“Where are we headed?” she asked as he drove out onto the main road.
He glanced over at her and wiggled his eyebrows. “How does Bob’s Steakhouse sound?”
Rain let out a squeal. Uncle Zeke had been raving about this restaurant since it opened a few years ago. She couldn’t have been happier about his selection.
An hour later, they had finished a wonderful meal. With onion rings and calamari as their appetizer, Rain had ordered prime New York strip steak with mashed potatoes as her entrée. Her uncle had ordered the Nashville roasted hot chicken with mac’ n cheese. It had been a delectable meal during which they had caught up on the important updates in each other’s lives. She had been shocked to discover that Uncle Zeke had a serious girlfriend named Chelsea. Her uncle had been a bachelor all his life, so to hear about this mid-life romance was startling.
Rain hoped this Chelsea person was a good woman in every way imaginable. Uncle Zeke deserved to be loved and adored by a good woman of faith.
“I can’t wait for you to meet Chelsea. She’s everything I’ve been waiting for all these years.”
“I’m happy for you,” Rain said, her heart melting at the sweet, sappy looked etched on her uncle’s face. She wanted to be supportive. But when she met Chelsea she would be on the lookout for any signs of trouble. Since she was the closest thing Uncle Zeke had to a daughter she was going to serve as his protector. He’d always played that role for her. She intended to return the favor.
“Are you ready to hit the town?” her uncle asked, eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.
“Hit the town? Is there more on the agenda tonight?”
Uncle Zeke reached out and tweaked her nose. “I’ve got a few surprises up my sleeve.”
Rain shook her head. “Don’t leave me hanging. I really want to know what’s next.”
“Okay, Rainey,” he said, using her childhood nickname. “I know you have a Nashville bucket list and we’re about to cross off one of the items. We’re going to the Bluebird Café.”
“The House that Built Me”
Miranda Lambert
Chapter Two
“The Bluebird! Are you serious?” She let out a squeal. “Uncle Zeke! You’re making so many of my dreams come true right now. I’ve been wanting to go there for the longest time.”
Uncle Zeke was beaming at her. “I aim to please. I know you’ve always wanted to sing at the Bluebird.”
Her jaw dropped. “Sing? I-I’m not singing tonight.” She frowned at him. “Am I?”
“Don’t be too mad at me, angel. I signed you up for open mic night.” He looked at his watch. “We need to get inside so you can sign in.”
“I can’t go in there and perform!” she protested.
“Why not, girl? You can sing like nobody’s business. Isn’t this your dream? Or did you stuff it down into some black hole never to be seen again?” Uncle Zeke had his arms folded across his chest.
“I’m not prepared.” All of a sudden, her insecurities kicked in. What if she made a fool of herself?
“You have a song in your heart for every minute of the day. And this is your shot. Take it. Isn’t this why you made this a stop on your road trip?”
Rain bit her lip. “To be honest, yes it was. But I never figured I’d be singing at a venue like the Bluebird Café. That’s big-time.”
Her uncle reached out and cupped her chin in his hand. “You are big-time, Rain Santos. And don’t ever let anybody tell you any different.”
Rain grinned. What was she hesitating for? This was it. Her chance. The moment she had dreamed of for as long as she could remember. She didn’t expect this moment to change her life, but in a way, it could transform her into someone who believed in herself and her talent. The events of four years ago had stripped away her faith in herself. When Luke had been picked to sign a music deal with Mustang Records, Rain had struggled with feelings of self-doubt. Even though they had been a duo, the record label hadn’t wanted her. Their sole interest had been in making Luke Avery a superstar artist. It had been a gut-wrenching blow to her feelings of self-worth.
Why hadn’t she been good enough? Why hadn’t they wanted her?
She shook off the negative feelings, reminding herself that she was good enough. God had made her in His image. She shouldn’t always question her worthiness.
She was good enough!
“I’ll do it,” she said with a shrug. “Nothing ventured. Nothing gained.”
“Wahoo!” he shouted. “You can sing one or two original songs. I know you’ve got tons of them.”
Rain nodded. “I’ll do one. I have this song I perform sometimes back home at the Seaside Café’s open mic nights. It’s called Golden.”
“I like it,” he said with a wink. “And don’t worry about the crowd. The venue only seats 90 people.”
She let out a squeak. “Ninety? That’s a lot,” she said with an uneasy laugh.
Uncle Zeke ushered her inside where they followed the signs to the sign-up area. They spent a few minutes checking in and the person behind the desk informed her of when she would take the stage.
“Honey, I’m sorry. Being blindsided isn’t cool. I should have given you a heads-up before I brought you here.”
“Sorry for what? To tell you the truth, this is exciting. If I bomb it’s on me,” she said with a light laugh. Butterflies flew low in her belly. Her palms were moist. But mixed in with the fear was a feeling of euphoria. Rain felt as if she could soar like an eagle. When she was on stage she felt as free as a bird. Glorious. Radiant. Shimmering.
Uncle Zeke nodded and gave her a thumb’s up sign.
Rain went over and stood with the other performers. Although everyone was congenial with one another, there was an underlying vibe of nervousness hovering in the air. After all, it wasn’t every day one performed at the Bluebird. Rain looked around her. It was clear there were many aspiring singers in her midst. She knew there must be some powerful singers standing beside her. She hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself.
Dear Lord. Please give me the strength to push past my nerves and perform tonight with grace and using the gifts You bestowed on me. You have given me this singing talent and I’ll be singing for You tonight.
By the time Rain’s turn arrived she was feeling way calmer than she would ever have thought possible. Asking the Lord for guidance had enveloped her with peace. No matter what happened with her performance, Rain knew with a deep certainty that God was with her. She was being surrounded by His love. Even if she bombed tonight, He would still love her. And so would Uncle Zeke.
When she heard her name being called, Rain made her way onto the informal stage with her uncle’s guitar in her hand. She walked up to the microphone and introduced herself. “Hello everybody. It’s a pleasure to be here tonight singing for you.” The crowd began to applaud. “I’m going to sing a song that’s very near and dear to my heart. It’s called Golden and I wrote it during a time in my life when everything crashed and burned around me. It’s about how I found strength in myself and in my relationship with the Lord.”
Rain sat down on the stool and adjusted the microphone. She began to gently strum the guitar. It was a lot like her own. She closed her eyes and let the music flow through her. She opened her mouth and began to sing, allowing the emotion of the song to convey all of the pain and angst she’d endured over the last four years. She opened her eyes, spotting her uncle standing right near the stage. Rain knew with a deep certainty he’d positioned himself there to make her feel more secure. God bless, Uncle Zeke.
Just as the song came to its stunning conclusion, Rain’s gaze settled upon a man standing in the back, leaning against the bar. Rain froze up. Every nerve in her body tingled with awareness. She would know him anywhere. It was Luke. The only man Rain had ever loved.
As the crowd roared their approval, Rain felt numb. It was amazing to receive such an enthusiastic response from the patrons of the Bluebird. But knowing Luke was standing fifty feet away
from her was surreal. She placed her hand on her stomach. It was beginning to rumble with nervousness. She needed to get out of the building before she came face-to-face with Luke. She couldn’t handle it.
Rain took a bow then scurried from the stage as the crowd continued to clap. Rain looked around for Uncle Zeke. Where was he? She needed to go outside and take some deep breaths. Rain looked around for the exit signs. People were milling around and crowding the area. She still couldn’t find her uncle! She looked straight ahead, gently making her way past throngs of people. Suddenly, she spotted Luke. He was looking directly at her and striding toward her with a look of purpose on his face.
Dear Lord! She didn’t want to see him or talk to him.
Too late! He was standing in front of her, looking way more gorgeous than he had a right to, considering he’d smashed her heart into little pieces. Her heart was beating like a drum. For a moment, she froze.
“Rain! I can’t believe it’s you. You sounded terrific up there.”
Her gaze settled on to Luke’s brilliant green eyes and his classically handsome face. His brown hair now hung to his jaw, making him look even more striking. Her heart felt as if it was shattering all over again. She felt blindsided. In a city as big as Nashville, she’d never imagined that Luke would be here tonight. Or that their paths would cross.
She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
Not knowing what else to do, Rain turned on her heel and began to beat a fast path toward the exit and straight out of the Bluebird. She pushed past the crowd, some of whom were congratulating her on her performance. All Rain wanted to do was get outside where she could breathe. Once she wrenched the door open she deeply inhaled the clean, fresh Tennessee air.
“Rain!” Before she knew it, she felt a tugging sensation on her arm. She turned around and locked gazes with Luke. Her arm felt warm from his touch.
“Let me go, Luke. I don’t have anything to say to you,” she hissed.
“Well I have something to say to you. I miss you, Rain. Seeing you up there was amazing. It felt like old times.”
She let out a bitter laugh and wrenched her arm away. “Old times? I can’t believe you can even say that with a straight face!”
Luke let out a groan. “Rain. I know you’re angry with me. And you have been for a long time. I tried to reach out to you so many times—”
She let out a sound of outrage. “After you ignored my calls and letters for months and I had to see you splashed across the tabloids with a host of different women? You promised to send for me, to help me get a leg up in Nashville.” She let out an indelicate snort. “You even hinted we could do a song together. I believed every word you said until it was obvious you’d turned your back on me. You played me for a fool!”
“I lost control of my life, Rain. When I got the contract and moved to Nashville everything happened so fast. At first everything was fresh and exciting. It wasn’t long before my ego spiraled out of control. Everyone wanted a piece of me and I couldn’t handle it. I started drinking and staying out late partying and hanging out with all the wrong people. It took me a long time to get myself back in decent shape so I could focus on singing.”
This was the first time she’d heard these things from Luke’s lips. It felt like a jolt to the system.
“Well it took me a long time to wrap my head around your betrayal.” She choked out the words in an emotional voice. “I was a mess for a long time. Never in a million years did I think you could ever treat me like that. Like I was a throwaway.”
“Rain, give me a chance to make it up to you. To show you how remorseful I am.”
She blinked away tears. Rain didn’t want Luke to see how wounded she still felt over his actions. “It’s too late, Luke. I don’t need to hear a single word you have to say. It’s all water under the bridge now.” She wiped away a stray tear.
Suddenly, she saw Uncle Zeke walking toward them. His eyes widened upon seeing Luke.
“Are you all right, Rain?” Uncle Zeke asked, darting a glance between herself and Luke.
“I’m fine. But I’d like to go back to the hotel,” Rain said in a shaky voice.
“Rain. Can I see you tomorrow? There’s still so many things I’d like to talk to you about.” Luke’s eyes were filled with sorrow, and for a moment Rain forget everything that stood between them. She wanted to reach out and run her fingers along his cheek or press a tender kiss against his lips. Her heart still recognized him.
But those days were long gone now. He wasn’t hers anymore. Matter of fact, she no longer knew the man standing before her. Luke Avery might as well be a stranger.
“I don’t think so,” she said in a curt voice. “I’m in town with some of my closest friends. I don’t want to ruin my time here in Nashville by digging up old bones. It’s best we just leave them buried.”
Luke winced. Her words had clearly hit the mark. Rain couldn’t deny it felt good to wound him. After all he’d put her through, Luke deserved it. She turned toward her uncle and nodded. “Let’s get out of here.”
Luke watched as Uncle Zeke put his arm around Rain’s shoulder and said, “I’ll take you back to the hotel, baby girl.”
Without another glance in Luke’s direction, Rain looped her arm through Uncle Zeke’s and headed off toward the parking lot. She felt secure holding on to her strong, solid uncle. Her legs felt like jelly at the moment. This evening had been a whirlwind. She had blown the roof off the Bluebird with her performance. Everything had been sheer perfection until she’d seen Luke. Seeing him had killed her euphoric mood and thrust her back to a dismal time in her life.
Although Rain liked to think she’d moved on from the past, seeing Luke had shown her how very wrong she was. She wasn’t past it at all. Not by a long shot.
“Don’t forget to remember me”
Carrie Underwood
Chapter Three
Luke watched Rain walk away from the Bluebird with her Uncle Zeke. His heart ached inside his chest. For so long now he’d hated himself for the events of the past few years. Losing the love of his life made him the biggest fool who’d ever walked the earth. Rain had been everything to him—girlfriend, singing partner, best friend. And he’d ruined everything once his Nashville singing career had taken off like a rocket. It killed him to remember what a jerk he’d been.
Nobody gave a person a handbook on how to deal with becoming an overnight singing sensation. No one had ever schooled Luke on how to deal with a big bank account, photo shoots, fancy cars, limo drivers, five-star hotels or female groupies who made him feel like a rock star. No one had ever told him that he could lose himself in a bottle of whiskey. Or a bottle of pain pills.
Pain speared through him with a sharp intensity. Seeing Rain singing on stage had been incredible. He missed everything about her. Her beautiful smile. Her wisdom and grace. The sweet, soulful singing voice that seemed destined to top the charts. The way she’d made him feel every single moment they were in each other’s presence. Rain had treated him like he’d been the most special human being in the universe. And in return, he had turned his back on her and sowed his wild oats in Nashville.
He headed back inside the Bluebird with a heavy heart. Rain’s reaction to him had shattered him. After all this time, he’d prayed she would find it in her heart to talk to him. He didn’t expect forgiveness, but he wanted to at least to be able to share a conversation with her. Luke had never been able to lay it all at her feet and tell her how sorry he was for hurting her. He’d like a chance to explain. He would never be able to justify it, but perhaps if she knew the rough road he’d traveled, Rain could at least stand to look at him.
“Hey, Luke. What’s up?” Luke swung his gaze up at the sound of the familiar, husky voice. Tug Daniels was standing by the entrance staring at him with a look of concern etched on his face.
“Not much,” he mumbled, feeling too dejected to share a decent conversation with his friend. Tug was one of the most famous country singers t
o come out of Nashville. He was one of the few close friends Luke had in Nashville. At thirty-five years old, Tug served the role of mentor and life coach for Luke. When Luke had developed an addiction to prescription pills, Tug had helped him find a treatment center and conquer the problem. Luke had been clean for almost two years now and he’d chosen not to drink. He was living a clean lifestyle.
Something told him Rain could care less. He’d burned those bridges with her and it didn’t seem as if there was any way back into her good graces. Or her heart.
Tug narrowed his gaze as he studied him. “I’m going to give it to you straight. You look wrecked. Let’s go sit down and have a drink.” He held up his hand. “A soda for you. A beer for me.”
Luke let out a sigh. He did need some listening ears. His circle of friends in Nashville had gotten really small ever since he’d cleaned up his act. It was funny how people disappeared from your life when you cut out the partying and the drinking and the freebies.
With a nod of his head, Luke agreed and followed Tug to a seat at the bar.
After ordering for the two of them, Tug turned toward Luke. “So what’s going on? I saw you talking to that beautiful brunette outside. It looked intense.”
Luke grimaced. “Intense doesn’t even begin to describe it. Do you remember me telling you about my ex-girlfriend, Rain?”
Tug nodded. “Of course. Your ex from Treasure Harbor, right?”
“Yeah. She was my singing partner for a long time. Since high school actually.” He ran his hand across his jaw. “I have a lot of regret about the way things went down between us. I wish I’d been a better man.”
“Have you told her that?” Tug asked.
Luke winced. “She won’t listen to a word I have to say. I’ve tried to reach out to her for years. She’s blocked my calls, changed her email and told all our mutual friends she wants nothing to do with me. Not that I can blame her after everything that went down.”
Sing Me Home: Road to Love Page 2
