Release Me (The Music Within Book 2) (9 page)

“True,
Mr. Wilson, but there is the possibility that should you get the business to a
level of making the owner a lot of money, he could possibly see you as a
partner one day. Who knows? You might even be able to buy back your part of the
land.”

Mal
knew that was a longshot, but it was one he didn’t really have to think about.
His momma could stay where she was and not have to bunk with one of his nieces.
“Yeah, okay. I guess I don’t really have a choice.”

“There’s
always a choice, Malcolm, and I think you’re making the right one. I’ll call
and tell the new owner you’re agreeable, and he’ll contact you later with all
the details.”

“Thank
you for callin’, Mr. Sylvester.” Mal hung up and slid down into one of the
kitchen chairs. Something about this whole situation didn’t sit right with him,
but he at least had a future that didn’t include struggling to make ends meet.
He needed to find out everything the new owner expected from him so he could
plan on whether to keep the bar open or just let it go. If he was going to run
the farm, along with the extra land surrounding his, he would probably be too
busy to keep up with it as well as the bar every night. Hopefully, whoever Cade
had in mind would be interested and take it off his hands. That would be a
miracle, but he’d already received one today, so another wasn’t out of the
realm of possibilities.

Feeling
a little better about life, Mal went and changed clothes and got ready for his
neighbor to bring his backhoe over. He still had some cows to bury. The first
thing he did once outside was to get on his four wheeler and check the fence
line. He longed for the days of riding his horse around the land. Maybe once he
got the business on the plus side of things, he could get another one. First,
he had to get things going in the right direction. He didn’t need to start
planning on spending money he didn’t have.

 Walt,
the neighbor with the backhoe, came over right after lunchtime. When he shut
the motor off, he said, “Hey, boss man.”

Mal
removed his cap and replaced it, something he did without realizing it. “Hey,
Walt. Thanks for comin’ over.”

“I
didn’t want to piss the new boss man off, but you know I’d ‘a done it anyways.”

“What
the fuck are you jabberin’ about?” Mal asked, laughing. He and his neighbor had
always gotten along great, especially since the incident with Dwight. Walt
looked in on Suzette quite often when Mal worked late at the bar.

“I
done heard about the offer on the land. I figure you’re smart enough to take
the deal so’s you and your ma don’t hafta move.”

“I
just got off the phone with my lawyer a little while ago. Damn, news sure does
travel fast. Who told you?”

“Lucille
down at the bank. She drew up the paperwork and knew I’d want to know because
of… well, because we’re friends and all.”

 “Huh.”
Mal knew folks talked, but damn. “Yeah, I couldn’t turn down the job. I mean,
what the hell else am I gonna do? It’s all I know.”

“Now,
don’t go selling yourself short, Son. You got one of the brightest minds I
know. And you’re the hardest working sombitch ‘round here, too. No offense to
Miss Suzette.”

Mal
laughed again. “None taken.” Walt liked giving Mal shit, but he would never
disrespect his momma. “Now, how about we go dig you some holes?”

By
the time they had the cows in the ground and covered, it was closing in on
supper time. Mal was ready to get inside and get cleaned up. It had been a
while since he had taken Suzette out to eat, and today was cause for
celebration. “Hey, Walt. You got plans for supper? I was thinkin’ I’d take Ma
out tonight, you know, to celebrate us still having a place to live and all.”

“I’d
like that. I get tired of eating by myself. Lemme get the backhoe home and get
cleaned up. I’ll pick y’all up around six?”

“That’ll
work. See ya in a few.” Mal waved to his neighbor and headed inside for a
shower. As he walked toward the house with the dogs at his side, he thought
about Walt being in his house all alone. After returning from the Army, he had
never married. Didn’t have any family. Mal was afraid that was going to be him
in about thirty more years. When he walked in the back door, he kicked off his
boots and headed to the den, voices from the television letting him know his
momma was home.

“Hey,
Ma. Good day?”

“It
is now. Come here to me.” She held out her arms, and Mal fell to his knees,
into her tight hug. “We’re gonna be all right, Malcolm. Just you wait and see.”

“I
know, Momma. I know. Now, I’m gonna get cleaned up, and Walt’s pickin’ us up in
a bit. I’m takin’ you out to eat.”

His
momma’s fuzzy eyes lit up. “I just love Walt. He’s such a good man. But what
about the bar?”

“I’ll
open it later.” Mal left her to her show while he hit the shower. He often
wondered if she and Walt wouldn’t make a good couple. Not that he would ever
try to play matchmaker for anyone, but they were both lonely and could keep
each other company. Then again, maybe it was time for his momma to have a
little happiness in her life. There was no need in both of them being miserable
forever.

Cade

Cade
paced the hotel room waiting on his uncle to return his call. As soon as Mal
left that morning, Cade called Gerard and told him what he needed from him. His
uncle questioned his motives, but in the end, Cade won out. It was his money
after all. As soon as that was taken care of, he hit the gym. Not the gym at
the hotel, but a local fitness club where he could really work his upper body.
It had been a while since he lifted weights, and now he was feeling the burn.
If he didn’t get a gig soon, he was probably going home to LA so he could get
back into his normal downtime routine of practicing on his massive drum kit and
working out in his own state of the art fitness room.

Cade
knew that was the best course of action, but until he could rest assured Mal
and Suzette were taken care of, he was staying put. Just in case.

The
phone rang and Cade grabbed it up. “Is it done?”

“Your
mother would kick your ass if she knew that’s the way you were answering the
phone. Yes, it’s being handled. Now, you can get back to your search for a
band.”

“I
want to sell the mansion,” Cade blurted out. Where the hell had that come from?
He was a California native, and that was home. His home as well as his
parents’.

“And
move where?” Gerard’s tone gave away his disapproval.

“Here.
Well, not Nashville, but outside. Far enough away from Tag that he won’t think
I’m following him, and close enough to the Wilsons I can keep an eye on them.
I’m never in LA anymore, and I can always stay with the ‘rents if I want to
visit.”

“You’re
serious, aren’t you? I have to advise against this, Kincade. You’ve already
made one rash decision. I suggest you take some time to think about this for a
while.”

Cade
knew his uncle had his best interest at heart, but he was a grown man for
Christ’s sake. If he wanted to sell his fucking house, he’d sell his fucking
house. “If you don’t want to help me, I’ll go through the normal channels like
a regular person. But I’m selling, so either you help me get the best deal, or
I take the first offer.” He knew he was being childish, but he was tired of
everyone always thinking they knew what was best for him.

“Why
don’t you build a house on the thousand acres you just purchased?”

“No
need to get snarky, Uncle. That land is for farming. Now, I’m off to find a
realtor to help me on this end. Are you going to help me with the mansion or
not?” Cade asked, already booting up his laptop.

“You
know I will, but I am not telling your mother about this. I don’t want her
crying on my shoulder.”

“Thanks,
Gerard. Keep me posted.” Cade hung up and began searching homes for sale in the
greater Nashville area. He was surprised at the size of some of the homes he
found. LA had nothing on the houses in this part of Tennessee. Then again, the
area had become a melting pot for not just country music artists, but musicians
of all genres. They didn’t call it Music City for nothing. Cade found five
homes that held great possibility. His next course of action was to find a
realtor, preferably a man who didn’t have a clue as to his identity. One of the
houses he liked was being listed by an older gentleman, so Cade decided to go with
him.

Just
as he picked his phone up to call the realtor, it began ringing. He didn’t want
to give Echo the bad news about the audition the day before, but she probably
already knew how it had gone, knowing her.

“Hello,
beautiful.”

“Hello,
yourself. I have some great news. Guess who is looking for a drummer.”

“Well,
I know Shattered Cross still is.”

Echo
laughed. “Yeah, Johnny told me what happened, but if it isn’t a good fit, that
leaves you available for a band that probably is. Shawn Cambridge of Divining
the Dark was arrested last week for solicitation of murder.”

Cade
yelled, “WHAT? You’re shitting me!” He calmed down and asked, “I haven’t heard
about this, so how do you know?”

“First
off, I’m dead serious. Ooh, bad pun. Second, I might have run into Afton
Reynolds last night.”

Echo
“running into” Afton the night before sounded more like a date the way Echo’s
breath hitched when she said the woman’s name. The manager for Divining the
Dark was just as pretty as Echo. Cade wondered if she was also a lesbian. That
was a picture he would ponder in his head later. “Who did he want to have
killed?”

“His
baby momma. Seems a groupie got pregnant on purpose and tried to take him to
the cleaners in child support. He demanded a paternity test. When it came up
positive, he lost his mind. That’s the story going around. Shawn claims he is
innocent.”

“Damn.
Seems like condoms would have been a lot cheaper.”

“This
is true. It’s the reason I left them in your hotel rooms everywhere we went.
Now, how soon can you be on a plane to Los Angeles?”

 “Well,
the jet’s ready, but Stewart isn’t here. He hopped a flight to Texas to see his
daughter. I’ll be on the first available commercial flight out. I’ll text you
my itinerary so you can schedule a car to pick me up after I land.”

“No
need. I’ll pick you up at the airport and drive you home.”

“Thanks,
beautiful. I’ll talk to you soon.” Cade hung up and ran his hands down his
face. As excited as he was at the prospect of sitting behind a band as big and
powerful as DTD, that nagging feeling in his gut had him hesitant.
Stop it.
This is what you want. You’ve done right by Mal, now get on with your life.

Cade
closed the realtor site on his laptop and Googled flights home.
Home.
Cade supposed LA would continue to be home, at least for a while.

Cade
arrived in California six hours later. He entered the baggage claim area to
find Echo waiting at the luggage carousel closest to him. She looked happier
than he’d seen her in a long time. No longer having four grown babies to tend
had to be easier on her. Make that one baby and three men. Cade knew he had
been a complete and utter ass, and she was the one who took the brunt of trying
to rein him in. If he had been Carl, he’d have kicked his own ass. Cade held
his arms open, and the little spitfire ran to him and jumped. He swung her
around, barely missing several people in the vicinity.

Echo
laughed, and when he set her on her feet, she looked up at him, grinning. “You
look good, Cade. What’s changed?” she asked, cocking her head.

He
didn’t want to go into too much detail, so he winked and told her, “I got
laid.”

“Ha!
You’re always getting laid,” she practically shouted. He grabbed her around the
shoulders and pulled her toward the correct baggage area.

“Right
you are. Now, do tell – you and Afton Reynolds? Is this a vision for my spank
bank?” he joked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Echo
punched him in the stomach playfully. “No visions! And we just met for drinks
to talk about the band, so don’t get your hopes up.” The smile on her face gave
away so much more than the words coming out of her mouth.

“Mmm,
hmm. Okay, no visions. But if you ever want a threesome, you know who to call.”

Echo
grinned. “Yes, we’ll call Taylor Momsen. Now, isn’t that your luggage rolling
around there?”

Too
shocked to grab his bag, he groaned, “You want to fuck Cindy Lou Who?”

Echo
rolled her eyes. “No, you idiot. I want to fuck the hot as hell rock and roll
chick.”

Cade
became aware their conversation had caught the attention of several bystanders
who obviously recognized him and were snapping photos left and right on their
cell phones. He had a feeling some were even videotaping them. Normally, he
would be all about the publicity, but ever since the stunt he pulled with Tag,
Cade had been trying to keep a low profile. Well, lower than usual. This time
when his bag came around, he grabbed it. Echo led him to short-term parking,
and they got in her car.

“When
did you get this?” he asked, admiring her new BMW i8 hybrid. Being the manager for
a high profile band paid well.

“A
couple of months ago. Now that I’m not on the road ten months out of the year,
I decided to splurge a little.” She started the engine expertly backed out of
the parking spot.

“Do
you miss it?”

Echo
glanced over at him while waiting in line at the ticket booth. “I miss
traveling, but I’m rather enjoying not having to be on-call twenty-four, seven.
It was a lot of work keeping up with your schedules and making sure your every
need was taken care of. I’m not complaining, but it is sort of nice to be able
to sleep in my own bed and not have to get up at the crack of ass for a sound
check.”

“I
don’t think I ever said thank you, did I? You kept me out of jail more times
than Carl did. I really am sorry for the shit I put you through over the
years.” Cade meant it. Why had it taken him thirty-four years to grow the fuck
up?

“You’re
welcome. Since it’s so late, what do you say we grab something to eat before I
take you home? I could go for a double cheeseburger and a strawberry shake.”

“That
sounds wonderful. They don’t have In-N-Outs in Tennessee.” Cade opted for
healthy meals most of the time, but every once in a while, you just couldn’t
beat a greasy hamburger, fries, and milkshake. Everyone had their favorite, but
his would always be In-N-Out.

When
they arrived at his house, Cade grabbed his bag while Echo carried the food.
Normally when he came home after being gone for a while, he ignored the
monstrosity that was his home. The floor plan was an open one, and the walls
were all an off-white color. His furniture still looked new, even though it was
several years old. The only decorations he had were awards the band had won
over the years. His mother had begged him to let her hire an interior
decorator, but he didn’t see the need. He was hardly ever there.

This
time, when he walked in the door, Cade stopped and took a good look around. He
compared the practically empty shell to the lived-in home Mal had. It had been
clean but cluttered with things people use on a daily basis. Full of warmth and
love, even if it did need lots of TLC. The walls were covered in photos of Mal
and his siblings. Even the house Cade grew up in didn’t come close to feeling
like a home the way Mal’s did.

“Hey,
you okay?” Echo called out from the kitchen. With the open floor plan, she had
an unobstructed view of Cade still standing by the front door.

“Yeah,
just thinking about downsizing. I’m rarely here, and I don’t need something
this big.”

“Who
are you, and what did you do with Kincade Anderson?”

“Yeah,
I know. That’s what Gerard keeps asking,” Cade said without thinking.

“Gerard
– why?” Echo asked as she put the food out on plates.

“Oh,
I’ve been talking to him about my portfolio and possible investments. I’ve
never really thought about retirement until now. I know I’ve still got some
mileage left on me, but as much as I love drumming, I don’t want to do it
forever. I don’t want to be in one of those bands still making music in their
seventies and people laughing at their wrinkles.”

Echo
bit into a French fry and nodded while she chewed. “I get that. I do. I’m not
ready to hang up the old manager’s hat either, but at the same time, I’m ready
for something on a smaller scale.”

“You
should think about moving to Nashville,” Cade offered as he picked up his burger.
The blush blossoming Echo’s cheeks told the truth. “You’re already thinking
about it, aren’t you?”

“Cade…”

           
“No, it’s okay. I want nothing but the best for Tag and Erik and the whole
crew. Do I want to be around and have their love in my face all the time? No,
but I do wish them love and happiness. As I do you. There are a lot of
up-and-coming bands in Nashville, and there is nobody more qualified to help
see them through the start-up.”

“Wow.
I’m impressed with your attitude. Quite honestly, I thought it would take you a
hell of a lot longer than three months to get over Tag. And yes, I have thought
about it. Since you’re looking to get back out on the road and the rest of the
guys are together in Tennessee, I have no reason to stay here. They’re my
family, and I miss them.”