Randa (20 page)

He went in and sat down at the bar. He ordered a beer. He had numerous pictures of he and Randa, and Randa alone saved on his phone and he looked through them as he drank. He finished that beer and had another as an attractive young woman walked up and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Is this seat taken?” she asked.

“Nope,” came John’s cold reply.

The buxom redhead sat down and tried to capture John’s interest, but she eventually gave up and moved to another seat down the bar. John didn’t care. He didn’t want any company. He was starting to feel sorry for himself when he heard a crowd of people come in the front door. He glanced over at them and then returned to his beer. Then he heard it, that laugh, the same laugh that had drawn his attention before. He turned slightly and out of the corner of his eye, he saw her. It was his Randa looking as beautiful as ever. He couldn’t help but stare at her. He just couldn’t stand it. He had to go to her. He stood up intent on approaching her when he saw a man step up beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. John sat back down and looked away without seeing Randa shrug the man’s arm off her and give him a look of disdain. The party was then led to a private dining room. John glanced up just as Randa was about to pass through the doorway and out of his view. He touched his fingers to his lips planting a kiss on them and then releasing them in her direction. It was his attempt at blowing her a kiss like the ones she always used to blow to him. The only difference being that John’s kiss is a goodbye kiss. “I’ve really lost her,” is the only thought that he could gather.

John no longer had an appetite, so he returned to his hotel room. Once there, he went ahead and booked a flight to Tulsa, since the company plane had already returned to Anchorage. Randa didn’t contact him, so two days later, John left Nashville and arrived at the ranch in Oklahoma, with plans to stay about a week and then return to the Slope.

“Hello Johnny Boy, this is a nice surprise. I didn’t know you were coming in.”

“Hi Fox. I didn’t really know that I was either. Something came up and I needed to come home, so I’ll be here about a week.”

“Well, it’s great to see you. Is it anything I can help you with?”

“No thanks.”

“Is everything okay?”

“No, but it will be. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

“Alright then,” Fox replied as he searched John’s face for some clue, but there wasn’t one.

Six weeks later Fox was looking for some papers that Buck had asked for. He hadn’t been able to find them in the office, so as a last resort Fox thought that he would look in John’s bedroom. Pulling open the top drawer of his nightstand, he removed the contents only to find a small box from King’s Jewelers. Fox opened the box. Inside was a blue velvet jewelry box. Lifting the lid, his breath was taken away when he saw the 3.5 carat diamond solitaire engagement ring. Seeing its exquisite heart shape, Fox just knew that John bought it for Randa. Wondering when it was purchased and what had happened, Fox saw a sales receipt in the box and unfolded it. It was dated six weeks earlier.

Fox was always respectful of Buck, Claire and John’s privacy, but this was different. This spoke volumes about John’s true feelings for Randa and his entire future could depend on this ring.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Taylor’s number and proceeded to tell her what he had found, but under the strictest confidence that she would not tell Randa under any circumstances.

“Can I at least tell her that John was here in Nashville six weeks ago?”

“Yes, you can, but that’s it. We don’t know what happened. Are you sure that she didn’t mention hearing from him?”

“Not a word and you know she would have told me.”

Later, when Taylor told Randa that John had been in Nashville, a look of hope flickered across her face for a moment and then she merrily shrugged it off. Taylor suggested that maybe Randa should call John, but Randa wanted no part of that.

“He didn’t contact me, so why should I contact him? My phone number hasn’t changed and I still have the same apartment in Nashville that I had three years ago, if he wanted to talk to me he easily could have. It was probably just some coincidence that he was in Nashville. Obviously it wasn’t to see me.”

Taylor wanted so badly to tell Randa about the ring…

“What did you just say Brad?” Randa asked loudly with a look of disbelief and disdain on her beautiful face.

Brad swallowed hard knowing that he had totally blown it. Now not only would she know that he had lied, but she would never forgive him. Randa placed such a high importance on integrity not only her own, but also those people who she made a part of her life.

“I said that even though John called you,” Brad’s voice trailed off.

“When did he call me?” Randa demanded.

“It was that night before Ginny’s rehearsal when we were still at the studio and you were in the executive producer’s office. Remember when you saw me set your phone down on the table when you were walking into the room?”

“Oh my gosh Brad. That has been over six months ago. How could you not tell me? How could you lie to me like that? I just can’t believe this. Did John leave a message?”

“Yes.”

“Did you listen to it?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?” Randa asked impatiently.

“He said that he had come to Nashville because he had to see you and that he had some important things that he wanted to tell you. He said that he had gone by your apartment a couple of times, but you weren’t there, so he wanted you to come by the hotel or to call him. And that he would wait however long it was necessary to hear from you.”

“Somehow, I doubt that he is still waiting,” Randa roared. The nearby diners stared at her.

“He called you ‘Baby Doll’,” Brad added.

Tears filled Randa’s eyes. She was feeling so many emotions; she didn’t know whether to jump up and down in glee or to punch Brad in anger.

“Randa listen,” Brad said pleadingly.

Randa stood up. “No Brad. There is no excuse that I will accept. You knew how I felt about John, what he meant to me, and how I would have loved to talk to him.”

“The guy broke up with you three years ago. It’s ridiculous that you would even speak to him after all that time. Besides, I love you. That’s why I erased the message. He doesn’t deserve you. I do.”

“What?” Randa asked incredulously. “Just for your information Brad, John is a man; he is not some ‘guy.’ What
is
ridiculous is that someone I truly trusted would invade my privacy and delete a phone call and a message from my phone. To have done it in the heat of the moment is one thing, but to have never told me, that is unforgiveable. If you did love me, you would have told me about the message and let me decide what I wanted to do. Besides, you know that I have never felt that way about you. I’m leaving and I don’t ever want to see you again,” Randa said loudly as she picked up her Gucci bag and marched out of the restaurant.

What was that sound reverberating in his head Fox asked himself? There it was again. Realizing that it was his phone, he glanced down at the screen and saw Taylor’s picture indicating that she was the one calling.

“Hello Taylor,” Fox said sleepily.

“Fox, you’re not going to believe this.”

“What?”

“Remember that we knew that John had come to Nashville to see her, but Randa didn’t believe us?”

“Mmmmm Hmmm.”

“Well, she does now.”

“What do you mean?” Fox asked.

“Well, when John was here he went to Randa’s apartment a couple of times, but she wasn’t there, so he called her and left her a voicemail stating that he had come to Nashville to see her and that he had important things to tell her. He even called her Baby Doll.”

“Wait a minute. I’m confused. We tried to convince Randa that John had been in Nashville to see her, but she wouldn’t believe us,” Fox replied.

“I know,” said Taylor. “What happened is that Brad, the man that she co-wrote “Awry” with Randa was there when her phone rang and she wasn’t. He listened to the message and then erased it and the call.”

“Doesn’t that beat all? I always knew that there was something about him that I didn’t like,” Fox declared.

“Me too and Brad told Randa that he loved her.”

“What did she say?”

“She is so mad at him. She’s never had romantic feelings for him and she told him so.”

“Okay, so has she called John?”

“That’s the crazy part Fox. She called me initially wanting to know if John was at the ranch since you usually tell me when he comes in from the Slope, so I told her ‘no.’ She then told me the story and said that she would call me back later. I assumed that she was going to try to reach John, but no. She finally called me back this morning. She was in Houston about to board a flight that would take her to Alaska.”

“What?”

“Yes! So, I asked her if she had called John.”

“And?” Fox asked.

“She said that she hadn’t called John and she made me promise that I wouldn’t call him either. And you can’t call him either. She wants to surprise him.”

“Oh Lord,” Fox sighed. “Did she say what her plans were once she reached Anchorage?”

“No.”

“If she gets a flight to Prudhoe Bay, she should be okay. Taylor, just call Randa and have her call me. I won’t tell John, but at least I can advise her on how to get to the North Slope safely. If you can’t get through to her, leave her a message.”

“Okay Fox, I will. I’m sorry I woke you up, but I knew you would want to know. You and I both have hoped for their reunion for soooo long.

“No worries child. We have waited and it’s finally about to happen. They deserve to be happy together. Goodbye Taylor.”

“Goodbye Fox. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Fox was worried about Randa, but he was excited for John. He always knew that John and Randa were still in love with each other. Those two belong together Fox thought as he drifted back to sleep.

Randa stayed overnight in Houston since she had an early morning flight to Anchorage. Calling Taylor first thing the next morning, she quickly explained her plans to surprise John on the North Slope. Taylor wasn’t much of a morning person, so Randa knew that calling her early wouldn’t give her a chance to ask too many questions.

Randa was still elated at the news that John had come to Nashville to see her! Each time she ran the thought through her mind, she couldn’t quite believe it, and yet deep down, she had always known that the day would come. She had waited so long for this to happen….to be reunited with John and for them to spend their lives together making their dreams come true. After she settled into her seat and the airplane left the ground, Randa pulled out her ear buds to listen to some much-needed music to calm her. It would take more than ten hours for her flight to reach Anchorage. Diana Ross’s magnificent voice singing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” came through the tiny speakers straight into her ears.

Singing right along with Miss Ross silently, Randa swore that nothing would keep her from John. She had never loved any other man. ‘When I believe in something I fight like hell for it’…ha ha, she laughed to herself. She loved the Steve McQueen quote. After listening to her most favorite songs for a couple of hours, she put her ear buds back into her purse and relaxed. There was an elderly man seated beside her. Randa could feel his eyes on her, so she turned her head slowly, looked at him and smiled.

“Hello, I’m Silas Pettigrew.”

“It’s very nice to meet you Mr. Pettigrew. I’m Randa Dean.”

“It’s my pleasure to meet you Miss Randa. Please call me Silas. Where are you headed?” he asked.

“To Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope,” Randa explained the entire story to him and that she was going to surprise John.

Silas listened and then finally spoke, “Missy, you have waited for more than 3 years for this man?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Randa was silent as she gathered her thoughts.

Silas spoke again. “Whoever guaranteed you
The One
and the ability to live happily ever after? How did you hang on and assume that your life would work out no other way?”

Randa just looked at him.

“I am not trying to be nosy.”

Randa nodded. If she was going to connect with someone, it usually happened quickly and she felt very comfortable sharing her story with him. She had a deep respect for the elderly and always tried to be compassionate toward them. “Silas, my heart and my soul gave me no choice. My love for him would not go away. I would have waited my entire life for him.”

“You need not say more. I know the things that you say. I was married for 53 years to my wife. My beautiful Emma was everything to me and she was the most wonderful woman that I have ever known. I lost her a little over a year ago. She died in her sleep. I didn’t even get to say ‘goodbye’ to her, but she knew how much I loved her and how much she meant to me. Now I just wait to die and join her in heaven.”

Silas paused and Randa told him, “Please tell me more about your Emma,” and Silas began to talk.

When they finally landed in Anchorage after a brief stopover, Randa gave Silas a gentle hug and promised to let him know how her reunion with John went. She checked into a hotel near the airport and took a long hot bath in anticipation of her flight to Prudhoe Bay the next morning.

Randa pulled a book out of her bag about The Fates who, according to Greek mythology, controlled the metaphorical thread of life of every mortal from birth to death. Climbing into bed, Randa moved her bookmark and started reading where she left off.

Four hours later Randa woke up trembling.
What a terrible dream.
Closing her eyes, she tried to go back to sleep, but the dream was still so vivid. The idea for a song entered her mind. Initially she tried to ignore it, but the idea was like a monkey on her back, adamant at having its way and not letting her go back to sleep. Getting out her pink notebook, she started writing furiously.

Once upon a time it was believed