care of Britt’s car.”

Wide-eyed at my breathless request, Donnie nodded. After getting in my vehicle, I tore out of the parking lot on two wheels. I didn’t bother telling Dad or the others where I was going. Although it took less than five minutes to walk to Hayesville Elementary, I didn’t want to waste any time.

After slinging my Passport into the first empty parking space I came across, I flung the door open and jogged inside the building then hurried down the empty hallways to the auditorium. When I threw open the door, I heard an upbeat tempo blaring from the speakers. A group of girls was doing a choreographed hip-hop dance.

When the routine ended, the principal came to the microphone. “Thank you Jenna, Keri, and Melissa for that wonderful dance. Next up we have Lincoln Hart.”

My heart leapt into my throat at the sound of his name. Although I should have been glad I hadn’t missed his performance, it just drove home the fact that it was really happening. Linc was playing the guitar—and not only was he playing the guitar, he was doing it in front of an audience. I suddenly had a flashback of middle school when Ryan had sung and played the guitar part for The Thunder Rolls by Garth Brooks. “This seriously can’t be happening,” I murmured.

As Linc walked out from behind the curtain, my chest ached. My somewhat shy son was beaming as he gazed out into the crowd. Somehow between home and school, he’d added a tie to the white button-down shirt he had put on that morning. He must’ve packed it in his backpack where I wouldn’t see it.

Linc sat down in a chair in the center of the stage. After adjusting the guitar on his lap, he began to strum the opening chords. It made sense that he had chosen Love Me Tender—Dad was a huge Elvis Presley fan, and I was sure he’d heard the song countless times.