by Naomi Niles
“I’d be inclined to agree with ya. And I owe you a bottle a' fine bourbon to say thank you.”
“Aww, don't worry about it man, you don't owe me nothin'. I'm just happy to hear it all worked out so well for you. And that you aren’t going to fire me over it,” he said with a laugh.
“Well, fingers crossed, man, fingers crossed – let's hope it keeps working out! I’m more than pleased about it.”
“You sound like it, buddy! Well anyways, I'm about to get in my car so I'll have to cut this off here. Ya’ll have a great time, and I'll see you at the station later.”
“Thanks again, Terry. I'll see you later.”
As I cut off the call, I heard Mackenzie stirring in the bedroom. I began to come down off cloud nine and float on down to reality. This was great now – but Terry's mention of the YouTube video with its growing fame and popularity reminded me that things weren't going to stay as they were. In fact, they might change very drastically, very quickly.
I couldn't help thinking of Judd and his record deal – the record deal he wanted to offer Mackenzie, the record deal that would take her away from me and all the way to Austin. I'd chickened out and been selfish, and had told him at the doctor's office that I didn't know how to get hold of Mackenzie. I knew it had been the wrong thing to do, but I just hadn't been able to handle the thought of her being pulled away from me right when she and I were just starting to get close.
Of course, he would find her eventually, much sooner than later, as we did live in the age of social media. I just wanted to buy a little time, just enough to get to know her a little better – and that had worked. It had worked out pretty damn well, in fact. But I couldn't delay the inevitable, and I knew that that phone call would be coming, whether in five minutes or five days, it would be coming. And neither of our lives would be the same after she got it.
“Chance?” I heard her say from in the bedroom. “Are you there? Where are you?”
“I'm in here,” I called out. “I'll be out in a second, I'm just about to take a shower.”
“All right.”
I stepped into the shower and turned it on, losing myself and forgetting temporarily about my worries as the jets of hot water hit my skin. Still, the thoughts about the record contract and the possibility of Mackenzie leaving kept pushing to the forefront of my mind. I couldn't keep it from her. I had to talk to her about it.
I got out, dried myself off, and then wrapped the towel around me and walked out. I couldn't help but beam out an ear-to-ear grin as I saw Mackenzie tangled up in the sheets. God, she was gorgeous.
“It's not every day I walk out of my bathroom and find an honest-to-God angel in my bed,” I said.
She chuckled.“Enough with the flattery, Chance Lawson. You already got me into bed,” she said, winking at me. “Would you mind terribly if I stepped in there and freshened up?”
“Go right ahead.”
She pulled the sheet around her and got up.
“No need to be shy,” I said, grinning.
“Au contraire, Mr. Lawson,” she retorted. “Just because we did what we just did, don't mean you get to lay your eyes on this body whenever you feel like it.”
“All right, all right, take the sheet if it makes you happy. My bathrobe is hanging in the bathroom; you can put that on when you're done.”
She stood up but part of the sheet fell away, revealing her lower torso. I noticed there, as I had while we had been making love, a long, jagged scar running across her lower belly. She saw that my eyes were on it, and she covered it up hastily.
“I know you want to ask me about the scar,” she said, “and I'll tell you. After I shower though.”
“Whenever you want tell me is fine, or not at all. It sure as hell ain’t gonna keep me from trying to see you naked again,” I said trying to keep the conversation light. Clearly the scar was a sensitive subject for her and I didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way.
I put on my jeans and then lay back on the bed, relaxing while Mackenzie showered. She came out about five minutes later, dressed in my bathrobe.
“Can a lady have a little privacy, or should I get changed in the bathroom?” she asked.
“I'll close my eyes. Tell me when you're done.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of her getting dressed. After a minute or two she announced that she was done and settled down next to me on the bed and I opened my eyes.
“You're a great guy, Chance, do you even know that?” she asked, tracing a finger faintly over my cheek and looking into my eyes with a smile that had me catching my breath.
“And you're an amazing woman, Mackenzie.”
“Thank you. So, it seems we're jumping into this a bit quickly, and I guess... I guess we need to talk about some stuff before I let myself get too far in. There's the scar you saw, and the whole story that goes with it. I need to tell you now, because it's not just a scar. There are... there are some other complications associated with it.”
“All right, you just tell me whatever you feel comfortable telling me,” I said.
“Thank you.”
I leaned across and gave her a kiss on her cheek, which quickly turned into a kiss on her lips – a deep, lingering kiss. We both smiled afterwards, and then Mackenzie carried on talking.
“You know a little, I guess, about my ex, Brad, from what I've already told you.”
“The douchebag. I do, yeah.”
“Now I did tell you about the accident before... but not the ultimate result of it.”
“The... ultimate result?” I questioned.
A look of deep sadness came over her face as she continued. Her eyes grew dim.
“A lot of things changed because of that car accident. A lot. My whole life changed, Chance. My future. My dreams and hopes. All of them changed permanently after that accident.”
“I understand, I think,” I told her. “The trauma, the time in hospital... and the feeling of being betrayed and let down by someone you loved.”
She shook her head. “No, there's more to it than just that. I mean, there is that, and those things are terrible, but there is one more thing about it that I haven't told you yet.”
“All right... well, if you're up to telling me, I’m listening.”
She breathed in deeply and held the air in her lungs for a while before continuing.
“I can't have children, Chance. Ever.”
I didn't know what to say for a second – but after the shock of hearing that, I pulled her close to me and hugged her tight.
“I'm sorry, Mackenzie... I'm so sorry. That's such a huge thing to be taken away from you, as a woman. I know that. But you know what? It doesn’t change my feelings for you, not one bit.”
“Are you sure?” she said, looking up at me with tears rimming her eyes. “You don't think of me as just... half a woman?”
“No. Hell no. Of course not... that doesn’t change the fact that you are an amazing woman and it sure as hell doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
“But... don't you want more kids one day?” she asked.
“I'm happy with my lil' Cassie. I really am. She's the most important thing in the world to me – not to say that someone, ahem, couldn't occupy that spot jointly with her in the future, but even she's a handful. I've got this ranch, I've got my radio station, and those are two things I'm passionate about. I don’t even know if it would be fair to bring another child into my world. I have to give everything I can to Cassie. And one day, to the woman in my life, the woman in Cassie’s life. I know we're just getting started, you and I, and I don't wanna jump the gun or put pressure on you or nothin', but you and her get along so well.”
She smiled up at me. “I really do like her, Chance. A lot.”
“Yeah. I can see that; it's obvious.”
It seemed like the mood had been lightened, still, there was something I knew I needed to talk to her about. She wasn't the only one who had bee
n keeping a secret.
“Look, Mackenzie, there's something I need to talk to you about as well.”
“All right,” she said, running her fingers playfully through my chest hair. “What is it?”
“When I was at the doctor's—”
“Oh no, don't do this to me, Chance, don't tell me you lied about being okay when you're actually not.”
“No, no, it's nothing like that. I really am all right,” I assured her.
“Okay, so what is it?”
“I ran into an old high school buddy of mine.”
“When you say 'buddy', are you talking about a guy... or a girl? An ex? An old flame?”
“No, just a guy. His name is Judd.”
“Judd, huh? All right. So, what secret is there about this Judd character? Please don't tell me that you and him ended up doing jail time together or something like that,” she said playfully.
“No, no, we never got caught.” I winked down at her.
“Well, what is it then? What did you do with this guy that's such a big secret?”
“It's not what we did. It's what he's doing now.”
“And what is he doing now?” she asked.
“He owns a record company in Austin. A fairly famous one actually. You'll have heard of 'em – Regent Records.”
Her face lit up. “Wow, of course I've heard of them! I submitted a demo to them two years ago, but it was badly recorded and a bit amateurish, in hindsight, so they never got back to me. What's he doing here in Nashville? Looking for fresh talent?”
“He sure is. And he's offering a pretty sweet deal.”
“I've heard that Regent has this awesome estate outside of Austin with nice houses and a big recording studio and you get to go live there and you're given plenty of time and support with your record, and of course a very generous cash advance and allowance and stuff. It's really gotten a lot better than it was a couple of years ago. Your friend must have done a lot of things right to get that company where it is today.”
“He did all right, he sure did.”
“I wonder who he’s looking for here in Nashville? Was he just scouting, or was there someone specific he was after.”
I breathed in deeply, and then let out a long sigh.
The moment of truth had finally arrived. The time had come to tell her, and once I did, there would be no turning back. Everything would be different from this moment on – but I had to be honest with her. It was the right thing to do, and there was no getting around that.
I looked her straight in the eyes and spoke.
“He came here looking for you, Mackenzie.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Mackenzie
At first I thought that Chance was joking. Regent Records wanted me? It sounded too good to be true. The same record company I'd sent a demo to two years ago, who had rejected me, had now come all the way out here to find me to offer me a record deal? It couldn't be true, and I said as much.
“You're messing with me, Chance Lawson. Seriously, do you think I'd believe that?”
He shook his head, and the expression on his face was serious. “I ain't messing with you, Mackenzie. Judd really is out here, and he really does own Regent Records, and they really do want to sign you. I promise you that.”
The reality of it started to sink in, and I felt my breathing and my heart rate getting faster.
“But... but... I'm just, I'm, I'm not a huge name, I'm—”
“Have you seen how many people have watched the video of you and James?” he asked me, interrupting my stammering.
“I... uh, no, I haven't checked for a while.”
“Well, we'd best check it out right now then, huh?” He pulled out his phone and loaded up YouTube. “All right, let's see... search for James Masters and Mackenzie Shea, Thunder and Rain,” he said into his phone. “There we go, got it. Aaannd... five hundred and eighty-eight thousand views. Did you hear that, Mackenzie? Five hundred and eighty-eight thousand views. Over half a million. It’s no wonder Regent Records wants you. Hell, have you even heard how good you sound on that clip? I dunno how, but God must of put that person who had that cellphone with amazing audio recording capabilities front and center of the stage. The video looks and sounds nearly professional. That's why it's got so many views.”
“I just... I just can't believe it!”
He looked away from me.
“I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, Mackenzie. I just... I was a little caught off guard, I guess. And Judd told me all about the program, all about how the artists go to stay there in Austin and record... and all I could think was that you and I had just started this amazing connection, and how we were just gettin' going on this path... and now you were gonna be taken away from me, and move to another state and I just wanted you to myself for a little bit longer. I'm sorry. It was selfish of me. This is likely to be the biggest opportunity of your life, your big break.”
I was too overwhelmed by it all to really know what to say – and while a part of me was upset about him not telling me about the record deal right away, it wasn't as if he'd waited very long to say anything. But he was right about one thing – if I took the deal, I'd have to move to Austin. And not only would I be far away from Chance, I'd be far away from my father and mother as well. It was a big decision to make, and nothing would make it easy. Chance was also right in that it was likely the biggest opportunity in my life. I mean, this was it, this was a big label, professional record deal. It was ideal. Regent was just small enough to be indie-like, but way bigger than most indie labels, so they had plenty of clout behind their name and a lot of money and connections in the industry.
It was all a lot to process. I leaned forward and hugged Chance tightly for a long time. When I eventually disengaged, I looked him in the eye. “Thank you, Chance. Thank you so much for telling me. Don't worry, I’m not mad. I understand why you didn't tell me immediately. Hell, the first thing that came to my mind when you mentioned it was that I'd have to move to Austin and be away from both you and my family. But like you said, it's a huge, huge opportunity for me. I guess... I guess I just need to talk to Judd and then have a good, long think about it.”
Chance got out his phone out. “I took his number,” he said. “Here it is. Give him a call.”
“Thank you,” I said, taking the phone.
I immediately gave Judd a call.
“Judd Wilson here,” a voice on the other end of the line said as he picked up quickly.
“Mr. Wilson, this is Mackenzie Shea,” I said.
“Ah great to hear from you, Miss Shea! I've been looking for you all over Nashville. I saw your video with James Masters and by God was I impressed. I then went and looked up more of your videos on YouTube, and found that you've got some amazing originals – originals that I'd love to record. I've got an offer for you from Regent Records if you’re interested. When can you meet me in person?”
“Soon, very soon.”
“How would now work for you?” he asked.
I looked up at Chance, who was listening in on the conversation. He nodded and smiled. “Yeah, I guess I could do that.”
“Perfect. Meet you at, uh, the coffee shop across the road from Wild Horses bar in, say, forty-five minutes?”
“Yes! I'll meet you there,” I replied.
“Perfect. See you soon, Miss Shea.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I jumped into Chance's arms and give him the biggest hug I could.
“Thank you, Chance, thank you so much for helping me. It means so much, it really does.”
“I know it does. Listen, I can't drive, but I'll get Andy to drive you to the cafe and then drop you off at your place afterwards if Judd can't do that.”
I leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his perfect lips. Then kissed him again slowly, deeply and passionately. Immediately the fireworks of arousal started exploding, but we stopped before things got too heated.
He gave Andy a call on his cell and shortly after, he and Cassie
were walking through the front door. We said our farewells, and I promised Chance I'd let him know what was happening, and that I'd see him soon. I said a fond farewell to Cassie as well, promising her the same thing. Then I got in the truck with Andy, who drove me into town. Andy and I chatted about his life on the ranch, about growing up there, and about Chance when he was younger during our drive. Andy seemed like a true cowboy; rough and tough on the outside, but a heart of gold glowing on the inside. Chance's father and grandfather sounded like they’d been amazing men as well – true sons of the soil. Chance had some big shoes to fill, but from what I could tell, he was filling them pretty well.
We got to the cafe just as Judd was arriving – he saw me getting out of the truck and recognized me from the video. We chatted briefly about my current transport situation, and he agreed to give me a ride home after our meeting, so I said goodbye to Andy and thanked him for the ride.
Judd and I sat down and ordered some coffee and donuts.
“Like I said, Miss Shea, I saw your videos, heard your songs, and I am very, very impressed. I can make a big star outta you. Bigger than you’ve probably dreamed about. You just have to work with me and trust me, and together, we'll get you to the top.”
We'd reviewed the details of what his record contract would provide, and it was a very, very generous offer. The only thing was the fact that I'd have to move to Austin.
“I really, really want to take your offer,” I said, “but it's just the Austin thing. I have some family reasons I’d prefer to stay in Nashville. Isn't there any way I could stay here and do it?”
“That would be possible in the future,” he said, and immediately hope soared inside me, “but not until the first album is written and done.”
Hope vanished as quickly as it had come.
“So... how long would that be?”
“Well, that depends on you, and how happy me and the producers are with the tracks you write and record. The fastest one of our artists has ever done it is just over three months from his first day on the ranch to the final product. Longest was two years. Since you already have a good backlog of original songs, I'd guess you'd be done fairly quickly, say six to eight months. It'd just be a matter of rearranging some, rewriting others, then jamming them out and perfecting them in the studio.”
