As Johnny prepares to play another set at the House of Blue Lights, he plugs in his amp and tunes his guitar-and then he sees her. Tall, blonde, and sexy, the mystery woman turns heads as she walks in and finds a seat at the bar. Right then and there, Johnny decides he will do whatever it takes to make her his. He saunters over to the bar and strikes up a conversation with Allison Miller, quickly realizing she is one-of-a-kind. Smart, gorgeous, and quick-witted, Allison is everything he has ever wanted in a woman-and more. Despite recently enduring a bad breakup and swearing off men forever, Allison agrees to go out for coffee with Johnny, igniting a passionate relationship that leaves them inseparable, madly in love, and immune to the rest of the world. Fate makes a surprise appearance several months later in the form of a pregnancy, and the couple decides to get married. In this compelling tale, two unsuspecting young lovers have no idea that an unspeakable tragedy is about to strike, rending the delicate fabric of their family and causing an upheaval that may tear them apart forever.

SON IN THE SKY

By Libby Layfield

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Libby Layfield
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-5105-9

Contents

Acknowledgments.....................................viiMusic Connection....................................xiPrologue............................................xiiiChapter 1. By Your Side.............................1Chapter 2. One More Day.............................54Chapter 3. I Can See Everything.....................118Chapter 4. Remember Me..............................158Chapter 5. Breakdown................................187Chapter 6. On Top Of The World......................223Chapter 7. Fear To Fall.............................251Chapter 8. The Way We Were..........................277Chapter 9. Son In The Sky...........................310Chapter 10. Opened Up...............................344Chapter 11. Heaven To Me............................379

Chapter One

BY YOUR SIDE

Three years ago

Johnny finished plugging in the last of the wires and looked around satisfied. He was playing in a local bar and there was a good crowd already. He had a pretty good reputation; he even had a few groupies. He loved singing, performing, and feeling the energy of the audience. He just wished it paid more. Some day, he thought for the millionth time. Right now he was playing cover songs of famous bands, but he was starting to write his own songs. He still dreamed of fame and stardom. Johnny looked up and saw his sister, Julie, coming through the door. He smiled and waved to her. He loved it when she joined him. Their voices blended as easily as coffee and cream. Soon, Johnny was doing the one thing he liked more than any other: performing.

As he looked around the room, Johnny smiled. The crowd was into the music; most conversations had quieted down, and a couple was dancing. He estimated the ticket sales had to be close to eighty, not bad for a Thursday night. This bar attracted the local suburbanites as well as the occasional cowboy or trucker passing through. He liked playing at the "House of Blue Lights." If he could describe it in one word, he'd say it was comfortable. Warm colors, rich woods, and well-padded chairs filled the room. A big stone fireplace occupied one wall and TVs were scattered around the room and at the bar that jutted out from the back wall. Best of all, the lighting was perfect, never too bright or too dark. The place got its name because every window had one of those plastic candles with a blue bulb in it. Yeah, singing here was easy. He ended the song and the crowd applauded. Johnny thanked them and introduced the next song.

Just as he was starting the song, he noticed a woman coming in. He hadn't seen her before. She was striking: long blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen. He almost forgot the words to the song. He had to stop looking at her, but found that he couldn't. His eyes followed her as she wound her way to the bar. She didn't look like she was meeting someone. Johnny thought I definitely have to check her out on break. They played four more songs and then, finally, Johnny was able to head to the bar to see what he could find out about this mystery woman.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Julie asked.

"Never you mind, little sis. I'm on a mission," Johnny replied over his shoulder as he walked away.

As he approached the bar, Johnny purposely avoided the woman and went to the bar tender.

"Hey, Jake, come here. What can you tell me about the blonde over there?"

Jake glanced down the bar and back at Johnny.

"Out of your league, dude, out of your league."

"Come on, man; I'm not bad. She's alone right?" Johnny asked. Jake looked at his friend. Johnny was a good looking guy, but he wasn't drop-dead gorgeous like this chick. The fact that he was a personal trainer helped keep him in great condition.

"You're serious. Good luck with that, pal," Jake said. "I gotta get back to work." Johnny looked in the mirror behind the bar and at the woman down the bar. There was something about her. He figured You only live once. He walked down the bar toward his future.

He approached her nervously and introduced himself.

"Hi, I'm Johnny. How do you like the music?"

"It's okay," she said almost impudently. She was even prettier up close. Hers was a natural beauty; he didn't even think she had on make-up. I bet she is just as lovely to look at first thing in the morning as she is right here. He wondered where that thought came from.

"So, the music's just okay, huh?" Johnny asked her.

"I could maybe go to `pretty good' if the price is right," she said as she raised one eye brow. Johnny was intrigued by her wit.

"What's your name?"

She hesitated a moment, wondering the wisdom of pursuing this. He is definitely attractive, though. He had thick wavy black hair and well-chiseled features. She could tell he worked out; he had nice 'guns'. He was a few inches taller than her and nicely dressed.

"Allison Miller." She offered him her hand. Electricity shot through him as he took it. She felt it as well. Neither knew what to say. Julie broke the awkward moment, reminding him it was time for the next set.

He turned back to Allison.

"Duty calls. Will you be here a while?" Johnny asked sheepishly. She grinned at him. "Depends on the music," she said. He smiled and told her he'd see her at the next break.

The next two sets went well. Johnny continued his banter with Allison during his breaks. He'd never met a woman like her. She was smart, funny, and quick-witted. She gave as good as she got. All that wrapped in one of the nicest packages he'd seen in a long time. He guessed it was now or never.

"Would you like to get some coffee somewhere?"

She hesitated, again questioning her decision. She hadn't been this attracted to someone, this quickly, in a long time. She heard herself saying, "Sure," and thought "What the hell?" She had recently gone through a bad break-up and had sworn off men. And here she was agreeing to go out with a virtual stranger. At midnight. When she had to work in the morning. I must be crazy, she thought, but knew she was going anyway.

"I need a few minutes to get my stuff together," he was saying. "Just wait here."

"Okay, but you'd better hurry." She smiled at him as he left.

They ended up going to the IHOP because it was open all-night. They each ordered coffee—hers with cream and sugar, his black. They were nervous at first, unsure of themselves and each other. But within minutes, conversation flowed easily. She found out that he was a personal trainer during the day. He was twenty-two and hoped to make a living playing music. He shared an apartment with a friend, no pets. He drove a Dodge Caliber; sensible, with room in the back for his equipment. She drove a flashy black Spyder convertible. It was an older model, but it looked and ran great. Johnny learned that Allison had just turned twenty-one, worked as a receptionist at a local dentist office, and still lived at home with her parents. Neither had liked school much, so they didn't consider going to college. They had similar views on religion and politics. Before they knew it, the sun was coming up.

"Oh my god! What time is it? I've got to get home," Allison whined.

"Relax," Johnny said patting her hand. "We'll get you out of here."

He signaled to the waitress. After paying for food he'd forgotten he'd eaten, they walked reluctantly to the parking lot. He took her to her car, wrapped his hands around her face, and bent to kiss her. She tasted better than he had imagined, which he'd done a lot of tonight. They fit together perfectly; she was just a couple of inches shorter than him. They kissed for what seemed an eternity before Johnny finally lifted his face from hers. Still holding her face close, he whispered, "I feel like I've known you forever, that everything in my life was preparation for tonight, for meeting you. I've never felt this way." She looked up at him with big blue eyes. God, he could get lost in those eyes.

"This is new to me, too. I don't know how to act either."

He kissed her again, so gently she thought she might cry. When he broke the kiss this time, he was all business. He reached for his phone to put in her number. Allison got hers and did the same. Johnny told her he was working that night at the French Creek Inn. She quickly agreed to meet him there. She reached up, gave him a quick peck on his cheek, broke their embrace, and started to get in her car.

"Wait! Not so fast," Johnny called. He grabbed her arms, drew her near. He kissed her hard, nothing like the last time. She drew away, breathless.

"Now that's how to kiss goodbye. See you tonight."

He released her and turned to go to his car. She stood there for a few seconds, as if in a trance. She shook her head to clear it and slowly sank into her car.

Allison managed to get to work on time, though she was lucky not to get a speeding ticket. She'd raced home, took the world's fastest shower, tied her hair up in a bun, and threw on pants and a sweater. No time for make-up, not that she wore much. She grabbed her bag and ran quietly down the stairs. She was glad her mom was still sleeping. She didn't want to talk to her yet. She didn't want to answer the inevitable fifty questions about where she was last night.

"I've got to move out of here," she mumbled as she left the door.

Allison got in her car and sped out of the driveway. Traffic wasn't too bad, thank God. She looked at the clock in her car and figured she had about ten minutes to get there and another five to park and get in the office. She'd be cutting it real close. She drove as fast as she dared down Burlington Ave., hoping no cops were around. She couldn't afford another speeding ticket. She pulled in the lot and found a space. Running in the door, she almost tripped over a toddler crawling away from his mother. She apologized profusely and entered the office area. She went straight to the time clock and punched in with literally seconds to spare. She hung her coat on a hook, sat in her chair, and put on head phones and a smile. The phone rang, as if on cue, and she answered it cheerfully. Fortunately, it was a busy day at the office. Allison didn't have a lot of time to think about how tired she was. She did manage to find time to think about Johnny. She couldn't wait to see him again. She was going to have to squeeze in a nap, though.

Johnny had managed to get five hours of sleep before his first appointment at the O'Fallon Gym, so he started his day a little more relaxed than Allison. He thought about her while he showered and dressed. He thought of her while he ate a quick breakfast and in his car driving to the gym. He was thinking of her while he greeted his first client and all through their training session. He wished he didn't have to work tonight, or ever for that matter. He just wanted to be with her. Forever. Holy shit! I sound like a man in love. What is wrong with me?

"New woman?" Johnny's client, Carlin, asked.

"What?" Johnny said as he shook off his thoughts.

"You have a shit-eating grin on your face, and you're totally distracted," Carlin replied.

"Am I that transparent? Sorry, man. Just met her last night and I can't get her out of my head," Johnny replied.

"It's okay, man. Been there. Just don't forget me while you think about her," Carlin laughed.

Johnny knew Carlin was just jerking his chain. They'd been working together for several months and had gotten to know and like each other. Carlin had gone to see Johnny sing a couple of times. At the same time, Carlin was right. He was paying for Johnny's undivided attention. Johnny vowed to put Allison out of his mind for now; something that was easier said than done. T.G.I.F. he thought. When Carlin finished, Johnny had an hour before his next client. He went through his workout mindlessly, hoping to expend some restless energy and focus his mind for his two remaining clients. But thoughts of Allison kept creeping in. Just a few more hours and he could be with her. He couldn't wait to kiss her again. Johnny was torn from his imagination by the arrival of his next client. He had to focus for this one. Betty had metastatic breast cancer in her spine and ribs. They were working on building muscle to support her weakened bones. Johnny greeted her warmly and put all thoughts of Allison out of his mind. He worked with Betty for an hour, stretching her muscles, helping her on and off the machines, always gentle. At the end, as always, she thanked him. She never complained. He knew her prognosis was not good, yet she was always upbeat. He admired her greatly. He gave her a hug and told her to take care of herself. Watching her walk away, he hoped he'd have as much courage facing death as she did. His last client, Ethan, walked in a minute after Betty left. No time for dreaming.

"At least this is the last one," Johnny said under his breath. "Then I'm outta here."

Three hours later, he was cleaned up and ready for the night. He had his equipment in the French Creek Inn and was just setting up his microphone when he saw her come in.

She was even prettier than he remembered. He dropped the microphone and walked to her waving. They embraced and kissed a little longer than was proper.

"I'm so glad to see you. I was afraid you might not show." Johnny said as they separated.

"How could you think that? It took all the restraint I had not to show up an hour ago." Allison laughed in return. They kissed again quickly and walked back to Johnny's equipment. His set started in a half an hour. As he began setting up the microphone again, he motioned Allison to a nearby chair.

"So, how was your day?" Johnny asked, interested. Allison told him bits and pieces of her day at work.

"Then, when I get home, my mom starts giving me the third degree about where I was last night. I told her as little as I could and went to bed. I got a couple of hours sleep before I came here."

"My poor baby," Johnny said as he walked over and rubbed her shoulders. Allison moaned under his touch. "You're pretty good at this".

"I made it part of my education when I was studying to be a personal trainer. I can give you a full body massage just like a professional."

"I'll bet you can," Allison laughed.

While Johnny played, Allison watched from a nearby table. She loved looking at him. His jeans and shirt fit perfectly. She wondered where he shopped. There were so many things they didn't know about each other. Johnny finished his first set and came to sit with her. He would be hers for about a half hour before he had to sing again. Her eyes lit up when he came over. They kissed quickly. Johnny sat next to her, held her hand, and rubbed it gently.

"How are you doing?" he asked.

"Great, now that you're here."

They talked non-stop during the break and parted reluctantly. The scene repeated itself at the next break, and then he was wrapping up his last set. It had been a good night; he'd drawn a big crowd, and they'd been receptive. He couldn't wait for it to end so he could be alone with Allison. He wondered what might happen tonight. He hadn't thought past seeing her. He'd assumed they'd be together after the show, but he hadn't asked her. He had a moment's panic thinking she might want or need to go home. As soon as the song was over, and the applause died down, he went to her.

"Can you stay out? Do you have to go home or anything?" he asked urgently.

"No, I'm all yours," she said with a smile that just about knocked his socks off.

"I'll hurry with my equipment," he smiled back.

They decided to go to his apartment; neither wanted to be around other people. Allison was surprised by how tidy he kept the place. This was no college flop house with mismatched furniture and crap everywhere. The couch and love seat made an L; the couch faced a big screen on the wall, and the love seat faced a fireplace. Stools stood in front of a high counter that separated the kitchen from the living area. Several prints hung on the walls. While she had been looking around, Johnny had been setting the mood. Candles were lit on the mantle and on several other surfaces. One lamp was on low, soft music was coming from his stereo, and the fire place was burning.

"You've done this before," Allison said with a laugh.

"Maybe once or twice," Johnny grinned sheepishly.

She loved that smile. Johnny looked around the apartment, feigning hurt feelings. "What? You don't like it?" he asked.

"No, no. It's really nice, very, ummm, welcoming and comfortable," Allison said.

"Just what I was going for!" Johnny crowed proudly. He'd decorated the apartment himself and was glad she liked it. Johnny got a bottle of wine and a couple glasses. They settled on the love seat in front of the fire. They drank and kissed and laughed and snuggled. They felt as if they'd been together forever, so it was natural that they ended up in his bed. There were no awkward first time feelings, just two people expressing their desire for one another. They finally fell asleep around four, exhausted. They were spooning closely with the hint of smiles on their faces.

Allison awoke first the next morning. She looked around for a second and remembered where she was. She turned slowly to look at Johnny. He was even more handsome with his overnight beard growth. She wanted to wake him up with kisses, but it was still early. She slipped out of bed to go to the bathroom. She used his toothbrush hoping to avoid morning breath, then scurried back to the warm bed. Johnny had woken up when she flushed the toilet and was feigning sleep. As she tried to slink silently under the covers, Johnny rose up and grabbed her with a growl. She screamed and fought to get away at first. Then she was mad.

"That was mean. I hate getting scared like that," she cried.

Johnny was laughing, which just made her madder.

"I'm sorry, baby. I won't do it again," he soothed as his held her close.

Soon, Allison forgot why she was mad at him. His hands on her body occupied her thoughts. They made love again, this time in the morning sunlight. When they finished and laid there catching their breath, Johnny asked her what she wanted to do with their day.

"I just did it," she giggled.

"No, seriously, we can't stay in bed all day. Looks pretty nice out. It's supposed to be warmer today. How about a picnic?"

Allison considered it. She hadn't gone on a picnic in ages.

"Sounds great," she said.

She silently thanked God she had packed a clean outfit.

They got up, cleaned up, and got some supplies together. They went to Panera Bread Company for sandwiches and drinks and loaded them in the cooler. Allison drove her Spyder. It was too chilly to put the top down, but it was still fun to drive. She figured she'd let Johnny drive back. They headed up Highway 79 north from O'Fallon toward Hannibal following the Mississippi River. You couldn't see the river for the most part because of the large flood plain, but the bluffs on the Illinois side were plainly visible. Johnny had been right; it was a beautiful day with clear blue skies. Most of the trees had lost their leaves, they presented a gray horizon looming above the still green grass. They drove for more than an hour; talking some, listening to music, or thinking about the events of the last two days.

"Turn there, by that sign," Johnny said, bringing Allison out of her thoughts.

She turned left and went a short distance up a steep hill. At the top were picnic tables and some of the most amazing views of the mighty Mississippi. Allison quickly parked the car and jumped out.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from SON IN THE SKYby Libby Layfield Copyright © 2012 by Libby Layfield. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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