The Long Way Home

by K. Langston

  Wearing black-framed hipster glasses, skinny jeans, Vans, and a Johnny Cash T-shirt, she looks like every bit of a twenty-four year old but when I look into her dark brown eyes, I can sense an old soul. One that has no doubt experienced a strong dose of life.

  “He is,” she replies. “He talks about you constantly. I feel like I’ve known you all my life.”

  I smile, wondering just how much Linc has shared with her. Then I nod toward the stage. “He’s lucky to have you.”

  “I know. He’d be lost without me. I don’t know how he made it this far,” she teases. “But I love his goofy ass. He’s like the brother I never had.”

  The crowd erupts as Linc brings the song to a close, pulling my attention back to the stage. They are all chanting for more as he leaves them with his signature two finger salute.

  He strides toward me with purpose, a mischievous smile on his handsome face. “C’mon.”

  I take a step back. “No, Linc, what are you doing?”

  “I wanna sing you a song,” he says, tugging on my hand.

  “Well, go sing it.”

  “I can’t. I need you out there with me when I do.”

  “Um…no, you don’t.” I tug on my hand but his grip only tightens.

  He stops pulling and steps closer to me, his face hovering above mine, flooding me with his soothing presence. “I need to do this. Please, come with me.”

  Blood pumps through my veins anxiously as he leads me to the center of the stage. The bright spotlight doesn’t faze him a bit. I squint my eyes, trying to adjust to the blinding light. “I can’t believe you,” I say, covering my face. I can’t see their faces, but I know they’re there and they are all focused on me.

  Nervousness swamps my belly as his deep voice settles the excited crowd. “No matter where I’ve been or where I’m goin’, this woman has always been right here,” he says, placing his hand over his heart while his eyes stay locked on mine. They all cheer, their high-pitched screams causing my ears to ring. He tosses them one of his heart-stopping smiles before turning his eyes back to me. His confident gaze immediately calms my nerves and my fears. It feels like it’s only the two of us on this stage or in the entire world.

  Tears burn my eyes and throat.

  The roar is deafening, cutting through our intimate moment. Linc gives my hand one final squeeze then lifts his chin, motioning to a stool being placed behind me. With his help, I take my designated seat. “You know, sometimes in life we have to trust that fate will lead us to where we’re supposed to be. I’m just glad it led me back to you. I’ve never played this one live before. It’s brand new. Hope you like it.”

  He strums his guitar, tweaking the strings until he finds the right melody.

  Loving you has always been easy

  Something I was born to do

  Simple as breathin’

  My heart belongs to you

  Life has a way of knowin’

  Which way we’re goin’

  But all roads lead back to you

  Back to you

  Back to you

  Every road I take leads back to you

  There ain’t nothin’ I wouldn’t do

  To find my way back to you

  Some want fortune

  Some want fame

  I just wanna give you my last name

  Gaze up at a sky so blue

  Me right next to you

  Fate has a way of knowin’

  Which way we’re goin’

  Love has led me back to you

  Back to you

  Back to you

  The road’s been hard, ever true

  At last, I found my way back to you

  The crowd explodes as he plays the last remaining chords and my heart soars, his beautiful words resonating deep within my soul. Everything we’ve been through, together or apart, has led us here.

  Back to each other.

  I’m on my feet, throwing my arms around his shoulders and burying my head into his neck. “I think that’s my favorite song of all time.”

  “You’re my favorite song,” he whispers before kissing my forehead.

  My feet are light as Linc bids his fans good-bye and thanks them again for coming out. He leads me from the stage on a content sigh. I have never felt so high or been happier than I am in this very moment.

  “You killed it, dude,” Kacey says, giving him a fist bump before offering him a bottle of water.

  “Thanks, Kace.”

  Linc hands his guitar off to one of his crew before downing the entire bottle.

  “Jack wants to move dinner to eight instead of seven. Are you cool with that?”

  Linc scoffs. “Do I have a choice?”

  She gives him a sympathetic smile before returning her attention back to her phone. The more time I spend with her, and the more I watch her and Linc interact, the more I like her. She takes care of him. And while there’s an unjustified hint of jealousy that I haven’t always been there to do that, it makes me feel good to know she does.

  Tapping her forefinger on the bottom corner, she pushes her glasses back up her nose. “Don’t forget you have a phone interview with KWEZ at four tomorrow. I set a reminder on your phone. And that’s it,” she says, pocketing her phone. “For now anyway.”

  “Sounds good. See you tonight?”

  “I’ll be there. Someone has to stand between you and Jack when the punches start flying.” She leans in to give me a hug. “Later, y’all.” With the wiggle of her fingers, she’s gone.

  I furrow my brow. “Who is Jack again?”

  “Manager,” he says.

  “Do you two fight often?”

  “Only when he’s being a pain in my ass.” I nod, still not understanding, but I suppose I’ll find out tonight when I meet Jack.

  “Don’t worry, his bark is worse than his bite.”

  Well, that’s not very comforting.

  Linc pulls up in front of the restaurant around seven and hands his keys off to the valet. Opening the door, he places his hands on my hips to help me down then he takes my hand and leads me inside the fancy establishment. Everything is so modern and sleek.

  Expensive.

  I lift my chin and straighten my spine, pretending I belong here when I clearly don’t. “Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight?”

  “Only about ten times since we left the house.”

  He smiles.

  Our host recognizes him right away and leads us to our table where the party has already arrived.

  “I can’t stop thinking about what you have on underneath here,” he whispers, placing his hand on my lower back, guiding me through the rows of tables.

  I blush, smoothing my hand down the front of the little black dress Linc bought for me today. It hugs all of my curves perfectly along with the black bra and panty set I’m wearing underneath. I’ve never worn something so fitting or revealing before, and I was a little self-conscious at first but when I tried it on for him at the store, the smoldering look he gave was all the approval I needed.

  He’s wearing dark jeans, boots, and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. More than a few patrons gasp as we pass by and one lady even clutches her chest.

  “Oh my God, it’s Lincoln Cole.”

  I hear someone say.

  “Every man in this room wants to be me right now.”

  His words send more heat to my face but I think the exact opposite. Every woman I see has her eyes on him.

  “That dress is killin’ me, by the way,” he says when we finally reach the table.

  Two men in suits stand to greet us while Kacey remains seated. “Linc, my man. How the hell are you?”

  “I’m good, Bill.” He shakes hands with the taller gentleman before turning his attention to the shorter one. “Jack.”

  “This must be Sylvie,” Bill says with a warm smile.

  “Syl, this is Bill Gardner, CEO of Milestone Records and one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.”r />
  “Pleasure is all mine, dear.”

  Linc turns to the other man. “And this is—”

  “Jack Easton,” Jack interrupts, earning a scowl from Linc. “Nice to finally meet the woman he writes all of his songs about.”

  I think I hear Linc mutter ‘asshole’ beneath his breath, but I can’t be too sure because my nerves are all over the place.

  Why am I so nervous?

  “Nice to meet you both.” I smile politely.

  Linc pulls out a chair for me then once we are sitting, scoots in closer, draping an arm across the back of my chair.

  The waitress takes our drink order and leaves us to look over the menu. Kacey hasn’t uttered a word since we arrived, only lifting her eyes from her phone long enough to shoot me a reassuring smile.

  Bill brings his tumbler of amber liquid to his lips, draining the glass before he speaks. He’s an older man, about mid-fifties with an easy smile and kind blue eyes. “Linc, how’s your mother?”

  “She’s recovering. It’s a slow process. Doc needs to run some more tests to be sure they got it all, but she should be all clear and in remission soon.”

  “That’s good. Glad to hear that.”

  “Gwynn Matthews ain’t gonna let a little cancer take her down. She’s strong. Like someone else I know.” Linc tosses me a knowing smile before dropping a kiss to the side of my head.

  He lifts his beer for a sip but stops halfway to his mouth when Jack says, “Good, then you’ll be all set to head out on the road in two months.”

  Linc tenses next to me, clenching his jaw in irritation, then calmly sets his beer back on the table. He keeps his eyes focused on Jack, bringing the arm behind me to join the one on the table. “I told you, I’m not going back on the road right now.”

  “Well, if your mother is doing better, then there’s no reason not to.”

  Linc ignores Jack and looks at Bill. “I’m sorry, Linc. I know we said we would give you more time but sales are through the roof with this release. Better than we ever expected and you’ve just hit number one in the country. The demand is there and we need to jump on this opportunity.”

  “We agreed,” Linc urges.

  “I know, and again, I’m sorry. But this is business. Nothing personal.”

  “And if I say no?”

  “You’ll be in violation of your contract,” Jack speaks up.

  I look to Kacey for confirmation and she gives me a weak smile. I knew he’d go back on tour eventually, but I was hopeful it wouldn’t be this soon.

  “Now we need to discuss the next album and what direction we’re going to go,” Jack says.

  “I already told you, I’m taking a break after this. A long break.”

  Jack smooths down his tie, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table. “Linc, how many times do I have to tell you. Slowing down will ruin you before you even have a chance to make a name for yourself. Artists burn out quick in this town.” He snaps his fingers. “You might be here today, but tomorrow, you could be a puff of smoke. A vapor.”

  “Then I guess I’ll have to be relevant enough not to be forgotten. I have a huge fan base. They’ll be there when I get back.”

  Jack scoffs. “Don’t be so sure about that.”

  Kacey clears her throat. “He has over twenty million Facebook fans and thirty million Twitter followers. He’s played the Opry twice already and continues to sell songs to other artists. I think he’s pretty relevant.”

  Jack glances at Kacey with disdain while Linc smiles at her appreciatively. “So you’re going to throw away your entire career for her?”

  “Careful, Jack,” Linc warns, and Bill pats him on the back. That seems to be enough to shut him up.

  They avoid the subject for the remainder of the meal, except to say that they will announce tour dates and cities next week and that Linc will leave in approximately two months. He is not happy when we leave the restaurant.

  He’s quiet on the ride home, and I willingly give him his space. But once we make it back to the house, I can’t hold it in any longer.

  “Why are you so upset?”

  “Because Jack’s an asshole, that’s why. The only reason he’s pushing this is because he’s a money hungry fucker who wants to exploit me as much as he can.”

  That thought doesn’t sit well with me at all. I can’t stand the thought of someone taking advantage of him like that. “Why don’t you get rid of him?”

  “Weren’t you listening? I’m under contract. And the last thing I need right now is a legal battle on my hands.”

  “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to help.”

  He remains silent.

  “I still don’t understand why you’re so angry. Isn’t that what you love to do most? Touring and performing?”

  He shakes his head, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “You don’t understand. I love performing. I love my fans and that connection I feel with them when I’m on stage, there’s nothing like it. But the road is filled with miles and miles of loneliness. And it’s just too fuckin’ hard sometimes. And now that I have you, I don’t wanna live that life anymore.”

  “Linc, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

  “But I do worry about you. Every day of my life. You’re all I thought about out there on the road. And now that some of those daydreams are coming true, I don’t want to give it up.”

  “You can have both,” I tell him, circling my arms around his waist. “And you won’t be lonely. I have my laptop and you have a great imagination. We can do this. I know it won’t be easy, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make this work.”

  He lets go of a long sigh, content with my response. “I wish there was a way you could go with me.”

  “We both know that’s not possible.”

  “I know.”

  “But maybe I could come to a show or two, and bring Caroline with me. She’d love that.”

  “I would love that.” He kisses me but it’s not long before our tender kiss turns heated and we are shedding our clothes and falling into bed. His handsome face hovers mere inches above mine, complete love and adoration etched in the lines fanning his soft green eyes. I could stare into those eyes forever.

  There is so much love there.

  More than I could ever ask for and more than I will ever deserve.

  His fingers skim my cheek, drawing a trail of fire down my neck. He slowly thrusts inside of me. Our bodies moving together as one while our eyes remain locked.

  “Marry me,” he whispers upon my lips, and I catch the words in a deep kiss. My heart sings along with the blood rushing through my body.

  His words do not require a response. He already knows my answer. I tell him with my mouth, my hands, and my body whom my heart belongs to. There is not an ounce of hesitation.

  No need to think it through.

  Married or not, I know without a doubt I will love this man with every breath of my being until the day I die.

  Present

  Bright sunlight filters in through the plantation blinds, rousing me from my peaceful sleep. Rolling over, I find the star of my sweet dreams lying on his stomach, hugging his pillow, three days’ worth of stubble covering his jaw as he snores lightly.

  I smile to myself, slipping from the bed and reaching for one of his shirts.

  Floating on a cloud of pure bliss, I make my way to the kitchen and start a pot of coffee then call my mother to speak to Caroline.

  “Hey, sweet girl. How was your weekend?”

  “Hi, Mom, it was great! We went to the movies and Nana took me to the bookstore.”

  The excitement in her voice is contagious. “Wow, that all sounds wonderful. I wanted to let you know that I’ll be staying a little longer than I planned.”

  “I know. Nana told me. That’s okay, Mama.”

  “I miss you so much, sweet girl.”

  “I miss you too, Mama.”

  We spend the next ten minutes chatting about her weekend and what act
ivities she has going on for school this week before she lets me go. I don’t want to hang up. It’s only been a couple of days and I miss her like crazy. I’ll be a mess by the end of the week.

  When I hang up, I turn around to find Linc standing in the doorway of the kitchen wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. He walks toward me, scratching his chest, his bedhead making him look incredibly sexy.

  “Morning, baby,” he greets in his sleepy voice, taking me in his arms.

  “Morning.” I smile, melting into him.

  After a long hug, he drops another kiss to my head before picking up one of the mugs sitting in front of the coffee maker. Then he pours himself a steaming cup. “How’s Caroline?” he asks quietly, his voice still thick with sleep.

  “She’s good.”

  He takes a drink from his cup before setting it down and rounding the counter. He wraps one arm around my waist, pulling me close. My hands rest on his chest, warmth invading my entire body. “You okay?” he asks, concerned.

  “Yeah, I just miss her, that’s all. I’ve never been away from her this long.”

  Tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, he kisses my forehead. “I know it’s hard for you but you need this time for yourself. We need this time. For us.”

  “I know. I just feel so selfish taking it.”

  “Don’t. You’re an amazing mother. You’ve dedicated your life to her. There’s no reason to feel selfish about this.”

  “You’re right. I shouldn’t. I’ll try not to dwell on it too much.”

  “How about I keep your mind and body so occupied you don’t even have time to think?”

  “That sounds lovely.”

  His hand drifts down to my backside and he groans when he finds me bare underneath. “Jesus, woman. You tryin’ to kill me this morning?”

  “Maybe.” I laugh and he captures it with his mouth. After a long, sensual kiss, his eyes find mine once more. “So when can we get married?”

  “I don’t remember saying yes,” I tease.

  His lips are still feathering mine. He tilts his head from one side to the other, dropping tender kisses to my lips, his hand still gently kneading my heated flesh.