Country (14 page)

“It sounds easy, but that's harder to find than you think.” Bill had often been critical of her too, and she didn't like it. And she hated the kind of snide cutting comments that Fred and Jean made to and about each other. It was so easy to take cheap shots.

“Yeah, it is,” he agreed, as they sat down at the big round table in his kitchen. He had put out placemats and linen napkins, which he admitted he only bothered to do when he had guests. “I never had that problem with Tamra. She wasn't one for subtle comments and put-downs. She just hit me on the side of the head, or took a swing at me. She was more direct.” He laughed as he said it, and Stephanie could just imagine what she'd been like. A wild country girl with a hot temper and loose fists. It seemed like a poor match with his gentle, patient ways, but that was probably why it had worked for as long as it did. “She went after me with a frying pan once. She was very down market.” He chuckled. “I've never hit a woman in my life, and she took full advantage of it.” Stephanie was sure she did, and then looked worried.

“Do you think Bobby Joe hits Sandy?” He had seemed pretty angry a few minutes before, and once on the bus, when he wanted to go to the casino and she didn't and had to work.

“No, I don't,” Chase said, and appeared relaxed. “I'd kill him if he did, and put him in prison after that. He just hurts her with what he says. He's always pissed off. She'll get tired of it eventually. We all do.” The steaks were delicious, and she told him so, and he was pleased. “I like to cook. I don't get much time for it, but I can do anything I want in this kitchen. It's got some pretty fancy stuff. Most of the time I just make ribs or steak. I'm a southern boy.” He grinned at her. “I make pretty good grits too, but you have to be southern to like them. You can't feed a Yankee girl on grits,” he teased her, and she laughed.

“I should try them while I'm here.”

“You won't like 'em. Most Yankees don't. They're a southern thing.” She forgot how southern he was at times, but she liked that about him, good manners and respect for women, and a certain old-fashioned courtliness despite the long hair and tattoos, which she was getting to like too. They went with his look, and it worked on him. He was so good looking, he could get away with it, and even not shaving for several days, which made him even sexier.

He offered her an Eskimo bar for dessert, and they sat talking in his kitchen about the work he had to do that week, and the concert they were playing that weekend.

“I'm going to see Michael in Atlanta tomorrow,” she told Chase. “I called him this morning, and he's free tomorrow night. Unfortunately, I have to invite Amanda too. They're a package deal.”

“Why don't you invite him to the concert this weekend? I'd love to meet him and his southern belle.”

“She's a piece of work,” Stephanie said, looking unhappy. Amanda had been involved with Michael for three years, and was beginning to look like she might be there to stay. He had met her when he first moved to Atlanta, and hadn't dated anyone else since. She was the same age as he was. Stephanie and Louise thought she was manipulative, always trying to work Michael toward her goal of marriage, although she was always sickeningly polite, and seemed insincere to them.

“Maybe he'll meet someone else.” Chase was optimistic.

“I don't think so,” she said, worried. “He's a very loyal guy. He never looks at other girls. He's been with her since he was twenty-two, too young to settle down. She's got a prize and she knows it. She's not going to let him go,” Stephanie said.

“You settled down when you were very young,” Chase pointed out to her, and he was right.

“Yeah, but I'm a girl, and his father was twenty-six.” That was only a year older than Michael was now, which scared her even more.

“Well, ask him to the concert. I want to meet your boy. Hopefully, you'll meet mine too, one day.” He had thought of dropping in to see him at work the day before when they went to Memphis, but they didn't have time since he had to get back to work himself.

“I hope I will,” Stephanie said kindly, and promised to ask Michael to come to the concert when she saw him the next day.

“How long will you be in Atlanta?” he asked, seeming worried.

“Just one night. He's too busy to have me hang around. The Braves keep him running all over the place. He never gets home to San Francisco anymore, except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

“That's the way it works when they grow up,” Chase said
philosophically.
“I'm going to miss you,” he added. “What am I going to do when you go back to California?” She wasn't sure what she was going to do either. She was having such a good time with him. But they had done pretty well so far. They had managed to turn a single VIP comp concert ticket into a nine-day adventure, and she hadn't left for San Francisco yet, and wasn't sure when she would. She was thinking about stopping to see Louise in New York on the way back, as long as she was this far east. She hadn't made up her mind yet, or talked to Louise about it, who might be too busy for a visit anyway. Louise worked hard at her job too.

“I've been thinking the same thing, about when I go back,” she admitted, with a wistful look.

“Then don't leave, Stevie,” he said as he put an arm around her, and then circled her with the other arm and held her close. She didn't pull away or resist. She felt safe and comfortable in his arms and had gotten used to him day by day.

“I have to,” but she couldn't remember why, as she said it.

“No, you don't,” he argued softly, his face very close to hers. “You can do anything you want…like stay here.”

“And what would I do here?” she asked in a whisper. She had no life here, except in relation to him, although she loved being there and everything they did.

“You could write lyrics for me,” he answered, “or we'll figure out something.” And before she could answer him again, he kissed her gently on the lips, and she felt as though her head were spinning. His lips were as gentle as butterfly wings, and yet his kiss was strong and deep, and she was breathless when he gently pulled away and looked down at her, with the most loving look in his eyes she'd ever seen. “I'm crazy about you, Stevie,” he said softly. “I don't want you to leave. I will miss you every day until you get there, as soon as you leave. This has never happened to me before.”

“Me neither,” she said, and he kissed her again, and this time it was filled with more passion on both sides, not just tenderness. He was hungry for her but didn't want to scare her. He knew how new this was to her. But she didn't feel frightened in his arms.

“I don't want you to go,” he said again.

“We'll have to figure this out,” she said vaguely, but she didn't see how. She had a life and house and friends and history in San Francisco, and a home that her children expected to come home to for holidays and family events. And he had a life and career in Nashville that was a major enterprise and industry and couldn't be ignored. They weren't kids with a movable life, and they lived across the country, in entirely different worlds. She reminded herself too that they hardly knew each other, and she couldn't throw her whole life out the window after ten days, but he wasn't asking her to. He was telling her how much he cared about her and wished she could stay, which was enough for now. It didn't scare her, but she didn't see how they could resolve it.

They kissed again as they left the kitchen, and they watched a movie together, lying on his king-size bed, with Frank and George on either side of them. George snored so loudly while he was sleeping, they had to turn up the volume on the movie so they could hear it, and they both laughed. She even loved his dogs. Most of his girlfriends had hated his dogs, and said they should be yard dogs, and Tamra had been allergic to them, so he really did have to keep them outside until she left. But Stephanie loved the fact that he had dogs.

He didn't try to make love to her that night. He just lay next to her with an arm around her, holding her close, and they kissed from time to time. It was sweet and innocent. They were in no rush, although she could feel how powerful his body was, and sense his passion when he kissed her, but he never pushed her farther than she wanted to go, nor lost control of himself. He was a wise and gentle man, which made her feel completely safe.

“There's no room for me in your bed anyway,” she teased him, pointing at the dogs, when they talked about not rushing into making love. It was a big commitment that neither of them wanted to make lightly, until they were sure of what they felt. It was still very new, and they both agreed it was smarter to wait awhile. “The boys take up the whole bed,” she said, as Frank stretched his long legs in his sleep, pushing her closer to Chase, and George snored even louder.

“I think we can work something out. I'll talk to the boys about it,” Chase assured her. “Maybe we can negotiate time-shares on the bed.” They both laughed, and after the movie, they lay there and kissed for a while. He was dying to feel her body naked on his, and the wait to discover it was tantalizing, but they agreed it would only make things better once they decided they were ready. “I hope our kids are as sensible as we are, before starting
relationships,”
Chase said, laughing.

“I doubt it,” Stephanie commented. “I don't think that happens till you're our age.”

“It's never happened to me before,” he admitted. He had been impulsive about his sexual and amorous entanglements in the past, which had always gotten him into trouble. This time they were both being smart.

And with regret they got off his bed and went downstairs. He drove her back to the hotel, and they lingered in his car, kissing, before she got out. He had told her where to stay in Atlanta, which was a better hotel than the one she usually stayed at. And she promised to call him when she got there. It was a four-hour drive from Nashville, and she was planning to walk around, do some shopping, maybe go to a museum, and meet up with her son after work, with Amanda, for dinner. And she was going to return to Nashville the next day.

“We'll go out to dinner when you come back. There are some great restaurants here.” He was dedicating all his spare time to her—he wanted to spend as much time as he could with her before she left Nashville. “Have fun in Atlanta,” he said, as he kissed her for a last time and looked into her eyes. “Should I tell you again how much I'm going to miss you?” She smiled at him. It was nice to hear.

“I'll call you tomorrow,” she said, then ran into the hotel, waved from the door, and hurried upstairs to her room. She still had to pack for her overnight stay in Atlanta. She was leaving the rest of her things at her room at the Hermitage Hotel, which seemed simpler for one night.

Chase called her on her cell phone just as she was about to go to sleep. She answered it and could hear a roaring engine before she heard his voice, then realized it was George snoring, when Chase said hello and she started laughing. “Do you have any idea what it sounds like with George lying next to you?” Chase laughed too, told her to sleep tight, and they hung up. She fell asleep thinking about him and how nice it had been lying in his arms. She hadn't been kissed like that in a long time.

Stephanie woke up at seven a.m. to drive to Atlanta. She left the hotel at seven-thirty for the four-hour-plus drive, and checked into the Ritz-Carlton on Peachtree Street that Chase had recommended. It was as lovely as he had said, and her room had a perfect view of the Atlanta skyline. She spent the afternoon walking around Atlanta, went to the High Museum, and waited to see Michael when he finished work. They met in the lobby of her hotel at six o'clock.

Amanda was with him, and she was as perfectly groomed as he was. He had to wear a suit and tie at the Braves. She worked for an ad agency as a junior copywriter and had a good job. She had gone to Duke and was a bright girl, but there was something sharp and cunning about her that Stephanie had never liked. She was very ambitious and very demanding of Michael. They each had their own apartments in the Atlantic Station area, but they had spent virtually every night together at Michael's for the past two years. He made noises occasionally about renting an apartment together, but much to his mother's relief, they still hadn't. She was still hoping that Michael would break up with her eventually, and keeping their own apartments was simpler. Amanda had always had an agenda.

She'd been pressuring Michael for a while to get a better-paying job so they could buy an apartment or a house together, but Michael was in love with his job with the Braves. And in the three years since he graduated from college, he had done well. Stephanie was satisfied with his progress and thought he was nicer to Amanda than she deserved. Her mother was in real estate, very successfully, and her father worked for a bank. And she had an older brother and sister who were successful in business, and both were married. In their family, money was key.

“Where would you two like to have dinner?” Stephanie asked them, and Amanda immediately suggested Bacchanalia, an expensive restaurant where they'd been before. She knew that Michael preferred more casual dinners, but he deferred to her. It was the kind of aggressive greediness, typical of Amanda, that always annoyed Stephanie, and concerned her for the future.

They were already having dinner when Michael asked his mother what she was doing in that part of the world. He'd been startled when she'd called him and offered to come to Atlanta the next day.

“I'm a little bit at loose ends right now,” she said honestly with a sigh, and they both knew why. “I got an invitation from a friend from college who lives in Nashville. I haven't seen her in years, and I thought it might be nice to come and see her. And it gives me a chance to see you too.” The drive cross country to see a long-lost friend was so unlike her that Michael didn't know what to say. He could always count on his mother to be in the same place. She never ventured far from home, and never on her own. Even when his father was alive, they had taken only modest trips to Tahoe, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, or New York to see his sisters, and they went to Europe once every few years. He couldn't even imagine her driving to Nashville, Tennessee, and even less so alone. She looked well though, and said she'd been having a good time.

“We went to Graceland yesterday,” she volunteered, which surprised him even more.

“Graceland? Since when are you interested in Elvis?” He had died when she was twelve, and she'd never listened to his music that he could remember. Her taste ran to other things, like ballads, Motown, or the occasional rap song they had played when they were young that she had liked.

“My friend suggested it, and I thought it would be interesting to see his home. It really is a phenomenon to see how someone like that lived. And Nashville is so alive with all the country music. Which reminds me. By a total fluke, I met Chase Taylor through my old friend. He's playing a concert this Saturday, and he invited you both to come, with VIP tickets, backstage passes, the whole shebang. I think you'd enjoy it. I'll go with you if you want.”

“How much longer will you be in Nashville, Mom?”

“Just a few more days. I'll stay till the concert if you decide to come. I want to see Louise in New York next week, and then I'll drive home.”

“By yourself?” He looked shocked when she nodded. “You've become quite a wanderer since Dad died.” He sounded genuinely surprised and a little worried about her. She didn't tell him about Las Vegas, or the Grand Canyon where she had met Chase.

“I don't have much to do at home, except my volunteer work at the shelter, which is a little haphazard,” she said honestly. “You guys are gone…and Daddy…there's nothing I have to do there now. Everyone I know is married and busy with their lives. I really want to get a job.” He felt suddenly sorry for her, and she could see it in his eyes.

“I'm sorry, Mom,” he said quietly, and he looked so much like her, it was startling. He was tall and thin and athletic, with the same blond hair and blue eyes. He was the male version of her. People always commented on it, and even she could see it now, as he gazed across the table at her with pity. He had suddenly gotten a glimpse of how lonely his mother was, enough to drive across the country to visit her son and daughter and a college friend. He didn't like to think of her traveling alone like that. It pushed the invitation to the concert right out of his head.

“I'm having a good time,” she said, and seemed to mean it, and she didn't mention how much she dreaded going home. “What about the concert this weekend? It's on Saturday. He seems like a nice guy, and he's a big star.” She was grateful that Michael hadn't asked her the name of her college friend, she knew she would have had to come up with one fast.

“He sure is. And you're a country music fan?” It was a whole new side of her he'd never seen before.

“Not really,” she said honestly. He knew her better than that. She couldn't lie to him about everything, and she never had. She hated doing it, but she had no other choice. There was no way he would understand the chance encounter at the Grand Canyon or what Chase was beginning to mean to her. And it was too soon after his father's death to introduce a new man into his life, or even into hers. “But that's what Nashville is all about,” she added. “Why don't you both come?”

Amanda seemed as though she liked the idea, particularly of the backstage passes, and the weekend with Michael's mother, where she would score brownie points with her. Michael wasn't as sure, although he'd be happy to see his mother again.

“Can I let you know tomorrow, Mom? The team's away this weekend, but I think we had some plans.”

“Sure, sweetheart. He was very nice about getting us tickets. I can let him know tomorrow.” She tried to sound casual about it.

“I'd like to meet your college friend too,” he said warmly, trying to let her know that he cared about what she was doing and what was happening in her life.

Stephanie knew that if he came, she'd have to come up with an excuse for why her mythical friend wasn't there. Maybe she could say that she was sick, she thought to herself—if Michael came, which didn't sound like a sure thing. But she would have loved to introduce him to Chase. She was proud of her son. She smiled across the table at him, then glanced at Amanda. She was a pretty girl, with hair and eyes as dark as he was fair. There was just something so determined about her, as though she had Michael in her control, which made his mother nervous. Amanda seemed older than her years and ready to settle down. And Michael just seemed to be going along. He was innocent and young. Amanda was more mature for her age.

They had a nice dinner together, and then the two young people went home to his place, and Stephanie went back to her hotel. She was leaving the next morning to go back to Nashville, since he said he was busy all that day and evening. And Michael spoke to Amanda about his mother on the way home.

“I'm worried about her. She tries to act like she's happy, but I know she's sad.” He knew her well. “She's lost without my dad.”

“Don't be silly,” Amanda dismissed his fears. “She's never looked better. She's a beautiful woman. She'll have a new man in her life in no time. I'll bet she gets married again.” It was not what Michael wanted to hear.

“You don't know my mom. She really loved my dad, and was devoted to him. I'm sure she'll never marry again, or even have another man.”

“At forty-eight?” Amanda laughed at him. “Dream on. She's pretty, she's got money, there will be a man in her life within a year.” Michael looked straight ahead as he drove home and didn't say a word. “And look how independent she is. She drove all the way across the country alone.”

“She had to be desperate to do that,” he said through nearly clenched teeth. Amanda wasn't listening to him and had missed the point of his concern. “She doesn't even like to go to Tahoe alone.”

“Maybe she turned over a new leaf when your dad died. I think it's great. And look at all the people she's meeting. What about the concert on Saturday night?”

“I'm not that crazy about country music. Are you?”

“Who cares? VIP tickets and backstage passes to meet Chase Taylor is pretty sweet.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He didn't look excited about it.

“I'd like to go,” she said firmly. “Besides, it would be nice to see your mom again. Why don't we go?”

“I'll call her tomorrow,” he said, looking unhappy.

And in her hotel room, Stephanie was talking to Chase. “How was it?” he asked her.

“Nice with Michael, except for Miss Control. I always feel that she has him by the throat and runs his life.”

“Did you invite him to the show?”

“He said he'd let me know tomorrow. I got the feeling that she wants to go.”

“Good. Then I'll get to meet them both. I want to check out this girl myself. I'll let you know what I think.”

“I hope they come.” She liked the idea of seeing her son again and had taken a reservation for them at the Hermitage Hotel just in case. “I'll be back in Nashville tomorrow by lunchtime,” she said, and he sounded pleased.

“I'll pick you up in the afternoon, and we can come back to the house. I have rehearsal tomorrow night for the show.”

“That sounds like a plan. See you tomorrow,” she said warmly, but when she hung up, she was thinking about her son. No matter how polite and pleasant Amanda was to her, she just never liked her. And she always, like Michael, did whatever Amanda wanted. She ran the show.

Michael called her as soon as she got back to the hotel in Nashville, and he surprised her. They had decided to come for the concert. He told her honestly that Amanda wanted to meet Chase.

“He's a nice guy. You'll like him too. And his music is really good.” She didn't tell him that she had helped him with a few lyrics to one of his songs, or that she had watched them record an album, or that she'd driven to Nashville with him. There was a lot Michael didn't know, and didn't need to for now.

He said they'd be in Nashville on Saturday afternoon before the show, and she promised to meet him at the hotel. Chase would be busy at the Bridgestone Arena, where the Country Music Association Awards were held every year, but this was an independent concert set up by a famous promoter of country music. It was a venue that Chase liked, and he was looking forward to it.

She was pleased she would see Michael again before she left for San Francisco. When Chase picked her up that afternoon, she told him and he was happy for her. He was excited to see her, and gave her a kiss as soon as they drove away from the hotel. He had a lot to tell her about their preparations for the concert the next day, and Chase looked annoyed when they got to his house and he saw a dozen tourists outside, holding a map. They were easy to get at the visitors' center and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, which sold maps to the homes of the stars. Chase took one look, then drove past the house and behind the property, to the entrance to Sandy's house. Her car wasn't there, and he could see she was out as they drove through the back gate and parked the Corvette in the garage. It would have been easier living in a gated community, or behind tall walls, but he loved his house. It was worth putting up with the occasional tourists gawking outside, or tour buses that drove by. They couldn't see anything from the street, and they kept the shades closed on the front of the house. And all the windows had been replaced with bulletproof glass before he moved in. Stephanie thought it was sad that he had to worry about things like that. But it was a reality for him and the price of being a major star.

They chatted in the kitchen while he checked his e-mails at his desk, and answered a few. Wanda came in and out and said hello to Stevie. She had become a fixture overnight, and Wanda liked her and could tell that Chase was very taken with her. And finally the band arrived, and they started rehearsal in the studio and played until midnight, stopping only for a quick dinner. He'd written a new song for Sandy and was introducing two for himself. They all agreed that the show was strong and fresh, and Stephanie liked their new songs. During a break he whispered to her that one of them was about her. It was called “The Country Boy and the Lady” and he was going to try it out for the first time in public on Saturday night. She loved it when she heard the words. He told her he'd written it since their return to Nashville, entirely inspired by her. The melody was as beautiful as the lyrics.

After rehearsal, they made out in his car like two teenagers when he took her back to the hotel. Things were heating up between them, like a slow blaze taking hold.

The next day she waited at the Hermitage Hotel for Michael and Amanda to arrive. When they did, Amanda looked genuinely excited about the concert, and Michael was happy to see his mother. They wandered around some of the music shops that afternoon, enjoying the live music, and Michael asked about her friend, whom he was looking forward to meeting. Stephanie turned to him with a disappointed look, exhibiting acting skills she never knew she had.