The Sweetest Gift
Pamela Warren
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Cover photo provided by Weber Fine Acoustic Instruments.
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For Kris and Gabriel
and all the musicians who inspired me
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Chapter 1
The alarm clock blared harshly, jarring Maggie from a deep sleep. Tucker reached across her and hit the off button.
“Go back to sleep, darlin’. I’ll finish packing and wake you in time for breakfast.”
Maggie rolled over and closed her eyes and tried to recall her dream. She had been playing in a club with her ex-husband Zak’s band, the Bayou Blasters. She and Zak were singing “Me and Bobby McGee” together. She looked over at him and felt the love well up inside of her. Then she looked at Justin the bass player and gave him a smile. She leaned over and whispered in his ear, “Justin, I love you.”
“Maggie, wake up, you need to pack too. We have to leave for the airport in half an hour.”
Maggie opened her blue eyes and looked at Tucker. In spite of her blurry vision, she thought that he looked unusually tired.
“Are you o.k. my love?” she asked.
“I had some trouble getting to sleep last night, I’ll be fine though. I’m looking forward to seeing the kids.”
“Me, too.” Maggie smiled happily. “I’ve missed them so much while we’ve been on tour. I’m glad they’ve been able to spend some time with Zak though.”
Tucker pulled Maggie’s suitcase out of the closet and helped her find the clothes that she was looking for in her bureau. She went into the bathroom and gathered up some toiletries and then added them to the bag.
“O.k. done,” she said and Tucker closed the suitcase with a snap.
He carried the bag downstairs and took it out to the Cadillac in the driveway while Maggie dressed hurriedly in a gray pant suit and a red and white striped blouse. She fished out a pair of black pumps from under the bed and carefully walked down the stairs to the kitchen. Tucker was just finishing making the coffee. He kissed her on the cheek as he handed her a mug.
“I hate to rush you Maggie, but we probably need to get going.”
Maggie took a couple quick swallows of her coffee and put the mug in the sink. She slid into her shoes while Tucker checked the inside pocket of his blazer for the airplane tickets.
“O.k., I’m ready,” she said.
Tucker set the house alarm and they walked out the back door to the car. Tucker opened the car door for her and then got in the driver’s seat. He patted her hand and said, “It won’t be long now, Maggie.” He turned the radio on as they drove out the driveway. The DJ announced, “And now for the number one hit by Maggie Mae Williams and Tucker Travis, leading the charts for the last sixteen weeks.”
“Oh Tucker, turn that off. I don’t need to hear that again.”
Tucker turned the radio off and laughed.
“Yeah, we’ve only played that a few million times over the last three months. I’m happy the tour is over.”
They drove the rest of the way to the airport in silence. Maggie had a lot on her mind. She was nervous about seeing her ex-husband again, especially since he had a new girlfriend. She was anxious to see her three children, Gabriel, Isabel and Jake. She wondered how they were taking the news of her engagement to Tucker. She knew that they were fond of him, but because of his age, they had always regarded him as a surrogate grandfather. She wondered if they were shocked that they were planning on getting married in spite of the almost twenty-five year difference in their ages.
After half an hour’s drive, they reached the airport. Tucker dropped Maggie off at their terminal and then parked the car. As they walked through the airport to their gate, they passed a newsstand. Tucker saw the latest issue of Time magazine with their photo on the cover.
“Hold on darlin’, let me get a copy for the kids.”
He paid for the magazine and handed it to Maggie. She held it up close to her face so she could read the headline, “The King and Queen of Country Music.”
“It’s good to be King,” Tucker laughed. “And you make a beautiful Queen, Maggie.”
Maggie grimaced a little and said, “Well, that and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee.”
Tucker escorted Maggie to the terminal gate where the passengers had already started to board for their flight. The stewardess took their tickets and smiled widely at them.
“You’re in the third row, first class, Mr. Travis and Miss Williams. We hope you have a great flight.”
Tucker took Maggie by the arm and helped her down the aisle to their seats. As he passed by the stewardess, he whispered in her ear.
“Miss Williams is vision impaired. I just thought you should know in case of an emergency.”
“Thanks for letting us know, Mr. Travis. Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of you.”
The stewardess beamed at them, knowing that meeting Maggie Mae Williams and Tucker Travis would make a good story that she could tell her friends.
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Chapter 2
Two hours later, Maggie and Tucker landed at the airport in New Orleans. They rented a Lincoln Town car and then began the familiar trip up the I-10 to Maggie and Zak’s house. Maggie was feeling increasingly nervous the closer she got to her home. Tucker reached over and took her hand and squeezed it.
“Relax, Maggie. Everything will be o.k.”
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Zak and I get along perfectly fine now that the divorce has been finalized. It just feels sort of strange now that we’re engaged and he has a girlfriend.”
“Everyone is moving on with their lives. You’ll get used to it though. Is Justin back from California?”
“I’m not sure. Zak didn’t say too much about him. I know he’s been playing with a band in San Francisco and he’s been considering moving there permanently.”
“Well, maybe it’s a good thing for him to get out from under Zak’s shadow.”
“I don’t think he’s ever been in Zak’s shadow. He’s done very well for himself over the last few years touring in Europe and recording in San Francisco and Los Angeles.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen him for three years since he came to visit me in Nashville,” Tucker said.
“Well, as you know, I haven’t seen him since before Jake was born. It’s been a long time. I’ve missed him.”
“I know, Maggie.”
Tucker reached over and took her hand. Maggie looked away from him out the car window so that he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes. She was still hurt that Justin had never come back to Louisiana to be with her when Jake was born. He had been on tour with a country band in Europe and afterwards decided to fulfill his dream of traveling extensively throughout the continent. While he was in France, he had gotten a call from a famous rock band that was based in California. They needed to replace their bass player who was severely ill with hepatitis C. Justin had played bass on two albums that had been nominated for Grammy awards, so they immediately thought of him. Justin had always wanted to live in California, so he happily accepted their offer. He took the first available flight from Paris to San Francisco and never looked back.
Maggie and Tucker finally pulled into the long gravel driveway and parked the Lincoln in front of her house. They walked up to the front door and knocked, but there was no response.
“They must be around somewhere because Zak’s van and Porsche are in the driveway,” Maggie said. �
��Let’s walk down to the studio, maybe they’re in there.”
Tucker took Maggie’s arm and they walked down to the end of the driveway where there were two other buildings. They could hear some music coming out of the smaller building, so they opened the door and looked inside. Maggie’s ex-husband Zak was playing electric guitar with their three children. Their ten year old son Gabriel was playing electric guitar along with his father, eight year old Isabel was playing electric violin and five year old Jake was strumming along on an old Harmony mandolin. The children’s faces lit up as they saw their mother and Tucker.
“Mom, come hear us play,” Gabriel said.
Isabel and Jake put down their instruments and ran over to Maggie and threw their arms around her.
“Mama, we’ve missed you so much,” Belle said, her voice muffled as she hugged Maggie tightly.
“I’ve missed all of you too,” said Maggie trying to hold back her tears.
Tucker walked over to Zak and shook his hand.
“Hey buddy, thanks for taking care of the kids while we were on tour.”
“Sure Tucker, it was great spending time with them again. Congratulations to you and Maggie by the way. When are you planning on getting married?”
“Well, we’re working that out. I’m lobbying for a huge wedding at my place in Nashville, but Maggie would like to go on a short vacation maybe in Bermuda and get married there, just the two of us.”
“Well, good luck with that Tucker. I’m guessing that Maggie will end up getting her way,” Zak said and laughed.
Tucker winked at Zak and said “You’re probably right, my friend.”
Gabriel walked up and extended his hand to shake Tucker’s hand.
“Good to see you, sir,” he said.
“You don’t have to be so formal, Gabe,” Tucker responded.
“I’m not sure what to call you now,” Gabe said and frowned.
“How about Tucker? I think that’s perfectly appropriate.”
Maggie laughed and said “Well, I guess they can’t call you Grampa anymore.”
Tucker and Zak laughed too.
“I guess not, that would be a little strange. I guess it’s going to take a little getting used to,” Tucker said.
“How about if I help you with your luggage? Justin left the key to his house, so I thought I would put the two of you in there,” Zak said.
They all walked out to the car and Zak helped to get the two suitcases out of the trunk. Then they walked over to the second building which was Justin’s house. The house had been closed up for a while, but Zak had gone over earlier and opened some windows and put fresh linens on the bed. Maggie and Tucker were planning on spending a couple of days in Louisiana before they flew back to Nashville with Maggie’s children. They thought it would help the children with the transition to moving back to Tucker’s place in Nashville if everyone stayed together for a few days.
After putting the suitcases in Justin’s bedroom, Zak invited everyone over to his house for drinks on the porch and an early dinner.
“That sounds great, Zak. Give us a couple minutes to get cleaned up and change and we’ll meet you over there,” Maggie said.
Maggie took a quick shower and changed into a t-shirt and jeans. Tucker had already changed into chinos and a sports shirt. It was getting humid and the sky was overcast. Maggie guessed they would see some rain before too long. Maggie opened the bureau drawer hoping to unpack her suitcase, but it was full of Justin’s clothes. Maggie touched one of his t-shirts for a minute and then closed the drawer. She shut her suitcase and slid it over towards the wall so it wouldn’t be in the way. She joined Tucker who was waiting in the living room and then they walked over to Zak and Maggie’s house. They walked up the stairs to the porch and Zak opened the door to let them in. They sat down on the white wicker furniture and Zak offered to get them something to drink.
“Would you like some lemonade?”
“That would be great Zak,” Tucker said. “What about you, Maggie?”
She assented and Zak went into the kitchen and returned with three glasses of lemonade. Maggie was happy to see that Zak was still being good about staying away from alcohol. The last time in rehab seemed to have resulted in a permanent change in his behavior.
The three children suddenly burst into the room, their dog Chère trailing behind them. Chère walked slowly over to Maggie and lay down with great effort on the floor next to her. Maggie reached down to pat her head.
“God Zak, she’s really starting to look old. Her muzzle is all white and she must have arthritis. She’s definitely not as spry as she used to be.”
“Chère’s eleven now Maggie, that’s pretty old for a large dog. But she’s hanging in there.”
“How’s Monroe doing?”
“He’s fine, he likes to hang out in the studio and sleep on the rug where the sun shines in through the window.”
Maggie looked sad for a moment.
“I miss them. I guess they wouldn’t have liked moving to Nashville though.”
“Maggie, we can get some pets if you want,” Tucker suggested.
“Not now, Tucker. We’re touring too much. Maybe a little later though. It’s nice having a dog and a cat in the house.”
Suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder. Maggie jumped visibly and looked uneasy. Tucker reached over and held her hand. Ever since she had been struck by lightning at the Grey Falcon Bluegrass Festival, Maggie was terrified of thunderstorms. Jake ran up to her and gestured that he wanted to sit in her lap. Maggie was happy for the distraction, and hugged her young son close to her.
The rain let loose in a torrent just as a car came down the driveway and parked in front of the house. It was raining so hard that they couldn’t see who got out of the car. The door to the porch was flung open and a man rushed inside. He pulled down the hood of his sweatshirt and then everyone realized that it was Justin. Zak got up out of his seat and hugged his friend.
“It’s good to see you, man. It’s been way too long. What are you doing home? We had no idea you were coming.”
“Well, the tour was over and I decided I needed to take some time off. Spencer called and told me that Maggie and Tucker were going to be in Louisiana to pick up the kids, so I thought I’d surprise everyone.”
“Well, you certainly succeeded, Justin,” Maggie said. She didn’t know whether she was glad to see him or mad that he had stayed away for so long.
Justin bent over Maggie and kissed her on the cheek and then he reached over to shake Tucker’s hand.
“I hear congratulations are in order. Spencer told me that you two are planning on getting married.”
“Spencer never could keep a secret,” Maggie laughed.
“Hey buddy, do you want something to drink?” Zak asked.
“Some water would be good.”
Zak and Tucker got up and went into the kitchen to get Justin a glass of water and to check on dinner. Justin sat in the chair next to Maggie.
“How are you doing Maggie? Has your vision gotten any better since you were hit by the lightning?”
“Not really Justin. I’ve gotten used to it though. It’s not that bad.”
There was another crack of thunder and Justin noticed that Maggie started trembling a little. He reached over to take her hand and then noticed her engagement ring.
“My god, Maggie. That’s the biggest diamond I’ve ever seen.”
Maggie laughed and looked a little embarrassed.
“You know Tucker. The flashier, the better as far as he’s concerned. I don’t even wear it that much because it kind of gets in the way.”
There was another flash of lightning followed by more thunder and Justin held Maggie’s hand even tighter.
“Maggie, the real reason I’m here is that I need to talk to you about something.”
“What Justin?”
“I’d like to wait until we’re alone if you don’t mind.”
Maggie felt nervous for a minute but answered, �
��O.k. Justin, maybe we can go for a walk or something later.”
Zak and Tucker announced from the kitchen that dinner was ready, so Maggie and Justin and the three kids joined them in the dining room for some jambalaya.
“Too hot for you, Maggie?” Zak asked and smiled.
Maggie laughed and said “Of course not. I like it, it makes me feel like I’m home.”
“It’s too hot for me, Mama,” Belle said.
“I’d think you’d be used to your father’s cooking by now.”
“I think he makes it spicier when you come home,” Belle replied.
“Well, that’s thoughtful of him,” Maggie said laughing. “He knows I like spicy food. But Tucker, maybe you should take it easy. You don’t want to have stomach problems later.”
“Yes, Mom,” Tucker said and winked at the kids which made them laugh.
Everyone sat around the table, eating and catching up. There was a lot of ground to cover. Justin told them about his new band and his life in San Francisco. He had just rented a house in Sausalito with views of the Bay and Angel Island and was looking forward to living in his new digs. Maggie asked him if he was dating anyone in particular.
“Not really,” he said elusively. “I’ve gone out with several women, but nothing too serious. There are a lot of beautiful women out in California. How about you, Maggie and Tucker? When are you getting married?”
“We haven’t set the date yet,” Tucker answered. “We’re still working out the details.”
“What about you, Zak?” Justin asked. “Spencer said that you’ve been seeing someone.”
“That’s Sarah,” said Belle. “She’s nice. She used to be our nanny for a while.”
Zak looked uncomfortable and Justin noticed a brief shadow pass across Maggie’s face. He decided to change the subject.
“I saw the article about you in Time magazine. They said you were planning on going on a world tour.”
The Sweetest Gift (The Gift) Page 1
