Chapter 10
Like Old Friends
Lynn
I haven’t been backto see my daddy since he sucker punched me with that question. My mind has been weighed down with guilt and questions. Questions I’ve never allowed myself to ask.
Ready to choke on the past and my present, I decided I needed to go for a run. Wilson and Matthew were willing to come with me, but they also hung back a few steps to give me time to myself. My mind still isn’t clear as we make it back to the hotel.
“Hi, Miss Cakes,” I hear as I pull my earbuds out.
I look up to find Jess staring at me with sad eyes. I’ve been wondering what happened to her. She hasn’t come by to see me yet.
“Hey, Jess. What’s up, honey?”
“I wanted to apologize. I had a family emergency I’ve been dealing with, and I didn’t want to bother you. That’s why I haven’t been to see you,” she says.
“Is everything okay? Can I help in anyway?”
I fight not to ask if her father is okay. I’m a little annoyed I’m so worried about him. However, I dig deep to hide my true concern.
Tear fill Jess’s eyes and my heart leaps into my throat. I look around the lobby, not sure what I should do. My father’s words rock through my skull.
What would Pook do?
I step forward and pull the young girl into my embrace. She wraps her arms around me as if I’m a lifeline. I coo and rub at her hair.
“Are you still on the clock?”
“No, ma’am,” she sniffles. “I was supposed to work a double, but one of the senior staff members bumped me. My daddy is at dinner with business friends, and I don’t want to bother him. My car is in the shop. Long story.”
“Okay, so how about you come with me? If you want to talk, we can. If you just want to hang out with an old lady and her friends, we can leave it at that.”
“Really?” She pulls away and looks at me with those big eyes.
I swallow hard and nod my head. I know I’m getting myself into the middle of something doing this, but I can’t seem to stop myself. Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I head for the elevator.
“Thank you, Miss Cakes. This means a lot. I don’t have anyone to talk to about this, and I’m so confused,” she whispers.
“I’m here to listen. I remember being your age and having a lot on my plate with no one to talk it through with. You’re eighteen, right?”
“No, ma’am. Not yet. My birthday is in a few months. I’ll be eighteen then.”
“Oh, are you doing anything special?”
A blush comes to her cheeks then she frowns. “I found out by accident that my daddy is throwing me a surprise birthday party. Mama strikes again.” She murmurs the last part to herself bitterly.
I ignore it, not wanting to pry into her business with her mother. I want to stay out of that. When we make it to my suite, I ask Elise to order room service for everyone.
Jess looks around nervously, like she doesn’t know what to do. I kick off my sneakers and pick them up to carry them into my room. With a smile, I turn to look at her.
“Have a seat, honey. I’m going to shower and change. Let Elise know what you would like to eat. No arguments, you’re having dinner with me,” I say and head into the room.
My mind is heavy with not only my thoughts from before my run, but now I can’t help wondering what has brought Jess to tears. She speaks of her father with so much love, I can’t imagine what could be going on.
I shut my mind down and move through my shower so Jess isn’t out there just waiting. Once I towel off and lotion up, I throw on a pair of shorts and a tank top.
“What’s so funny?” I ask as I enter the common area to find Jess laughing with Elise and Maggie.
“They’re telling me stories about my daddy when he was younger,” Jess replies.
“Oh, I have a ton of those,” I snicker.
“I would love to hear them,” Jess says hopefully.
The room falls silent as Elise and Maggie stare at me. I ignore them and go to grab my dinner from the tray. I gesture with my head for Jess to follow me into my room.
I want to give her a chance to speak with me freely, without having to worry about prying ears. Elise and Maggie would never break her confidence, but Jess doesn’t know that.
I settle on the bed and cross my legs in front of me. “Sit anywhere you want,” I say to Jess.
She beams at me and takes a seat at the foot of the bed. I remove the lid from my food and my stomach growls loudly. We both laugh. Jess seems to relax as she uncovers her food as well. I take her lid from her and place it with mine.
“Make yourself comfortable, Jess. I don’t bite,” I say.
She smiles wider and kicks her shoes off to fold her legs like mine. We eat in a comfortable silence for a moment. I make it halfway through my shrimp and pasta when I notice she has stopped eating and she’s just staring at me.
“Can I ask you something?”
I wipe my mouth with my napkin. “Yes, sure. What’s up?”
“Was moving to New York everything you thought it would be, or were you disappointed once you got there?”
I drop my gaze as I think the question over. The music business isn’t all everyone might think it is. I’ve had my ups and downs.
“I wish I could say I moved to New York, became a star, and had a wonderful career. However, that’s not the case. My first album took off and did great things,” I tell her.
However, I don’t tell her the part about how I did reach out to Trevor once after that letter. I never told a soul about it. His wife answered. At least that’s who I thought it was.
I hadn’t known yet that he was married. I was blindsided and couldn’t find my voice as she answered saying this is Mrs. Monroe speaking. I sat there feeling dumb.
The letter, her answering his phone. It all made it true. He didn’t want me.
“Some things happened that changed my life,” I say to Jess as I push those hurtful memories away. “I almost packed up and came back home.”
She gasps. “Was it something bad? I’ve been told how much you love music. I couldn’t imagine you giving it up.”
I bob my head slowly. “I received some devastating news. After that, I spent the next week in a fog.”
My mind goes back to that week. That call to Trevor is how I ended up in Walter’s clutches. Elise had been on a date with Cody. It was my first and last show I’d ever done without my support team there to watch my back.
“After a performance, I was invited to a private party. I had started to say no, but then I thought about how … I was hurt by a friend and thought going to hang out would get me over it,” I murmur.
That night, I had thought of how Trev just throw me away. All his promises left a bitter taste in my mouth. When I got the invitation, I thought I was grown and could show him I didn’t need him.
I clear my throat and continue. “Walter had seemed like a nice guy until he got a call and his demeanor changed. There were others there until after that call. I had a sip of champagne, then everything became fuzzy.
“I remember wondering where all the people had gone. I tried to stand, but it was a little difficult. Then Walter said some things I still don’t understand. The next thing I know, I was on my back, and he was trying to force himself on me.”
“Oh my God, I didn’t mean for you to relive that. I’m so sorry.”
“No, you wanted the truth about the business. I got lucky. My family stepped in to handle Walter, and I never heard from or saw him again,” I say.
“But he violated you,” she says with tears in her eyes.
“No, he didn’t. Walter didn’t know I have a certain set of skills. I hadn’t had enough of the champagne to knock me out or incapacitate me.
“When the shock wore off, I kicked his ass and got him off me. That’s when Matthew came into my life. I’ve never run into a situation like that again.”
“You mean, the handsome guy with the green eyes?”
I give her a smile. “You checking out my manager?”
She giggles. “No, ma’am. He’s just very handsome. Um, can I tell you something?”
“Yes, I’m a safe place.”
“I’ve learned something that I know will hurt my family. It will change so much for so many people. I don’t know how to tell them, so I’m thinking I should leave.
“I was thinking I could go and sing and do what you did, start my life over. Find myself. I’ve never left Texas. I wouldn’t know what to watch for or how to avoid bad men like the one who tried to hurt you.
“Maybe, that’s just a bad idea. I probably wouldn’t make it pass the auditions anyway,” she murmurs the last part into her lap.
“Jess, look at me,” I say gently.
She lifts her head and locks those greenish blue eyes on me. I point across the room. “Go grab that guitar over there and bring it over here so you can play for me,” I say.
Her eyes round in shock. Then she jumps up and runs for the guitar. She nearly trips over her own feet as she returns.
I pinch my lips to keep from laughing at her. She sits and looks lost for a moment. I tilt my head to the side and study her.
“What’s wrong?” I ask after a few beats.
“I don’t know what to play?”
“Always go with something in your range. Then pick something that’s in our heart. Something you can sing with your all,” I offer.
She nods and tucks her dirty blonde curly hair behind her ear. I give her time to think and figure it out. Then she begins to play the opening cords of one of my songs.
I lift a brow. This isn’t an easy one. It’s at the top of my range. My mouth falls open when she begins to sing.
This baby has it. She sounds beautiful. Although I’m in awe of the emotions she places in the song.
It’s a song about betrayal and heartbreak. I close my eyes and begin to sway as she sings the song almost better than I do. Her voice is raw but trainable, and she plays well too.
“I’m sorry I butchered your song,” she says when she abruptly stops.
I open my eyes and look at her. “You did no such thing. You made me proud, Jess. That was amazing. If you really want to come to New York, I’d be happy to help you.”
“Really? You mean that?”
“I’m not saying to run away from your family like I did, but if you want to come after you work things out here, my door is always open,” I reply.
She places the guitar down and launches herself at me. Wrapping her arms around my neck tightly, she gives me a squeeze. I hug her back and palm the back of her head.
“Thanks, Auntie Cakes. I think you’ve more than earned the honor.”
I chuckle and give her a squeeze. For the next few hours, we sit and talk like two old friends. Jess grows on me with each passing second.
* * *
Trevor
“I was surprisedto get your call. Although Tasha had been grumbling about me calling you. She wants me to do this for you,” Paige says.
I lift a brow. No one will tell me what happened during my walk with Sammy. I get the feeling Donna stopped by, but I don’t know what she did or said. However, I get the sense she pissed everyone off, which isn’t hard for her to do.
“I’m glad you both could come out and meet with me,” I say to her and Bobby as we sit in this steakhouse having dinner.
“Do you mind me asking what changed your mind?” Paige asks.
“A number of things. It’s all been adding up for a while. I want to move on with my life.
“I can’t pursue what I want with this hanging over my head. Before I can make amends where I need to, Donna has to be gone,” I reply.
I keep to myself all the other shit my wife has done—or should I say not done—in the last few days. Donna had one job, one job only. Pick up Scoot and Bam from Brad’s to keep them for one week before they have to go to football camp.
I have a lot to do this coming week, and I wanted to give Tam and Brad a break to deal with their own children. Tam’s pregnant. My boys are well behaved, but five kids are a lot on anyone.
A pregnant woman with a new home and friends in town, that’s a whole lot. Leave it to Donna not to pick them up as they sat waiting.
Instead, I got a call from the bank this morning saying she dropped into the branch trying to open a new account from mine. The woman tried to move a quarter of a million from my account to open her own.
She almost got away with it. Good thing we’re in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. Abby Morgan went right to her supervisor to let her know Donna was there trying to pull some mess. Which resulted in the call.
I’m still stewing about the entire thing. “Enough is enough. I was willing to let this play out over the next five weeks, but between the look on Bam’s face when his mama didn’t show to pick him up, the crazy call I got from the bank, and Donna’s lawyers trying to apply pressure to Dr. Winsor for a couples’ session, I’ve had it,” I say aloud as my thoughts bubble over.
Paige pulls a face. “You’ve just said a lot without saying a lot. I think you should fill me in on all those thoughts you just had. It sounds like she’s given me a lot to work with to get the judge to shut this nonsense down already.”
I sigh and go on to share what has happened over the last three days. She and Bobby exchange a look when I’m done. I rub the back of my neck.
I’ve been chanting to myself all day that I’m a good man. I won’t allow Donna or anyone else to pull me out of character. She’s been holding that match much too long, but I’m not going to let her light that fuse.
“I’ve got it. I invited y’all out,” I say as I grab the billfold with the check as the waitress drops it off.
“You don’t have to do that,” Paige and Bobby say at the same time.
I wave them off. “Think of it as a thank you. My attorney needs to be disbarred for the mockery he’s made of this divorce. You’re doing me a favor stepping in.”
“I’m sure Paige can have it done on Tasha timeline,” Bobby says with a grin.
I lift a brow. “And how long would that be?”
“One week. Someone should’ve told your wife not to piss off the queens. She’s lucky this is all Tasha is demanding.”
“If you can get this done in a week, I’ll give you that horse you were looking at. Heck, I’ll find horses for you and your children and give them all care, feed, grooming, and board for as long as you like,” I say.
Paige laughs. “I’d do this one for free, to be honest.”
“What do you have planned once your divorce is final? Anything special?” Bobby asks.
“I have some cupcakes to bake and some groveling to do.”
Paige gives me a look. Bobby’s gray eyes light up with amusement. My cheeks heat.
I won’t be baking those cupcakes alone. Snacks will have to help me. She’s been asking for new kitchenware. I plan to fit her out like those cooking show prizes from those shows she loves.
“Long story,” I murmur.
“Um, we’ll have to sit for you to tell me that one,” Paige says, her voice filled with amusement.
Bobby palms the back of her neck and kisses her temple. He then looks at me as if to let me know he’s coming to my rescue. I’m grateful, I’m not sure I want to share about that part of my personal life.
What I do know is I need to get Cakes those cupcakes before she leaves. However, they won’t mean a damn thing if Donna is still attached to me. I need to figure out a way back to the plan I had twelve years ago.
“Will we see you at the ranch this weekend?” Bobby says to change the subject.
“LaSalle asked that I come and bring my boys since I’ll have them for one more week before they head off to football camp. I reckon you might.”
“Good, the gang is still trickling in. It will be funny,” he says.
“Sounds good to me.”