Almost Ordinary (The Song Wreckers Book 2) (27 page)

Chapter 36

Kent had set it up for me to spend a week in Nashville to hand over my songs to Gina and her band the first week in December. I hadn’t talked to Gina since congratulating her on her marriage. I hoped I could convey happiness when I saw her face to face.

Katie and I also tag-teamed my mom and her parents. We talked incessantly about our kids, making sure to say things like, “You should’ve seen Vivian do this,” and “Evelyn looks so much like you, Mama.” We emailed them listings of every house we thought they’d like.

We convinced Mama and Mr. Culver, along with my mom, to fly home for Thanksgiving. It didn’t take much, and we’d bought the tickets first and told them not coming home would be like throwing the money we spent on them away. They all agreed to fly in the Tuesday of Thanksgiving week, and stay through the weekend.

The Sunday prior, I’d just finished getting my mom’s room ready when the doorbell rang. I carried Viv downstairs. “I got it,” I yelled, and peeked out the living room window.

I hurried to the door and yanked it open. My mom held a suitcase in each hand, and wore a nervous smile on her face.

Cold wind whipped in and I instinctively held Vivian tighter. Mom waved the cab driver off, then turned to face me. “Well? I’m here,” she said.

My eyes grew wide when I saw the amount of luggage she had around her. I didn’t expect her for a few days still.

“I exchanged my ticket for an earlier flight. Can I come in?”

Duh. I shook my head to release the shock and stepped to the side. “Of course. Come in.”

She stepped in and dropped her shoulder bag.

“Caleb!” I yelled. “Could you come here, please?”

My mom and I stared at each other.

“Can you carry my mom’s bags upstairs?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said. “Hi, Stephanie.”

“Hi, Caleb. Ram. I’m afraid I don’t know which one to call you.”

“Whichever. Molly and my family call me Caleb. Everyone else calls me Ram.” Caleb stepped out and brought her luggage in. “I’ll take this up to the guest room,” he said, no hint of surprise that she was here. I appreciated his ability to roll with the punches—as long as they weren’t thrown by me, anyway.

My mom smiled nervously. I figured her pride had taken quite a blow these last several months. “I’d like to take you up on your offer to stay here while I look for a place to live. If that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay.” I couldn’t wait to tell Katie and had to stop myself from calling her right then.

“Can I hold her?”

I handed her Viv. “Of course. Come and see the boys.”

I led her to the family room, where Caleb joined us. The last time she’d seen Alex and Zander was the previous Christmas when they’d acted like possessed little demons. Today they were acting like normal, almost two-year-olds. Hyper and crazy one minute, totally focused the next.

I could tell she wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable around us all yet. She made an effort, so comfort would come eventually. She helped them zoom their trucks and build their blocks. After a half hour, she excused herself to unpack and settle into her room.

“Congratulations,” I told Caleb. “It’s another girl. You sure you don’t mind?”

“I think it’s great. Remind her to leave the toilet seats up.”

I swatted him with the burp cloth in my hand. “That’s gross.”

I settled on the recliner with Vivian and began nursing her. “Do you know when Cooper and Franny are supposed to be in town?”

“The first of December, but they’re not staying long. We should probably meet before you go to Nashville.” He peeked in Zander and Alex’s pants and cringed. “Come on, guys. Let’s change those diapers.”

I wasn’t afraid anymore. In fact, I looked forward to the time when Cooper’s role with us was settled.

“Let me do it,” Katie said.

“They’re my kids. I should do it.”

“You suck, no offense. Let me. I need the practice for Evelyn’s first birthday party.”

“I’m not
that
bad.” I had told Katie I was starting to plan the twins’ second birthday party, but should’ve kept my mouth shut.

“Of course not. You’re
wonderful
at party planning.”

I rolled my eyes at her lie. “Okay, fine, I suck. But you tend to go overboard.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

I wanted a small, intimate celebration. I knew she would do a great job putting together a party. But keeping it small, not so much.

Katie’s eyes narrowed even more and the intensity spooked me.

“I remember that look,” my mom said as she breezed through the kitchen. “Give her what she wants.”

I rolled my eyes again, though I knew I’d give in soon. Katie and I may have spent way more time at her house as teenagers, but my mom had witnessed plenty of Katie’s antics to get her way.

Katie smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Davis.”

“Don’t you have to pick your parents up from the airport?” I asked Katie.

“Evelyn should be up from her nap soon, I have a few minutes.”

I scrutinized my Thanksgiving dinner grocery list.

“Please?” Katie begged.

“Maybe next year,” I said.

“Please?”

“You have Evelyn’s first birthday party coming up in January. You can plan your party then.”

“Mol,” she began, “you know in the end you’ll let me do this, so why drag it out?”

I opened some cupboards and gathered items I already had from my list. Katie was right, of course, and I knew she’d do a great job, whereas I’d start to decorate only to quit in frustration. But I enjoyed torturing her.

I turned to her. “Small and intimate.”

She nodded. “Scout’s honor.”

I blew out a noisy breath. “All right, go for it.”

She made a fist and pumped her arm up. “Yes!”

Between Gina, Christmas shopping, Caleb’s work schedule, and helping my mom find a place to live, and maybe Mama and Mr. Culver too, there were a lot of things on my plate. Handing this off to Katie was easier for me.

My mom and I spent the next couple of hours getting the house ready for guests, and preventing the boys from destroying what we’d done.

She sat on the couch with Viv on her lap. “I don’t know how you manage three children. I had a hard time with two.”

I started to correct her and say,
one,
but stopped myself.

Mom had two kids for ten months, then she only had one kid.

Silence loomed between us. Daydreaming that Holly never died hurt, so I’d stopped years ago. Mom, however, probably couldn’t stop imagining life with Holly.

“I mean, I know I only raised one daughter, but even that was difficult at times. Not that you were a difficult child, especially since you spent so much of your time at the dance studio. There was always so much to manage.”

I shrugged and joined her on the couch. “I’ve always had help. Caleb is a hands-on dad, then I had my Franny Nanny, and now Joy. Char’s there if I need her.”

“And now I am too.”

“And now you are too.” God damn tears forming in my eyes!

I looked away toward the boys in case I started crying.

My phone dinged its text message alert. Zander ran into the kitchen and smacked his hand near the counter where my phone sat. “Got tet,” he said, unable to pronounce the X.

Mom laughed. “You used to run to the phone whenever it rang, too.”

From Katie I read:
Help! Grandmama and Bob-See and Deena came too! Have any extra blankets and pillows?

Yes
, I texted.
Swing by on your way home.

My heart thumped hard in my chest at the thought of Katie’s grandmama sitting at my table. That woman was a southern force of nature. Bob-See was a nice, normal person, I wasn’t sweating over his visit. His girlfriend, Deena? Yikes. I hoped she’d be too busy to bother me about getting an audition, and I hated to admit it, but I couldn’t be sure she didn’t have some freaky voodoo cursing abilities.

Yeah, this would be fun.

I went upstairs for linens. With my mom here we didn’t have many extra, but I’d spare what we could.

I found three blankets and two pillows. No pillow cases. I stuck my arm into a higher shelf of the closet and swept it left and right, not feeling anything. They weren’t on any of the lower shelves, either.

I took the step stool from the boys’ bathroom to reach into the higher shelves. I felt what had to be two pillowcases on the top shelf, in the very back.

I dragged them out and stepped down. Instead of being two empty pillow cases, they were each weighted, and swung down and wacked me in the knee.

“Ouch, damn it.” I opened the cases, and my jaw dropped. That sneaky shit husband of mine! I removed the two items he must’ve hid with the intent of me never finding them, and slid them back on the top shelf. Then I shook out the pillowcases, folded them, and added them to the pile.

He viewed Christmas decorating as an art form, but hiding some of the things I’d picked out was downright insulting. He didn’t know I bought the ugly things just to mess with him.

I immediately began forming plans for Operation Payback.

This whole big family thing I’d been thrust into was great. It also came with complications. Caleb and I spent our two Thanksgivings as a couple at his mom’s house, with his family. This year, he and I were hosting Thanksgiving for my real family—my mom, dad, and Joy, and my Katie family.

My mom living with us was a blessing because she could keep an eye on the turkey while Caleb and I made a quick visit to Char’s house. Char understood why we wouldn’t be there, but I felt guilty anyway. We’d discussed having Caleb’s family over to our house as well. We didn’t think everyone would fit.

Katie, Brett and Evelyn came over early Thanksgiving Day. Katie would never admit a reprieve from entertaining her five guests might help maintain her sanity, but I didn’t have to work hard to convince her to leave for a few hours to help me in the kitchen. Caleb needed Brett’s help to plan his over-the-top Christmas decoration plan.

Oh the kitchen. It smelled like heaven—home-cooked food and lots of it. Turkey, stuffing, veggies, three different types of pies. I wanted to roll around in it.

I shooed my mom out of the kitchen to relax. Except she went into the family room with the kids so I doubted any relaxing would actually occur.

Katie and I putzed around the kitchen, tending to whatever needed tending to.

She plopped into a chair. “I think Ram is infecting Brett. He started talking last night about putting more lights around the house this year.”

I handed her some washed green beans to snap. “There’s nothing you can do about it, so let him go.”

“Don’t you find Ram’s views on Christmas decorations, you know,”

“Ridiculous?” Yeah. Since it only hurt our electric bill, and keeping the inside stuff out of the reach of the boys was manageable, I thought it was cute. Most of the time.

I jogged to the end of the kitchen, where you could see into the dining room, to make sure Caleb and Brett were still busy.

Katie’s followed me. “What?” she whispered.

“Come here.”

We snuck upstairs like some wanna-be ninjas, where I grabbed the stool to reach into the hall linen closet. Taking one last peek around, I showed Katie my treasures, the Santa on a stick and psychotic looking elf.

“Good lord, those are every bit as awful looking this year as they were last year. I can’t believe Ram’ll let you put those out again.”

“He hid them when he packed everything up last year, but I found them. I’m gonna put them out when he’s not looking.”

Katie shuddered. “You should reconsider, Mol. Really.”

No way. I smiled and shoved them into the closet. We giggled all the way to the kitchen and continued our prep work until we left to pick up the rest her family.

Chapter 37

If Katie’s grandmama had stayed home in Mississippi, the little tickle of dread wouldn’t have creeped up my spine as I drove up Katie’s driveway. Disgust, or maybe disappointment, marred that woman’s features every time she looked at me. We’d only met once a couple years ago, and once was enough for me.

My cell sang “Baby Got Back” as soon as I threw the gear in park.

What the hell? Her car idled three feet from mine.

“Seriously?” I answered.

“Which ones you want?”

“Mama, Mr. Culver, and Bob-See. You take your grandmama and Deena.”

She shook her head. “There’s three car seats in your van so you can’t take more than two. I can squeeze three in. Plus I don’t think we can break them up like that.”

“Fine,” I said. “I’ll take your mom and dad.”

She shook her head again. “That’ll put Deena with Grandmama, and she’s afraid of Grandmama.” That, we had in common. “Choose either my dad and Grandmama, or Bob-See and Deena.”

On the way home when Carrie Underwood sang about bashing some guy’s truck in because he cheated on her, I imagined doing the same to Deena’s vocal chords. Then Luke Bryan sang about getting so trashed he couldn’t remember why he woke up with a neon tan and beer in his hand, and I thought I’d start shooting doubles too so I could forget the car ride. I kept quiet for fear of her unleashing that weird thing she did that made me think it was possible she had magical powers. Damn, I needed a drink.

I was still nursing, damn it. No booze yet.

“That was fun!” Deena said while getting out of the van.

Bob-See slid his hand in hers. Deena turned to face me. “You’re so fun! I like how you kept turning the radio up super loud!”

I’d tried to drown out her singing. It didn’t work. “Mmm-hmm.”

As the last one inside, I entered a full house. Radio music played in the background, so I ran and turned it off. Then I unplugged it and hid it in a cabinet.

Mr. Culver sidled up next to me, leaning on the counter. I put my innocent smile on.
Who, me? Hiding the radio so Deena can’t sing? Nonsense.

He smiled too. Without moving his lips, he said, “You have no idea,” then strolled away.

What in the hell did that mean? I had plenty of ideas, most of which revolved around not hearing Deena sing anymore today and figuring out the best placement for the hidden Christmas decorations.

I alternated between checking on food preparations, nursing Vivian, and dodging Deena and Grandmama until Caleb declared Thanksgiving dinner was ready. Childish, but Deena was sure to pester me about a music hook-up, and the haughty looks Grandmama shot me wrenched my nerves.

Everyone found their spot. Comments on how wonderful the food smelled echoed around the table.

“All right, Caleb. Carve that turkey!” I said, and handed him the knife.

“Grace,” Katie’s grandmama said. “You forgot to say grace first.”

Shit. I sent a telepathic message to Caleb hoping he’d bail me out and lead the prayer himself so I wouldn’t have to. Instead, he sat down and set the knife on the table. I opened my eyes wider at him so he’d get the hint. Fucker bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Go ahead, Dear,” he said.

It was silent save for the kids tapping on their trays. I looked at Katie. She followed Caleb’s lead and bowed her head. I looked at Brett. He shook his head, and bowed it as well. My parents, Bob-See, then the rest of them. All to avoid eye contact with me, I’d bet.

I didn’t know the first thing about leading a prayer. My foot began tapping as my mind went blank. Grandmama leered my way.
Okay, Molly.
Say grace. How hard can it be?

My mind emptied itself of anything grace related, causing panic to replace my nerves. All I knew was that I wanted everyone to forget about saying grace, and to eat.

“Fire!” I yelled.

Eight heads popped up, whipping left and right.

“Fire, where?” Deena asked.

With no indication of a fire, eight heads turned toward me. “Oh, false alarm, my bad. Whew, that would’ve been terrible since it’s Thanksgiving and all. So, never mind. Let’s eat.”

I sat and picked up my fork.

“Grace,” Grandmama repeated.

Once again I tried to meet someone else’s eyes who would save me from this awful task. Bastards all ignored me.

Fine then.

I’d heard some prayers over the last couple of years, but none that stuck with me. The guy—Reverend, whatever—who married Katie and Brett did a good job. He spoke in a way that made someone remember. I’d do what he did. I took a deep breath. I could do this.

“Okay. So like, um—”
Damn it! Focus, Molly.
That was not how Reverend What’s-His-Face did it.

Caleb’s body shook the tiniest bit, and his mouth pressed into a thin line. Was he laughing? I kicked his shin under the table.

Ow
, he mouthed.

Grandmama cleared her throat. Yeah, yeah, I got the hint. I channeled my inner Reverend What’s-his-Face and went for it.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of two souls in holy matrimony.”

Every face turned to me.

“Uh, Mol,” Katie said.

“Not now, I’m praying.” This may not be the most conventional Thanksgiving prayer so I had to improvise. Songwriters were good like that. “Marriage is a beautiful event where—”

“Princess, stop,” Caleb said through stifled laughter. “Just thank God for our food.”

“That’s what I’m doing!” I shot him a dirty look. “A beautiful event where two souls—well, for Thanksgiving purposes, lots of souls—where lots of souls gather for the bountiful harvest you have provided us. As we journey through life together, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, and the woman says ‘to obey’ but the man doesn’t. I forgot for better or for worse, so that too. ‘Til death do us part. Amen.”

Okay, so I changed it. Sue me, it worked. I smiled, proud at my first out-loud prayer for a houseful of guests.

Brett was the first to burst out in full-on laughter. Then Katie, Caleb, and Bob-See. Everyone else kept their heads down.

Grandmama shrill voice cut through the laughs. “What in the world was that?”

“A prayer.” As a modern woman, I gave a modern prayer.

Deena, who sat next to Mrs. Culver, patted the old woman’s hand. “I’ll fix this, Grandmama. Everybody please bow your heads. Again.”

What the hell? Everyone calmed down and bowed their heads, so I did too.

Deena prayed. “Dear Heavenly Father . . .”

I tuned her out, the little suck up. There was nothing wrong with my prayer. I said “Amen” when everyone else did. Grandmama appeared satisfied with whatever Deena had said.

My shoulders slumped in defeat. So I wasn’t the best prayer leader and someone else felt they had to fix it. Whatever, the food wasn’t going to eat itself so I dug in.

An hour later, my mom and Mama led the charge on the first round of clean ups. If I hadn’t overheard Grandmama’s comments during the meal—the entire meal—about my generation’s lack of devotion to the church, I’d be more pleasant and less irritated.

“Molly, you have quite a way with words,” Mr. Culver said.

Grandmama shuffled past. “Hmmph. Seems to me like you could use a Godly influence.”

“Well, I
am
a professional— Shit.” I closed my eyes for a second. Deena stood two feet away from me and could hear every word. I wanted to avoid all talk of music and singing.

“You’re a professional shit?” he asked. “I don’t understand. Is that some Yankee slang for something?”

I slid the last bunch of crumbs into my hand and tossed them into the trash. “No, I just remembered something.”

Deena turned to me and Mr. Culver. “You were gonna say professional songwriter, right, Molly?”

“Yeah, you know, I’m pretty good with, uh, words and stuff.” I turned in a slow circle. Something needed my attention, right?

Deena put her hand around my upper arm. “You sure are. I love what you do for Gina Swinger. She’s a nice, throaty, alto singer. My new voice teacher tells me I’m an alto too. We’re working on belting. She says my head voice is something she’s not ready to deal with yet.”

Or ever, probably.

She let go of me to clap her hands together. “Do you want to listen to what we’ve been working on?”

“Maybe some other day?”

Her eyes grew large and her mouth opened. A small screech began, similar to the other one she unleashed on me.

“I was kidding. Yes, I’d love to hear what you’ve been working on, silly. Right now.”

Deena’s face lit up and she held up her cell phone. She’d probably been waiting for this moment all day. “Do you have a speaker dock?”

Caleb, busy loading the dishwasher, called out over his shoulder, “In the family room.”

Then he caught who had asked for it. He looked at me with his
sorry
expression. At this point, what could I do? I shrugged and followed Deena.

She anchored her phone and clicked the screen a few times. The music started, a soft prelude that sounded pretty. I didn’t recognize it at first.

I jogged into the kitchen and grabbed Caleb’s hand. He needed to suffer, too. I positioned myself in front of him and wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

The prelude ended and the melody began, and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was forever ruined for me. I tried to give it a chance. She butchered the first two notes which contained an octave leap. Not many people have the ability to pull that off. Katie could, but even she wouldn’t
belt
out a vocal leap like that. Everyone politely clapped when Deena was done.

“You two are so cute,” she said to me and Caleb, then ran to Bob-See who poured on the compliments. She mistook Caleb’s whispering in my ear throughout her song for romance.

I turned around so we were face-to-face. “Hear that? We’re cute.”

He leaned in for a kiss, but stopped millimeters from my lips. “That was awful. I wanted to rip my ears off.”

“I know.” Because he whispered the same words in my ear the whole time Deena sang.

“I didn’t realize who was asking for the speakers.”

“Shh, it’s over now. Nothing to be afraid of.” I ran my tongue along his bottom lip. Mmm, he tasted good. Too bad we had a house full of guests. Caleb smacked my butt, then resumed dishwasher duty. I set out the desserts and second set of plates.

“I’m still full,” I said to Caleb. “How do you have the energy to do that?”

The day after Thanksgiving had arrived, another big day in the Ramsey household. Caleb opened a bunch of boxes and tubs, and examined each container, checking all of the Christmas decorations.

I sat on the floor with Vivian and watched. I’d eaten way too much yesterday, and my energy level was almost nonexistent. I didn’t even work out this morning.

“Everything’s here,” he said. “Brett will be over in a while to help.”

“Of course everything’s here. What? You were worried someone broke in, snuck upstairs to the spare bedroom closet and stole some of your goods?”

“We should have the hardest stuff done by the time Brett has to leave to be at the bar. You going house-hunting with Katie and her parents?”

“No, my mom is.” Part of me was happy that she might find a house. I liked having her here with us, and I’d miss her when she moved out. She was finally comfortable around Alex, Zander, and Vivian, and they loved having all of their grandparents so close. I loved having all their grandparents so close too.

But my mom deserved to have time and space to herself. I knew she’d visit often, and I didn’t need her as a caregiver. Joy still loved that job. I guess I was used to being part of a big family. How did I ever function without the craziness?

It didn’t take long for Caleb to have all the boxes downstairs. Brett came over and they began to hang the lights outside, while my mom went to Katie’s to go house hunting with them.

With my time in between wrangling three kids, I finalized my plans for my trip to Nashville. I shouldn’t be nervous. I knew my songs were kick ass and had commercial appeal. And you bet your ass they had financial viability despite Dex thinking otherwise. I was nervous, though. Gina was married to Dex, a man I despised, and I had tried to rat him out in hopes that she wouldn’t marry him. Could I fake happiness? Could I act like I didn’t know all the horrible stuff about him? At the basic level Dex was a phony with blood on his hands, and he controlled Gina’s career. My career depended on her success.

And I didn’t trust Dex. Not even a little bit.