Chapter Twenty-Three

 

“Hey, sis, you ready?” Matt called out from the living room.

I set the diary aside with great reluctance, promising myself I’d pick it up later.

I wanted to get a special copy made for Joy soon, it would make a great Christmas gift.

“Be right there,” I called out, zipping my bag closed, the diary tucked inside.

Lucky padded along behind me and we went to greet my brother.

Matt gave me a hug. “I just got off the phone from talking to Thomas Hamilton. There’s an offer on the table for you.”

“He didn’t waste much time.”

“His company’s willing to pay a very good price for the property. You ready to hear it?”

“Not sure. Maybe you’d better just hit me with it.”

Matt took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.

“Whoa, that is a lot.”

“Set you up all right. Thinking of taking him up on it? No one could blame you.”

“Are you kidding? The Green Wave would be picketing outside in a flash.”

“Well, it’s none of their business. It’s totally your decision, sis. Do what’s right for you. The Winslows can handle the flak.”

“Thanks, Matt, you’ve always had my back and for that I’m forever grateful. I don’t say this enough. I love you.”

Matt cleared his throat. “Me too. I’ll miss you like the dickens if you go away, but I will understand. You’re so talented. I know you want to be a big fish in a big pond.”

“Lots of talented people in our town.” I thought of The Wild Roses.

Would they get their chance at the big time as well?

“Well, you’re one of a kind.” Matt gave me an awkward kiss on the forehead. “Ready to go?”

“Sure. Just need to get my bag. It’s on my bed.”

“I’ll get it.”

Lucky kept close to my side as we navigated the stairs, Matt behind me carrying my bag.

“You taking your dog?”

“Of course, why not?”

“Well, Jasper for one. You do remember how mom feels about dogs?”

“It’s just for a few days. We should be able to work out logistics, right?”

“Maybe. If not, you can stay with me. If you can put up with not eating any meat, that is.”

We both laughed. “Thanks, I might have to take you up on that.”

Five minutes later we pulled up in front of our parents’ house. It looked no different from during my childhood, filling me with good thoughts, telling me I had made the right decision to come home.

I patted the dash of Matt’s Jeep Cherokee. “You know, you’ll have to give this up once you’re married with kids.”

“Are you kidding? It makes a great second vehicle.”

“Just don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.”

“Dad kept his motorcycle,” Matt said, his mouth pursed into a firm line.

“Before he gave it to me. I think just to keep it in the family.”

“Well, I’m keeping the Jeep, no matter what anyone says. Lots of parking space in Sweetwater.” His words reminded me of what Jack had shared about New York.

“True.”

“It’s showtime, sis. Let’s get you settled.”

Lucky jumped from the back of the Cherokee and padded to the front door to wait for us. She kept looking at us as if we were holding her up.

“Yeah, showtime’s right,” I muttered.

The front door opened and our mother appeared. She waved at us, then looked down as she realized something or someone was standing right in front of her.

“My goodness. That, uh, dog is larger than I anticipated,” she said, her hand to her throat.

She fiddled with her ever present string of pearls, her expression aghast. Then she appeared to collect herself and leaned down to pat Lucky’s head.

I stopped moving and watched. Will wonders never cease?

“Hi, Mother,” I said, getting my crutches into position and swinging along the sidewalk to the front door. “I see Lucky’s taken to you.”

“Nice-looking dog, but what on earth will you do with such a large animal in a big city?”

Lucky looked at me, her head sideways as if questioning me too. “Ah, not sure yet. I’ll work out logistics later.”

“Hi, Mother,” Matt said, depositing my bag on the top step and kissing our mother on the cheek. “I’d stay, but I have an appointment in ten minutes. Dad insisted on coming into the office today and we’re meeting to discuss one of his cases. One I’m taking over for him.” He looked pleased, and I was happy for him.

Our mother waved him off. “Go, don’t keep your father waiting.”

She turned toward me. “You know you can never plan enough. Just ignoring the situation will not make it go away, dear. You must prepare well in advance.”

“I’ll work on it.”

She picked up my bag and we entered the house. I was waiting for her to tell Lucky to wait outside, but the order never came. What gives? No argument? And I was ready with my speech too. Remembering the maxim “let sleeping dogs lie,” I said nothing, and we paraded to the kitchen.

“I asked a friend to take Jasper for a few days. I didn’t want any trouble about your staying here, Daisey.”

“That was very thoughtful of you. What’s going on?”

“What? Your mother can’t change? Do you think I’m beyond seeing the big picture?”

“No, of course not. It’s just a bit of a leap from not wanting a dog when we were children.”

“I have regretted that decision more than once.”

“I never knew that.” My mother set about making tea, bustling around the kitchen. “Earl Grey or peppermint?” she asked, turning from putting on the kettle to heat.

“Earl Grey. I need the caffeine.”

“Have you finished Sadie’s diary yet?” She sat down across from me at the table after setting out a plate of homemade sugar cookies, looking at me with an unusual intensity in her eyes.

“Not quite. I’ve just found out about a man bothering her.” I shuddered. “I’m worried for her now. Does it turn out okay? Have you read it all?”

She bit her lip. “Yes, I have, but I think you should finish it yourself.”

“She’s okay, right?”

“Yes, don’t worry about that, but other things happen I think you should read on your own. She was a remarkable young woman. She mentions a letter from her mother who wrote something that will surprise you—at least it did me—and it’s impossible not to be affected by her journey. I know it’s made me see life through a different lens, though of course, she was no relation to me.” She hesitated for a few seconds, then surprised me. “I think I was too hard on you growing up.”

Before I could speak, though what I might have said escapes me, she pressed on, determination obvious behind her clear-eyed gaze.

“I made you feel like if you didn’t do everything perfectly, it would impact your life in a negative way. I never meant for that to happen to you. You know, I love you, Daisey, just as you are. You’ve always been such a good daughter. The best a woman could have hoped for. No matter what you do now, I want you to know that. That you are already good enough exactly as you are.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. Never had I expected my mother to say such things. Her words lifted the burden I’d always felt of having to be so perfect, more than ordinary, the best at everything I did, and constantly not measuring up.

I moved to embrace the woman who had given birth to me, raised me as best as she knew how, and it had never felt like this before. The tears fell between us, raining down with forgiveness, a moment that took me to a new place. A place of pure wonderment.

“Thank you, that means the world to me,” I said, wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my white blouse and leaving streaks of mascara behind on the fabric.

My mother also brushed away the tears from her face, her smile a bit weepy, the whites of her eyes tinged with pink.

“I’ll get the tea. You sit down and rest that leg,” she said, moving away and taking the now singing kettle off the stove. She poured heated water into the white china teapot with the simple gold trim we’d had since I could remember. I don’t know how many times I watched the same capable gestures, the perfect ballet of making tea.

“So, drink your Earl Grey, have a cookie or two, then take a nap. That will help you heal quicker. I’ve set a blanket on the floor of your bedroom for your dog and stocked some canned dog food. Let me know if there’s anything else you need?”

“Thanks, you’ve done more than enough.”

We drank our tea in peace, nibbling on sugar cookies.

My phone buzzed and I glanced at it. Rose. I read her text.

Someone looking for u.

I texted back. Who?

Come see. 😊

“I have to go. Something’s going on at the café. Someone looking for me.” My reporter curiosity hit overdrive. “Must be to do with work or Rose wouldn’t have texted.” Or maybe it’s more like Daisey Winslow’s need to be in the know. Who could it be? My skin itched with curiosity.

“You should rest, dear. I feel it’s very unsafe for you to be walking around town on your own with your sprained ankle. You could fall and hurt yourself again.”

“It’s four blocks, Mom, and I’ll have Lucky with me. She’s a modern-day Lassie. I’ll send her if anything untoward happens, so don’t worry about me, Mom.”

My mother fluttered a hand to her neck and touched her pearl necklace. “You almost never call me mom. It’s nice. Less formal. You go do what you need to do. At least Sweetwater’s a lot safer than New York.”

“You know, Jack keeps saying that.”

“It’s Jack now, is it, not ‘Deputy?’” she said with a small smile.

“Depends on whether I’m annoyed with him or not,” I admitted, surprising myself.

“Of course. I’ll see you at supper. I’m planning a pot roast. Perhaps we should invite Jack?”

“Maybe, if he isn’t already engaged.” I hesitated to tell her that whatever had been between Jack and me was over. Maybe I was still getting used to it myself. Every time I talked about how things stood, it hurt so much that I wanted to cry all over again. I just needed time to get over us and then I would be okay. Right?

“Invite him if you like,” she said. “I’m glad you are spending time with such a fine young man.”

I shrugged, then relented; maybe it was best to just get the pain over with. She’d hear soon enough anyway. Best it came from me. “We’ve decided not to see each other anymore, you know, since I’ll be going away soon.” Talking to my mother more like friends was easier to do than I’d imagined. Problem was, leaving town was looking less than stellar once again.

“That’s too bad, Daisey. You seem to get along so well, and he’s been so good to you, but you know best.”

Her comments bolstered my flagging confidence in the rightness of what I was doing, believing I wasn’t a damn fool for letting Jack go. “Thanks. You know, I got an offer on the land today from the Crown Development guys. A really good offer.”

My mother froze in her task of placing the sugar cookies back in the fancy tin. “You going to take it?”

I couldn’t reply as I gazed at the tin in her hands. Matt and I had given it to her. I remembered that day. I think I was eight at the time. Originally filled with Easter chocolates, it had since then been used as the Winslow cookie tin. I loved the painted image of colorful Easter eggs on the lid. The chocolates hadn’t tasted very good, but the tin had been greeted with fanfare and had become a part of our family’s history.

Why was I getting all sentimental over an old cookie tin?

“I don’t know,” I responded after a too-long pause, realizing my mother was watching me carefully, waiting for my answer. “Selling it seems so final, you know. Like a part of the past will be wiped out.”

“That land has a lot of history for the Winslow family. Even more than I realized. You’ll understand when you finish reading Sadie’s diary.” My mother’s face had a faraway look tinged with something else. Almost an otherworldliness.

Sadie’s story was turning out to have an amazing impact on our lives centuries after she wrote it. That takes some doing, affecting readers on that level. Maybe someday I could try to reach for such a legacy.

“I mean to finish it tonight. The way it’s affected you—” I shook my head. “That must be some ending coming.”

“It is, trust me.” Mother sighed. “Well, I don’t want to ruin it. It will give you something to look forward to later.”

“Thanks for tea, Mom. Come on, Lucky. Time to roll.” I was rewarded with another smile. I got up on my crutches and the pair of us headed out to find out what the heck was going on.

Swinging down the street, crutches clonking, Lucky at my side, it didn’t feel any different from any other day in Sweetwater. Yet things that defied explanation were going on, hidden from view. I had an acute sense of being watched all of a sudden.

A chill raced down my spine. I gave a quick look around, picking out two strangers walking toward me.

“Daisey Winslow.” It didn’t sound like a question. The man and the woman approached, warm and welcoming expressions on their faces, like they knew me.

“Yes, but I’m sorry. You have the advantage. Should I know you?”

“No, not at all, unless you follow the Nashville scene? We represent Country Star Music Productions. I’m Melissa Baker, and this is Jonathon Daly, head of acquiring new talent.”

We shook hands all around, a feat I managed even with the crutches.

“Sorry to see you’ve hurt yourself. I hope it’s nothing serious?” Melissa said.

She was a tall woman, soft spoken and yet gave the impression of being a strong, capable person. Her dark hair was piled into a flattering updo and her deep brown eyes glittered with intelligence behind her dark-framed glasses. Jonathon, on the other hand, was short, slight of build, with thin, light brown hair cropped short.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you, Daisey, since we watched that video one of your band members put up a few days ago online. The Wild Roses—great name!” Jonathon grinned. “Must have watched it ten times. Such amazing talent for an unknown country band. You just sprang out of nowhere. It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you, Jonathon. I’m all right, Melissa, thanks for asking. It’s nothing more than a sprain.”

“Glad to hear it. Can’t be too careful. I was wondering if there is some place we could talk and grab a bite to eat?”

“I recommend the Prairie Rose Café. Rose, who runs it, said someone was there asking about me. Would that have been you?”

“Yes, it was. Love the use of the rose motif. Would you join us there?”

I couldn’t stop myself asking, “Have you approached anyone else in the band yet? Talked to Holly?”

“We have.” The pair exchanged a glance filled with meaning as I hobbled along between them, Lucky pressed to my side. Strange Holly hadn’t texted me as well.

“And?”

“She implied a lot of it is up to you, Daisey.”

“Why me? She’s the singer and the leader. I would have thought the decision was entirely hers.”

“There’s more to it than that. Ah, here we are,” Melissa said, stopping and opening the door of the café so we could all troop inside. We found an empty booth and I set my crutches aside, Lucky settling by my feet.

“Are you hungry enough for a meal?” I asked. “Rose’s food is the best in the state.”

Jonathon spoke up, rubbing his hands together. “What do you recommend?”

“Everything’s homemade and tasty here, but I’m partial to the chicken and dumplings.”

“Perfect,” Melissa said.

Rose came by pencil and pad in hand. “What can I get you?” she asked. She gave me a speculative look. Hmm. A co-conspirator with Holly?

“Three orders of your chicken and dumplings. Your friend highly recommends it,” Melissa said.

“Rose is my cousin as well as my friend,” I said, then prompted, “So, you said Holly sent you to see me?”

“Yes. “Melissa stirred sugar and creamer into her coffee. “She said you write most of the songs for the band.”

I nodded. “Yes, that’s the fun part.”

She smiled. “Nice to hear. We want you and the other members of The Wild Roses to make an album which we’ll format to various sound files to distribute, then have you tour this fall to promote the work. Including that deputy, what was his name? Yes, Jack Samson. The pair of you have a really great vibe together. The energy was right off the charts when you two sang that love ballad. You guys an item?” she asked.

“No, we’re not,” I said. “We’ve played together once before. That’s it.”

“Wow, then that makes it even more amazing,” Jonathon said, his eyes looking to bug out of his head. “Imagine if you actually rehearsed.” His enthusiasm was infectious. “Holly’s another of your cousins, isn’t she?”

I nodded. My heart began beating wildly, knowing how much this would matter to Holly and all the other band members. The fact that she hadn’t given me a heads up meant that she didn’t want to pressure me, which made it all the harder. If she had come at me with all guns blazing, I could easily have ducked the opportunity, but to be so good about it, leaving it in my hands—that choked me up. Harder to say no.

“Have you talked with Jack about this yet?”

“Yes, in fact, we ran into him soon as we hit town.”

“Not surprised. The guy’s everywhere.” I cut right to the chase. “How important is my decision to the band’s chances? Would you still make the album without me? Or minus Jack?”

“I want to be frank with you. Yes, your declining would hurt the band’s chances. Is there any reason why you would turn us down?” I read the truth in Melissa’s eyes. It would cause even more damage to their chances than she wanted to admit. Oh Lord, give me strength, I prayed silently.

Our food arrived and the steaming bowls of delectable chicken and fluffy white dumplings soaked with savory gravy took all our attentions for a good ten minutes. Lucky even got her own bowl and her contented, steady slurps could be heard under the table, though almost overpowered by our own sighs of appreciation.

I used the time to weigh the pros and cons. Could I handle being the one to destroy all my friends’ dreams? If I put off my trip to New York until the spring, maybe I could see my way to doing it? After all, I had been waiting twenty plus years already, what was a few more months? Oh boy, was this the final bullet in my plans? Could I live with that?

“What about Jack? Is his attendance essential as well?”

“Yes. It’s a chemistry thing. The two of you have it. It’s not something that can be contrived or overrated. We’ll be getting an answer from him soon. He said for us to see how you stood on things before he could decide.”

“I need to think about all this for a day or two. It’s a lot to take in.”

“Let me share a short story with you, Daisey, before I leave you to think about this opportunity. I knew this young girl once whose dream was to go to Nashville and become a famous singer. She lived for music, certain it was her destiny. It had taken this girl a long time to save up for the trip and she made huge sacrifices in her life, but it just didn’t happen for her. One day, when she was about to go home in defeat, someone did offer her a job. Just not as a singer, but as a technician in a sound studio. This girl had a perfect ear for pitch and her skills were needed.”

Melissa took a sip of water before continuing, “The girl used that job to build up an understanding of the craft of record producing from the ground up. She got so good at it, in fact, that with some crowd funding, she was able to start her own record label.” She drummed her fingers on the tabletop, her eyes filled with a faraway look.

“That girl was you,” I said.

“Yes, and the moral of this tale is I discovered my gift was not what I had wanted it to be, but it turned out to be so much more. You have a love of singing and music. It’s obvious. Sharing such a gift with the world, well, I wish I’d had this opportunity. Sometimes wishes aren’t enough. You need a special talent to back it up. You have it. Don’t let it slip through your fingers over a misguided plan that doesn’t take into account what you’re best at.”

“I still need to think about it all, but thanks for telling me this.”

“I can appreciate that, but don’t think too long. This kind of opportunity only comes around once in a lifetime—if that. I should know.” Melissa got to her feet, laid down a few bills on the tabletop, gave me a warm smile and left the café. Jonathon got up a few seconds later.

“It was nice to meet you, Daisey. I do hope we get to work together. Just for the record, Melissa’s the best there is in the industry. If she’s here in person to speak with you, which I have never seen happen before—she’s such a busy woman—then you can bet your bottom dollar she’s going to do everything possible to make The Wild Roses a huge success. Almost an ironclad guarantee. I’d be jumping at this chance if I were you. A few months out of a lifetime, not that much to give to find out if you have the right stuff. I’m betting you do. Be good for you to leave this quaint little town anyway.”

Jonathon’s sincerity was written all over his face. I didn’t have to be a spot-the-lie expert to see that. I also knew right then that while I could call our town “quaint” I did not like it when someone else did. Even I wasn’t doing it anymore, I realized. Sweetwater was so much more than a caricature. It was the real deal, so leaving it in the lurch did not sit right.

“Thanks, it was nice to meet you too.” I was working on automatic, my thoughts spinning out of control.

As soon as the pair left, Rose made a beeline for the booth, sitting down with a wide grin on her face. “So, what do you think? What did they say?”

I rubbed my forehead. A headache bloomed behind my eyes, a sure sign I was overloaded.

“They want The Wild Roses to make an album and promote it on tour this fall. All of us, including Jack. They think we—Jack and I—have really good chemistry together.” No kidding.

“Duh! I could have told you that. So, what did you say?” Even Rose’s short dark hair appeared electrified as she waited for my response, her eyes wide open with wonder.

“I asked for a day or two to think it over.” How could I manage being around Jack so much? The temptation of seeing each other day in and day out was mind-boggling. What if this band thing doesn’t work out and I headed to New York in the end anyway? More time spent together was just going to make it all the harder to part when the time was up.

“Wow. If it were me, I’d be doing cartwheels down the street, crutches or no crutches.”

“It’s just a lot to think about, you know? I’ve been trying to go another way for so long. I can’t stop and make a U-turn as wide as this without some serious reflection.”

“Of course. What are you going to tell Holly and the others?”

“Same thing.”

“Well, get ready. Here they come now.”