Chapter 34
Dalton
THE DULL ACHE THAT’S been present in my chest since Raleigh’s departure—a grand total of three days—begins to ebb away as we approach the venue.
It’s the morning before the show and the rest of the crew is finally ready to meet Raleigh here for a few run throughs.
Mae assures me they’ve played this stage before, and the show isn’t going to be anything special.
The way she downplays her preparedness irks me, but I don’t say anything back to her because I know Raleigh will shut that down as soon as she gets the chance.
Coming to a stop in the gravel lot backstage, Mae practically leaps from the car.
It seems the mere sight of a stage has lifted her spirit.
I’m slow to follow, seeing Raleigh wave from the stage wing causes me to pause and just watch.
Mae greets her, and Raleigh hoists her up.
I lean back against the car as I watch the two embrace.
I should go to Raleigh and confess what I wanted over the phone, but I restrain myself.
The brief look over her shoulder as Mae whisks her away is enough for now.
She seems conflicted but smiles when I give her a nod.
Her grin is filled with the promise of conversing later in the day. It’s enough for now.
When the rest of the band and crew arrive midway through the morning, Raleigh finally has the opportunity to break away. She leaves Mae sprawled out on the stage where Theresa has joined her for an impromptu jam on the floor. It’s nice to see them share that time together.
I’m so enamored by the vision of a happy and laughing Mae, that I don’t register Raleigh until she’s stepped up beside me.
“Wow,” she begins, reaching up toward my tie. “You’re out of my supervision for two days and you fall apart on me.” She tightens the knot but leaves her hand there.
“Three days,” I correct, moving my fingers to loosen it back to where it was. “And I always wear it like this.”
She just grins before retreating with her hands up. I have half a mind to snag her by the waist and bring her against me, but thankfully, a yelling stage hand reminds me where I am. Clearing my throat, I maneuver the subject. “Enjoying home?”
“Oh, yes. It’s been three days of seeing the sights and sounds of a place I spent far too many years in.” She raises her fingers and studies her nails, something I’ve noticed she does when she wants to act like she doesn’t care but truly does deep down.
“Do I get to at least meet your parents?” Her eyes widen at me, then shift over my shoulder.
Something escapes her lips that I think is a laugh, but comes out more like a snarled yelp. “Quicker than you think.”
No sooner has she teased a grand meeting than a woman’s high pitched crooning fills the space around us, which I thought wouldn’t be possible since we are, in fact, outside. Two SUVs have pulled up into the lot behind us.
“I haven’t told them about you,” she blurts. Her face is full of regret, but I could hardly be mad at her for that.
I take a gentle step toward her and reach to take her hand in mine, but it’s already too late. Mrs. Davis has somehow transported herself from the car to the ramp beside us before any of the other occupants can disembark.
“Raleigh, darling!” She practically bounds up the ramp.
“Why on earth weren’t you there to greet us?
You know how much we appreciate you showing us where we’re allowed to go.
” The older woman does not even glance my way, and after a brief hug with her daughter, she’s gone on stage where Mae lets out a shriek and launches herself at the mother she never had.
From what Raleigh’s mentioned of her mother it seems that she views her as more of a caregiver than a mother.
Mother-daughter issues are not something that Mae or Raleigh have easily navigated in the past. The three of them getting along is a nice thing to imagine though.
A pat on my shoulder takes me away from the scene out on the floor. “Sorry about her, my good sir.” A towering man, who I can only guess to be Raleigh’s father, has stepped up beside me with a head shaking back and forth with incognito admiration for his wife.
“Dad, this is Dalton.”
“Ah,” Mr. Davis says, reaching to shake my hand. “The gentleman you’ve been chatting all night with.”
For the first time in our entire time knowing each other, I see Raleigh’s face redden with embarrassment. I quickly take the brunt of the conversation. “Yes, but let’s not let Mrs. Davis know that,” I say with a laugh. Mr. Davis laughs too before clapping me on the back.
“I need to go say hi to my other daughter, but Dalton, don’t be a stranger.” With that, the man has moved on to Mae, who embraces him in a hug equal to that of the woman before him. I don’t get to gauge Raleigh’s reaction to the affection before more voices rise behind us.
“Wow this is surreal!” A blonde woman, practically wearing a man on her arm, has her mouth hung open in awe as she approaches.
The man connected to her is unremarkable—shaggy hair, plain jeans and t-shirt.
I’m about to inquire as to who they are, but when the man’s eyes look past me to Raleigh, I understand who they are immediately.
“I’m going to have to ask you to show some ID,” I say, stepping in front of Raleigh.
Grant’s eyes widen and he fumbles for his wallet. His fiancé merely strides forward. “It’s okay, tough guy, Raleigh gave us exclusive access.”
“Exclusive show access,” I hear Raleigh mumble through gritted teeth.
“Raleigh,” Grant starts, stepping to the side so I no longer block his eyeline. “I’m sorry, but Tobin and your parents insisted.”
Raleigh’s gentleness washes over me as her hand graces mine when she steps by. “I’m sure they did.” There’s ice in her voice, but not nearly as much as I was expecting. She has her professionalism on. Somehow I doubt she was as cordial as she is now at dinner the other night.
“Listen, we won’t be any trouble. Tobin’s intrigued by all of this, I just thought I could show her this part of my life.”
Raleigh’s fingers clamp down on mine. I can feel the hurt radiating through her. “Well, I’m sure you still remember your way around.” With that jab, she disappears onto the stage, leaving all of us behind in an awkward silence.
I take a moment to take in the man in front of me.
On one hand, I hate his very bones for what he did all those years ago and how he did it, how he continues to handle it.
On the other hand, if things hadn’t happened the way they did, would Raleigh be in my life in any way?
Would Mae and the band even exist in the form they do now?
I think I know the answer to the questions I’ve asked, and as much as it hurts me to see Raleigh with the pain of what-could-haves and should-have-beens, I’m damn glad we found each other in the way that we did.
***
The humidity from the early summer day releases its hold on us about an hour into Mae’s amphitheater show.
The crowd on the other hand has not let up.
We played so many arenas on the tour earlier this year that I kind of forgot what an open air performance could feel like.
I kind of forgot the absolute powerhouse performer Mae can be when she’s set loose.
As Mae goes into her second hour of performing, I’m finally given the relief of my post by one of the venue’s hires.
Normally, I wouldn’t mind staying at my assignment all night long, but I haven’t seen Raleigh since she bolted earlier today, and the second half of the show would be the perfect cover for us to talk, to finally talk, as long as she’s not busy.
Who am I kidding? She will be busy.
I prepare myself for the idea that I might not be doing a whole lot of talking, but even the notion that I can just be near her after what she’s gone through emotionally this week is enough.
It doesn’t take me long to find her. Lights flashing from the stage continuously catch on the red of her hair like a homing beacon.
She’s at the very edge of a larger group, some stage crew mixed in with a few guests with backstage passes.
I’m excited to join them until I notice who’s standing beside her.
They’re trying to act like they’re not in conversation. There’s no move to touch each other or even turn their heads when speaking. It’s not until I come closer to them that I even realize that they are actually speaking directly to each other. Intently.
“This is what we gave up, huh?” Grant asks, his head glued to Mae working the stage.
“This is what you gave up for both of us,” she answers flatly.
Grant shakes his head but still doesn’t dare address her to her face. I should really turn away and leave them to their conversation, but something in Raleigh’s stature keeps me rooted to the spot.
“I’m sorry, Raleigh,” Grant says. The words should stop there but they don’t. “I did give it up, but there’s not a day that I regret the decision I made.”
Raleigh is the first to break the stalemate. Her head whips his direction and she stares at him until he finally has the courage to look at her.
“I never regretted the decision to step away from Nashville.” His throat bobs up and down, with the effort of the sentence. Out of fear or the strain of emotion, I can’t tell from here. “I do regret the way I handled the leaving though, I hope you know that.”
She blinks away the shimmer of tears before shrugging. “We’re both happy now.”
“Are we?” Grant asks, stepping so close that their shoulders brush. God, I want to intervene. I want to physically remove him from her side.
I nearly take it upon myself, going so far as to take a few steps forward but Raleigh’s already taken a step back.
“I am. I’m very happy.” Her vocal level has risen, but only so far as to gain the attention of a stage hand who quickly moves away when he realizes what he’s stumbled upon. “Are you not happy?” she asks snidely.
Grant rubs the back of his neck and adds distance between them. “I am. Truly.”
“Well, good,” Raleigh answers, stepping backward again, closer to me. “There’s truly nothing more to say then.”
Grant turns fully, mouth agape ready to say something else, but then his gaze flicks up and he finally notices me. “Goodbye, Raleigh.” He’s directed his sentiment toward her, of course, but his eyes never leave my direction. With a gentle squeeze of her hand, he blows past her and then by me.
When he’s gone, I turn again to find Raleigh looking at me. There is sadness in her eyes, but also an outstretched hand in my direction. It takes nothing more for me to take it and join her at her side.
“You better stop looking at me like that in public,” she says, joining us at the hands. Mae and the band are still rocking behind us, and the crowd shows no signs of stopping, but in finding her, the world around me has slowed.
“Looking at you how?” I ask between breaths.
Her chin tilts up, and she sighs like she doesn’t want to admit the truth. “Looking at me like you’re in love with me.”
“I’m an honest man.” I gently remove my hand from hers and push back the hair that’s fallen into her face.
“Tell me then. Bare your soul, Dalton Cosgrove.” She’s said it just above a whisper, but despite the crashing of the concert behind us, I hear every word clear as day.
“I love you, Raleigh.” It’s a simple four words, but the truth I am putting behind them has never been spoken by another. “I fall more in love with you every day.”
Raleigh might have rolled her eyes at such a sentiment a week or two ago, but tonight she simply smiles at me and wraps her arms up around my neck. She releases a calming breath and then turns my world on its head. “And I love you, Dalton.”