“I told you she was quick, and good,” Rick reminded him.
Devon smiled. “I guess she was pretty determined.”
“How did Sarah fucking Miles find her?” Randy asked. “I mean, that’s big time!”
Devon shook his head, still smiling, “It’s amazing what can happen when you know the right people.”
Keith grabbed the inset from Randy and the tape from Devon and began to reassemble the package. “She says she graduates tomorrow. We should stick around and go watch. We could fly out tomorrow night or the next day to Cincinnati and catch up with the bus.”
“Yes!” Rick almost shouted as he jumped up, onto wobbly legs. The other three looked at him in surprise. “We should,” he said, sitting back down with a little less excitement.
“Fine by me,” Devon agreed. “We really don’t need to be in Cincinnati for a couple of days. I’ll have Johnny book us a flight.”
Rick was surprised Devon wanted to stay – he was all about the schedule and usually the last one to break away from any routine. Rick reached over and pulled the tape from Keith’s hands. “I want to hear this tonight,” he said, sticking the cassette into his shirt pocket.
Later, as they entered the hotel, Keith said, “You know, Shelby is still wearing that silly necklace you gave her.”
Rick just smiled.
~
The four entered the stadium they played the night before apprehensively. They waited until twenty minutes after the time the commencement began to sneak in the back unnoticed. The floor of the arena, previously filled with screaming fans, now accommodated rows and of rows of chairs. The last three rows were mostly open, so they quietly slid into the back. The spectators were beginning to fidget, signaling that the commencement speaker needed to wrap things up.
As they took their seats, people in front of them turned to look, and a buzz slowly spread though the back of the crowd. Some people stood and took pictures of them, others smiled and waved, and eventually they all returned their attention to the graduates who walked on stage to accept their diplomas. Rick waited anxiously to hear Shelby’s name, but from their vantage point in the back, she would be little more than a discernible shape on the stage.
When the principal called her name and she walked on stage to take her scroll, the four of them stood, whooping and hollering. People in the rows ahead turned to stare. When she stepped off the stage, diploma in hand, they took their seats.
After the ceremony, people approached them for autographs and pictures. Rick politely posed for a dozen pictures and signed his name multiple times – until Devon grabbed his arm and pulled him out the doors of the arena. On their way out, Judy met them. She herded them off to the side and out of the crowd.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you guys are here, I saw you from the balcony, and I just couldn’t believe it!” she said, once they were alone. She locked Rick in a warm embrace, then held him at arm’s length and looked him over. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you in one piece. We were so worried about you after your accident.” She let him go and hugged the others, but came back to Rick. “Do you know that Shelby actually wanted to get on a plane and go see for herself that you were okay? Of course, we told her absolutely not, that the last thing you needed was a pesky kid bugging you in your condition.”
Rick didn’t remember Judy being quite as bubbly as she was acting. She talked nonstop, and no one could get a word in edgewise. The only thing that stopped her rambling was Larry’s arrival.
“It
was
you guys we saw. Judy said it was, but I said ‘no, it can’t be.’ Is this just a big coincidence, or did you guys plan it this way?”
Rick was on the verge of answering that it was just a lucky coincidence, but the words stuck in his throat as he began to wonder himself. The dates had oddly changed mid-tour, which was very unusual. Rick turned to Devon with his eyebrows raised and waited for him to answer the question.
“It was a little planned,” Devon admitted. “Shelby sent an invitation, and I knew we would be in the vicinity.”
Rick chuckled to himself, and wondered how Devon managed to keep so many secrets. Someone else would have let something slip somewhere along the line: the Sarah Miles album, Shelby living in Indianapolis, her graduation, hell, even the cancelled lunch date. Devon never said a word to anyone, and poor Keith thought it was his idea to stay for the graduation.
“You have to come to the house,” Judy insisted. “We’re having a little party for Shelby right after this and you guys have to come over.”
Rick, Keith, and Randy all looked to Devon to answer for them as he seemed to be running the show.
“Of course we’ll come,” he replied. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Judy prattled on endlessly during the ride to their house. Larry and the others took the limo, but Judy insisted Rick ride with her. He gripped the door handle as Judy slipped in and out of lanes, ran stop signs and red lights, oblivious to the angry horns and middle fingers she left behind.
She talked about her job, Larry’s job, Shelby’s schooling and song writing. Rick learned Shelby planned to return to Greece within the next week to take up permanent residence. “She says that’s where she has the strongest inspiration for her music, but personally, I think you were her strongest inspiration. I don’t know if you know this or not, but Shelby had the biggest crush on you back then.”
The statement surprised Rick. Seeing the shock on his face, Judy continued, “It’s true. I know, we all thought it was Randy she had a thing for, but now I’m sure it was you. And I know that’s why she never lets us see any of your letters.”
Letters? I never sent any letters. What the hell is she talking about?
“She took it really hard when we first heard about the accident, thinking you were dead and all.” Judy paused, as though giving respect to his narrow escape from death. He wondered long ago if her experience was the same as Erin’s, hearing initial reports of his death before learning he’d survived. The thought of Shelby hearing the news tore at his heart.
Finally, Judy added, “You don’t have to worry though, I’m sure she’s over you by now. It has been nearly two years, after all.” Rick nodded, but felt a little disappointed.
“I honestly do believe it was you who started the fire that consumed her, though. After you guys left, she threw herself into learning the guitar. That’s all she did, about the only time she ever left the house was to visit Erin – we never had to ground her again. When we came back to the States, she decided to teach herself piano, and she threw herself into that. She was obsessed.” Judy was quiet for a moment, and suddenly pulled the car over and stopped. She turned to face him and said, “Ricky, I’ve wanted to apologize to you for a long time now.”
“Apologize for what?”
“What I said to you the first time we met. Do you remember?”
Rick nodded. How could her forget the
lonely
comment? It sent him into a tailspin, and subsequently, into Shelby’s company. Judy continued, “I had no right, and I’m not sure where it came from. I saw how it affected you, but I didn’t say anything to explain myself or soften it, and I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. You were right, I was lonely. I’d just never taken the time to think about it before.”
Judy smiled at him sympathetically, then threw the car into gear and sped off again.
Unable to stop himself, Rick blurted, “Judy, are you
on
something?”
She threw her head back and laughed. “My doctor has me on uppers. I tend to get the blues sometimes. Do you want one?” She felt around for her purse.
“No, but thanks. I’m on pain pills, and I don’t think mixing the two would be a good idea.”
“Wanna swap some?” she asked hopefully. When Rick shook his head, she dropped the idea and continued to talk about her blues until they reached their destination.
~
Their modest house, exactly what Rick would expect from Larry and Judy, reflected their tastes and personalities. The walls showcased Larry’s paintings from end to end, except one corner by a window facing west. The spot gave special sanctuary to Morgan’s
Sunset in the West
. Rick chuckled and wondered if it had been a gift or a purchase.
The gathering was a small one, just some neighbors, Larry’s brother and his wife. A sign hung across the back porch, spelling out CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATE. They expected Shelby’s arrival soon, and Rick wandered around the house in aimless anticipation. He couldn’t remember being so excited, and no conversation could hold his focus, all he could think about was seeing her.
On the way, Judy told him that Shelby was to leave the ceremony with friends, stop off at another party – just to make an appearance – and then come home to her own party. “She doesn’t know you guys are still here so it will be a huge surprise when she sees you.” He was glad Shelby was unaware – he suspected that had she known, she might stay away from her own party. If the night before told him anything, it was that she was not eager to see him.
Devon startled him from his anxiety-filled reverie, and joined his inspection of Larry’s paintings.
“You okay with all this?”
“Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine. I took some Tylenol this morning and so far I feel great.”
“Good, good, but that’s not what I meant.”
Rick looked at him with uncertainty. “You mean being here?”
“Yeah.”
“Of course I’m okay with it, why wouldn’t I be?”
Devon studied him closely, but Rick changed the subject. “Why didn’t you tell me you guys kept in touch? How did you ever think to set her up with Sarah Miles?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Devon said, “I don’t know, when she sang me a couple of her songs, I knew she had great potential, and I made sure to keep in contact so I could help her out when she was ready.”
“When did you hear her songs?” Rick asked, trying to remember when Devon might have had an opportunity.
“I went to see her a few days before we left. It was the morning after her fall – do you remember how banged up she was?”
Rick nodded.
I remember well
.
“You always said her songs were good, but I had no idea they were
that
good until I heard her sing a few… Such a pretty voice too. I tried to talk her into recording them, but she’s not after stardom, and Sarah Miles seemed like the perfect match.”
Suddenly, they heard Shelby’s voice ring through the house. Rick and Devon both turned to look for her. They saw her pass through the adjacent room as she called for Judy. She glanced their way and did a double. She stared at Rick, her mouth agape. Some of the color drained from her face, but it quickly turned to a soft blush. Slowly, she moved towards them in disbelief.
“Keith said you guys were leaving, that you had to be in Cincinnati today.”
Devon closed the distance between them and locked her in a hug. “Hey, darlin’. We couldn’t leave town without seeing you. You did mean it when you sent the invitation, didn’t you?”
“Well, of course I did. I just never imagined that you would actually come.”
Not much had changed about Shelby, yet, she was so different. She grew a couple of inches, her hair was a darker blond from the lack of sun, and her physic was more angular than when she still held the last vestiges of baby fat. Most notably, there was a darkness to her that reminded him of the last time he’d seen her at the Islander, when the light, bouncy, free spirited girl disappeared. He shuddered to remember that night and his role in her transformation.
Devon released her, and she turned to Rick. She smiled shyly as he put his arms around her and squeezed her tight. He wanted to breathe her in and absorb some of her essence, but she abruptly pulled away, and would not meet his eye. Absently, she tugged at her necklace, his necklace, and stammered, “It’s…it’s really good to see you Rick. Keith tells me you’re getting married. Congratulations.”
He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw a look of sorrow cross her face. The same sensation swept through him. Composing himself, he ignored her best wishes. “It’s so good to see you, too. We listened to the album last night. It was…incredible. I am so proud of you. I knew you could do it.”
She finally looked up and smiled at him but said nothing. At that point, the group awaiting her arrival discovered them, and Shelby was flooded with hugs and well-wishers, including Randy and Keith. Rick walked away as the heavy sense of loss swallowed him again.
He only spoke to her once more. Upstairs, coming out of the bathroom, Shelby met him in the hallway. He froze as their eyes met and he felt himself slipping into their depths. There were so many things he wanted to say, but all that came out was, “Why did you tell your folks that we write?”
Shelby laughed indignantly. “What was I supposed to tell them, Rick? After you left, they expected us to keep in touch. Was I supposed to say, ‘Yeah, we don’t talk anymore because he wouldn’t fuck me and he broke my heart?’ Hmm?” She shook her head and muttered, “Fucking idiot” under her breath as she continued past him. After checking to make sure no one could see, he followed her into her room.
Once he closed the distance between them, he grabbed her shoulder and spun her into the wall. Pinning her hands to either side of her head, he pressed into her. “You know that’s not how it was. You know I didn’t want to hurt you.” Despite the fear in her eyes, his body shook with a need to taste her once more – to feel the magic of her lips, to relive the elation he once felt in her company.
When he nuzzled against her, he couldn’t tell if the tremors came from him, her, or if it was just vibrations from the blood slamming through his body, threatening to burst into flames and leave him a smoldering mass of ashes at her feet. “You know,” he growled in her ear.
Even though she squeaked in response, he traced along her jaw with kisses, finally finding her lips. Was he crushing her mouth? Did she return his kiss? Rick couldn’t tell until her tongue met his when he pressed against the crease of her lips. He released her wrists to bury his hands in her hair. God, he needed her. He tugged her bottom lip with his teeth before renewing his onslaught. Shelby squeezed his shoulders and he realized she was pushing him away. He didn’t want to stop, didn’t want it to end, but finally relented, pressing his forehead to hers.