A determined woman who refused to allow the loss of everything she holds dear sway the courage of her convictions.
A lifelong loner who has fatherhood thrust upon him with the sudden passing of his best friend.
Two lives defined by tragedy and loneliness find each other in a moment of ultimate need.
Roxy has known for a while that something wasn't quite right in her small town. She thinks that uneasiness will be the least of her concerns when she loses the only man she's ever loved. But the family and community who have always sustained her turn against her in her when she needs them most. Heartbroken and alone, she leaves everything she's ever known in hopes of finding the answers which elude her.
Veteran musician Elwood has been on the road for his entire adult life. It's the only thing he knows, and one of the only things that's ever filled the gaping hole left in his soul when he lost his family as a teenager. But the high of playing on stage has started to wane in recent years, leaving him grappling with a loneliness that meaningless hookups on the road can never satisfy. All of that is forgotten in an instant when he gets a devastating call out of the blue from his oldest friend, asking for the biggest favor imaginable.
Beyond the Lighted Stage is the tale of two lonely souls who find each other in a small southern beach town. Both had long ago given up on the idea of happily ever after. But a tiny island community, along with one precious little girl, team up in the hopes of giving our intrepid heroes one last shot at true happiness.
Authors note:
This novel is a slow-burn, dual-POV contemporary romance. I attempted to break this novel up for easier consumption on this platform, but the simple truth is that this story just doesn't lend itself to that kind of separation. If a full novel in this medium doesn't sound appealing, please take a look at some of my other works. For everyone else, I really hope you enjoy my second offering in the realm of traditional romance.
Content warning for characters that have, and frequently discuss, their progressive beliefs.
All sensuality (on page or otherwise) takes place between characters who are eighteen or older.
Prologue
Ten Years Prior
"If you touch me with that thing," Edward "Elwood" LaJoie whispered through gritted teeth, "I'm going to rip your goddamn ears off."
"What's the matter, buddy?" Marcus Russell asked with a chuckle. "It's just a mud bug."
"It's a goddamned nightmare. What the fuck is it doing in a grocery store?"
"It's a delicacy. They're delicious."
"No wonder no sane woman will let you stick your cock in them."
Marcus reached out to grip his friend's shoulder, fortunately with the hand not holding a relic from the time when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and said, "I'll always have you, brother."
Elwood regarded his friend intently before saying "Thanks, man. For everything. But I'm still not eating one of those swimming murder cockroaches."
"Fine. We'll get some shrimp for your delicate palate. But you don't know what you're missing. And, not for nothing, but have you ever actually seen a shrimp before it got processed for consumption?"
"I'm not sure. Why?"
"Stay golden, my friend."
The two quickly finished their shopping in the charmingly small grocery store and made their way back out into the sunshine. The omnipresent ocean breeze nicely attenuated the oppressive heat and humidity which was a constant companion to the tiny barrier island just outside Savannah. Elwood adjusted his sunglasses and followed Marcus toward the latter's CJ7. After depositing the groceries in the back seat, they climbed in and set off. Elwood cinched his lap belt tighter, because of course a vehicle with no doors or roof would also omit a three-point safety belt.
"You really drove this death trap back and forth to Savannah every day for high school?"
"Course I did," Marcus replied jovially. "It's only forty kilometers. One way."
"What about when it rains?"
"I got wet. You worry too much, brother. It's a perfect day. The sun is warm. The scenery is excellent," he gestured in the direction of a group of bikini clad coeds making their way to the beach to make his point. He continued, "And we're going to have a great time tonight. Trust me."
After arriving at the house Marcus's father had built several decades prior, the duo loaded the seafood into a collection of ready coolers filled with ice. They then made their way along an almost comically long dock to the deep-water channel nestled amongst the endless marshland. Marcus led Elwood onto a small, center-console power boat. The former handed the latter a beer and started up the engine before loosing the lines. They were soon under way, making their way toward the Savannah River at a sedate pace.
At length, Marcus broke the silence, "How you holdin' up brother?"
"Good as could be expected, I guess. I keep wondering if the reality of the situation hasn't hit me yet, or if I'm just a heartless bastard."
"Could be both."
"Ass," Elwood said with a grin.
"I can't imagine what you're going through. Closest I've come is losing my Nana a few years back. But that's hell and gone from losing both parents. And my Nana was sick for years before she lost her battle with that asshole, cancer. Your folks were just on vacation. One day, everything's great. And then... Did they ever tell you what happened?"
Elwood sighed and said, "They're claiming it was a mechanical issue. But I've seen some photos on the 'net. It certainly looks like a Stevie Ray type situation to me."
"Who?"
"Don't make me hit you, brother. Stevie Ray Vaughan? Best goddamned guitar player in history, Stevie Ray Vaughan? Killed in a helicopter crash after playing a gig with Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan?"
"I thought Jimi Hendrix was the best guitar player ever."
Elwood chuckled and said, "Hardly. Listen to them both play Little Wing, or even Voodoo Chile, and tell me what you think. Although, funny story, Eric Clapton was basically the last person to see either alive. Coincidence?"
"Don't start with your musical conspiracy theory nonsense again."
"As you wish. In any case, I suspect the helicopter with my folks on it crashed because the visibility was shit and the pilot screwed up."
"Then why not say so?" Marcus asked with genuine confusion. "Liability? They were in Vietnam. It's not like you could sue anybody."