There was still a crowd outside the bar by the time they were done, making Mason glad she’d parked behind the place. Her parents had treated them to drinks and complimented Victoria on her performance before getting them both to promise to come to lunch again on Sunday. The night had been magical, and she was happy to see the excitement in Victoria’s eyes that hadn’t been there before when it came to music.
She’d listened intently to the songs Colt had chosen when Victoria performed with him, and she was amazed at all she’d missed the first time she’d heard her sing. Victoria’s voice had much more depth than her mother’s, and her range was so much better. With a little more training, Victoria could have a successful career, if that’s what she really wanted.
“What’d you think about tonight?” Victoria held her hand and had her head back with her eyes closed. It seemed like she’d had a good time with her parents, but Mason didn’t want to guess about the rest. “You really have a beautiful voice.” It was a good opening to gauge where Victoria’s head was at when it came to performing anything beyond what Colt was asking of her.
“This is kind of funny.” Victoria turned her head and slowly opened her eyes.
“What’s funny?”
“I’m sure there are a lot of acts and singers out there who’d line up to have your baby if you gave them five minutes to hear how wonderful they are.”
Victoria lifted her hand and kissed her palm before biting her finger, which made her hard. It was ridiculous in a great way, since she felt like a teenager with a crush, but there was no way she was questioning anything.
“I wasn’t asking, and I wasn’t looking, yet here we are.”
“It might shock you, but I give a lot of five-minute timeslots without the baby option. Not that I don’t want kids for my parents to spoil, but I don’t want them in exchange for a contract with Banu.” She tried pouting, but the damn fake mustache made her face itch. “Sometimes, though, talent falls on your head like a rock from the sky, and you have to act before someone else figures out what a treasure they have on their hands.”
“You’re good at the compliments, baby, but I doubt I’m the next big thing.”
How could she break through Victoria’s self-doubt? “You’d be surprised what I think.”
“Honey, you don’t have to offer me anything. I’m not expecting that at all.”
“How about you listen to me and stop guessing what’s on my mind,” she said and smiled to take any sting from her words. “When I joined the company, my dad knew I wanted to expand out of the country genre. The country scene is what he’s concentrated on, but I’ve moved us beyond that. It’s a market with a lot of fans, but there isn’t a lot that gets me excited about it, nothing new anyway, until tonight.” She turned into her driveway and pulled off at the line of trees so she could face Victoria. “You’re right, though, you didn’t ask, and you weren’t looking, yet here we are. I’m in love with your voice, and I’m excited to hear more.”
“You aren’t disappointed, are you? Would you like me to be more aggressive?” Victoria moved away slightly, but Mason quickly filled the gap by moving closer.
“Sweetheart, I want a lot of things, and I’m aggressive enough for the both of us, but that you aren’t with me to improve your chances of getting a contract is a wonderful thing.” The admission prompted Victoria to kiss her. “To answer your question, though, I meant what I’ve said more than once. You have to do whatever you think is right for you.”
“I’m asking your opinion, Mason. Not as a woman you’re seeing and sleeping with, but in your official capacity at Banu. I just want to make the right decision. Contract or no, though, it won’t change my mind about you, well, unless you toss me out.”
She wanted to be direct, but she also didn’t want to sway Victoria toward one decision or another. It had to be totally her choice. “If I’m totally honest,” she said, staring into Victoria’s green eyes, “I’m enjoying having you all to myself. Once you record with Colt, I’m going to have to share you. That’s how confident I am in your voice.”
“Enough crazy talk for tonight.” Victoria held her hand between hers and pulled Mason closer. “You know this song will probably be my one claim to studio fame, and then I’ll go back to playing in whatever band will have me that’ll keep me in town. There’s no way I’m going anywhere and giving some other woman the opportunity to trip over a root, fall into your arms, and need to be carried around.” She pulled on the beard next before moving her hand down to her neck. “Can you shave this off or whatever you need to do? I’m ready to get your face back.”
“That nixes my idea of making out in the truck.”
“But raises your chances of making out in bed. Come on, I’m through with sharing you for the night as well.”
Mason started the truck and got back on the drive toward the garage where she’d left the utility vehicle. The kitchen door opened when she shut the motor off, and the sight of Belle stepping out didn’t bode well for the rest of her night. Belle spoke to Victoria almost daily to assure her Sophie was okay, so a face-to-face after midnight meant nothing good.
“Hey, that’s a different look for you,” Belle said when she got out and walked around to help Victoria down.
“My hormones are way off.”
Victoria laughed at that as she put her arms around her neck and held on.
“Did you overcaffeinate today and can’t sleep?” Mason asked. “I feel like I’m late for curfew and my mother’s waiting to bust me.”
“I’m in no way old enough to be your mother, but I want to talk to Victoria now that Sophie’s asleep. Could you give us a few minutes?” Belle waited until Victoria had her crutches before heading for the study.
“Sure,” Mason said.
“Come with me…unless you don’t want to.” Victoria grabbed Mason’s forearm before she could walk away. “Did something happen?” Victoria asked once they were seated, and from her grip, Mason could tell she was anxious. “Is Mom okay?”
“She’s fine—actually, better than fine.” Belle lifted her hands and made a slowing down motion. “We had a session today, and I gave her the option of leaving. She turned me down.”
“I’m curious,” Mason said, not moving as Victoria held her arm with enough pressure to leave bruises. “What would’ve happened if she had taken you up on that offer?”
“It’d have been followed by a long lecture about making better choices, but we have to give her the chance to make them.” Belle sighed and rubbed her hands on her jeans. “No one does well in therapy if they don’t have some freedom to choose some things for themselves. We can’t keep her locked up forever, but she has to realize how her behavior affects others and take responsibility for it. If she feels like she’s made the choice to stay, she’ll start to open up some more.”
Victoria nodded and let up on her forearm a bit. “That’s good, but I doubt you waited up for us to tell me that. What’s the but in this equation? I know her well enough to realize that with Mom, there always is one.”
“I need to tell you some of what we discussed, because I think it’s important to your journey too. Sophie has given me permission to do so.”
Words were only words, but what Belle was saying clearly sliced into Victoria with the ease of an ax through rotten wood. Victoria didn’t have to say a thing for her to know that—the way she sucked in quick breaths and released them in small spurts was proof enough. It was equally clear that Sophie Roddy was a total bitch.
“I believe some of that rage has to do with her anger at being here, but we need to work on the very real residual resentment she’s feeling about a life-changing event she felt stripped her of her choices. You have to understand that this isn’t about you,” Belle said, and Mason was amazed she could keep a straight face saying that. “I believe her true anger lies with your conservative grandparents and the man who fathered you.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s angry at me too.” Victoria’s tears fell steadily but she didn’t lift her hand to wipe them away. It was like her exhaustion over this whole thing was too much to bear a second longer. “I didn’t ask to be born, but she’s mad I’m here. Trust me, I understood that when I was four, and time hasn’t blunted it. But after everything I’ve done. Everything I’ve given up…”
“It’s more like she’s mad that she put herself in that position, and believe me, I would’ve rather skipped this conversation with you. The problem is, you’re going to have to start therapy with her, sooner rather than later. It’s probably the last thing you want to do considering the situation, but it’s also a starting place to wherever you two are going to end up. You have to understand that it might be on permanently separate paths.”
Belle really was the best person for this job, but at the moment Mason wanted to order her to shut up and get off her property. She hated seeing Victoria in so much pain.
“What exactly does that mean?” Victoria asked.
“The basic truth is that your mom has hit rock bottom, and she wants someone else to take the blame for every mistake she’s made. It hurts like hell, but it’s not an uncommon behavior. No one wants to admit that they are the only reason they’ve fallen this far. Once you air all that out together, she might feel she’d be stronger without you in her life, and you might come to the conclusion that things will never change, and you’d be better off getting out of the vicious cycle you’re stuck in. Or it could go another direction, one that keeps you in each other’s lives. But you have to be prepared for both possibilities.”
“Thanks for telling me, I guess,” Victoria said, falling against Mason and sounding defeated.
Mason was at a loss about what exactly she could do to help Victoria, but she’d be there and stay no matter how many bad days they’d have to face. The rest she’d figure out, considering she was way out of her comfort zone on this. Whatever came next, she was sure her mother’s advice would be to stay strong and present.
“I’m really sorry, Victoria, but I didn’t want you to get blindsided in a session. Our goal is to—”
“My goal is to make it better so she can live her life without killing herself,” Victoria said, seeming to have found her footing. “I won’t have that on my conscience, but I’d like my own life as well.”
Belle smiled. “I told her that, and she says she understands, but when that time comes, and you’re no longer there to clean up after her, I think she won’t, and we’ll have another setback. But my professional advice is that it’s time to drop the employment part of your relationship for a while. Take your life back, and learn to be the person you want to be without her around. That’s only my opinion, though. Whatever relationship you have with your mother going forward is up to you.”
“Is that all?” Victoria asked.
“Do you have any questions?” Belle stood and waited.
“I think this is enough to handle for the night,” Mason said, hoping Belle took the dismissal hint.
Belle nodded and squeezed Victoria’s shoulder on her way out of the room. “We’ll set up a session time another day.”
“Oh my God,” Victoria said when they were alone. “I shouldn’t”—she buried her face in Mason’s chest and released a ragged breath laced with tears—“be surprised.”
“Listen to me.” She held Victoria by the shoulders and pulled her back a little so she could see her face. “None of this is your fault. The one thing I agree with Belle on is that your mother has a skewed sense of what her role in all this should be, but you”—she cupped Victoria’s cheek—“are a treasure. Don’t ever think that you’re lacking in any way. You can’t believe that how she feels and thinks has anything to do with you.”
“It has everything to do with me,” Victoria said through her tears.
“Is that what your grandparents thought?”
“No.”
“It’s not what I think, either. Sophie might be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame for the music she’s recorded, but the best thing she’s ever created is you.” She put her arms around Victoria and held her as she cried.
“Thank you.”
She could feel Victoria’s breath against her neck, and it made her want to be the one Victoria turned to for comfort no matter the hurt. That she couldn’t take away the pain on Victoria’s face bothered her more than anything ever had.
“I’m not sure what I’d do without your friendship.”
“I don’t think that’s something you should worry about.” She moved so she could pick Victoria up and stood. “How about we go to bed and sleep in tomorrow?”
“I’m sorry our night got ruined, but I’d love that.” Victoria’s face was wet, and she looked tired. “I want to do that song with Colt, but only if you represent me.”
It was like Victoria had to plant her flag and claim something that was hers and not anything to do with Sophie to prove she had worth on her own. She’d had a taste of getting her own life going, and she clearly wasn’t going to just walk away from it now. “Honey, every professional in this town will warn you away from having your label be your manager.”
“Are you planning to rip me off?” Victoria’s mouth curled into a smile for the first time in the last hour.
“You can’t believe that.”
“Then say yes.”
She smiled back and headed outside. “I promise I’ll consider it if you do one thing for me.”
“Tell me, so we can get that out of the way.”
“Meet with an agent first and understand what they can do for you. That way you’ll understand what having me represent you should entail.” She settled Victoria in the utility vehicle and kissed her. “There should never be any doubt between us, and the more you know, the less likely that’ll be.” She kissed her again. “How about it?”
“You’re hard to say no to, Mason, but I’ll do it if that’s what you want.”
“That’s what I want, but eventually we’ll both get what we want.”
“Which is?” Victoria took her hand when she sat in the driver’s seat.
“We have to leave a few surprises out there. If not, what’s to look forward to?”
“Right now, I’m looking forward to a bed with you in it.”