“So you’ve been driving all day and probably haven’t seen the news?”
“Haven’t seen a thing. What have I missed?”
“It’s awful, Cole. It’s all over the news. What your father did. Me, you. They’re insinuating that we’re together and that you’re cheating on your wife. My phone has been ringing off the hook and I haven’t commented yet. I wanted to talk to you first.”
Cole’s immediate reaction was to laugh. “That’s rich that they think I’m cheating.” But then he changed his tone because she was obviously upset. “I’m sorry this is happening. How did they find out?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been wondering about it all day. Not many people know and the ones who do would never say anything. Except maybe Dylan. He wasn’t happy with me the other night.”
“I thought you ended things with him?” Cole didn’t like to think of the two of them back together.
“I did. But we still work together, which is a little awkward. But I thought it seemed like he was doing okay with it. So I agreed to have a drink with everyone after our set a few weeks ago. But Dylan wanted to talk to me alone and wanted to get back together. He wasn’t happy when I told him it was never going to happen. It’s been very tense ever since having to work with him.”
“Do you really think it was him? If it was, you should kick him out of the band.” Cole was furious on her behalf.
“I really don’t know. If it was him, then I agree. But it’s not that simple. The band is his. I’d need to find a new one to sing with. So, it’s just a mess. And reporters are hounding me.”
“Can you duck out? We can meet somewhere to hash this out. I was just thinking about where to get some food, I’m starving.”
“I haven’t eaten yet either. Let’s go to that pub we went to before. I can meet you there in about twenty minutes if I leave now,” Laura said.
The pub was only about ten minutes from where Cole was staying so he jumped in the shower to wash off the long drive first. His hair was still a little damp when he arrived at the pub. Laura was just settling onto a bar stool when he walked in. She smiled when she saw him and he walked over to her and gave her a hug before sitting on the empty stool next to her.
“It’s so good to see you.” Laura smiled and for a moment Cole remembered when she used to smile at him like that all the time. It warmed his heart and for the first time in weeks he began to relax. The situation with Chelsea had been stressful to say the least.
“It’s always great to see you.” Cole grinned as the bartender came over to take their drink order. They both ordered draft beers and after a quick look at the menu, Laura got a bar pizza and Cole ordered a burger with fries. While they waited for their food, Laura filled him in even more.
“It’s all over the internet now, different news media, Facebook. As angry as I am at your father, I wanted to talk to you first before I answer any questions from the media.”
“Thank you, but I don’t care what you say about my father. There’s no reason to protect him. He did what he did.”
“I know that. It’s you I care about. I don’t want this to reflect badly on you in any way as you work on getting your first album out.”
Cole hadn’t considered that. “I don’t see how it can be any worse than what they’re already saying, about me cheating. But seriously, say whatever you like. Tell the truth.”
Laura nodded. “Okay. One of the things they asked me was if I’m going to press charges. I never thought about that. But I don’t think that I want to. It’s not just your father that would be hurt.”
“Aunt Helen,” Cole said.
“I know she was wrong to go along with your father, but I don’t think I could possibly send her to jail. Which means I won’t press charges. I don’t want to dredge it all up again. I just want it to go away, and to move on. If that makes sense?”
“It makes perfect sense,” Cole agreed as the bartender set their meals in front of them.
“I’m going to ruin your father’s plans,” Laura said as she picked up a slice of pizza.
“For being president one day? Probably. Not your fault though. I don’t see any way to really avoid it unless you were to lie about what happened. Which of course you can’t do.”
“No. I won’t lie for him. We’ll just see what happens I guess. I’ll say as little as possible. And of course I’ll deny that there’s anything going on between us if asked.”
Cole laughed. “Thanks. It does seem bizarre, doesn’t it? The way these rumors start?”
“They’d love for it to be true…think about it. Young lovers torn apart and then reunited years later. Even better if I were to tear a marriage apart. Makes for a good story I guess.”
“The media are like vultures,” Cole agreed.
“The ironic thing is that I thought that Chelsea might actually be cheating on me.”
Laura looked shocked. “I thought you were happy?”
Cole sighed. “We were once. But it’s been different ever since we got married to be honest and especially since I came to Nashville. She never liked me doing music. Chelsea is all about image and she was excited for me to pass the bar and work for my father. That fit her vision of our marriage.”
“But she must have always known you loved music?” Laura looked so confused.
“Oh, she did, but she never thought of it as more than a hobby. She didn’t think it would go anywhere, and I’d get it out of my system.”
“Sounds like she doesn’t know you very well,” Laura said softly. Something about her tone made Cole look at her more closely. As usual, whenever he saw her, it was so comfortable, almost as if no time had passed. He always felt better spending time with her.
“Chelsea’s great, but it was never the same as it was with us. It was the next step and at the time I thought maybe it was good enough. But I was wrong.”
Laura rested her hand lightly on his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Well, she’s crazy then. You’re a catch!”
Cole tried not to think about the fact that even now, years later, the slightest touch of Laura’s skin gave his senses a jolt. For him, the attraction was still there, as strong as ever.
“Thanks. You always did know what to say.”
They finished eating and ordered another round of beers. Laura was so easy to talk to and they chatted easily about everything and nothing. He was almost done with his beer when he remembered he hadn’t told her about the new song he’d written.
“I’d love to get your opinion on a song I wrote, if you have time sometime soon?”
“You wrote something! When can I hear it?” Laura sounded so excited that it made Cole laugh.
“Anytime. You tell me. My schedule is pretty open for the next week.”
“What about now? After we finish here? I can stop by your place on the way home.”
“Oh, sure. That would be great. Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Let’s go.”
Chapter 34
Cole’s cell phone rang as he was pulling out of the restaurant parking lot. It was Chelsea.
“I assume you’ve seen the news?” she asked.
“I heard, yeah. It’s not true you know, what they’re suggesting about me and Laura.”
“I know. I know you. But still, it’s ugly and frankly Cole, I don’t want to be associated with it. I know it won’t look good for you, but I think it’s probably best for both of us if we get divorced. This hasn’t been working for a while now.”
“No, it hasn’t,” Cole agreed.
“I can go see someone this week and file papers if you’re okay with it?”
“That’s fine. I’ll call an attorney too.” A thought occurred to him.
“Was this your idea, or Austin’s?”
Chelsea was quiet for a minute. “It was his actually. But I agreed. We want to be together Cole, but I told him I wouldn’t cheat on you, on anyone.”
“Well, thanks for that. I guess.” Cole pulled into his hotel drivew
ay and parked. Laura pulled up next to him and got out of her car.
“So, you’re sure you’re alright with this? I can contact my attorney tomorrow?” She sounded anxious, excited and a little sad at the same time.
“I’m all right with it, Chelsea. We both deserve to be happy.” Truth be told, she’d made it easier for him. Now he wouldn’t be dreading having the conversation when he got home.
“Bye, Cole.”
Laura was waiting for him when he got out of his truck and walked over to her.
“What’s wrong?” She looked concerned and Cole was amazed that she could still sense his moods so well.
“Chelsea just called. She saw the news reports, and she asked me for a divorce. She beat me to it. I was going to ask her when I went home next. I just didn’t want to deal with it until after I was done with the recording.”
“I’m so sorry! But, if you were going to ask her, maybe it’s a good thing?” Laura looked uncertain and worried for him.
He smiled to reassure her. “It just took me by surprise. It’s sad, but good at the same time, if that makes sense.”
She nodded. “It does. It’s hard to end a relationship but with Dylan, there was a little sadness but mostly relief and the certainty that I’d made the right decision.”
“Yeah, I think that’s how I’ll feel too, once it sinks in.” He unlocked the door to his room and held it open for Laura to step inside. The hotel room was basic, with two queen beds a small sitting area and bathroom. He picked up his guitar and sat on the side of one of the beds while Laura sat in one of the chairs.
He took a deep breath. “Okay, are you ready? Given what I’m accused of, it’s a little ironic, but here we go.” He started strumming and then sang the song straight through, glancing Laura’s way now and then. Each time she was listening intently and smiled when she caught his eye. When the song ended, she stood and clapped slowly.
“That was incredible. You have to put it on the album. It may be your first hit. I got goosebumps. See!” She pulled her thin cotton sleeve up to show him her upper arm and it did have tiny raised bumps all over it. He grinned at the compliment.
“I hoped you’d like it. It felt good. Like I was in the zone when it came out. If that makes any sense?”
Laura nodded. “Perfect sense. Time disappears when I get locked into the zone. It’s a beautiful thing.”
“Is there anything you think I should change?” He respected her opinion.
“Well, I was thinking that maybe in that second verse, if you go a little lower and hold the note longer, it might be more dramatic when you hit that high note at the end. Kind of build up to it.”
Cole sang the verse again and tried it the way Laura suggested. “Better?” he asked when he finished.
“That’s perfect. Really. Do it just like that. Everyone will love it.”
“You’re amazing. Thank you.”
Laura stood. “I should probably go. What are you up to tomorrow? You’re not going into the studio yet?”
“No, no until next week. I have a few places lined up to see tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you come for dinner tomorrow night? I don’t have a gig and I’d love to cook you a home-cooked meal since you keep insisting on paying when we’ve gone out so far. Unless you’re busy, of course.”
Even if he did have plans, Cole would have rescheduled them to spend time with Laura.
“I would love to come for dinner.”
“Then I’ll see you at six. Good luck with the rentals tomorrow.”
Cole walked Laura to her car and gave her a hug goodbye. It had been a great ending to an otherwise crappy day. He wasn’t back in his hotel room for more than ten minutes when his phone range again and he almost let it go to voice mail. It was his father and Cole figured it was easier to get the call over with than to dread calling him back.
“Hi Dad. What’s up?”
“What do you think is up? You’ve seen the news? It’s a disaster.”
Cole was silent for a moment. “Dad, I don’t know what you want me to say to that.”
“Have you seen her?”
“I just had dinner with her.”
This time his father was stunned into silence. “Is it true then?”
Cole laughed. “No, of course it’s not true. You know me better than that.”
“Good. Didn’t seem like you. So, did she say what she’s going to do?”
“You mean what she’s going to say? She has to talk to them sooner or later. And yeah, she’s going to tell them the truth.”
“I was afraid of that. I don’t suppose…”
“Don’t even ask it. I told her to say whatever she wanted. It was a really shitty thing that you did, Dad.”
His father sighed and there was a long silence before he spoke again. “I can understand that you both might see it that way. But I thought it was for the best at the time.” He was quiet for another moment before adding, “Maybe I was mistaken.”
“You’re lucky that she’s not going to press charges.”
“She said that? Because of Helen I suppose. I guess I should be grateful for that at least.”
“I would be.”
“If she talks about this, you know my political career will be over.”
“She won’t be the one to blame,” Cole said. He had zero sympathy for his father.
“Right. You’re right. Well, I should go. Claire wants to watch some movie that starts in a few minutes. Call me when you’re back in Charleston.”
“Goodnight, Dad.”
Chapter 35
Laura didn't stop the next day. She spoke to five different reporters by phone, telling them pretty much all the same thing. She didn't go into great detail but she did confirm that Cole’s father had pretty much kidnapped her by sending her out to Montana. The reporters all seem surprised that she didn't want to press charges but she simply said that she wanted to put the past behind her. She also didn’t want to go into any more detail about Aunt Helen than she needed to. Although she wasn’t happy about the role Aunt Helen had played, Laura had grown close to her and they’d even started talking again recently. As strange as the situation was, she really did like the older woman.
Cole was due in about a half hour and Laura figured that she would just about have everything ready by then. She opened the oven and took a peek at the chicken Parmesan that was baking. The cheese was just beginning to melt. And the lemon cake was on the counter cooling. She reached into a cabinet for a small bowl and dumped in a carton of vanilla frosting into it. Then she added a generous squeeze of lemon and a big handful of fresh raspberries and mixed it all together. She took a quick taste, added a little more lemon and it was perfect. After she frosted the cake, she tossed a salad together and set out plates and silverware on her small dining room table. It was a nice night, not too cool, so she thought maybe they'd sit outside and have a cocktail first like she and Tina used to do.
At six o'clock on the dot, there was a knock on the door. Laura walked towards feeling surprised by the rush of butterflies in her stomach. She tried to tell herself that it was ridiculous. It was just Cole. But she knew that things were different now. Everything had changed with both of their relationships, and now she had her memories back. Although Cole didn’t know that yet.
"Come on in!" Laura opened the door wide. Cole walked in and gave her a hug.
"Something smells good!"
"Chicken Parmesan is in the oven. I hope that's okay?"
He looked at her little funny. "That's always been one of my favorites."
"Oh good! I thought we might sit outside for us to have a drink."
“Sure. Oh, I brought this for you. The girl at the store said this one is popular.” He handed her a bottle of wine, one of her favorite Chardonnays.
“Thank you. It’s perfect!”
Laura poured drinks for both of them. A glass of wine for her and a bottle of beer for him. They took the drinks outside and sat on the two plastic chairs on he
r small balcony deck.
"So how did it go today? Did you like any of the places that you saw?" she asked.
"I did. The first two places were pretty sketchy and I was getting discouraged, but the last place she showed me was perfect. I gave her a check on the spot and as long as the background check comes through tomorrow, I'll be able to move in on Monday."
"Oh, that's perfect!"
"How did your day go? Did you talk to any of the reporters?"
"I did. I talked to about five of them. I was exhausted by the time I finished. But I think I gave them enough to keep them happy for a while."
"Hopefully it will die down soon and will be another story that interests them."
"They all asked about your father and if I plan to press charges. I told them no, which seemed to confuse them."
"Did they ask about Aunt Helen?"
"Just briefly. I really didn't go into much detail about anything. Oh, I did stress that you and I are just friends and there has been no cheating of any kind going on. I may have acted a bit outraged."
Cole laughed. "Thank you. I do appreciate that."
"So, are you hungry? We can head in and eat.”
They went inside, and Laura dished out the chicken Parmesan onto two plates while Cole brought the bowl of salad to the table. He raved about her cooking as they ate. As they were just about finished Laura asked if he saved room for dessert.
"I always have room for dessert. What are we having?"
"An old favorite that I haven't had in a while. Lemon cake with lemon raspberry frosting."
Laura almost laughed at the look of shock on Cole’s face.
"You remembered?" he asked softly. It was the first meal she’d ever cooked for him. She’d wanted to make his eighteenth birthday special and she knew chicken Parmesan and lemon cake were his favorites.
Laura smiled. "I remember pretty much everything now.”
He still looked stunned. "When? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"It started when we went by the high school. But when you took me to the trailer park, the memories came rushing in and it was overwhelming. I didn't say anything then because I needed to process it all and because it just didn't feel right somehow. You were showing me around being so nice, and I thought you were happily married.”
Nashville Dreams Page 19
