The Return (The Comeback Series)

by Marcie Shumway

  “Where are you?” Leave it to her to start with the question, rather than an actual “Hello.”

  “I’m in Maine,” I teased.

  “I figured as much, you smart alec,” she chided. “Where?”

  “I’ll be at my house in the next hour or so,” I told her with a laugh.

  It still sounded so foreign for me to hear the words “my house.” The place where we lived in Nashville belonged to the band as a whole. Granted, it was large enough that we all had our own space, but this place was all mine. I would sign the paperwork shortly after I arrived and would be able to move right in. It was an older farmhouse, built in the early 1900’s on twenty acres, that needed some work and sat back almost a mile from the main road. The barn had come down years ago, but the space left plenty of room for whatever I decided to do.

  “Please let us know when we can come visit you!”

  “Yes ma’am,” I replied, rolling my eyes, even though I knew she couldn’t see me.

  My mother and father had raised three of us boys and we were all grown and out of the house; however, she never stopped clucking over us. The night I had called them to tell them I was coming home, she cried, causing my own eyes to well up. It solidified my decision to come back and left me with a deep feeling of guilt for not returning for at least a visit. Now, I had to make up for lost time.

  We talked for about half an hour, switching partway through so I could talk to my dad as well. The two of them had always supported us boys in anything we wanted to do, and had been my band’s biggest fans from the beginning. Hell, we used to practice in the old barn out back of my parents’ house. I could never thank them enough for what they had done for me.

  I started getting antsy when I got off the phone with them. I knew I was getting close, and I couldn’t wait to get out of my truck and put my feet on the ground again. Not to mention that I couldn’t wait to be home. It felt so good to say those words. While I had loved Nashville and all that it had given us, nothing could compete with my home state.

  “Finally,” I muttered, forty-five minutes later when I saw the mailbox that signaled my turn.

  I took the driveway slow. The snow was gone; however, it had left ruts in its wake. I would definitely have to have it grated and taken care of, sooner rather than later; otherwise, I would be replacing the shocks in my Dodge. When I took the last turn and the house came into view, I was shocked to see not only what I guessed to be the realtor’s car, but also a U-Haul.

  “What the hell?”

  I pulled to a stop next to the other vehicles and turned off my truck. Slowly, I grabbed my phone from its resting place on my center console and opened the door to hop down. As soon as my feet hit the muddy ground, I grinned, probably as broadly as I had when we had received our first ever award. The air smelled like spring; wet and full of the promise of new things.

  I headed toward the house and heard voices through an open window in the kitchen. Before my worn brown cowboy boots could hit the farmers porch, the front door opened and Mrs. Hood, my realtor, stepped out, followed by Evan. I stopped and stared at them, both smiling at me. Mrs. Hood came down to give me a big hug. She had been one of our teachers in school and had always loved us. I looked past her at my bandmate and flipped him the finger. He showed me a shit-eating grin, letting me know he knew about my conversation with Chris.

  After our greeting, I followed her back into the house to sign the paperwork that would officially make everything mine. The money had been wired to her the previous week, and we agreed we would finish the formalities when I arrived. The front door led directly to a large kitchen/dining room. The living room was off to the left with a bar between. The lower level also featured the master bedroom and a large bathroom. From the pictures I had seen, there were two good-sized bedrooms and another bathroom upstairs. Linoleum was peeling, tiles were cracked or broken, and the paint was faded. It was going to keep me very busy, which was just what I needed.

  When we finished, I gave Mrs. Hood another hug and Evan walked her out to her car. With the house to myself for a few seconds, I looked around and took a deep breath. A calm sensation came over me instead of the anxiety that had filled me lately.

  “It looks like you’ll need some help,” Evan said, as he came back in the door behind me.

  I turned around and leaned on the counter, crossing my arms over my chest and planting my feet in front of me. We were pretty close in size, yet Evan’s calm demeanor made it so I intimidated him a bit when I was pissed, not that I would actually hurt him, but it was fun to mess with him. I was happier to see him than I was mad. It would be nice to have someone around that had been through the fame with me, that was from the same hometown.

  “It does, does it?” I asked, doing my best to keep the smile from my face.

  He stopped where he was, his lean frame stiffening like he wasn’t sure he was welcome any longer. He was dressed just like I was, in ripped jeans, work boots, and a hooded sweatshirt that covered the tattooed sleeve he sported on his right arm. All of us band members had them in some way, shape, or form. Finally, I couldn’t hold it in anymore and I grinned at him.

  “I’m messin’ with you, man,” I chuckled. “I couldn’t have picked a better person to be here with me.”

  Evan came the rest of the way into the room and grabbed the hand that I offered to him, pumping it in his own and bringing me in for a bro hug. When we separated, I turned and took it all in. We definitely had our work cut out for us, but the first thing we needed was food. I heard a hum and realized the refrigerator was running. I opened the door and found that it was fully stocked. By the looks of the meals that were there, it had been my mother. God, was it good to be home.

  Sunlight warmed my face and the smell of coffee stirred my senses. Rolling over, I stretched and got my bearings before opening my eyes. I was in the spare bedroom at my brother’s house and by the looks of the light in the room, I had slept well past my usual time. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and found that it was eight o’clock. I never slept that late. My internal alarm clock usually had me up by six at the latest.

  Throwing back the covers, I swung my feet over the side of the bed and headed for the door. After a quick stop in the bathroom in the hallway on my way by, I headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun just as I stepped over the threshold and found my brother leaning against the counter, sipping on a cup of coffee.

  “Morning, Pipsqueak,” he greeted, handing me a cup.

  “Really? Pipsqueak?” I asked, putting my cup in the Keurig and starting my hot chocolate. “I’m twenty-eight, ya know.”

  “You sure?” he questioned, gesturing toward my morning drink of choice.

  I stuck my tongue out at him and moved around the kitchen, gathering what I needed to make myself an omelet. My sister-in-law, Abby, hadn’t been feeling well the night before when I arrived, so I assumed she wouldn’t be up making anything. I motioned to the ingredients as my brother made himself comfortable at the table. With his nod, I set about making us both something to eat. The quiet and the mundane task of cooking set me at ease.

  “Sit,” Keegan instructed, as I set our plates down on the table.

  Knowing I couldn’t get out of what was coming. I grabbed my cup from the counter and sat down across from him with a thud. I had bunked with them because I hadn’t been ready to see my father. My brother and his wife had welcomed me with open arms when I had shown up on their doorstep, and the three of us had spent hours the night before, reminiscing.

  Abby had entered our lives when we were in high school. Her family had moved here from Florida and Keegan had fallen in love with her at first sight. The feelings were mutual and the two have been a thing ever since. They wasted no time getting married and had done so right after graduation. She was a teacher now, along with my childhood best friend, Jennifer.

  “As soon as we’re done eating, we are going to go over there and see him,” he informed me, ta
king a bite out of his omelet.

  “I know.”

  “He’s not sick yet, just tired. That’s what triggered him to make the appointment in the first place,” he continued. “According to Dad, they did some bloodwork and scans. He goes back Monday to find out the results.”

  “What do you mean, ‘according to Dad’?” I asked, a fork full of my breakfast hovering near my mouth. “You didn’t go with him?”

  “He wouldn’t let me, and informed me that I would not be going with him on Monday either.”

  “Stubborn old coot,” I sighed with a laugh.

  “That he is,” he agreed. “We know he will tell us everything in his own good time. I figured, with you here, he might be more apt to do so, sooner rather than later.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Yes, okay,” I replied. “I have the next two weeks off. Julie said we could talk after that, if I need to stay longer, and I can work easily from here.”

  “Don’t go jumping the gun,” Keegan chided.

  “How can I not, Keeg?”

  “We don’t even know if there is anything wrong.”

  “He’s been sick before, and they told us it might come back,” I reminded him, jumping up to put my plate in the sink. “What if we have to go through that all over again?”

  “We’ll be fine. Just like we were before,” he stated, placing his hands on my shoulders and squeezing gently. “Go get ready, and we’ll head out to find him.”

  Breaking away from my brother, I went back upstairs. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a light sweater before going to the bathroom to taking a quick shower. Twenty minutes later, I was downstairs, pulling on well-worn work boots. I knew my dad wasn’t home, even though it was Saturday. He was either on a job site or at his office.

  “Ready?” my brother asked, jingling his truck keys and opening the front door.

  “Yep,” I responded, flipping my damp hair over my shoulder. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  We left the driveway and made our way into town. I took in all the changes as well as all the things that, despite the years, still remained the same. There was a general store, a hardware store, local diner, a mechanic, and a bar. Though some of the names had changed, the buildings held the same historic charm.

  “Willie’s Tavern?” I asked, looking over at Keegan.

  “Yep, Willie Hall took it over a couple of years ago,” he informed me. “We’ll have to go before you head back to Mass.”

  “Willie Hall, huh? Can’t say I saw that coming,” I replied with a smile.

  Willie Hall was one of three brothers born to Jeff and Marcia Hall. Our families had been close growing up. The youngest brother worked for Grind Construction and Keegan had high hopes he would be a foreman for one of the crews soon. Willie, the middle child, had been the quietest of them, but had obviously done well for himself by the looks of the building. It had been newly-renovated and looked inviting. The oldest brother, the one I had graduated with, was now part of one of the most well-known country rock bands in the world. Cooper and his band had made a name for themselves, even if they had had to break some hearts along the way.

  “Who bought the old Allen place?” I asked, as the lifted black Dodge in front of us pulled into the long driveway of the home next to my father’s shop.

  “Dunno,” my brother shrugged.

  The way he said it had me wondering if he really did know, but didn’t want to share the information. As soon as he pulled into the yard at Grind, any other thoughts I had went out the window. It looked exactly like it had years ago, when I had last been there. Any time I had visited prior, I made sure they were quick trips that didn’t involve coming here. I had spent much of my childhood riding shotgun with my brother or my father in the work trucks, or on equipment, and I hadn’t wanted that to pull me back. I had needed to make a name for myself that didn’t have to do with my father or the company.

  Keegan pulled his truck into a parking spot and killed the engine. We sat in silence, each lost in our own little worlds for several minutes. When he finally sighed and opened his door, I followed suit. The smell of the woods surrounding the property and grease from the open overhead door on the side of the building quickly filled my nostrils. I took a deep breath and couldn’t fight the small smile that graced my lips.

  The offices took up the front part of the structure, along with a bathroom. When we entered through the front door, I noticed that everything here was the same as well. The receptionist was off because it was the weekend, but I could hear voices coming from one of the two offices behind the counter. One, I knew was my father’s, and other sounded strangely familiar, and female.

  As we made our way toward the shop, I was startled when I saw an attractive, lean, muscled man resting against the door jamb of one of the offices, talking to someone inside. My stomach jumped at the work boots, tight jeans, white t-shirt, and plaid long-sleeved shirt rolled up on his forearms, where a tattoo peeked out on one side. Clearly, I needed to get out and date more. When my eyes finished their traveling and met his, my face flamed red. The blue eyes, cocky smile, and neatly-trimmed beard under the company ball cap belonged to none other than little Rick Hall. Only now, he wasn’t so little.

  “Well, hello there, beautiful,” he greeted, straightening and opening his arms for a hug. “Long time, no see.”

  “Hey,” I replied, hiding my face in his chest as he gave me a quick squeeze.

  “Get your hands off my girl, Hall,” I heard my dad say.

  I spun out of Rick’s arms and all but jumped into my father’s. My father wasn’t a huge man by any means, yet his presence commanded respect and attention. His blond hair had long ago turned salt-and-pepper and his year-round tan accented his green eyes and smile. I pulled back enough to kiss him on the cheek and take him in without being obvious. He looked good, healthy.

  “Hi, Daddy.”

  “Hi, my girl,” he replied, setting me back from him to take his own inventory of how I looked. “What do we owe this surprise to?”

  “I decided it was time for a little vacation,” I told him, looking around him to see Marcia sitting at her desk, smiling. “Sorry if we’re interrupting.”

  “Poo,” Marcia commented, waving her hand. “You are fine.”

  I moved around my father and into her open arms. This woman had been like the mother I had never had. She had easily taken Keegan and myself under her wing, along with her own boys. Her husband, Jeff, had been just as sweet. Without the two of them, my father would not have been able to have done what he did with his business and raise us. I wonder how much my father had shared with them in regard to his health.

  “She might not be interrupting, but damn, is she a distraction,” Rick commented from behind me.

  I laughed when I turned around just in time to see my brother smacking him in the chest, and pushing him toward the shop. Both of our parents shook their heads at his antics, but smiled. He had always been the vocal one of the three brothers.

  “Why don’t you all go into your office, Dale,” Marcia recommended. “I’ll finish up what I can, and we can tackle everything else on Monday.”

  My father was so happy to see me that he didn’t argue. I followed him into his office, and was comforted by the fact that it was just as disorganized as ever. Papers were strewn across the top of his desk, and blueprints covered a table that was intended for meetings. Suddenly, it hit me why I was the OCD-driven, organized woman that I was; you couldn’t find anything in here.

  “So, care to tell me the real reason behind your being here,” he asked, as my brother came in and shut the door behind him.

  “I just wanted to visit…” I started, pulling a chair out to sit down.

  “Bullshit,” my father called, looking accusingly at my brother as he sat in his desk chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Your brother told you that I had been to the doctor.”

  “Of course I did,” Keegan snapped. “You weren’t about
to do it yourself.”

  “I would have told her when I had something to tell,” my father boomed back, jumping to his feet and slamming his hands down on his desk.

  “Enough!” I hollered, to be heard above their growling. “I hate that the two of you feel the need to protect me, even now. I’m an adult, and we are a family. I deserve to know what’s going on.”

  My words surprised my father enough that he plopped back down into his chair. My brother, on the other hand, was stifling a chuckle behind a cough. I glared at them both. How was it that I still had to be the mediator of the family? I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.

  “You’re right,” came the whispered reply from my father.

  The quietness of his voice had both Keegan and I looking at him sharply. Worry crept into my heart and soured my stomach. The worst immediately filled my mind – that he was sicker than we thought. Tears pricked my eyes, and I had to roll them to the ceiling to keep them from streaming down my face.

  “Now, don’t go doing that,” he mumbled, getting up and coming over to squat down in front of me, taking my small hands in his beefy ones. “I was just feeling off, so I went to the doctor. They did some tests, and I will know more on Monday when I go back.”

  “I’m scared, Daddy,” I admitted. I couldn’t hide that from him. I could be strong for both of them, but I wouldn’t lie about my feelings.

  “Me too,” he confided, causing my brother to come over and put his hands on both of our shoulders.

  We sat in silence for a moment. My father wiped the few tears that escaped down my cheeks and stood, bringing me with him. He pulled the two of us into a family hug, like he had done so many times when we were children. I gripped the two of them for all I was worth, and basked in their warmth.

  “Okay, enough of that,” my father grumbled, stepping back. “Let’s go get some food!”