Already Gone

by Kristen Proby

  She wasn’t invited to their birthday parties? I knew things were rough between the sisters, but I didn’t realize it was that bad.

  “You sent them each a thousand dollars on their birthday.”

  “That was for their piggy bank. Today, they get their gifts.”

  “Cool!” Declan yells, holding up a white box with a picture of an iPad on the front.

  “Yes! This is so awesome,” Lucy says. “My very own iPad. I asked for one last Christmas, and Mom told me no.”

  “Thank you, Aunt Scarlett,” they both say, wrapping their aunt in a hug.

  “You’re so welcome. The iPads are already set up and loaded with lots of games and age-appropriate books, and there’s a five-hundred-dollar credit on each tablet so you can buy some more fun games and things.”

  “You’re the best.” Lucy hugs her one more time and then nudges Declan. “Come on, let’s go show Grandpa.”

  The smile on Scarlett’s face is priceless as she watches them bounce out of the house. Her love for those kids is endless, and anyone can see it. Except maybe Alexis, who looks like she wants to throttle her sister.

  “Are you trying to make me look bad?” Alexis says.

  “No.” Scarlett shakes her head, her beautiful smile falling into a frown. “I’m trying to buy them a gift. I never get to see them.”

  “Oh, that’s right, you just buy everyone’s love.”

  “Alexis,” I warn.

  Scarlett looks at me with glossy eyes. “Will you give me a minute alone with my sister?”

  Is she fucking crazy? I don’t trust Alexis as far as I can throw her. I’m about to tell her just that when Scarlett says, “Please.”

  “Fine.” I kiss her softly, a reminder that I’m here if she needs me, and I have her back, and then I give Alexis a pointed look and step out of the room. I don’t go far because I want to be here in case Alexis turns into an even bigger bitch.

  I hover in the hall, close enough to catch every word.

  “I always let you walk all over me, and I’m done. God, Alexis, I can’t do anything right with you. Everything I say and do is wrong,” Scarlett says.

  “I—”

  “Would you just shut up for one minute and let me talk?” Scarlett says, interrupting Alexis.

  Damn, it turns me on when she stands up for herself. I adjust my crotch. Down, boy.

  “I don’t know how to make you happy. You get pissy because I don’t see the kids enough, but when I try to spend time with them, you don’t let me.”

  “They’re too young for you to fly them out to one of your shows.”

  “Maybe, but you didn’t even send me an invitation to their birthday parties.”

  There’s a long pause, followed by a sigh.

  “You were on tour. I didn’t think you’d come,” Alexis says.

  “You also didn’t think I’d come home to take care of Daddy, but here I am. I would’ve found a way. I love Lucy and Declan, and I want to be here for stuff like that. I want to know when they get an A on a test or score a home run during one of their games. You shut me out at every turn, and I don’t know what to do anymore.”

  “I’m sorry I didn’t send you an invitation.”

  I have to hold onto the wall to keep from falling over. I bet it hurt Alexis down to her core to give that apology.

  “Thank you,” Scarlett says softly.

  Lexi clears her throat. “And for what it’s worth, not everything you do is wrong. It’s not your fault that Daddy fell. It would have happened whether you were here or not. It’s those damn rugs he insists on having. But please don’t leave him by himself again.”

  “I won’t. Trust me, I’ve learned my lesson. Now, about the kids—”

  “Maybe we can set up FaceTime on their new tablets, and they can call you once a week.”

  “I’d really like that.”

  “As for everything else, let’s just take it one day at a time. That’s all I can give you right now.”

  “I can live with that.”

  I hear footsteps followed by the backdoor opening and shutting.

  “You can come out now,” Scarlett says, giving me the eye when I walk into the kitchen.

  “What? I wasn’t about to leave you in a room alone with your sister, especially with the way she’s been acting lately.”

  “Thank you.” She leans into me and rests her head on my shoulder. “She exhausts me. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to please her, Tuck.”

  “It’s not your job to please her. Alexis is responsible for her own happiness, not you.”

  “You’re right, but it still hurts. I love my sister, and I want us to be close. I think a part of me always hoped that we would eventually get there, ya know? But I don’t see that happening.”

  “For whatever reason, Alexis is holding onto a lot of resentment, and until she lets that go, I don’t see it happening either.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

  “Sorry, sweetheart.” I kiss her nose. “Just being honest.”

  She sighs. “What do I do? Should I try talking to her?”

  “I don’t think so.” I push a strand of hair out of her face. “I think you should wait for her to open up to you.”

  “What if she doesn’t?”

  “She will.”

  “But what if she doesn’t?”

  “Baby, you could what-if this to death. This is Alexis’s problem, not yours. She’s still adjusting to you being home. Give her time. Your sister might be a complete bitch, but she does have a heart.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Scarlett smiles at her snide remark and then covers her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  “You can say anything in front of me. I’m your safe place. Always. Now, enough about your sister, let’s talk about us.”

  “My favorite subject.”

  “Good answer.” I reward her with a kiss. “What are you doing this weekend? Chloe is staying with my mom on Friday night, and I’d love to take you out.”

  Scarlett frowns. “I wish I could, but I have to fly to L.A. for the weekend. Didn’t I tell you about that?”

  “No.” I shake my head and tighten my arms around her.

  “Sorry, I must’ve forgotten to mention it. Things have just been so crazy. There’s a movie premiere. One of my songs is on the soundtrack, and I agreed to attend the premiere months ago. But I won’t be gone long. I’ll fly out Friday, and I’ll be back by Sunday afternoon.”

  I hate that she’s leaving. I hate it even more that I won’t be with her, but I have to remember that this is part of her life. It’s her job, and she does stuff like this all of the time.

  “Who is going to stay with Rick?”

  “My aunt, Clarice, offered to stay the weekend.”

  “That’s nice of her.”

  “Yeah. Dad will enjoy having a new face around for a few days.”

  “I’ll probably still pop in and check on him a few times.”

  Scarlett smiles up at me. “I figured you would. Thank you for looking after him.”

  “Your dad is like family to Chloe and me.”

  “I know he is. And he feels the same way about you two.”

  Scarlett kisses me, this time pushing it a little deeper. When she pulls back, I groan and rest my forehead against hers.

  “This is going to be the longest weekend of my life.”

  She giggles. Music to my ears. “It’ll fly by.”

  “I highly doubt that.”

  “You’ll see. I’ll be home before you know it.”

  “Dad!”

  I’m in the kitchen, tidying up from dinner. Scarlett’s only been gone for roughly twenty-four hours, and I’m already going out of my mind. I hate that she’s not just a few yards away where I can see her or talk to her or hold her whenever I want. She belongs here, in New Hope, not across the country.

  And I’m a dick for feeling this way. I know it. She’s just doing her damn job, the same way I do whe
n I put on the uniform every day and get into my squad car.

  I have to share Scarlett with about forty million of her fans.

  I’ve just never been very good at sharing.

  And I’m taking my frustrations out on an innocent skillet, scrubbing it to within an inch of its life.

  “Dad, did you hear me?”

  “What’s up, Chlo?”

  “You have to see this! Scarlett’s on the red carpet!”

  I reach for a towel to dry my hands and hurry into the living room, where Chloe’s watching some entertainment show.

  And sure enough, there’s my girl. Scarlett is dressed in a form-fitting red dress that stops about mid-thigh. Her legs are bare, and she’s in a pair of red shoes that I can easily picture dangling from her feet as her calves are propped on my shoulders.

  Down, boy.

  “Oh, she’s so pretty! That dress is just…wow. There’s no way you’d ever let me wear something like that. Who’s the guy she’s with?” Chloe asks with a frown, and for the first time since I walked into the room, my gaze shifts from the woman I’m in love with to the man she’s draped around. “Wait. That’s Chase Walker. Holy crap, he’s amazing, Dad! I have all of his songs on my iPad. And he’s hot. Like, beyond hot. The way he dances is just dreamy. Do you think she could get me an autograph?”

  “First of all, you’re too young to look at men like that.” She rolls her eyes, but I keep talking. “And second, shush.”

  My eyes narrow. They’re both being interviewed, but I can’t hear the questions over the roaring in my ears. Scarlett, my Scarlett, is sidled up next to this idiot, leaning into him as if they’re more than just friends, while she smiles at the interviewer.

  Do I have things wrong? Is she just fucking around with me while she’s here in town, just something to keep her occupied until she goes back to her real life and this Chase dude?

  My immediate reaction is hell no. We mean way too much to each other for that shit.

  But my eyes can’t deny what’s right in front of me.

  I shake my head and turn back to the kitchen.

  “Dad, don’t you want to watch this?”

  “No,” I reply, my voice flat. “I don’t have any interest at all in watching that.”

  I feel like a chump. Of course, Scarlett freaking Kincaid isn’t interested in anything long-term with me. I mean, look at her life. She’s all premieres and award shows. Tours and studio recordings.

  She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Not New Hope, South Carolina.

  She’s here to take care of her dad. End of story.

  And it’s best for everyone if I remember that.

  14

  ~Scarlett~

  “You’ve gained ten pounds.”

  I frown at Maureen in the mirror. She’s the only person I know who can have ten pins pursed in her lips and still speak clearly.

  “I’ve been taking care of my dad for a few weeks, Mo. I always gain a couple after I come off tour.”

  “This is more than a couple.” She gives me the stink-eye, and I can’t help but laugh. “You think it’s funny, but it makes my job a shitshow.”

  “You’re the best. And you know my body better than anyone. You’ve got this.”

  “Humph.”

  She scowls as she works on the side of the dress that Valentino sent over for tonight’s premiere. Mo’s been with me since my very first tour. At first, she just handled all of my onstage costumes, but as time passed, I asked for her to be my seamstress not only on the road but also for all of my events.

  Like I said, Mo knows my body, and even with a few extra pounds, she’ll make me look amazing.

  “We told Valentino you were a size four,” she insists.

  “So, what am I now? A six?”

  “Listen here, sassy pants, a six is way different than a four. You’re lucky they included some extra give in the seams so I can let it out where it needs it.”

  “Like I said, you’ve got this.”

  She rolls her eyes, and I gasp when she gets a little too close with the pins.

  “Hey!”

  “Serves you right.”

  Mo’s in her late fifties. Her gray hair is long and frizzy, her face clean of makeup, and her voice is rough from too many years smoking cigarettes. I’ve never seen her without a tape measure around her neck.

  She’s one of my favorite people in the world.

  “You love me.”

  “Humph,” she says again, but I see the way her mouth tips up at the corners.

  She totally loves me.

  “I love the hemline on this one,” I continue. It’s scalloped and hits me at mid-thigh. All of the leg work I do has paid off in spades. I have the best legs in country music, and I’m damn proud of it. “Once I get those heels on, my legs will look amazing.”

  “What’s our timeline?” Mo asks.

  “We’ve got a couple of hours.”

  “Good. You can take it off, and I’ll work my magic. For God’s sake, eat a salad.”

  “Love you, too, Mo.”

  She mumbles to herself as she stomps out of the room, and I laugh again. Mo’s always a little grumpy. It’s part of her charm.

  Once I’m out of the dress and into my robe, I’m ushered over to hair and makeup. By the time that’s finished, Mo will be done with the dress, and I’ll be ready to go.

  I’d be happier if Tucker were here with me, but as much as I miss him and everyone else back home, I must admit, I’m having fun.

  “Hey, gorgeous.”

  I look up in the mirror and grin at my friend, Chase.

  “Hey, yourself.”

  “How’s your dad?” he asks as he sits in the chair next to mine while the hair and makeup crew keep doing whatever it is they do.

  “He’s doing better. Getting therapy and stuff. But he’s got a ways to go before he’s back to his old self.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear that he’s going to be okay. I like Rick a lot.”

  “He likes you, too.”

  Dad’s come to at least one show of every tour I’ve ever done, and back in the day, Chase and I toured a lot together, so Dad’s met Chase a few times.

  “What else’s going on with you?” Chase asks.

  “That’s about it,” I say, grinning.

  He smiles and then shakes his head and laughs. “Who’s the dude?”

  “What dude?” I narrow my eyes and point to the hair and makeup crew, reminding him that ears are everywhere, and I don’t need them to babble to the rags.

  “I must have heard something somewhere,” Chase says, but I know he’ll want to talk more later. I’ll tell him about Tucker in the limo.

  “You’d better go put your monkey suit on.”

  “Fine.” He sighs and stands, then leans over to kiss my cheek. “See you in a bit.”

  I sigh and close my eyes, determined to enjoy these few minutes of being pampered. Tonight will be busy. Loud. Lots of lights and noise.

  The quiet is nice, even if it’s brief.

  “So, who is he?” Chase asks a few hours later in the back seat of the limo.

  “Who’s who?”

  “The guy that finally stole Scarlett Kincaid’s heart.”

  “Do I have hearts coming out of my head like in a cartoon or something?”

  “Pretty much,” he replies.

  “Actually, I’ve been seeing someone I’ve known most of my life from back home.”

  “A civilian?”

  “No ties to Nashville at all,” I confirm.

  “Wow.”

  “What?”

  “That’s brave of you, sugar.”

  “Listen. Relationships in the biz don’t usually work well. Not everyone can be Faith and Tim.”

  “True.”

  “And I like him. A lot. He’s a good guy. I think you’d like him, too.”

  “As long as he doesn’t break your heart.”

  “If he does, I might get a hit single out of it.”

  That ma
kes him laugh. The limo pulls up to the red carpet, and we both take a long, deep breath before the door opens, and pandemonium starts.

  This movie is a huge blockbuster and is being covered by most of the media outlets. Thousands of fans line the barricades, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite actors from the film.

  When Chase and I step from the car, the crowd erupts with screams and applause, and we immediately shift into publicity mode.

  Smiles in place? Check.

  Chase’s arm wrapped around the small of my back, hand planted on my hip? Check.

  My shoulder tucked against him? Check.

  We walk down the carpet, and then stop on the mark and turn to the cameras, posing for what seems like an hour. Flashes erupt. It’s taken a decade to train my eyes to stay open wide, despite the onslaught of bright light.

  Before long, we’re ushered to where the entertainment channels have interviewers stationed to ask us questions.

  “Scarlett! Chase!”

  “Good evening,” Chase says, and we spend the next thirty minutes answering the same questions over and over again.

  Yes, I was honored to be asked to sing the title song for the movie. Of course, working with Chase is always wonderful. He’s a good friend.

  On and on we go until finally we make our way into the theater. The center of the place has been roped off for cast and crew. Once in our seats, we’re treated to all the soda and popcorn a person can eat—all delivered to us, of course.

  The dress may be gorgeous for the red carpet or for when I’m onstage, moving around, but sitting is a bit of a challenge.

  “You don’t look comfortable,” Chase says.

  “Yeah, well, I was pretty much sewed into this thing. Sitting cuts off my air supply.”

  He takes his jacket off and drapes it over my lap so I can get comfortable without putting on a show.

  “Thanks.”

  Chase just winks and shoves some popcorn into his mouth.

  I pull my phone out of my clutch. I’ve hardly spoken to Tucker since I got to L.A., so I shoot him off a text.

  Wish you were here with me!

  “Awe, that’s so sweet,” Chase says. I smack his shoulder but laugh.