“Are you really leaving?” she asked.
Caleb stood up, guitar case in hand, and looked at her. “I should have left a long time ago.”
“But what will they say?”
“They’ll think of some lie, I’m sure. They always do.”
“Not the show, Caleb. The fans. What will they say?”
Caleb looked at her there and she suddenly seemed a sad spectacle, standing on that big empty stage. All that poise, all that sex appeal, and none of it real. It was all nothing but an act she put on to please the cameras and some nameless crowd of fans in some virtual world.
“Maybe you should try telling them the truth, Jordyn. You might be surprised how accepting people can be.”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Caleb?”
“It means I’m sick and tired of these lies. Of hurting the one woman in my life that I really love. And you know what? You should be too.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, yes, you do.”
And with that, he left her standing there, walked off the stage, and crossed the studio, heading for the main exit. Before he walked out the door, he stopped and looked back one last time at the fancy Hollywood set and at the empty seats that once held his fake but adoring fans. Jordyn was still on the stage, just watching him, but he was too far away already to make out the expression on her face. He had expected to be sad when he left, but now that he had decided this was it, all he felt was relief. He had been caught up in the glamour and the lights and he had let himself hurt the one person he loved more than anything in the world. Now it was time to make things right.
Caleb turned away from Jordyn and the stage, pressed the door open, and walked from the dim studio into the golden glow of the bright Los Angeles sun. And he knew then that things were just as they should be again—just him and his guitar on his way home to make love to his best friend.
Caleb dialed Jane from the terminal while he was waiting on his plane, but it went straight to her voice mail before it even rang. He had no idea what they’d say on the live show about his being gone, and he didn’t want her to find out that way anyway. But it didn’t seem like the kind of thing you could get across in a text either. He knew once he was in the air he wouldn’t be able to get ahold of her at all, so he dialed her again and settled on leaving a voice mail.
“Hi, babe. I just used the credit card you gave me to buy a ticket home. I’m at the airport waiting to board. It’s a long story, so call me if you get this. I love you. I’ll see you soon.”
Twenty minutes later, he was still sitting there staring at his phone and hoping it would ring when he heard the call to board his flight. He stood and hoisted his duffel over his shoulder and got in line. A man tapped him on the back.
“Hey, fella,” he said when Caleb turned around. “Aren’t you that guy from the singer-songwriter show?”
Caleb nodded. “Yeah, I’m him.”
“Man, oh man, I knew that reality TV was all bullshit. They say it’s live, but here you are standing in line with me at the airport and the show’s starting right now.”
Caleb followed the man’s eyes over to the waiting area and the bank of ceiling-mounted TVs just in time to see the burning sheet of music fade to the Singer-Songwriter Superstar logo. He stepped out of line and walked over so he could watch and hear above the chatter in the terminal.
The announcer bounded onstage with his usual charisma to start off the show. Then, before introducing the finalists, the camera panned close in on his face and his expression turned so suddenly somber it was hard to imagine anyone anywhere believing it wasn’t scripted.
“I have some sad news to share with you all tonight,” he said as if delivering a eulogy. “One of our favorite contestants has had a family emergency and had to leave the show early to return home. We’d like you to join us as we say good-bye to Caleb Cummings with this farewell montage.”
The TV cut to a montage of Caleb’s time on the show, beginning with his audition and leading up to their rehearsal just the day before. But even though the montage was set to Caleb’s music, there was no clip of him and Jordyn rehearsing “Jane’s Harmony.” Probably because of his threats, he thought, but for whatever reason he was grateful.
Interestingly, the only nostalgia he really felt as he watched his experience in L.A. flash on the screen was for the time he had spent with Sean. Caleb laughed when he saw a clip of the two of them singing, both wearing eyeliner. The editors had gone light on his and Jordyn’s fake relationship, probably to soften the blow of his leaving for whatever fans the two of them had, and Caleb figured she’d be okay without him just the same.
The call came again for his plane to board, and Caleb was turning away when the montage ended and the camera showed Jordyn sitting on a stool in the spotlight with her guitar.
“Here to help us say farewell to Caleb,” the announcer crooned, “is his own partner, Jordyn, who has requested to sing a very special song.”
Caleb stepped closer to the screen.
The camera zoomed in on Jordyn’s face, and she seemed to Caleb not to be on the TV at all, but rather she seemed to be staring through a window into the airport with her eyes focused on him. Then her expression seemed to soften, and she smiled into the camera and spoke.
“I need to set the record straight. I feel very fortunate to have had the chance to get to know Caleb and to write music with him for the few weeks that we had together on the show. But you all deserve to know the truth. Caleb and I were never a couple. Caleb is engaged to be married to a woman in Austin who he is madly in love with. I’ve met her and I can see why. And tonight, I’m here to tell the world that so am I. So this song is dedicated to my friend Caleb, and to the love of my life, who’s backstage listening right now. This is for you, Paige.”
She took her guitar pick from the strings and began to play and sing a gorgeous love song that Caleb had never heard before but that she had obviously written for Paige. Caleb would have liked to listen to the entire thing, but the final boarding call came over the speakers and he turned and walked away, leaving her singing on the TV.
He smiled all the way down the ramp and all the way onto the plane. And he was still smiling when the wheels left the runway. He smiled for Jordyn and for himself and for Jane. He smiled because he knew all three of them were finally free.
Caleb swung into the first row of empty seats he came to. He put his guitar in the seat next to him and his duffel on the floor between his feet. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed Jane for the fifth time since he’d landed—straight to voice mail, again. He was worried how she might take his leaving the show, especially after she’d gone to all the trouble she had to support him while he was there.
He leaned his head against the cool window and watched the headlights pass by outside. The bus rocked back and forth and so did his estimation of himself—one moment a quitter, the next a hero. He was excited and nervous at the same time. So much so that he missed pulling the cord for his stop.
He got off the bus four blocks away and jogged with his bag and his guitar back toward the apartment. The night air felt cool against his face, and his mood was lighter with each step he took closer to home, closer to Jane. As he approached the building, he noticed that the apartment lights were off and the curtains drawn. There was a faint light on in Marj’s bedroom, but otherwise her windows were dark too.
By force of habit, he stuck his hand into his jeans pocket for his keys, forgetting he’d been so long away from home. It took him a few minutes to fish them from the bottom of his duffel, and then he unlocked the door and climbed the stairs two at a time.
The apartment was dark when he entered. Not one light on anywhere. He set his guitar and his duffel on the floor, quietly closed the door, and stood for a moment just listening. He wondered if he should be worried. Then his ears adjusted, tuning
out the street, and he heard the ocean waves from the bedroom sound machine and he figured Jane must already be asleep.
Caleb walked to the bedroom and pushed open the door. He could see her face in the green glow of the bedside alarm clock. She looked like a little girl. He feared if he woke her in the dark she might be frightened, so he reached and switched on the light. She stirred, but she didn’t open her eyes. He stood for minute and watched her sleeping. Her hair was tied up and she had one arm bent and resting on the mattress beside her pillow. She was the most beautiful thing he’d ever set eyes upon.
Jane’s lids flickered, then opened, her eyes slowly coming to focus on him standing in the doorway. He had expected to see surprise, but he almost thought he saw sadness wash over her face.
“Caleb—?” she said, his name almost a whisper. Then she pushed herself up until she was leaning on her elbow. “What are you doing here? Did Marj call you?”
“No, baby. Why would Marj have called me?”
She didn’t respond right away, so he stepped into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
He gently touched her cheek. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“I’m okay,” she said. “Why are you home?”
“Aren’t you happy to see me?”
“Yes, I’m happy. I’m just a little confused.”
“You must not have watched the show.” When she shook her head, he continued. “I had a fight with the producer and walked off. I’m sorry if you’re disappointed in me.”
“Oh, honey,” she said, pulling his hand to her lips and kissing it, “I could never be disappointed in you. I’m sure you had good reason to leave.”
“Thanks, baby. But what’s going on with you? You said you thought that Marj might have called me. Why?”
“There’s something I need to tell you, Caleb.”
When she said it, she looked away from him, almost as if she were ashamed.
“What is it, babe? You know you can tell me anything.”
“I meant to call you, but I took the wrong charger home.”
“I know. Mine was dead for a while too. It’s okay. Everything’s okay. What do you need to tell me, Jane?”
She sat up a little more and looked at him. Then she looked down and picked idly at a loose string in the comforter.
“It’s just that I’ve been overwhelmed and terrified and dealing with things all alone here. Then when I was in Seattle, I visited the cemetery . . . and . . . and . . . well, you know what happened to Melody as well as I do. So when I got home I went . . . I mean, today I had Marj bring me . . . well, it doesn’t matter anymore, I guess . . . because . . . well . . .”
“What is it, baby? Just tell me.”
She stopped picking at the blanket and looked up at him. “Caleb, I’m pregnant.”
The worried look on her face seemed so removed from the news and how it made him feel that he was sure he hadn’t heard her right.
“Did you just say you’re pregnant?”
She bit her lower lip and nodded.
Caleb didn’t know whether to cry or hug her or scream. He stood from the bed and ran from the room. He threw back the curtains and opened the living room slider, then stepped out onto the balcony and screamed at the top of his lungs for all of Austin to hear.
“We’re having a baaaaaaaaaaaaby!”
Then he ran back into the room, caught Jane getting out of bed, picked her up, and spun her around. He got ahold of himself after three or four revolutions, then he set her down carefully and crouched and placed his hands on her belly, before looking up at her.
“I shouldn’t spin you like that,” he said. “It isn’t good for the baby.”
“It’s not made of glass, you dork,” Jane said, smiling down at him and caressing his hair. “Now stand up here and let me give you a proper kiss to welcome you home.”
He stood and wrapped his arms around her, and said the first thing that came into his mind. “I’m going to be the best father in the world.”
Jane looked into his eyes, and he could tell by her smile that she believed him.
“I love you, Caleb Cummings.”
“I love you too, Jane McKinney,” he replied. “Which reminds me, we had better hurry up and get married or our kid’s gonna have two last names. And we need to start making a list of first names too. I like Hunter, or even Tristan. You should like Tristan because of your Tristan-and-Isolde thing with the dresses.”
“Tristan? What makes you think it’s going to be a boy?”
“Of course it’s going to be a boy,” he answered. “I can just feel it. But I’m not stuck on Tristan. I’ve always liked Trevor and Tyler too. I don’t know why they all start with T.”
“Oh, shut up already and kiss me,” Jane said.
And not wanting to upset her in her condition, Caleb stopped talking, brought his lips to hers, and did just that.
Chapter 23
Jane sat on the apartment couch with a blanket and a bowl of buttered popcorn on her lap, idly popping kernels into her mouth while she watched the commercials.
“Hey,” she called, “the show’s coming on again.”
She heard the microwave chime, and Caleb came over and refilled her bowl with a bag of freshly popped corn. Then he sat down beside her to watch.
“If you want me to gain any sympathy pounds,” he said, “you’re gonna have to share this batch.”
Jane brought the bowl of popcorn between them, and they each took turns grabbing handfuls while their eyes were glued to the screen. The show’s host called Panda and Carrie Ann out onto the stage with him. Carrie Ann looked extra coiffed and confident; Panda looked slightly disheveled and shy.
“Do you think Jordyn’s upset that she didn’t make it through to the finale?” Jane asked.
“I doubt it,” Caleb said. “She never wanted the recording contract anyway. I think she was in it for the free publicity.”
“Well, she sure got that.”
A man walked out and handed the host an envelope. Then there was a drumroll and the stage lights dimmed, the two remaining girls now standing in the wash of a spotlight.
“America has voted,” the host said, “and I’m proud to announce the winner of the first national Singer-Songwriter Superstar competition, and the recipient of a half-million-dollar recording contract. And our lucky winner is . . .” He paused to tear open the envelope, then looked straight into the camera and said, “The winner is Amanda Wyatt.”
Panda appeared to nearly collapse onto the stage, she was so shocked to hear her name. Then she turned to hug Carrie Ann, but Carrie Ann was busy looking around in disbelief.
The announcer pulled Panda over into his spotlight and held the microphone in her face. “How does it feel to be the Singer-Songwriter Superstar?”
She blinked her wide eyes into the camera and smiled her charming, girlish smile. Then, without warning, she snatched the microphone, rose onto her toes, spun around once, smiled into the camera, and simply said, “It feels fantastic!”
Jane reached for the remote and clicked off the TV. When she looked over, Caleb was smiling as if he had just won.
“I’m glad it was her,” he said.
“You’re not sad it wasn’t you?”
He shook his head. “I like seeing people who are really good at what they do get rewarded for their talent. Especially if they’re also humble.”
Jane could tell he was genuinely happy for Panda, but she couldn’t help but notice a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
“What about you now, honey?” she asked.
“What about me?”
“I haven’t seen you even open your guitar case once since you’ve been home. You know, just because we’re having a baby is no reason to give up on your dream.”
“I’m not giving up on my dream,” he said,
smiling. “I’m just trading it in for a better one.”
“But you don’t have to trade, Caleb. I’ve done this before. You always find ways to get by. I’ve got a few leads for work, although they might want me to wait until after the baby’s born to start. But I have savings left from selling my house.”
“No way,” he said. “You’re saving that money. Mr. Zigler’s giving me overtime at the warehouse, and he said I could maybe move up in a few months to delivering. That pays more. And Jeremy’s got a line on a cheap pedicab for sale that we might go partners on.”
“A pedicab? Are you kidding?”
“No. I’m serious, Jane. We’ll fix it up and take turns working nights when I’m not at the warehouse. It’ll be good exercise and we can make great money.”
“Caleb, you don’t have to work pedaling a bike cab.”
“I plan to support this family doing whatever I have to do.”
“Well, when will you have time for me and the baby?”
“There’ll be plenty of time as long as I’m not wasting it on music. Now you see? I’m trading a dream for a better reality.”
He looked so adamant that Jane knew arguing further would be of no use at all. Instead, she set the popcorn bowl aside, opened the blanket on her lap, and motioned for him to join her.
“Come here, lover, and let me put my arms around you.”
He scooted up next to her, leaned his head against her side, and placed his hand on her belly. Jane played with his hair. After a while, he looked up at her and smiled.
“I can feel it,” he said. “I can feel the baby move.”
“That’s just the three bags of popcorn I ate settling,” Jane replied, smiling down on him. “You won’t feel the baby until the second trimester, honey.”
Caleb looked so cute with his hair tousled and that crooked smile on his face that she cupped his chin in her hand and leaned down and kissed him. His lips parted for her, and he reached up and put his hand on her cheek. When they finally pulled away long enough for her to speak, Jane looked into his eyes and did her best to smile flirtatiously.
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