30. Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty
Callie secured her guitar safely back in its case as Adam congratulated Danny on his performance. She needn’t have worried about Danny on stage. He was a natural. She intended to tell him as much, but her parents were beckoning her over to their table. When she turned to look for Adam and Danny, they were halfway across the room. She gave them a wave and resigned herself to making polite small talk. Tessa and Mel had disappeared, probably in search of more doughnuts.
“Callie, come meet Zeke,” said Luke. She blinked. This couldn’t possibly be the Zeke of Nashville fame. He looked completely normal. A little pudgy, even.
Dora suppressed a smile and pulled out a chair for Callie.
“Come on, sweetie. Sit down.”
Callie reached across the table to shake hands and then sat, still bewildered by this turn of events. What was Zeke doing here? And why hadn’t her father given her a heads-up?
“Nice show, young lady,” said Zeke. “You have a raw, honest sound that I like.”
“Ah…thanks,” answered Callie. She wondered if Brian was still in the corner and hoped he would stay there. The last thing sh e wanted or needed was for him to sabotage this unexpected meeting.
Hutch, however, could take as many pictures as he liked. She peeked over her shoulder and sure enough, he was holding his cell phone at an odd angle, the tiny camera lens pointed directly at her table. Excellent. Time for the tabloids to give her some positive press.
“Zeke and I were talking about how tough it is for a new artist to get a break these days.” Her father’s comment snapped her attention back to the table.
“You mean a break like playing for Zeke Williams?” she asked.
Luke laughed. “Exactly. Who gets a break like that anymore?”
He exchanged a meaningful glance with Zeke. Callie wasn’t sure how she felt about her father living vicariously through her career. Not that she didn’t appreciate the effort, but Zeke Williams traveling all the way to Wisconsin to listen to her play in a diner? Was there blackmail involved? The whole thing felt surreal.
“May I ask what brings you to town, Zeke? I have to assume it was more than my little gig here at Lucy’s.”
Zeke glanced at both Dora and Luke before responding.
“An excellent question. I’ve been after your father for ages, trying to convince him that he needs to be in Nashville. We’ve made a lot of money together over the years, but a songwriting talent like his can’t stay buried in the hinterlands forever. It’s not good for the soul—or the business. I need him in Nashville to train the next generation.”
Callie shot a glance at her father, but he had his poker face on, as did her mother. She struggled to connect all the dots.
“But Dad, I thought the songwriting was something you did as a hobby, just for yourself.”
Dora actually giggled. “Honey, do you honestly think we could have put you three girls through college all at the same time on your Dad’s teaching salary?”
“But you never…I mean, what songs did you…?” Callie sputtered to a halt, her entire world turned inside out. Zeke stepped in to fill the gap.
“So when your Dad sent your demo CD—”
“When he what?” She shot her father a horrified look. They were supposed to discuss giant steps like this before taking them, not after.
Luke held up his hands in mock surrender, and had the good sense to at least look sheepish.
“Sorry, sugar. Your demo deserved to be heard, so I sent it to Zeke.”
As far as Callie was concerned, her father should be feeling a lot more guilt. Downplaying his songwriting all these years. Hiding industry connections. And now, to top it off, sending off her demo without permission. It was almost as bad as…well, as reading a box of someone’s private letters. It was an invasion of privacy, pure and simple.
“You like to do things the hard way,” he explained, “and frankly I think you’ve paid your dues. It was time for your lucky break.”
While Callie chewed on that logic, Zeke continued his story.
“I figured I could kill two birds with one stone. I could see if your music was as good live as it was on the demo, and I could lobby in person for your father to come to Nashville.” He grinned at Luke. “Face to face, I can be pretty persuasive.”
Callie felt her world tilt even further off balance. The man had just announced his plan to lure her father to Nashville, and her mother, who should be freaking out, was smiling an odd little smile and looking at her father as if she were simply curious to see how he would react .
Before Callie could re-orient herself, Brian appeared at her elbow and tugged on her arm.
“Callie, let’s go. We have unfinished business.”
Callie shook off his hand.
“Excuse me, but I’m in the middle of a conversation.”
“It can wait,” he said flatly. “I can’t.”
That comment earned him three cold stares from Dora, Luke, and Zeke. Brian ignored them, but then did a beautiful double-take when he recognized Zeke. Of course he would recognize a mover and shaker from Nashville. This was the type of thing he lived for. She sighed and waited for the charm to ooze forth.
“Zeke Williams,” he said, recovering quickly and holding out a hand, “I’m Brian Tate.”
“I know who you are,” answered Zeke, keeping his arms crossed above his paunch. “What’s so all-fired important that it can’t wait?”
“Some legal paperwork related to our upcoming album,” replied Brian smoothly, dropping his hand when it became clear that Zeke wasn’t going to touch him. He shrugged off the slight as if Zeke were simply being eccentric. “We need to get everything squared away before I head back to the airport. Perhaps we’re on the same flight back to Nashville?”
“Nope. I’ll be staying in town for a few days.” Zeke’s words were directed more at Luke than at Brian.
“Of course.”
Brian wasn’t faking smoothness as well as he usually did. Zeke’s surprise appearance must really be throwing him off his game. Callie saw Kat over at the counter, talking to Lucy. Perhaps this was the right time to deal with Brian, so she could sort out the last of her baggage, as well as her own shock, before talking with Zeke and her father again.
“If you all don’t mind,” said Callie, cutting Brian off as he was about to say something, “I’ll take care of this paperwork with Brian so he can make his flight. We can continue our conversation later, back at the house.”
She pushed away from the table before they could object and hustled Brian over to the counter. She conferred briefly with Kat, who handed Callie her office keys and said she’d be there in ten minutes. Before Brian could think of a new way to corner Zeke, Callie had him out the door and safely tucked into Kat’s waiting room.
Kat wove through the crowd, doughnuts held protectively above her head, until she reached the booth again. She found Danny deep in conversation with his grandparents while Adam looked on. The furrow in Adam’s brow worried her. For a man who had won a custody battle, he seemed awfully somber.
She placed the doughnuts in the middle of the table and Danny threw a ‘thanks’ her way before diving in. He continued chattering away to his grandparents with his mouth full, and they were too overwhelmed to care about his manners. She smiled, so grateful for this happy ending. She couldn’t save everyone, and she knew it. In this case, they had achieved the best possible outcome, and she was determined to enjoy it. She chose a doughnut for herself and studied Adam while she savored the moment.
“What?” he asked irritably, when she had been looking at him for several minutes.
“You won. Relax. Smile,” she said.
He harrumphed at her. There was really no other word for it. She stifled a laugh.
“What’s bugging you?” She kept her voice low, so that Danny and his grandparents wouldn’t overhear. “Why aren’t you enjoying this?”
He was thoughtful for a moment.
“Have you ever achieved a goal, only to discover that something has changed along the way, and achieving that goal is no longer enough?”
To anyone else, Adam’s remark might seem cryptic, but she had seen enough of him and Callie over the last few weeks to have her suspicions.
“So you have a new goal? A new vision of the future?” She asked even though it made her throat feel tight. It was always better to know the facts.
“I want something I can’t have.”
He said it without bitterness, but it was the acceptance in his voice that surprised Kat. He had been so determined to retain custody of Danny, it seemed out of character for him to give up on anything without a fight. But then, if his relationship with Callie had fractured so easily, perhaps it wasn’t meant to last.
“She’s not ready for a relationship?”
Kat couldn’t quite believe she had asked the question, but there was no taking it back now. She had officially crossed the line from professional to personal. At least she had waited until the case was over.
“I need someone who can commit to staying here. She can’t.”
Kat’s eyes widened.
“So physical proximity is a deal-breaker for you.”
He nodded. Kat’s fingertips tingled, her entire body on alert. This was not the time for a deeply personal discussion, with Callie and Brian waiting next door and Danny and his grandparents sitting a few feet away. But she couldn’t resist one little zinger before leaving.
“In that case, you should remember that some of us have already made the commitment to living here full time.”
She stood and made her farewells to Danny and Susan and John, leaving Adam to think about her parting words .
Once inside Kat’s waiting room, Callie crossed her arms and waited for Brian to speak.
“Callie, how in the hell did you get Zeke Williams up here?” he demanded. She didn’t care for the way he got in her face, so she held her ground, and her silence, until he backed off.
“He’s an old friend of the family,” she explained, omitting the fact that she had never met him before today.
“Old friend!” he choked. “How dare you hold back a contact like that for all these years? Do you have any idea how much he could have done for us? You don’t waste a contact like that. You use it.” He shook his head in disgust. “Maybe it’s a good thing that you’re bailing on the band. Unbelievable.”
She nodded.
“I couldn’t agree more,” she replied. “You and I have even less in common than I once believed, and I think we’ll both be happier if we part ways.”
“Let’s get on with it then,” he said, tossing an envelope down on the coffee table. “You sign these papers and we’re all set.”
She remained standing. She wouldn’t be signing any papers until Kat had a chance to look them over.
“What is the purpose of the papers?” she asked, curious but not particularly concerned.
“The record company wants you to waive all rights to the band’s songs, so you don’t try to sue for money or copyright later.”
“I see,” she replied. Adam’s instincts had been right on target. “And have you told them yet that you don’t have a songwriter for the next album?”
“No need,” shrugged Brian. “We’ll find someone.”
The sad fact was that he could probably find some poor, insecure songwriter to accept whatever deal he offered. The promise of fame and fortune could cloud anybody’s judgment.
She sighed. She would do her best to warn off any prospects, but she wouldn’t be able to protect everyone from Brian’s ambition.
At that moment, Kat entered through the main door, setting the bell jangling.
“Thanks for meeting with us on such short notice,” said Callie. “I’m hoping that this will be quick, because I know we all have things we’d rather be doing today.”
“Agreed,” said Kat. She scooped up the envelope from the coffee table and turned to Brian. “Please, have a seat,” she said, indicating the waiting-room couch and chairs. “If you’ll excuse us, we’ll take a moment to review the documents.” She ushered Callie into her office, closed the door, and took her seat behind the desk. Callie followed suit, sitting across from her, thinking that it felt pretty good to leave Brian cooling his heels in the other room.
Kat took her time looking over the documents before giving Callie an overview.
“It’s pretty simple,” she said. “They want you to confirm that you have signed away all your rights to the music, the recordings, and any future income. They also want you to waive your right to sue down the road. I’m not surprised. I would have asked the same thing if I were on their side. So let’s talk about what you want.”
“Didn’t we already do that?” asked Callie.
“Think of this as your second-chance sweepstakes,” replied Kat. “Have you had any second thoughts? Do you want to keep some leverage? Are you okay with cutting all ties to the band and moving on? It’s up to you.” With that, Kat leaned back in her chair, looking as if she had all the time in the world to wait for Callie’s answer.
Right or wrong, Callie had to admit that she was tempted to hang on to this last little bit of power. A part of her enjoyed watching Brian squirm. But more than power, Callie wanted closure—no strings, no ties, and no regrets .
“It’s time to move on,” she said firmly. “I don’t care about the money. I don’t care about getting credit for the songs. I want a clean break and a fresh start.”
“Done,” Kat responded with a brisk nod. She slid the documents across the desk to Callie. “Read it, let me know if you have any questions. When you’re ready, you can go ahead and sign it.”
Callie skimmed the legalese, but Kat had already explained the important points. Everything made sense. Callie signed in various places and they returned to the waiting area to find Brian leafing through a magazine. He tossed it aside and crossed his arms.
“Well?” he asked.
Callie tipped her head to one side and studied him, wondering how she had ever found him attractive. Hopefully her judgment had improved over the years. She looked at Kat, who nodded. The time had come. Callie handed the envelope back to Brian.
“It’s done,” she said quietly. “I signed them.”
“Great,” he snapped, pulling the documents out of the envelope and double-checking the signature and date on each copy.
“That’s it then,” said Callie. “We’re done.” It was hard to believe, after all these years. Instead of feeling angry, or bitter, or even sad, she simply felt empty. “I’ll stop by next week to pick up my stuff from the loft.”
Brian didn’t seem to care about the final details, as long as the papers were signed. “Whatever.” He shrugged. “See you around, Callie,” he said, turning to head for the door.
“See you around,” she echoed. He stepped outside, accompanied by the jingle of bells. The door swung shut and he was gone.
“Well,” said Callie thoughtfully as she turned back to Kat, “that was kind of a let-down. ”
Kat studied Callie’s face, searching for any sign of imminent breakdown. She saw nothing but serenity. A part of her wanted to ask what Callie intended to do about Adam, but she couldn’t think how to phrase the question. What are your intentions toward the only eligible bachelor in town? (Hutch clearly did not qualify.) If you break Adam’s heart, can I pick up the pieces? She left her questions unasked and turned her attention to business.
“Trust me,” she said. “A cold, calm meeting is much better than a lot of drama. Those never end well.”
“I’ll bet,” Callie replied, flopping back on the couch.
Kat sank into the end chair.
“So what happens now?” asked Callie.
“We shake hands and part ways,” answered Kat with a smile. “I’ll send you a bill.” She paused, realizing she didn’t have an address for Callie. “Where should I send the bill?”
Callie laughed. “Good question. Send it to my parents, I guess. If I’m not there, they’ll know where to find me.”
“So you’re definitely leaving, then?” asked Kat, careful to keep her voice neutral and the flutter of hope firmly caged.
“That’s still the plan,” Callie said slowly. “Why, had you heard something different?”
“No.” Kat could dance around her question, or she could just ask. She decided to ask. “But I’ve seen you with Adam, and with Danny. I couldn’t help but wonder if you might decide to stay.”
Callie’s mouth tightened, and she looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know,” she said, “but I still need to go to Nashville. Adam needs some time to think, and I need some time to plan.” She gave up on the ceiling and turned her gaze back to Kat. “I’m going to find a way to make things work with Adam, but he’s not quite ready to think outside the box.”
Kat smiled tightly, her last flutter of hope wilting away and leaving only a dull emptiness behind. She had chosen to come home to face her demons, but she hadn’t anticipated how lonely it would be.
“I want to thank you,” said Callie, abruptly changing the subject, “and to apologize.”
“For what?” asked Kat. Callie couldn’t possibly know that she had just destroyed the last of Kat’s daydreams about Adam.
“Thank you for helping me,” answered Callie, “and I’m sorry for messing with your life back in high school.” She looked down at her fingernails, then back at Kat. “It all happened so fast, and then you never came back to school. It must have been rough.”
Kat let out half a laugh as she shook her head. “It was awful,” she agreed, “but it also saved me.”
“Really?”
“More than you know,” said Kat softly. “More than you know.”