Chapter Eleven
“Oh, dear,” says Grandma. As well she might.
“I have to say I’m surprised,” says Carrie. “You know the baby most likely isn’t yours, right?”
Nothing from Nash. Not a single damn thing. He just clenches his jaw and stands tall in the face of whatever this is.
“Who the hell is this?” asks Mac.
“Good question,” mutters Rose.
Carrie, meanwhile, tosses her shining long locks like she’s in a shampoo commercial and says with a sniff, “You do know that, right, Aaron?”
“Aaron?” Sabrina frowns. “His name is Nash. What’s going on here?”
And it’s another good question. One I have no nice answer for.
“The math about this baby just isn’t mathing.
Imagine my surprise when I found out your fiancée was with someone else only a few weeks ago.
” Carrie looks down the length of her nose at me.
“There’s plenty of evidence on social media.
It wasn’t even that hard to find. I warned Farmer your new girl was full of shit. ”
Nash shakes his head. “Carrie…”
“Why don’t we discuss this somewhere private,” says Grandma.
And Carrie completely ignores both of them.
“Brandon Shaw. He’s in banking in Phoenix.
And they were together for quite a while.
So either she was cheating on him with you, or she’s lying to you about being the Baby Daddy.
It has to be one or the other, right? Kind of makes you want to ask for that ring back, doesn’t it? ”
“Aaron,” repeats Sabrina, with her brows drawn tight together. Then the bottle of beer falls out of Sabrina’s suddenly numb fingers. “Aaron Porter. The Aaron Porter. Oh my god. I knew you reminded me of someone!”
Mac’s mouth falls open, while Rose’s brows reach for the sky.
And Carrie grins victorious. “Oops. They figured it out.”
“I mean the hair is cut short and his beard is gone,” continues Sabrina. “But otherwise…”
“Huh,” says Rose, studying his face. “Guess you’d know. You’re a hairdresser, and you went to see him live last year in Seattle and Red Rocks.”
“Why, you’re a real fan.” Carrie sighs dramatically.
“Of course, it’s totally understandable that Aaron would want a break from the pressures of fame after all of these years.
Such a shame the person he trusted turned around and tried to baby trap him.
Though just between us, I do wonder if there even really is a baby? ”
“Well of course there is,” says Father Frank. Though he doesn’t sound as sure as we’d wish. “Who are you?”
I didn’t expect organized religion to come down on our side, but here we are. Seems it’s a night for surprises. And Nash and I couldn’t be more busted if we tried. Just absolutely fucked. Carrie can only be guessing about the pregnancy. However, oof did the bitch hit the target.
“I work for Aaron’s record company.” Carrie’s head is held high. “He and I go way back. We’re very good friends.”
“Not the words I’d use,” says Nash. “Junebug, you okay?”
I give him a small, resigned sort of smile. What is there to say?
“You’re not the asshole who forgot her birthday,” says our psychic counselor, Molly. No idea if her supernatural abilities or common sense provided the answer. It could honestly be either. “It was the other one. Brandon. Her boyfriend back in Phoenix.”
Rose crosses her arms. “That’s who ate the last piece of cake and called her bro?”
“She didn’t want to lie to you. June was trying to give Nash a chance at a normal life. Things just got out of hand.” There’s an empathy I didn’t entirely expect in Grandma’s eyes. And Charlie, standing at her side, seems equally resigned to this shitty scene.
The other familiar faces around me express a mixture of confusion, hurt, and disappointment. And I did this with my stories and lies. It feels a lot like taking a hit to the guts. Grandma warned me this wasn’t going to work out well.
“June…” says Nash, with more urgency.
“I’m not pregnant.” The words rush out of me. I don’t want to lie anymore.
Carter the librarian shakes his head in confusion. “Wait. What?”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “Nash and I…um…”
“There you go.” Carrie grins. “From her own lips.”
“Holy shit,” mumbles someone nearby.
“I think it’s time for us to go,” says Carrie. “Don’t you, Aaron? There’s clearly nothing for you here.”
“I came up with the plan,” announces Nash. The expression on his face says he is determined to fall on his sword and save me. “It was my idea to lie to you all.”
Carrie scowls in confusion. “Yes, but—”
“I started it,” I say. Because complete honesty, etcetera. “He didn’t know I was going to lie about him being my ex, come to win me back. Though he did make up the bit about the baby…”
“He what?” gasps Carrie.
And Nash nods.
Grandma steps forward “I knew about it all too. If the whole town is going to get angry about this, then get angry at me too.”
And the silence in the bar is deafening.
All that can be heard is Patsy Cline is playing on the jukebox.
Carmen is the first to turn her back on us and return to the bar.
Mac, Molly, and Rose are close behind. So this is what it feels like to be shunned by a community.
I could have happily lived my life without knowing. This absolutely sucks.
Father Frank shakes his head sadly. “Shame on you.”
“You can forget about those baby blankets,” says Wade. “I won’t be knitting either of you a thing.”
“How could you, Audrey?” asks Isa. Though she doesn’t wait for a reply.
And all the while, Carrie stands there, deflated.
“Lady Caroline…” Nash is wearing a sharp sort of smile. No way would I mistake it for friendly. “So you did some investigating, huh?”
“I might have been wrong about certain elements. But you still may as well come back with me. Journalists have already been alerted to your whereabouts,” says Carrie. “There really is nothing for you here.”
“I’ll have you know The Bend just so happens to be a delightful place to live, with wonderful people.”
And she does the most over-the-top eyeroll in known history.
I’m surprised the orbs don’t fall out of her head.
“Look, it’s not all a loss. We can sell this little adventure of yours as inspiration for your next album.
That you wanted to get back in touch with everyday working people and a simpler life. Your fan base will eat that shit up.”
“Yeah,” he says, rubbing the side of his hand over his mouth. “I mean, back to what I was talking about, a valid case can be made that the truth was going to come out sooner rather than later. What with me being famous and June not currently being with child.”
“Currently?” I question.
“Let’s talk about it later.” He turns back to the waiting woman.
“I’ll admit our story got a little out of control.
The funny thing here, though, is how Farmer wants me happy.
He really wants that. I mean, right now, it seems like that’s his main objective.
And I was happy…the happiest I’ve been in just about forever… until you fucked it up.”
“Aaron,” she says with a grin. Like she has him wrapped around her finger. “You can’t be serious.”
“The record company and I always had a complicated sort of relationship, haven’t we?” he continues. “So much history there. So much money. And I can’t tell you how much I hate to be a vindictive shithead. However, there’s no fucking chance of me re-signing with them when I know you work there.”
Any trace of victory falls right off her face. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I really would.”
Carrie swallows hard. “Baby.”
“Go. Now. And don’t come back.”
And Carrie storms out of the bar.
“So that happened,” says Nash, breaking the silence.
Charlie grunts in reply.
We’re standing in the street outside the house he bought.
This walk home feels oddly similar to the night the rockstar arrived in town.
What with Grandma and I heading back from the bar.
The moon hangs low overhead and the stars are shining.
Assorted bugs and night birds are doing their thing.
The world seems too peaceful, given what just went down.
Or it does until an old car roars past with the driver hanging out the window, shouting, “You suck!”
Nash waves. “Have a nice night, Father Frank.”
“He has a tendency to have big feelings after imbibing a brandy or two,” says Grandma with a frown.
“Sorry we got you in trouble,” I say.
Grandma snorts. “That was bound to happen. It was my choice to keep my mouth shut about you two.”
“I guess so. We really disappointed them.”
“Your motives were pure-ish,” says Grandma. “Give them some time, they’re only hurt because they like you so much.”
“Wonder how long it’ll take for the media to arrive in town,” says Charlie.
Nash sighs. “Could be hours, could be minutes.”
“You’re leaving then?” I say, as casual as can be. Then I take off the huge diamond ring. It takes some work to move it past my knuckle. Like my hand doesn’t like the idea of letting it go. “Guess I should give you this back now.”
He gives the ring a frown.
“We’ll leave you to it.” Charlie ushers Grandma toward her house. “Goodnight.”
Grandma drags her feet. “But June and Nash—”
“Are perfectly capable of sorting out their lives without you. It’s time for bed.”
“It’s time for bed?” repeats Grandma.
“Yes.”
“Oh. So it is. Goodnight!”
“Night.” Then with a whisper, I ask, “Does that man have his hand on my grandmother’s ass?”
Nash nods. “Yeah. He sure does.”
“I, um, okay…”
And Grandma actually giggles as they disappear inside. This is wild. But it’s great seeing her happy. And horny, I guess.
“Keep the ring,” says Nash, like it’s nothing. “You haven’t seen the place yet, have you?”
“I can’t keep the ring. It’s worth a small fortune.”
He shrugs.
“And what about the Volvo?”
“Farmer’s not going to ask for it back,” he says. “Right now, he’s figuring out how to work this new situation to his benefit.”
“Nash…”