Once he got in on the driver’s side he revved the engine. He sat and twiddled his fingers on the steering wheel. His nerves were shot. He wanted so badly to try and repair the damage he’d done to his relationship with Rain. And it had nothing to do with getting her back in a romantic sense. He knew it was a highly unlikely prospect. But he didn’t want to go the rest of his life with Rain viewing him as the gum underneath her shoe. Even if he never saw her again, Luke wanted them to part amicably.
He turned toward her. “So, would you like me to show you some of my favorite Nashville spots? Then we can grab something to eat later.”
“Okay,” Rain said, looking uncomfortable.
Luke turned off the engine. He let out a sigh and turned toward Rain. “Rain, it’s me. Luke. I’m the same person you’ve known for most of your life. Even though I lost my mind and acted a fool when I first came to Nashville, I’m still me. The same person who would sit up and talk to you on the phone until the stars were stamped from the sky. We were best friends.” He held up his hands as she opened her mouth to say something. “I know what you’re going to say. I ruined it all. But I’m ready to move past all that to see if we can be friends again. But you need to be open to it. You need to talk to me, tell me about your life. Because honestly, if you’re going to look at me like I’m the Big Bad Wolf, I might as well take you back to the hotel.”
He watched as Rain swallowed, then nodded her head. “I’m going to try my best. I want to move past this because frankly, it’s too painful to hold on to it any longer. And it hit me today when I spoke to Jessica that other people have been put in the middle of this. We’re from a small town. Our parents used to be friends. Jessica is your kin. And I’ve missed you.”
Her confession shocked Luke. Up to this point, he’d honestly been of the belief that Rain hated him with a passion. But, judging by the expression etched on her beautiful face and the way she was gazing at him, he’d been wrong. Very very wrong.
His mother had often told him about the thing line between love and hate. Rain’s anger toward him had been masking unresolved feelings. He was certain of it. He didn’t want to hope too much, but what if God had led Rain to Nashville so they could bridge the gap? He didn’t dare to hope for their love story to be rekindled. Perhaps that would be asking too much. And he wasn’t sure if he was worthy of a second chance after disappointing her so thoroughly.
“I’ve missed you too,” he said, reaching out and touching her chin. She didn’t flinch at his touch. “Why don’t we hit the town? I promise you won’t regret spending the day with me.”
“Promises, promises,” she said in a teasing voice. It felt refreshing to see her grin and to hear the lightness in her voice. It had been too long since he’d been gifted with the grace of her presence. He wasn’t going to squander this precious time with her. After what he’d witnessed last night at the Bluebird, he had every intention of helping Rain make her singing dreams come true.
He prayed she trusted him enough to accept his help. It had always been Rain’s destiny to showcase her talent on the world’s stage. He should have done more to help her achieve that goal four years ago. But he’d gotten lost in the razzle dazzle of the spotlight. Addiction had crippled him. But he was clean now and a wiser man for having nearly lost everything he held dear. God willing, he would be able to help Rain make her singing dreams come true.
**
Rain had to admit, Luke was showing her a good time. After initially feeling awkward about the situation, Rain soon began to loosen up. Luke was still Luke. Somehow in the aftermath of the dissolution of their relationship, Rain had convinced herself that Nashville had destroyed the man she’d adored. Perhaps she had allowed herself to believe that notion in order to lessen the pain of their breakup. It had been devastating to feel the sting of betrayal. And even though she was determined to move past it once and for all, that didn’t mean it would be easy.
But, she had to admit, Luke was making it very easy to be in his company. He was congenial and funny. He was considerate about asking her about the places she wanted to visit. Rain was wide open to the whole city. She wanted to experience it all. Luke had a unique perspective of Nashville.
“How about lunch at my place later?” Luke asked. “I’d love to show you where I live. I can make us some shrimp scampi.”
“Shrimp scampi?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “You cook now?”
Luke grinned. He seemed very pleased with himself. “Yes, I do. I’m quite the Master Chef now.”
Rain let out a chuckle. “Wow. You could barely boil water four years ago.”
“You’ve got that right,” Luke agreed. “Mama tried to teach me, but I was hopeless.”
“How did things turn around?”
“Necessity. I was going broke when I first got to Nashville eating out at restaurants. Let me tell you. Nashville has some of the best restaurants in the country. So, I had to get myself together and figure out my way around a kitchen.”
“Bravo! What’s that saying? Necessity is the mother of invention?” Rain wrinkled her nose. “I’m sounding like my grandmother, but it was one of those saying she drilled into my head.”
“I remember abuela Santos. She taught Bible class when were kids, didn’t she?” He let out a low whistle and shook his head. “She scared me to death.”
Rain began to giggle at the memory of her abuela. She had been as tough as nails. And she had ruled Bible class with an iron fist. Rain’s abuela hadn’t taken too kindly to the kids in the class who were goofing around when she was trying to teach them about Godly matters. Clearly, Luke had been on the receiving end of her sharp tongue.
“She was actually a sweetheart. She was always in my corner. Remember our first gig at the summer block party at the beach? Even though she was in ill health, she came out to support us.”
Luke’s face lit up. “I remember that. She was a trouper!”
“She passed away not long after that. I’ll always cherish that memory. She used to encourage me to sing. When I was little she would remind me to sing out whenever I had a choir concert.”
“I’m glad you have all those precious memories,” Luke said. “They’ll sustain you in the moments when you’re missing her like crazy.”
Rain felt a pang in the region of her heart. A person never stopped missing the ones they had lost. One carried a piece of them in their soul for the rest of their lives. Abuela Anita was firmly entrenched in her heart.
Luke began to slow down the car. He slid it into a parking spot and turned off the engine. He turned toward her. “This area is one of my favorites in Nashville. It’s called Music Row and I think one of the reasons I love it is because almost everything in this area relates to the music industry.”
She looked out the window. “I think Uncle Zeke took me here when I was a little kid. It’s changed a lot though,” Rain said. “There weren’t so many buildings and businesses back then.”
“There’s been a lot of changes in the past two decades. Do you want to explore the area?” he asked.
“Yes, of course. I’m pretty fascinated by the music industry and the history of this town.”
Luke nodded and exited the car. He came over to the passenger side and opened the door for her, taking her hand as she got out. Luke put some money in the meter and they began walking down the street. Luke paused every now and again to point out a landmark or a point of interest. It wasn’t long until they’d settled into familiar rhythms.
How in the world had Rain forgotten about how easy it was to be in Luke’s company? They had always finished each other’s sentences. Now, they were walking side by side and enjoying an amiable conversation. If anyone had told Rain a few days ago that she would be calmly talking to Luke and enjoying herself, she would have called them crazy.
“When I first came to Nashville, Music Row one of the first areas I checked out. I was so homesick for Treasure Harbor I couldn’t see straight. I wanted to come home so badly.”
&
nbsp; “You did?” Rain asked, shocked by Luke’s confession. She hadn’t sensed his homesickness at all. Matter of fact, whenever they’d talked on the phone, Luke had hyped up Nashville and acted as if he was having the time of his life.
Luke nodded. His eyes looked sad. “Coming to Nashville was a huge leap of faith. I’d never been out of North Carolina for any length of time. And in my wildest dreams I never thought you wouldn’t be coming along with me.”
“The music label only wanted you, Luke,” she said, trying not to sound bitter. “They made it quite clear the contract was for Luke Avery, solo artist.”
“I know,” he said in a low voice. “Do you know how many times I’ve wished I could go back and tell them we were a package deal? I should have been stronger.”
“I never wanted you to sacrifice an opportunity for me, Luke. What happened after you went to Nashville was far worse.”
They had never fully discussed this topic. By the time their relationship had fallen apart, Rain hadn’t wanted anything to do with Luke.
He let out a sigh. “I guess it’s time we cleared the air about all that, isn’t it?” He took a quick glance at his watch. “Why don’t we head to my place for lunch? If you’re still okay with it?”
Did she want to be alone with Luke at his home? She knew it was a risk to her heart the longer she was in his presence. He had already worn down her defenses in so many ways. She had forgiven him for the pain he’d caused her in the past and agreed to try and move forward so they could be civil. She inwardly groaned. There was so much more to it. Rain knew she still had feelings for Luke. It was far easier to be angry at him and put up a wall around herself. Now that those walls were crumbling, she knew her heart was vulnerable to Luke.
Why did he have to be so handsome? Every time he looked at her with those dazzling green eyes she almost felt as if he could see straight to her soul. And she’d always thought he had the most kissable lips.
Stop thinking about his lips! She scolded herself. There wasn’t going to be any kissing between them. Those days were long gone.
Luke was staring at her. “So, what about it? Lunch at my place?”
“I have to admit, I’m pretty hungry after doing all this walking,” she admitted. Her feet were hurting a little bit. And her stomach was grumbling. What harm would it do to head over to Luke’s place for some food and relaxation? She would love to just kick off these sandals and rest her feet.
“It’s fine with me,” she conceded, willing herself not to be nervous about being alone with Luke. She simply needed to trust herself.
Luke led them back to his car. About ten minutes later, he pulled up in front of a big black gate. Rain’s eyes widened. The last thing she’d known, Luke had been living in a modest condo. Clearly, things had changed. She watched as he pressed some buttons and the gate slowly opened. Rain let out a gasp as his home came into view. It was without question the loveliest homes she’d ever seen.
“Wow,” she said, unable to utter anything else. She was in awe of her surroundings. The home was beautiful. It was all brick with a rustic vibe. It was a large size, but nothing over-the-top large. More impressive was the large expanse of land surrounding it. Everything was so green and pristine. As he drove into the pebbled driveway, Rain could see a fenced in pool area toward the back of the home. Luke turned off the car and they both exited the vehicle.
“You’ve sure come a long way from Treasure Harbor,” she said.
“There’s still a lot of Treasure Harbor in me. I’m still the small town North Carolina boy.”
“There’s nothing small town about all of this,” Rain said, spreading her arms wide as she looked around her. Luke walked her to the front door and opened the house up for them with his housekey. Luke ushered her inside.
“It’s my haven from the madness of the music industry,” Luke said.
“Is there…staff here?” Rain asked, looking around her. She was half expecting a butler or a maid to come rushing into the room.
“I have a housekeeper, someone who prepares meals for me and a security team,” Luke explained. “I wanted my house to be a home, so I try to keep all that stuff as low-key as possible.”
“Is security really necessary?” she asked.
“I’ve had a few incidents over the years. A couple of times fans climbed over the gates. I don’t think they wanted to hurt me, but it becomes a safety issue.”
Wow. It was sad how little she knew of Luke’s life. It had been her choice she realized. She’d cut off all communications with him after seeing him splashed all over the tabloids in the presence of other women. By then Luke’s life had begun to spiral out of control with drinking and substance abuse issues. In hindsight, perhaps she should have reached out to him. She felt ashamed that she hadn’t. Pride and hurt had stood in her way, but it hadn’t been a very Christian way to act. Shame ate at her.
Rain sat and drank a glass of lemonade as Luke prepared their lunch. His movements were quick and graceful. Rain couldn’t look away from his hands. They were the same hands that had held her hand and wiped away her tears. These were the same hands that had strummed a guitar as they sang together.
By the time Luke served up the shrimp scampi, she was ravenous. The sights and smells of the kitchen had worked up her appetite.
“It was pretty amazing watching you in action. Your movements were full of finesse.”
“Thanks for saying so. I really enjoy cooking. It relaxes me.”
“If your fans could see this side of you, I think they’d get a real kick out of it,” Rain said.
“I’ve done a lot of interviews and behind the scenes stuff, but this is something I save for my personal life. You can’t give it all away. It’s important to keep some things private.
“Can we talk, Rain? Really, truly talk?” Luke asked, his expression intense.
Rain nodded. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and pushed her plate aside. She crossed her hands prayerfully in front of her.
“I think it’s time to clear the air.” Suddenly, Rain felt nervous. “You go first,” she said to Luke.
“I was wrong in every way possible. I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I’m so very sorry. I went back on every promise I made to you.”
Rain nodded. “You did. When you left Treasure Harbor for Nashville, you told me you would set up auditions for me. You promised me fame wouldn’t change you.” Her voice cracked. “You promised it wouldn’t break us.”
“And I went back on every promise I ever made you,” he said, letting out a ragged sigh.
She let out a sob. “You went weeks without calling me. I left messages, sent emails, sent you letters through the mail. I even showed up in Nashville looking for you. Your agent told me you were in Punta Cana with your new girlfriend.”
“Rain, that wasn’t true. I was in Mexico partying with a group of people, but there was never another girlfriend.”
She wrapped her arms around her middle. All the memories were crashing over her and it hurt to revisit those moments. She glared at him. “You iced me out of your life. It was as if everything we’d ever shared had never mattered at all to you. I believed in you, Luke, up until the moment when you gave me every reason in the world to walk away.”
Rain finally had the courage to look Luke in the eye. Tears were streaming down his face. “I was broken, Rain. Horribly broken. Everything came too fast for me. I was like a comet blazing in the sky. Then it all crashed and burned. I didn’t feel right in my own skin. The fame put so much pressure on me. I started partying too much and drinking to dull the pain. I avoided talking to you because I was ashamed of the choices I’d been making. I felt like the biggest fraud in Nashville. Everyone was singing my praises and I was falling apart.”
Rain could hear the agony infused in his voice along with his heartfelt sincerity. For so long she had been convinced that Luke didn’t care about her. How wrong she’d been. It was written all over his face. He’d suffered right along with her.
>
“I alienated everyone I loved. My parents. My siblings. My agent. And most of all, you.” He inhaled a deep breath and sat up straight. “At my lowest point, God was there. He helped me pull myself up by my boot straps. I got help for the substance abuse. Afterwards, I went away to Scotland and wrote songs for six months. I found myself among the glens and lochs of Ayr.”
For a moment, there was silence. Although Rain had wanted to forgive Luke, it was only at this very moment she felt capable of doing so. Something had shattered inside of her as she listened to Luke’s words. He had poured his heart out to her. There was no way in the world she could be immune to his pain.
They locked eyes. Something hummed and pulsed in the air between them. There was a sudden awareness she couldn’t ignore. Rain stood up from her seat and made her way over to Luke. He kept his eyes glued to her the entire time. She walked to seat and threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.
“I forgive you, Luke,” she said in a muffled voice. “From the bottom of my heart, I forgive you.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. They stayed like this for what felt like an eternity. No more words were exchanged, but Rain knew instinctively that everything between them had shifted.
“I hope you dance”
Lee Ann Womack
Chapter Five
Luke wasn’t sure what he’d ever done in this world to earn Rain’s forgiveness, but he felt incredibly blessed to receive it. Luke’s decision to be brutally open and honest with Rain had paid off. She had responded to his sincerity with grace and forgiveness. She had opened up to him like a beautiful flower in springtime. It was as if all her walls had suddenly come down.
It was a God moment. Luke had no doubt about it. It humbled him. And gave him a reason to hope. He loved this woman with all his heart and soul. Was it possible they might get everything back they’d lost? Or was he being fanciful?
Did he dare to believe that the look in Rain’s eyes was love? Perhaps, much like himself, those feelings had never truly died.
Sing Me Home Page 4
