Texas Was You

"You are really going to like the show, Lisette. Aldean's a great performer and it's going to be lots of fun", said Josephine enthusiastically.

"Oui, and there are always hot girls at these shows", said Antoine as him and Alex exchanged a fist bump.

"You guys are amazing, both of you being French and playing for the Stars, you wouldn't have any trouble getting girls", teased Jamie.

"It's true, but that is where the hottest girls in Texas are going to be tonight", retorted Antoine.

Tyler just laughed and put an arm around Lisette's shoulder as the group got out of Jamie's Escalade and walked towards American Airlines arena. Their normal workplace looked slightly different than normal with the big marquee out front announcing tonight's show instead of a game, the fansdressed either in Western gear or jeans and concert shirts as everyone made their way to the entrance.

Every so often, the men were stopped by fans wanting an autograph or picture and they obliged. "Oh my God, Tyler, you're so hot!", squealed a blond in short denim shorts and a tube top.

"Uh, thanks", he mumbled.

"I need your picture", she demanded.

Tyler posed with the girl as Jamie took a picture with her phone, handing it back to her. "Ooh, I can't wait to post this!", she yelled.

Tyler smiled politely as the girl went back to join her friends. "Lisette, if you see that online, it's just me with a fan", he said.

"Oui, Tyler. But remember not to do anything else", she said with a gleam in her green eyes.

"Of course, my little French tart. I don't want your brother kicking my ass", he joked, not seeing the frown on her face.

The group made their way to their seat as the crowd trickled in. The roadies were busy getting the backdrop ready and making sure the instruments were plugged in and the microphone worked, the video screen above the stage temporarily blank.

"It does feel a bit strange to be here and not see the rink", Jamie mused aloud.

Antoine sipped his beer and nodded approvingly at all the pretty girls he saw. "I was right, all les belles femmes are here", he said.

Jamie smiled at his teammate and put an arm around Josephine, giving her a quick kiss. "Mon capitan, I cannot help it if I have a roving eye", said Antoine with a laugh.

The house lights were dim as the arena buzzed with anticipation, numerous cell phone lights in the audience flickering like fireflies. Suddenly, the lights went on as Jason Aldean emerged onstage and his band played Tattoes on This Town and the crowd went wild:

There's still black marks on that county road,
Where we drag raced our pick-ups and Mustangs
And weathered all the sun and rain.
And to this day up on that overpass,
Even underneath the new paint, you can still see
"Allie, will you marry me?"

Take a ride, look around
There ain't no doubt

It sure left its mark on us, we sure left our mark on it
We let the world know we were here with everything we did
We laid a lot of memories down, like tattoos on this town

There's still a rope burn on that old branch, that hangs over the river.
I still got the scar
From swinging out a little too far.
There ain't a corner of this hallow ground,
That we ain't laughed or cried on.
It's where we loved, lived and learned real life stuff.
It's everything we're made of.

It sure left its mark on us, we sure left our mark on it
We let the world know we were here with everything we did
We laid a lot of memories down, like tattoos on this town
Like tattoos on this town.

Everywhere, there we are,
It hits me right in my heart.

It sure left its mark on us, we sure left our mark on it
We let the world know we were here with everything we did
We laid a lot of memories down,
And we'll always be hangin' around,
Like tattoos on this town
Like tattoos on this town

Lisette found herself enjoying the concert, the energy of the crowd and their good cheer so different from a jazz concert yet enjoyable. Aldean took a handkerchief from his bassist and wiped his brow, tossing it into the crowd as women in the front row fought over it. "Howdy Dallas, it's great to be back in Big D. This is for all you fine ladies here in Texas. I would say that Texas has the finest ladies but my wife would kill me", he joked as the band played Texas Was You:

Ohio was a riverbank
A ten speed laying in the weeds
Cannonball off an old rope swing
Long, long summer days

Tennessee was a guitar
First big dream of mine
If I made it, yeah, that'd be just fine
I just wanted to play, I just wanted to play

But Texas was green eyes crying goodbye
Was a long drive, a heartache
I'm still trying to get through
Texas was you

Carolina was a black car
A big white number three
California was a yellow Jeep
Cruising down Big Sur, ha, ha

Georgia was a summer job
And Bama was a spring break
I got memories all over the place
But only one still hurts, only one still hurts

Like Texas was green eyes crying goodbye
Was a long drive, a heartache
I'm still trying to get through
Texas was you

Texas was my whole life waving goodbye
Thought I'd die, a heartache
I'm still trying to get through

But Texas was you
It'll always be you

Tyler immediately perked up, putting an arm around her shoulder and giving her a kiss."This is our song, my Little French Tart",he murmured.

Lisette relaxed against him, a shy look in her green eyes. "I mean it, you can be my girlfriend", he said.

Antoine raised an eyebrow. "If you try anything stupid, Je vais te botter le cul de retour au Canada, mon ami", he said, an edge in his voice.

Tyler nodded as Aldean played Laughed Until We Cried as the crowd swayed along to the ballad, a few having their phones up in the air. Tyler gave her another kiss and had to chuckle when he saw Jamie and Josephine making out, Alex and Antoine filming them as both Frenchmen grinned mischiviously:

Going through my closet the other day
Found an old yearbook, flipped right to the page
Of that senior trip, down there on that Panama strip

We all started yelling when we smelled the beach
Couldn't wait to try our fake ID's
We only had a few days and a whole lot of memories to make

Oh man, we were livin', didn't waste one minute
We talked and drank and danced and said goodbye
We laughed until we cried

This past year, my family was sittin' cross-legged
'Round the Christmas tree, listenin' to granddad
We all knew it'd probably be his last

He was crackin' jokes and we were takin' turns
Tellin' stories 'bout fishing or lessons learned
Out on the porch with him, we all felt like kids again

Oh man, we were livin', sittin' there, reminiscin'
We sang and talked and traveled back in time
We laughed until we cried

It's like the best days under the sun
Every emotion rolled into one
A little of this, a little of that
Kind of happy, kind of sad

Just the other night, the baby was cryin'
So I got out of bed and rocked her awhile
And I held her tight and I told her it would be alright

And my mind went back to a few years ago
When we tried so long, we almost gave up hope
And I remember you comin' in and tellin' me the news
Oh man, we were livin', goin' crazy in the kitchen
We danced and screamed and held each other tight
We laughed until we cried

The band temporarily left to get ready for their encore. "Guys, please don't post that", pleaded Jamie.

"Mon capitan, don't you want the world to learn about vous petite-amie?", said Antoine cheerfully.

"Antoine, if you do that, I'm going to ask the coach to put you on the fourth line and block shots during practice", said Jamie as Antoine looked horrified.

"Non, Jamie. I like my ice time, merci beaucomp", he retorted.

Aldean and his band came out as the crowd buzzed with anticipation, the familiar opening notes of Hicktown driving everyone into a frenzy. The crowd roared along with the defiant chorus, arms in the air as they sang along to the lyrics of country life.

"Thank ya'll for being such a great crowd tonight, Dallas! We can't wait to be back in Big D next time", said Aldeanas the crowd roared and the band walked offstage.

"How'd you guys get tickets?", Tyler exclaimed when he saw Carey, Alex and Brendan.

"The team comped us tickets, I dragged Chucky here because he has the worst taste in music", joked Brendan as Alex flipped him off.

"Lil Wayne is the best rapper alive", he retorted.

Lisette's eyes went wide in horror. "Monsieur Galchenyuk, Lil Wayne est mas mal et non sont musique", she said in disgust.

"My sister says the same thing, Miss Roussel", he said dryly.

"Gys, it's not time to be chirping at each other. Sorry about that, they're always chirping each other", said Carey.

"You guys shoudl rest up for the game tomorrow, but we are still going to kick your ass", said Jamie with a laugh.

Brendan stood up to his full height, which still mean he was five inches shorter than Jamie. "I can still skate fast and score, it's good to be short", he boasted as the others just laughed.