Tiger Moths (20 page)

“Hey, Johnny, you and the boys want to go grab a bite to eat?”

Johnny turned and saw Jason walking toward him. He was even beginning to see Jason in a new light. He had convinced Jason to lose the suit and adapt the free and easy standard island dress. It was easy attire, consisting exclusively of tee shirts, shorts and flip flops. Their week together also allowed the two to get know each other better. Surprisingly, Jason had even opened up about some personal issues.

The first night after they had arrived Johnny had gone down to sit in solitude on the beach. He had wanted to spend time under the magnificent starry sky to continue his conversation with God, but he was interrupted. Jason walked up with a cooler and offered Johnny a beer. To Jason’s surprise, Johnny said no thanks, so they sat quietly for a while, just looking up at the stars. Finally Jason broke the silence.

“You know, Johnny, all of us have our moments of loneliness, of wondering about all the ‘what ifs.’ Even me, although I know you would never have guessed. There was a girl back in law school. She was the love of my life. But I messed it all up, and I’ve never forgiven myself for it. Never.”

Johnny surprised himself a little by asking, “What’d you do?”

Jason took a long drink and sighed, “Let’s just say I let someone come between us. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Dale. I don’t think I have ever really let go of her. I just keep hoping that one day our paths will cross, and that after all these years things will change. If she would just give me a chance, I will do everything I can to right the wrongs.”

Johnny dug his toes into the cool sand. “We live and learn, don’t we, man?”

“I hope so. I truly hope so.”

Jason’s voice brought Johnny back to the present. “So are we going to go eat or what?”

“Yeah, Jas, I’m starving. Ray, Harley, that sounds great. Super job, guys. We’ll rock this place tonight. Come on, let’s go down to Barney’s and grab some lunch. We are good to go here, and it’s already one o’clock.”

Minutes later the four climbed into the rented Suzuki Sidekick with Johnny driving. They had taken the soft top off the Sidekick when they picked it up days earlier, and had never put it back on – even when it rained. Johnny loved the open air, the smell of the ocean, and the camaraderie of his band and crew members. In their short time on the island, Barney’s had quickly come to be their favorite hangout and Barney’s manager treated Johnny like a brother.

Johnny parked the Sidekick and walked in with the boys. All of them, except Johnny, headed for one of the open air tables. Johnny went directly behind the counter, high-fived the owner, and started taking customer orders. It was therapeutic for him to do the blue collar work that had sustained him during the early years in Nashville. He laughed and talked with the customers. Johnny relished the time here, where he could be himself. Here, he was out in the open without being mobbed by fans or photographed by the imposing press.

“What’ll be, ma’am?” Johnny looked up and smiled broadly.

“Let’s see. How about two large iced mocha lattes and one large lemonade?”

“Coming right up, ma’am.” Johnny turned and started humming as he mixed the drinks. Then he added a few words between the hums, “Mmmm, don’t drown, just run right back to my arms, mmmm.”

That song - where have I heard it before?
Dale knew it, yet it eluded her.

“Here you go; I mix the best iced mocha lattes in the business. I threw some whipped cream on it – my specialty. Want to give it a try before you walk back to your table? If it’s not the best you have ever had, it’s on me.”

“What did you just say?” Dale quizzed.

Johnny smiled. “I said if you don’t like it, it is on me.”

“No, before that. You said you mixed the best iced mocha lattes in the business. Isn’t that what I heard you say?”

“Well yea, that’s a fact.”

“And that song you were humming, what is it?”

“Oh, that’s just a song I wrote a long time ago, when I first went to Nashville.”

“That’s it! I knew I had heard it before. You worked at the Cafe in Nashville, didn’t you? You asked me what I thought about the song when that other guy was singing it. I told you whoever wrote that song was going to make it and had the soul of a songwriter. But I never dreamed I was speaking to the writer, and you never told me. You’re - oh, don’t tell me - you’re JC, aren’t you?”

Dale looked into his twinkling eyes and knew she was right. That had been a big turning point in her life. And now, here was this waiter from Nashville, tending this café counter on practically the other side of the world, in Guam.

Johnny laughed loudly and patted the bar. “Man, I’ve not had anybody call me that in years. But it is good to hear it again. It takes me back to my roots. I remember you, because the day I talked to you I got my first real break. You had my specialty latte at the time and if memory serves, you liked it then, so how about now? Go ahead; give it a try.”

Dale obliged and took a gulp. “Better than ever, JC.”

“Great, I like to keep my customers happy. So what are you doing in Guam?”

“I’ve been here a couple of years now. I work at Andersen Air Force Base. I’m Captain Grayson.”

Johnny wiped his hand on a nearby towel and shook hers. “Good to see a fellow Tennessean right here in the middle of the Pacific. Does Captain Grayson have a first name?”

“Yes, she does,” a male voice behind Dale answered. “It’s Dale, Dale Grayson.”

Dale knew the voice but would not allow herself to believe it was really him. She swiveled around quickly. There, standing three feet in front of her was the man she had loved and hated: the man she never wanted to see again, and the man whose face she thought she would never get out of her mind. She could only gasp in disbelief.

“Hello, Dale. It’s been a long time, but I always knew our paths would cross again.” Jason smiled.

Dale’s heart was in her throat. Her tongue suffered a rare paralysis. Her heart and mind fought to process what was happening. She wanted to run, but then there was that part of her that still wanted to throw her arms around him. Steven had taught her to trust again, but trust this man? Should she ever trust the man who had shattered her heart? Was that how all of this was supposed to work out? What were the chances that they would ever meet again, especially on a tiny island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?

“Johnny Clark! Momma, it’s Johnny Clark over there standing behind Aunt Dale. I can’t believe I see Johnny Clark!”

Laura and Gracie appeared in the doorway. They had been waiting for Dale to deliver their drinks, and had wandered inside to find out what was delaying her. In her excitement, Gracie broke loose from Laura. Darting across the room, she jumped up on the stool next to Dale. With all the exuberance of youth, she propped both elbows on the worn counter and stared up at Johnny.

“I can sing every word of Smoky Sunset. It’s my favorite song, because I’m a Tennessee Volunteer fan just like you are, Johnny Clark. My name is Gracie, and I already know who you are. Everybody knows who Johnny Clark is.”

Johnny looked from Dale and Jason to Gracie. He had managed to piece together that this Dale must have been the girl Jason had talked to him about just a few nights before. He recovered quickly. “Well Gracie, it is very nice to meet you.”

Laura walked over to the counter to relieve the star from her adoring daughter. As she approached, she saw Dale’s stricken face. Alarmed, she walked faster. Then, for the first time, she noticed the man with his back to her.
What in the world? Oh my, it could not be. Is it Jason?

Jason turned and looked at her. “Hello, Laura. There is no way this could be your daughter. I never had the chance to meet her.”

Laura softened when she saw him. He had changed very little. He still had the good looks, the hot body, and the steady charm. Dale knew Laura had never forgotten how good he had been to her that night. Laura had just found out that Bob wanted nothing to do with the child he had fathered with her. It was Jason who had been there for her. And because of what happened next, Dale knew she had never really had a chance to properly thank him for it. It did not surprise Dale that Laura threw her arms around him and hugged him warmly. Despite the fact that Jason had devastated her, Dale understood Laura’s reaction.

“Jason, oh, it’s so good to see you. I can’t believe it’s you.” She stood back and looked him over. “You look great, and yes, this is my daughter, Gracie.”

By now Gracie and Johnny had moved to the other end of the counter and were trying to flip quarters into a glass. Johnny did not understand it all, but he had rightly sensed that there was some adult stuff going on. Instinctively, he had adroitly maneuvered his smitten fan away from the other adults. The two seemed to be having great fun with each other.

“She is beautiful, Laura, absolutely beautiful just like her mother. It looks like my charge and yours are really hitting it off.”

“Your charge?” Dale finally found her voice.

“Yes, well, I am Johnny Clark’s agent. Long story short, I discovered him and the rest is amazing country music history. But tell me, what are you two doing here on this tiny island?”

“That’s Johnny Clark? I thought he was just a bartender from Nashville,” was all Dale managed to say.

Laura stepped in to answer Jason. “Dale has lived here for the past two years. She is a JAG officer now, and Gracie and I came to visit because we kept hearing about what a beautiful place this was. And it is. Dale’s tour here ends in a few days, and she is flying back home with us. We are all so excited! And now seeing you here….”

As usual, Laura was rambling, but this time she caught herself. “You know what Jason, we are going to the concert tonight, so we can catch up later. Right now I’m going to get my kid something to eat so you two can talk.”

“Okay, Laura, it is really good to see you again. I’ll talk with you soon.”

Jason turned and looked directly at Dale. His expression was warm and familiar and more than a little disarming. Memories of all the good times flooded her mind. She fought them back with the reality of what had happened. The undeniable reality of what he had done to her and the years it had taken her to get over him.

Dale measured her words carefully. “I’m not really sure we have anything to talk about, Jason. Do you have any idea how much you hurt me? I loved you. You were my first and only real love. I cannot believe you betrayed me like you did. How could you be so cruel? I thought you cared about me.”

“Dale, listen to me. I loved you too. I’ve never stopped loving you. I have longed for this day when our paths would cross again, when I could talk with you and perhaps, with the passage of time, you would actually be willing to listen to what I have to say.”

“There is absolutely nothing you can say to me to excuse what you did, so why should I listen now or ever?”

“You are the love of my life; you know we are meant to be together. The fact that we met in one of the most remote places in the entire world is proof of that. What do you think the odds are that we would meet each other here? It just shows you that we can beat the odds; it is our destiny to be together. Even the mistakes I have made cannot keep us apart anymore.”

“Mistakes? Is that what you call what you did, Jason? Mistakes? You were married. And you made me your, your mistress. Do you have any idea at all how that made me feel?” Dale fought back the tears.

“Mistress? What are you talking about, Dale? We never even slept together.”

“Oh, well there you have it. Here I thought we didn’t sleep together because you respected me. I thought you really cared about my feelings and my values. I was so wrong about you, Jason. But now I see it was just so technically you could justify cheating on your wife with me, and lying to me about it.”

“You have to understand. You never allowed me to explain any of this to you. I was in a marriage of compassion. Julie and I met about two years before I met you. I cared about her. I even thought I loved her at one time. Anyway, her father really liked me, but he wanted his daughter to marry someone who could support her. I was dirt poor so he offered to pay my way through Vandy and then give me a job at his business when I graduated. By the time I met you we were engaged, but I realized I was not in love with her. I was going to break it off, but she was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder. They only gave her months to live so I married her – to make her happy.”

“But you just kept seeing me all along. How selfish of you, Jason. And how about your son? Yes, I know about Jesse, and I know how you just abandoned him every time you were out with me. I can’t believe you. You may have Laura snowed but not me. She doesn’t know about Jesse. And I don’t intend to tell her, because she likes you, and she really thinks you care about Gracie. But I will tell you this: if you ever do anything to hurt either one of them with your lies, I will hunt you down and make certain you hurt no one else.”

Dale’s temples throbbed. Her rage had erupted, and her voice rose. She hated feeling this way, hated letting anger take over like this. At this moment, she wanted only to finally be finished and done with Jason.