Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
“Gross. You’re sweaty.” She laughed, pushing him off her. “Uncle Stetson, you were so good. I can’t believe I got to be front row.”
Seeing Ruby up close, the sadness seemed more obvious. Her low-lit eyes turned the brown in them almost black, her true smile seemed like it hadn’t seen the light of day in months, and her shoulders concaved forward, making her appear smaller than she really was.
It was heartbreaking.
“We couldn’t have you sittin’ anywhere else, not at your first Stetson Walker concert.” He smiled as he tugged me closer by my belt loop. “Ruby, this is Scarlett Carson. A very, very good friend of mine.”
“Hi, Ruby. It’s so nice to finally meet you,” I said, extending my hand to her. “Your uncle Stetson has told me a lot about you.”
I couldn’t help but want to inspect every single characteristic of hers.
To study her and try to figure out what I could do to fix her, make her a little less broken, because no thirteen-year-old should have to endure what she had.
And then there was the innate sensation to want to hug her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
“Hi, Scarlett. He’s also told me a lot about you. Which is very unlike Uncle Stetson.” Ruby quirked an eyebrow at him.
He motioned his head back and forth, grinning at us. “She isn’t wrong.”
Then, Ruby’s demeanor shifted as if her grief was too strong to fight and had taken the reins back. “Uncle Stetson, any luck?” she asked, her voice sounding more mature than most people my age.
Stetson moved closer to her, dropping to his knees to meet her at eye level.
“Not yet, my sweet girl, but I promise I won’t stop until I find them. Okay?”
My heart sunk, like a sinking ship with no life rafts.
She knew he was trying to find her birth parents, which meant she knew that she was adopted. The weight of that could’ve buried me in the ground, and yet here this girl was, standing on her own two feet asking Stetson about it.
Her eyes glistened as tears threatened to expose her, but instead she softly nodded and smiled. Her wordless response was enough to break me.
It must’ve broken Stetson too because he pulled her into his arms, using his strength to cover her in a blanket.
“Thanks for letting me come tonight, Uncle Stetson. It was the best. When are you going to be back in Nashville?”
“Soon, I promise. I just have to finish this album. But maybe we can talk your aunt Lucy into letting you stay with me for a couple of weeks once you’re out of school.”
Out of school… That had to be the end of May, right? Which meant he was planning on staying in Quincey Falls at least another couple of months. Selfishly, I was elated. We’d never even broached the topic of what would happen once he was done with his album, and this just bought us more time.
“Really?” she asked.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you! I love you.”
The revelation brought a brief reprieve from her sadness, a genuine smile dancing across her face and even lingering for a bit.
“I love you too. More than you’ll ever know.” His eyes wandered as she held her body against his. I couldn’t help but wonder where he was, because he wasn’t here with us.
“Ruby, are you ready?” The man who had been put on Ruby duty strolled back into view. “I promised your aunt that I would have you home before midnight and it’s already eleven.”
“Ready,” she responded. “Bye, Uncle Stetson! Bye, Scarlett!” She waved.
“Bye.” Our voices echoed one another’s with the same enthusiasm.
“My heart hurts for her,” I blurted, fidgeting with the ring on my finger.
“Tell me about it. Each day I don’t find her birth parents makes me lose a little more hope because I can’t imagine having to witness the look on her face if I fail,” he said, shuddering at the thought.
“Hey,” I said, offering a bit of comfort as I rested my hand on his bicep. “If there is one thing I know about you, it’s that you’re determined. You’ll find them.”
His gaze rose to mine. “Come on, I wanna show you something,” he said, snatching my hand and dragging me with him.
“Here you go, Linda,” he called out to the grumpy woman from earlier. He plucked out his earpieces and snagged the black box from his jean pocket, tossing it all in her direction. “Have a good weekend.”
I caught a glimpse of her face as we blurred past, and I could’ve sworn I saw the tiniest smile creeping out from under her lips.
We dodged a bunch of people scurrying around backstage, each with at least one thing in their hands, moving a million miles per hour. I’d never realized how much went on behind the scenes until I saw it up close and personal.
“Michael—” Stetson started, but he didn’t get much further than that because Michael clearly couldn’t wait.
“Stetson, man, that new song was incredible. You should be damn proud,” he boasted. “And Scarlett, I’m starting to think you’re his good luck charm. I don’t care what Stetson says, you’re welcome backstage anytime you want.”
I smirked. “I’ll hold you to that.”
“And she will… hold you to that,” Stetson chimed in. “But thanks, man. Means a lot,” he said, shaking his hand before embracing him in a hug. “Are we good to go out this door?” he asked, motioning to the two large metal doors labeled with an illuminated red exit sign above them.
“Yeah, yeah, of course. I have your truck parked right outside, and there should be someone at the back gate to let you out. If not, just call me and we’ll get you out of here,” he said, opening the door for us. “Do you want anyone to go with you?”
“Nah, we’re good. I’m taking her somewhere no one will find us.” His lips perked up to one side. “We’ll be fine.”
“You two have fun and let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Stetson agreed. “Have a good night.”
The drive was peaceful, quiet even, but the buzz from Stetson’s performance was still radiating from him, floating in the space between us. I clasped his hand a little tighter, the world feeling lighter yet my senses feeling heightened.
“Where are you takin’ me?” I asked after the drive had taken far longer than I assumed it would.
“Hold your horses. It will be worth the wait. That I can promise you,” he said, just as he took a sharp right turn off the main road.
The gravel grumbled underneath his tires, enticing me to roll down my window and let the spring breeze filter through the car. The scent of nature lassoed around me, forcing my eyes to close and my head to fall back onto the headrest.
One hand clung to Stetson as he caressed his thumb back and forth on my skin and the other dangled out of the window, letting the wind effortlessly drive it up and down.
On the anniversary of my failed wedding, I felt, for the first time, that a new life was blossoming alongside the spring season. Everything bad had died—well, almost everything—leaving room for all of the new. Now, it was time for new things, new beginnings, and a new me.
Although, one thing still remained outstanding. One thing that could take this all away, but after the concert and everything with Ruby, I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud to him. Not tonight.
“We’re here.” Stetson’s voice was laced with that cocky tone that I’d once found overly annoying but now found disturbingly sexy, whipping me back into the present and pushing the guilt out of sight.
My head lifted from the back of the seat as I opened my eyes, blinking a few times to clear the view. The truck slowed, rolling to a stop. Black oaks canopied the sky above us, so much so that I couldn’t see anything other than darkness and a few branches here and there.
The creak of the old truck door echoed through the night air as Stetson reached into the back seat, pulling something with him before hopping out of the truck. Whatever he grabbed, he tucked it under his arm and opened my door, offering his hand to me.
I walked closely behind him, gripping his hand with both of mine. The nighttime sounds were almost as loud as Stetson’s concert had been—the cicadas chatting, the branches creaking, and the wind dancing within the trees provided the most perfect soundtrack.
About fifty feet from the truck, we came to a clearing. The trees overhead vanished and replacing them was a breathtaking view of the night sky. Millions of stars twinkled overhead in every direction. I’d never seen anything so clear despite living in the middle of nowhere my entire life.
“I never would have thought you could get these kinds of views in a place like Nashville,” I admitted.
“You don’t, unless you know what you’re looking for. And lucky for you, I know exactly what I’m looking for,” he stated.
“It’s unreal. It feels like I’m looking at a picture.” My head was still shifted back as I tried to consume as many stars as I could.
“Well, you showed me your favorite spot in Quincey Falls, so it was only fair I showed you mine here in Nashville,” he said. “Well, just on the outskirts of Nashville.”
“It’s perfect,” I breathed. “This whole night has been perfect.” My gaze finally fell to him. He’d laid out a plaid blanket on the ground, equipped with a bottle of wine and two wineglasses.
“It really has been. I’ve never felt happier or more content in my entire life.” I reached for his hand as I snuggled up next to him. “Are you cold?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Here, take my jacket,” he insisted. “I still have plenty of adrenaline pumping through me to keep me warm.”
“Thank you,” I said.