The Beginning of Us (49 page)

Me: Sure, Ace
it’s fitting. Start and finish my day, remember? What time do you want me to wake you?

Garrett: I can’t wait to find out why you think that name is fitting. I want to start my day when you do. Call me as soon as your eyes flutter open. I’ll be dreaming of you tonight. Sleep well.

I will sleep well tonight. Being tucked in, loved, kissed, and sung to before bed makes me feel cherished. I do this for Sierra every night, but I’ve never had anyone do this for me…not my parents when I was younger, not Jed, no one. I knew it was important time for Sierra and me, but I never understood the feeling of being on the receiving end. I feel safe and secure. Garrett is special…and he’s making me feel the words of the song he sang to me tonight. I can’t wait till morning.

Garrett

Chapter 11

My phone rings the next morning at 6:24. I’ve been awake a while, just lying in bed, staring at the device, willing it to ring.

“Good morning, Garrett!”

“Good morning, sweetheart! Did you have sweet dreams?”

I hear her dreamy little sigh through the phone. “Yes, when my night ends like last night, only sweet dreams are possible.”

I had some pretty sweet ass dreams, too. Seeing her fall apart in my arms was something incredible, but tucking her sweet little body into bed and singing to her as her eyes got heavy. Damn…Damn…Damn! I want to do that again every night!

“I have to go wake up Sierra, Garrett. I hope I get to talk to you later. Thank you again for coming over last night!”

She’ll talk to me today for sure, no questions asked, whenever she damn well wants! “Baby, you call me whenever you want. Always remember what I said. Anytime.” We say our quick goodbyes, and she’s off and running on her crazy busy day.

I need to start my day. I have a lot of phone calls to return and I need to check up on all the guys. We haven’t really talked much in the last few days, since thoughts of Alexis have consumed me. I can’t very well call them this early, so I’ll have to make do with my other crap first. I grab my leather messenger bag off the kitchen chair and pull out my laptop.

I spend the next couple hours returning emails and speaking with Josh, my personal assistant, regarding upcoming promotional events, tour contracts, and a bunch of other stuff that takes up far too much time that should be spent writing music.

I call Drew around 11:00 to check on Court. She’s like twenty-seven hundred months pregnant, or some shit like that. They’re leaving Tampa tomorrow morning to head back to Nashville. They’re driving back, since she can’t travel by plane anymore. I want to try and have lunch with them at that little Cuban restaurant down the street that Court loves.

I push the call button next to Drew’s picture. When he answers, he sounds like he’s still sleeping.

He answers the phone, “What’s up, McKenna?”

“Dude, do you know it’s almost eleven o’clock, and your pregnant wife has missed breakfast if y’all are still in bed. I wanted to see if we could all have lunch before y’all head out,” I explain my reason for calling.

“Man, my wife didn’t sleep three hours last night because she says my spawn feels like it has four arms and legs inside her belly kicking her all night. That little bugger can move and kick. I’m talk legs in her ribs, beating the hell out of her. Shit, I felt bad.” I laugh at the thought of Drew’s kid having all those arms and legs. “I didn’t understand what she was telling me when we were on the road, but damn, I got a pretty clear picture last night. I owe this girl so much pampering, and I’m spending all my time from now until whenever this little monster pops out doing just that!” He says sympathetically.

Drew is over top in love with Courtney, a feat for that bad boy drummer. But for Drew, Courtney’s the only girl in the world worth spending any thoughts on. “We can meet up when she wakes up and feels like eating, but I’m not waking her, dude.”

“Sounds like you got a future drummer on your hands. Call me when Court’s ready. Believe me, we all owe her. She hasn’t given us any shit for being on the road as much as we have been.” She hasn’t been even a little bit of the pain in the ass she deserved to be. “We can’t keep doing this you know. It’s not fair. We need to get this schedule under control,” I say, knowing we need to start making this a priority. We’re getting to an age where we need to start living our real lives and not just be musicians.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t want to be leaving the family behind for months at a time, Garrett. They’re both coming with me next tour. Consider this your ‘Heads Up’,” he says in his typical no bullshit tone.

“Yeah, got it. See you this afternoon,” I say before hanging up. We can’t do this to our families. Even though I am not the only single band member, I still can’t allow these guys to continue making this kind of sacrifice. Anyway, I think the idea of a committed relationship just got a lot more appealing to me in the last few days.

Drew calls later that afternoon to meet up at the little Cuban place. Courtney loves Cuban sandwiches. You can’t really get anything that tastes this good in Nashville, so she’s making sure she gets her fill before she leaves town. She tells us all about the baby and how he’s keeping her awake all night, in the bathroom a hundred times a day, and hungry all the time. We laugh and talk to her about our road stories.

Court asks where I’ve been the last few nights. She’s expected me to come hang out, like I’ve always done in the past. Drew’s my best friend. Usually we’re together in the same town when we have time off. I spend a lot of time hanging out at his house, even though, I have my own house right down the road. It’s lonely in that big house, so I only really ever sleep, and sometimes work, there. The fact that I’m staying in Tampa, instead of going home to Nashville with them is making them curious, I’m sure.

“Is everything okay with your ‘rents?” Drew asks, prying for information.

“Yeah, dude, just putting in some quality time,” I explain. “It’s been a while since I’ve been back hanging out in the old stomping grounds and haven’t been prepping for a show. You know?”

Courtney frowns. “Garrett, will you come home when the baby is born? I want you to meet him.”

Court’s become kind of like a sister. I don’t want her to be upset by my staying away, but I need to figure this out with Alexis. “Of course, girl! Try and keep me away!” I say to her and she smiles. I feel better immediately.

I decide that I need some advice about what’s happening with Alexis. I know Drew and Court are the only ones I can trust with this information, so I spill the beans. “So…there’s this girl.” Drew drops his fork and it clatters on his plate. “I’ve known her since college. We lost touch, but I ran into her a few days ago.”

Courtney looks surprised, but very interested. “Tell us about her.” She asks.

“Well, it’s Alexis.” I’ve mentioned her several times to the guys, but never in detail, except for one drunken night a couple years ago when I told Court I thought I loved Alexis, still, and that she was the only girl I’d ever had feelings for.

“What?” She says. “I thought you said she was married, G? You can’t go breaking up families. That’s wrong.” She looks at me sternly.

Like I don’t know that! “Court, her husband died, like over a year and something ago. She’s alone. I would never want to break up any family. You should know me better. But, Court, she’s more amazing than I remembered. This girl brings me to my damn knees. She’s got a really cute little girl, who’s turning five in a couple months. Her little girl looks just like her, but I’ve only seen her in pictures and when Lexi checked on her after she went to sleep. I can’t wait to really meet her.” I’m blabbering on and on while smiling from ear to ear, telling my best friends everything I can think of about Alexis, our college years, her singing, her as a mother, the house she helped design and did all the decorating for, how beautiful she is, everything, except the private parts from the last couple night. I don’t want to share those with anyone.

Courtney looks from Drew, to me, then back to Drew and says, “Uh, we’re staying a few more days. I cannot leave town without meeting the girl he’s head over heels in love with. This baby is staying put at least another few weeks, anyway.”

Drew nods his head. “Yeah, Court, I was thinking the same thing.” He picks up his phone and sends a quick text.

“So, when can we meet her, since we’re sticking around? Tonight okay for dinner?”

“Wait, guys, I’m not sure I’m seeing her tonight. She’s a single mom, and really busy. Shouldn’t you wait and find out if she’s even available before you go changing your schedules?”

Court laughs. “Oh, if she likes you anywhere near the amount you love her, she wants to see you and meet us. Believe me!”

I take out my phone to send a text to Alexis.

Me: Hi, sweetheart. Having a good day?

She responds within seconds.

Alexis: having a happy day. Ran too far… Legs are tired but it could be that I’m getting too accustomed to being carried around instead of walking on my own! ;) How’s your day?

I loved carrying her to bed, and plan on doing it again. Many times, actually.

Me: I want to do that again, real soon. I’m at lunch with my best friends. They want to meet you. They’re here for only a couple more days before they have to go home to Nashville. How would you feel about introductions? I can tell them no if you aren’t up for it.

I’m pretty sure Courtney isn’t going to take no for an answer, and then Drew will be all about making his wife happy and nag the shit out of me until I make it happen. But if Lex isn’t ready to meet my friends there’s no way in hell I’ll let them near her. I told her she was going to drive this train and I meant it.

I say goodbye to Drew and Court, and tell them I’ll let them know later if we can make plans.

Alexis doesn’t respond right away like before. I’m getting really concerned. Fifteen minutes pass, then thirty minutes. Finally, after thirty-seven minutes I pick up my cell and press the green send button next to her name. She answers on the second ring. I hear loud music and a very small person’s voice singing at the top of her lungs in the background.

“Hi,” she says. “I’m sorry I couldn’t respond back right away. I had to pick up Sierra. I was driving, so I couldn’t text back. My car is loud right now, but this kiddo is having too much fun to stop the party. Can you hear me okay?” She doesn’t sound upset, but I’m worried that my text asking her to meet my friends was too much, too soon.

Alexis

Chapter 12

I didn’t get a chance to text Garret back before it was my turn in the carpool line at school. I had to buckle Sierra up, and then she was rambling about her day. I like to hear everything about her time away from me, so I didn’t want to pause her in her rambling. I figured I would just text Garrett back when I got home. 

Sierra and I are singing along to her favorite Taylor Swift album when my phone rings. It’s Garrett. “Hi,” I say “I’m sorry I couldn’t respond back right away. I had to pick up Sierra. I was driving, so I couldn’t text back. My car is loud right now, but this kiddo is having too much fun to stop the party. Can you hear me okay?” I ask.

“Yeah, sweetheart, I can hear you. You don’t have to meet my friends if you aren’t ready for that. I just thought I’d ask before they left town,” he reassures me.

I don’t like meeting new people. I’m not really good at it. I’m a little nervous that if they don’t like me, he’ll walk away. I don’t think he would ask if it weren’t important to him. Maybe if we could meet in a larger gathering with people I love too, it wouldn’t be so bad. I could invite my brother’s family over to my house for dinner, and Garrett could come with his friends, too. Huh…

“I was thinking, maybe they could come over to my place for dinner tomorrow. I’ll invite Jason’s family, too. It’s been a while since I’ve had people over, but it could be fun. Would that be okay?” I don’t like to get babysitters, anyway. So if he doesn’t like that plan, we probably won’t be able to make one. I can count on one hand the number of people I’ll allow to stay with Sierra. I really hate leaving her. We’re a package deal, so her being there feels right.

“Lex, I’ll do whatever you want, sweetheart, but won’t that be a lot of extra work for you? I can take us all out to dinner, if you would rather.”

I wouldn’t rather. I would feel much more comfortable in my own home. “No, I would rather be home. That way the kids can run around and play, and we can all relax. I’ll call a restaurant to have a meal brought in. I’m not really good at cooking for a lot of people. I can only cook for a few. Does that work?

They would really hate me if I poisoned them with my cooking. I’m not actually a bad cook, but I only have my few meals that I do well.