Free Yes to Everything by Shayne McClendon Page A

said the website hits have tripled since we uploaded the photo shoot and the fan club is four times what it was. You’ve also changed a lot for us personally, given us a little group of people to worry about. That means something. Your folks would be so proud of you.”
    He kissed her forehead and led her to the edge of the dance floor where Decklan was waiting to take her back out. “You look beautiful, Brooke. The girls are damn adorable and Jackson looks very much like the man he’s going to be one day. You do good work. Are you having fun?” She nodded and tightened her arms slightly around him. “You’re a natural, you know. Already a hit and we couldn’t be prouder.”
    Her mouth curved slightly, “Y’all are very good for my ego, I can tell you that much.”
    “You’re easy to compliment, Brooke, we don’t have to fake it with you, honey.” He moved her around the floor and when a faster number came on, he two-stepped with her, loving how well she moved.
    Dancing with either of the twins was fun and exciting. They were relaxed and very good. Glancing around, Brooke noted Sidney was dancing with lots of different men and wasn’t in the least interested in any of them. The smile on her face was practiced and forced though not entirely unhappy.
    Jeanette sat at their table sipping water. She preferred keeping a close eye on Becca and Molly, so she was never far from them. Brooke knew she was incredibly shy around men and wondered how to pull her out of her shell. Someone so generous with herself deserved a person who loved and appreciated them.
    A little while later a bonus track from their CD started playing that Brooke had never heard. Jackson listened to several notes and woke Becca up. A huge screen at the front of the ballroom showed the Kincaid family during one of their jam sessions in the studio. All four of them plus Logan and Decklan were doing a cover of The World, the little ones’ favorite song.
    Jackson pulled Brooke to him tight with his hand around her waist, each of them with an arm around a little sister. All of them were shaking with emotion. As it came to an end, the place erupted with applause and Becca whispered, “Are they…is everyone clapping for us?” Brooke nodded teary-eyed and turned to the Bradshaw brothers. She hugged them hard as she cried and they hugged her back, crushing her between them.
    The emcee called them all to the stage and they made their way up slowly. The brothers strapped on guitars, Jackson went to the drums, Molly the piano, and Becca took a tambourine from a stage hand with a nervous little giggle and a curtsy.
    As Brooke picked up her fiddle, the brothers nodded and winked at her. They did a rocking cover of We’re from the Country and thrilled everyone in attendance. Begged to play another, Brooke had no choice but to follow Jackson’s drum intro to Devil Went Down to Georgia. She knew she had never played so hard in her life. Decklan led and all of them joined in on the chorus.
    On the last note there was a moment of stunned silence before howls and cheers exploded around the room. Knowing the celebrities attending, Brooke felt a moment of intense clarity about her future with Broken Bronco. For the first time she knew she was going to be alright.
    As the clock struck midnight, they sang Happy Birthday to Brooke who was at last a legal adult. The Bradshaw brothers welcomed her officially to the band and the label but more importantly to the family of country music. Then she did cry a little and her family huddled around her.
    A few more rounds of mingling and she gathered her brother and sisters to head back to the hotel. Logan and Decklan walked them out to the limo and kissed her cheeks as she got in. They’d asked if she wanted them to follow her back to the hotel but she could tell they had other things on their mind and wanted to stay. She smiled and let them off the hook, trying not to pay attention to the pain in her chest at the guilty faces