Chapter 36
Chapter thirty-six
LEE
Dane and I sat at opposite ends of Momma’s table for her annual New Year’s Eve brunch, irritation hanging heavy between us.
We shot each other daggers with every glance, silently communicating all the things we wanted to say out loud but didn’t so that Momma—or worse, Daddy—wouldn’t get involved.
We aggressively passed plates back and forth, noisily clanging silverware and slamming down our glasses.
“What time does your flight leave tomorrow, Lee?” my father asked, ready to be rid of me.
“Two p.m. I’m packed and, believe me, beyond ready to get back to Nashville and start this tour.”
My momma rolled her eyes and passed down a plate of black-eyed peas. “It’s been so nice having you here these last few months. I hate seeing you go.”
Dane scoffed, and I bit my tongue for a moment. “I know, Momma, but I’ll be back. I’ll soon own a business in town, so I’ll need to check on it from time to time.”
What I was saying between the lines was completely obvious to my brother, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Never one to be outdone, though, he started yammering on about the wedding. “She’s chosen our first dance song, and we settled on the appetizers. I tried to coax her into letting Sutton work a bit, but since she’ll be the maid of honor, that may be hard.”
“Well, darlin’, she’s in the wedding party. Magnolia is going to need Sutton more than you need her cooking that day. I sorely regretted not having my best friend at my wedding.”
My father shot her a look, and I realized that Momma, Daddy, and I were the only ones in the room who knew what she truly meant.
“I get it. I’m just worried that LaMonte will bring in some second-class caterer and that we will lose the appeal of having Sutton as our chef for the evening. Everyone is so accustomed to having her delight their palate.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes from my side of the table, watching this absolute idiot shovel food into his face and not even realize how important it would be for Magnolia, the woman he was about to marry, to have her best friend be there for her on their wedding day and not cooking, like hired help.
Someone that was his friend once, too.
It just went to show how out of touch with reality my brother was and always would be. It killed me that this was the kind of bullshit Maggie was going to be subjected to for the rest of her life. But this is what she wanted. This is what she chose, even ten years ago when she told me to walk away.
“What’s the first stop on the tour, Leland?” Momma asked, changing the subject.
“Atlanta, and then we move to South Carolina,” I said, chewing my food and keeping my eyes on the table. If I looked up, I knew I would find my brother staring me down, jealous yet again that the conversation had moved on to me.
“They can’t be paying you a lot,” my father interjected. “You’re the first act of four, which, for someone with a Grammy Award, that’s kind of like singing Karaoke at O’Malley’s for a living.”
“I should be so lucky,” I slipped.
“Oh fuck you, Lee! I won. I got the girl in the end. Please, just leave and move on,” Dane said, standing up so fast my momma jumped and knocked her drink over.
I moved just as quick as him, though, and before we knew it, we were tangled up and throwing punches over my momma’s dining room table like we were teenagers.
***
“You’re a moron. Seriously. That last black eye barely healed and now you have a fresh one.
Some face to put forward for your last show at O’Malley’s for who knows how long.
” Sutton was icing my eye, and Charlie kicked open the door to his work room in his studio with a couple of cold beers he had confiscated from next door.
“I found some cold prosciutto, too. It’s not a steak, but it will have to do,” he said, handing it to Sutton and cracking open our drinks before handing them out.
“I cannot believe the two of you are going to sit around and watch Magnolia marry this animal. I know she’s hot-headed, but you guys should step in. He’s quick with his fists, who’s to say he won’t get so mad at her that he hits her one day.”
Sutton and Charlie exchanged a look, and I jumped off my chair. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Sutton sighed and opened the prosciutto package, popping some of the thin-sliced meat into her mouth.
“Nothing, it’s not… He threw a glass on Christmas morning after, well, you know…
It just missed her head.” She looked to Charlie for help, and he just cringed.
My blood was boiling. Sutton went on. “Now listen! We’re not happy it happened, either.
We both had separate conversations with her about it.
But there’s not much we can do, her mind is made up. ”
Charlie nodded. “You know my sister, Lee. When she makes her mind up about something, that’s it. It’s done. And this is what she wants. Whatever we say about it now doesn’t matter.”
I paced the room, looking back and forth between the two of them. “I’m just not even going to show up tonight. Forget it.”
“Lee, she’s counting on you to play tonight. If you don’t, people will leave.” Charlie watched me wearily. “She’s sold about 250 tickets for this exclusive event, and people are dying to see you, especially since the tour was announced.”
“Well, maybe my brother can fix it for her since he’s such a fucking hero,” I spit before storming out of the studio.
Later that night, I sat on my bed in my hotel room, surrounded by the last pieces that were left of me to pack to take back to Nashville.
I checked the clock before reaching for my phone, which was buzzing like crazy from the nightstand.
I knew she was going to be pissed—beyond pissed—and I didn’t want to deal with it.
She made her choice, and frankly, she needed to live with it at this point.
I couldn’t save her or even try to take care of her anymore.
I’d sent Ryan over to do a couple of covers and said my goodbyes to Sutton and Charlie.
There was nothing left between me and Magnolia, and in a little over a month, she would be my sister-in-law.
I’d given her all the help I was willing to.
I threw my phone into the drawer, slamming it shut, and closed my eyes.
I wasn’t starting a new year living for Magnolia Pruitt. In fact, I wasn’t spending another second on her ever again.