Chapter Twenty-Seven

By the time she returned to Dogwood Drive from picking counters and appliances, her head spun. So many choices. Did she pick something she loved and wanted for herself or pick something practical and economical another owner could change if they wanted? How could she even consider staying? Well, she was starting to see what was so special about Heritage River.

Blaise’s truck was nowhere to be seen. Did that mean he was taking Cash to the airport? Grace pushed open the front door. Chloe, Beau, and Colton were in the kitchen.

“Mom, look what we did.” Chloe pointed around the room as if she were a game-show model.

The brand-new white top cabinets were in. On either side of the enlarged window were the glass front cabinets she’d drooled over and pasted pictures of on her vision board. She hadn’t realized Beau was paying attention.

“How did you mange that?” She didn’t think they’d get that far, just the three of them.

“Let’s hope they stay on the wall.” Colton swept the subfloor.

Her new hardwood was on its way, and then her island could go in.

“Hush now.” Beau glared at Colton. “Don’t go scaring Miss Grace. You should know Chloe was a big part of today. She really helped.” His face beamed as he looked at her daughter.

“Thank you. Thank you, all of you. How about dinner on me?”

“No, thank you. I’ve got to go rest these old bones. Big day tomorrow. We’re fixing that bathroom, then tearing up yours. Plan on getting dirty tomorrow. No errands that run you out of town. No time for that.” Beau scooped up his toolbox and a dirty coffee mug. He knew about her visit to Nancy Templeton. “Miss Grace, you mind following me out to my truck?”

He didn’t wait for her answer, and she followed as told. He kicked the gravel in the driveway before looking at her.

“Is there something going on with the house?” She licked her dry lips.

“You like this house?”

She turned back and glanced. “Sure. It’s cute. A lot of potential. Why?” She noticed he hadn’t answered her question.

“This house suits you and Chloe. None of my business, but she could use a place like this to come home to when she’s not at school.”

No, it wasn’t his business, so why was he sticking his nose in it? “I don’t imagine Chloe will be coming home much at all. She’s been dying to leave home for years.” Grace was just trying to prepare herself for that moment.

“All I’m saying is, don’t keep going on jaunts that risk losing it.”

Her chin went up. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at.” She knew exactly what he meant.

“Don’t go digging. Leave it be. It don’t matter.”

It mattered to her. She wanted a family, a big one. She was losing her daughter with every day. She lost her marriage, and her parents. There was no one left. She glanced at Blaise’s house. He wasn’t offering her what she needed. Not emotionally. She didn’t expect him to. He wasn’t asking for anything. Why would he?

“Did Hoke say something to you?”

“I’m warning you. You’ll lose it all. I’m killing myself to finish on time for you. Don’t go ruining what I’m doing because you’ve got to know. You don’t need to know. Leave it.”

“Why are you killing yourself? Why didn’t you tell Hoke to find someone else?”

“That’s my concern. Not yours. Now I’m going home and resting my old, tired body. See you in the morning.”

“Beau, I was wondering if you’d hire Cash back.”

He shook his head.

“You need the help, and I don’t think Cash is the one who started it.”

“How do you know that? You weren’t there.”

“No, I wasn’t, but it’s an instinct. A mother thing. I don’t know.” She looked over her shoulder to make sure Colton wasn’t coming out. “Jud pushes Cash’s buttons.” She lowered her voice. “There’s something going on between them, and no one seems to know what it is. Please give him another chance. I want him to know I believe in him.”

Beau scrutinized her with his cold eyes. He was going to say no. “He means that much to you?”

“He does. He’s a sweet boy. Maybe confused and misguided.” She didn’t want that to come off in a bad way for Blaise. “It must be hard for him with his parents living in separate states. He’s had a hard time at school. Can’t we give him another try? I don’t mind, and it’s my house.”

“It’s my crew, and I don’t allow fighting on my crew. Never have.”

“Please, Beau. Just this once.”

“You want me to hire Cash and not Jud?”

She hadn’t thought about it all the way through, but that was what she was saying. “Jud has opportunities Cash doesn’t.” She thought of Blaise’s money troubles. Would they affect college or how they lived? He never shared the details.

“I’ve got to live in this town after you go, Miss Grace. I can’t hire Cash back without Jud and look Savannah Montgomery in the eye when I pass her on the street. You take them both or not at all.”

“But Jud started it and has something against Cash. No, just Cash. I’m the homeowner, aren’t I? Isn’t that what everyone wants me to remember? Well, as the homeowner, I have the right to hire who I see fit for the job. I want Cash Savage to help out.” She crossed her arms over her chest for good measure.

“All right.” He waved a hand in the air. “You women will be the death of me for sure. I’ll do it.” He slid into the driver’s seat and rolled down his window. “You know your Chloe likes him too. Asked me the same thing this morning.”

“She did?”

He nodded and pulled out of the driveway. She watched as he turned the corner. Chloe liked Cash. As friends or more?

****

“That was an oldie but goodie, folks. Rumor has it Savage is hitting the road again after Blaise Savage’s accident put the brakes on earlier this year. If you ask me, I say why bother? Time to enjoy retirement, guys, if you aren’t going to make any new music.” The disc jockey coming through the speakers in Blaise’s truck let himself have a hearty laugh at his own joke. “Now here’s a band I hope never stops getting on the road.”

Blaise jabbed at the radio, turning it off before the music began. He didn’t want to hear what band was about to play. He didn’t want to hear new music, and he hated hearing his own music on the radio. It was tired and old. The DJ, asshole that he was, was right.

Anger burned his insides. How had things gotten away from him? He had been cruising along fine for years, making money, making music. He had even fooled himself into thinking Cash was fine without him. Cash wasn’t fine. The boy needed his father, and Blaise had tanked and burned on that one.

He stole a glance at Cash brooding in the seat next to him. Cash looked out the window, his head shoved low in his shoulders. He bounced his leg and picked at a scab on his finger. At least Blaise was able to convince Cash, with a little help from Colton, to stay in Heritage River.

“I’m not pulling this truck over until you tell me what started that fight.”

They had been driving around for an hour. He thought maybe the truck would be the place Cash would open up. It was doing the opposite. He didn’t know what else to do, so he headed for Main Street and pulled in at Cream and Sugar.

“Ice cream?” At least the boy was speaking.

“Hungry?”

“No.”

“I am.” Blaise jumped out before Cash could say anything. He stood in line and forced himself not to look back. This whole thing was stupid.

He wouldn’t even have bothered to try to force Cash to tell him except for the call from Savannah. She hadn’t liked Grace’s questions. She wanted Blaise to tell Grace to mind her own business. Savannah hadn’t wanted to say anything herself because of the fundraiser. There would be a lot of work to do that day. She’d asked him to help out too, but he’d managed to skirt the issue, not wanting to tell her he might be gone.

He wanted to talk to Grace. What had she seen in such a short time that he hadn’t seen ever? What kind of father didn’t understand his child’s pain?

He got to the front of the line and ordered two mint ice creams with cookie crunches in cones, Cash’s favorite flavor when he was around five. Blaise knew that much at least. He didn’t know if the boy still liked it.

He waved Cash out of the truck. At first Cash shook his head, but maybe the ice cream dripping down Blaise’s hand and onto his brace was enough guilt to get his son on the sidewalk.

“Do you still like this flavor?” The words were thick and heavy in his mouth, but nothing else would come to him.

Cash shrugged but licked what melted down the cone. They sat on the bench facing the library. The sun poked through the leaves, and there wasn’t a breeze in sight. The smell of cut grass filled the air.

Blaise stretched out his legs and leaned back. “I’m glad you stayed,” he said between licks.

“How long before you leave for the tour?” Cash focused on his task of eating the ice cream.

“Do you think because I’m on tour means I don’t want you to live with me?”

Cash ate his way down the cone, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “I guess I know you do, but why can’t you stay home?”

“Why do you want me to stay so badly? You’re almost an adult. I thought you’d be glad to have the house to yourself for a few months.” Blaise tried to make light of his sentence by knocking into Cash’s arm with his own, but the attempt fell flat. Cash kept looking straight ahead.

Cash turned toward Cream and Sugar, and Blaise followed his gaze. A family walked up to the window. The father held his young son with big blond curls on his shoulders while the mother ordered. The little boy had his fingers laced through the father’s hair. A smile spread across the little boy’s face, and he laughed a deep belly laugh. The father patted the boy’s leg and laughed too.

“Hold him, James.” The mother reached up toward her boy.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got him.”

I’ve got him. Blaise reached out to touch Cash but pulled back, afraid his gesture wasn’t enough. “If I could undo my mistakes, I would.”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry, Cash. I’m sorry for my bad decisions as a dad.” He swallowed the knot in his throat. The ice cream lost its flavor.

Cash kept his head down and kicked the sidewalk. “I’m sorry I lit that frame on fire.”

Blaise laid a hand on Cash’s back. Somehow they would be okay. “I let someone handle my money who didn’t know what they were doing. I’m almost broke, Cash.” He stared at the ground between his feet. “Touring is the only way for us to make money now. No one really buys our music anymore, and only stations that play older country-rock stuff play our songs. It’s not like it was a long time ago when our music could be heard on every station or when people had to buy full albums to hear us.”

“You guys aren’t that washed up.”

“We’re washed up enough.” He hadn’t said that out loud before. The words hurt to hear and hurt worse to swallow.

“Hey, Blaise.” A male voice broke into their conversation. Blaise looked up at Keith Mulligan who grew up in Heritage River, worked at the high school as a maintenance director, and had married his high school sweetheart, Margery. Keith lifted a bag of groceries on his hip and offered Blaise a hearty shake. “Man, I heard you were back in town. I wanted to stop by and say hello, but I’ve been busy all summer with the kids and stuff. Heard you’re playing at the library fundraiser. A bunch of families got tickets. We can’t wait to see you. Me and my buddies saw you guys a few years back—well, more like ten now—but it was an amazing show. You’re killer on the drums.”

“Thanks. This is my son, Cash.”

Keith shook Cash’s hand. “Cash? Like Johnny Cash? He was your favorite, wasn’t he?”

“Your old man and your uncle really made something of themselves,” Keith said before Blaise could answer. “We all knew they would. They used to play every high school party. Kids came for miles just to hear them. It was something else.”

“Keith exaggerates.” Blaise laughed. How much should Cash hear about those parties?

“No way. They were the best. You should put out a new album, though.” He heaved the groceries up on his hip again. “Anyway, I’ve got to go. Margery is waiting for these ingredients. She’ll be calling any second if I don’t hurry home. I just had to come by and say hi.”

Keith headed off down the street. He was right. They needed a new album.

“That guy still thinks you’re cool.” Cash finished off the last of his cone and wiped his hands on his shirt.

“One fan thinking that isn’t enough.”

“So write a new album. You’re writing songs all the time. I see you doing it. A new album would probably sell like crazy. That guy can’t be your only fan.” Cash turned away from Blaise. “If you write a new album, you can wait to go on tour.”

Blaise’s head was heavy. “Even if I do write a new album, which Uncle Colton doesn’t want to do, I still need the rest of the tour. I don’t think Cream and Sugar is hiring.”

“I don’t want to live here without you, and I don’t want Aunt Savannah checking in on me.”

“What happened between you and Jud? Tell me. Please. So I can help.”

“You won’t believe me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because no one has ever believed me.”

Blaise got up and tossed the rest of his cone. In so many ways, Cash was still a boy.

“If I tell you, will you stay?”

“Ah, Cash. Don’t ask me that, please. I can’t stay, but I promise to help you get set up at the community college before I go. I’ll check in with you every day. We can do that FaceTime thing. I’ll even take your calls while I’m on stage. I promise.”

“I’ll do the fundraiser with you if you stay.”

Blaise wiped his hand over his face. “I would like nothing more than to play with you. It’s something I’ve always wanted. I was bummed when I found out you gave Uncle Colton that video of you and not me.”

“Sorry. I knew you’d say it was good because you’re my dad. I wanted his opinion because he always says it like it is.”

“Well, that’s true enough. Hey, maybe you can meet us on the road when you don’t have classes. You can come up on stage, and we can jam. How about that?”

“I don’t want to go up on stage. I don’t care about that. All I want is for you to stay in town so I don’t have to worry about seeing Jud.”

“You can’t avoid him forever.”

“Yes, I can.” Cash stood. “Can we go home now?”

“Why won’t you tell me?” His voice bellowed into the air. Cash stepped back, his eyes wide, and Blaise clenched his fists so hard his bad hand protested. “I’m sorry.” He didn’t know what he was doing except making a mess of things.

“Look at me, Dad. Do you see me? Jud hates the way I look, what I stand for. He knows no one will pay attention to what he does to me because I’m the one who has no friends, who gets bad grades, who gets in trouble. All he has to say is I started it, and everyone believes him.” Cash turned away and swiped at his face. Was he crying?

Blaise stood frozen. He wanted to grab Cash and grip him in a hug, but would the boy allow it? Blaise never remembered his father hugging him like that.

“Jud isn’t who everyone thinks he is,” Cash said.

Blaise searched for his voice. “What does that mean?”

Cash turned to him. “He hates that I’m your son because he craves the spotlight. All he wants is people to pay attention to him.” Cash opened his mouth but clamped it shut.

There was more, but he wouldn’t push. He took a tentative step toward his son. “I’m sorry, Cash. I’m sorry for everything.” The tears were what made Blaise believe even more. Cash had never cried in front of him. Not even as a little boy. “What was he saying to you yesterday?”

“Doesn’t matter. I was just tired of hearing his big mouth and wanted to shut him up. I threw the first punch. It was my fault. I’ll need another community service job too. Aunt Savannah won’t want me back. I’m sorry I keep screwing up.”

Blaise patted him on the shoulder. “Let’s go home.” He unlocked the truck with a push of his key fob. “I screwed up plenty too. Still doing it.”

He pulled into the driveway and looked at Cash. “Will you stay with me?”

“Will you?”

“Cash—”

“I’m going inside.”

Every muscle in his body ached. If he hadn’t stopped drinking twenty years ago, he’d pour himself a cold beer. Instead, he walked across the lawn and up to Grace’s porch. The hour was late, and she was probably wiped out from the day’s work, but he had to see her. Just being with her might soothe whatever aches he had. There was one ache she could definitely soothe. He shook his head to get the thought loose. When she was ready, he reminded himself and knocked on the door.