Holding Out For A Hero (The Five Sisters Series) by VA Browning Page A

she really had become a new person.  She lost her memory and became that new person, and even though most of her memory was back, she still maintained the down-to-earth person she had been when she’d woken up in Mike's cabin.  She understood that he had lost his wife recently but she also felt that their relationship had grown after he had grieved her infidelity.  She was not sure, but it seemed like fate had stepped in and brought them together. 
     
    She got on stage, and said her usual welcome and introduced them.  She looked into the crowd and could not see Mike in the seats that she had given him.  Her heart sank.  She started singing and forgot about how much she wanted him to be there and be with her.  She sang for an hour, then after the second costume change, she walked out onto the stage and looked for him again to see if he had shown up late.  No such luck.  And he wasn't in her dressing room either, during the costume changes. 
     
    So, as the concert started to wind down, she sang her song to her hero, Mike, and this time she had tears of sadness.  Even though the crowd thought they were joyful tears, she could not hide her broken heart.  Her voice cracked a little as she sang out, "I'm holding out for a hero till the end of the night."  But, being the strong woman that she was, she continued and made it through. 
     

Chapter 23
    A couple of encores later, Lauren had to admit it had been a great concert.  They were gaining fans and people loved their music.  What else could she ask for? She had her health and well-being and was the lead singer of a popular girls band?  What the heck, she knew what she wanted, she wanted it all!
     
    She walked to her dressing room, and made a mental list of the things she was going to do for the next couple of days.  She closed the door, and started to get undressed.  When she heard the door open, and she stopped taking her clothes off and yelled "Just a minute!" 
     
    From behind her, she heard a voice that sounded like music to her ears. "I thought you might need some help getting those off."
     
    She turned around to see Mike standing there in the door, and he closed it behind him and locked it.  She smiled and said, "I sure could!" 
     
    Mike was as gorgeous to her as ever; he had grown a beard and mustache in the last month to look more rugged.  He had on boots and jeans, with a flannel shirt to complete the mountain man look.  She ran to him, hugging and kissing him.  He grabbed her tightly and kissed her thoroughly, then reached behind her back and finished unzipping her dress. 
     
    "Go ahead and get into more comfortable clothes, Lauren.  We have some talking to do before we go any further," Mike told her.
     
    She hurried behind the screen in her room, suddenly self-conscious, and put on comfortable jeans and a black t-shirt, as Mike made himself at home on her couch.  When she came out, he patted the seat next to him.  He grasped her hands and said, "Lauren Stone, you are the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and if you are crazy enough to be waiting for me, I don't know why I am fighting it." 
     
    Lauren smiled at him and whispered "That is what I thought, because I do love you." as she felt tears coming to her eyes.
     
    Mike, still holding her hands, slid off the couch and knelt before her.  She saw him digging in his pocket and pull out a little blue box.  He opened the box, revealing a huge, sparkling diamond ring.
     
    "Lauren, I have loved you ever since you woke up in my home, and I can't live without you.  I have tried to for a month, and it's just not working.  So, will you marry me and make me the happiest man ever?"
     
    Lauren grabbed his face and kissed him, then pulled back and said, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" and continued to kiss him some more.  She then took the ring from the box and put it on her finger.  After gazing at it for a moment, she said, "I prefer the sparkle in your eyes when you are making love to me, but