Melody saved it and clutched the phone to her chest. She heaved a sigh of relief as the tears fell.
So Georgia was out. The bigger part of her found that to be a relief. But the other part of her realized that she had no clue whatsoever what to do now. Would she have to hide forever? Would it be fair to have something long term with Jameson and one day have it all ripped away if she still had to leave?
What to do, what to do...
She screamed when someone touched her shoulder. Melody whirled around, only to find it was Jameson. He reeled back in surprise and reached a hand out to steady her.
"Whoa. Didn't mean to scare you. I called your name a few times. What's going on? You look pale. You're shaking." He reached for the phone she still held tightly and looked at it, then back up at her. "Did you get more messages from him? Talk to me, baby." Jameson set the phone down on the desk, then gently led her to sit down. He brushed her hair from her face. Concern filled his eyes.
"I heard from my brother," she said, her voice coming out shaky and a little squeaky.
"How long ago?"
"The message said two days ago. He's in hiding. There's a lot going on, but he's going to try and inform me of things through the messages. Jameson, he has no idea I'm alive or where I am and that just hurts. I don't know where he is either. He's not sure about our dad and everything is a mess!"
"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," Jameson whispered, wrapping his arm around her and drawing her closer.
"He said it's a good thing I never made it to Georgia. Anthony figured out our plans. That scares the hell out of me. If he could figure that out, then what's to say he won't find me here? We tried to make sure there were no traces left behind. I'm scared. I don't want to put anyone here at risk, but I don't have anywhere to go. I don't want to start over." Tears cascaded down her cheeks and her entire body ached. "I don't know what to do."
"Shh." Jameson's voice went husky and he held her, rubbing her shoulders. "Stay here in Harmony's Echo, Melody. Don't run. You've found people that care about you, and I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe."
She started to say something. Jameson put a finger on her lips. "Don't. Don't say anything. Hear me out, okay?"
Melody nodded. Fair enough.
"I'll do whatever I can do help you. I know even if you stay there's no guarantees about anything, and that includes you and I. I'm willing to take that risk, if you are. You've got a job. You've got a place to stay here with me. Tell me Melody, do you want to stay? Will you allow me into your heart and your world?" He lifted her hand to his lips, brushing a soft kiss upon it. He blinked. God, he looked so hopeful. The emotion in his eyes gave her a feeling that maybe, just maybe, they could make things work.
He had a point. If she ran, what's to say she'd get so lucky to have people that were willing to help. She did have a job, and the Callimers never second guessed her identity. She had a way to get her checks cashed, and everything had turned out okay so far. Yes, the lying and deceit sucked, but at least one person here knew the truth. If Jameson was willing to put everything out there like he was, how could she turn that away?
Still, that lingering worry about putting him in danger scared her.
"Melody?" He prodded.
"I'll stay, Jameson. I want to be here with you." She flung herself into his arms and held on tight.
"Good. I'm happy to hear that." He kissed her hand, then her face. "Now, I owe you a back rub."
Chapter Nineteen
November
"Your mom's progress is good. We're making a lot of headway, and I'm glad she's got a supportive family," Dr. Wildeman commented, nodding her head at Jameson and Blaine. "I am, however, concerned about you, Jameson."
"Me? Why?" Jameson stretched his legs out. They should invest in better chairs so that certain parts of his body didn't tingle after sitting in them for so long. He had to keep shifting positions to ensure that he didn't continue to get that pins and needles feeling. At the therapist's comment, he stopped short and snapped his gaze to her, wondering what the hell she was talking about.
"Well, it seems that you are holding something back, and that might be crucial to your mom's recovery," she said simply, clicking her pen on a pad. She took off her glasses and set them on the desk, then leaned forward.
"How am I holding back?" Irritation slipped into his voice as he sat up a little straighter. He didn't like to be put on the spot. This was supposed to be about his mother, not him. And he'd done nothing to stop her from recovering.
"It was mentioned before that you and your father had an argument when he had the heart attack. You and your mother had different variations of grief. She turned to drinking, but you suppressed your anger, until recently, when you started to have some outbursts of anger."
He crossed his arms. Who'd told her that? He sure as hell didn't get mad at his mother. It had to have been Blaine. What did she need to go and say something for? He fixed his gaze on his sister. When she avoided his stare, he had the confirmation he needed.
"It doesn't matter who said something, Jameson. I think everyone might benefit if we heard your reason. You said so yourself, the fact that you weren't able to get angry is what dragged you down. Instead of those angry feelings one might have had at a family member, you took everything on yourself. That kind of situation worries me. It's like a dam. If it gets too full, it's going to burst. Little holes might begin the slow leak until the final blow."
"You're comparing my feelings to a dam?"
The counselor sighed. She closed her eyes for a second before writing something down. She'd better not be writing something about him. This was starting to get a little ridiculous.
"No one is trying to point fingers or lay blame, Jameson. You don't have to jump on the defensive. We're just trying to sort things out so that your family can move on from your guilt."
"This isn't about me. I don't need an analysis about myself. I'm not the one getting treated here." Jameson held back the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he checked the time on the clock behind the counselor's head. The session would be over within a few minutes. Good. Then he could get out of here before anyone else pressed him to talk about things that he didn't feel like bringing up.
"Jameson," Blaine started, "While I notice you're a lot happier, you also have been getting randomly angry over stuff. It scares me. You said the day we were in the hospital talking to Mom about going into therapy that you couldn't get angry. That you didn't want to. I fear you're like a ticking time bomb and we just want to make sure you're going to be okay."
"I'm going to be fine! Why wouldn't I be?" Jameson insisted, throwing his hands up in the air. "I've had a lot on my mind, but I'm not going to break. Geez, you all think I'm going to just explode or something?"
When he was greeted with silence, Jameson realized he'd been yelling.
His shoulders sagged. Maybe they had a point. He had been edgy lately. He worried about his family, worried about Lucas and Avery and those letters they'd been getting, and most of all, worried about Melody. Despite how much he told her he'd keep her safe, he feared that the man she ran from would show up in this town and try to hunt her down. For Melody, he had to put on a brave face so that she felt safe. He'd practically promised her that he would keep her safe. If he started having doubts about his capability, what would that do for her?
"Okay, so that was a bit of a slap in the face." Jameson softened his tone. He relaxed his body, sinking back into the chair. "I have noticed that I feel ready to snap a lot. It scares me some, too."
The counselor folded her hands. "Now we're getting somewhere. But of course, we're out of time. Seriously consider talking more about this next time, Jameson. Your family needs you, and all of this is a part of helping your mom to get better, to understand. I'll see you next time."
Jameson wanted to get out of there as fast as possible. But his mother's quiet voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
"Son?" She put her hand on his shoulder. The bags under
her eyes had faded some since she stopped drinking. She looked a lot better, like the mom he used to know before everything went to hell. "I'm sorry about not being there for you. I should have known something was wrong, but I wasn't functional enough to pay attention. I know you lost a lot too. Not just your father, but me, Blaine, Avery … I'm sorry you had to deal with those things alone. Whatever is holding you back, whatever you and your father argued about, let it go. Talk about it, move on, then let it go. When I get out of here, I'm going to do everything I can to keep us together as a family. I'll get on my feet, get a job, and be there for you. I love you, Jameson." She hugged him, her voice choked with tears.
Jameson returned her hug. "I love you too, Mom. I know we all have so much to do when it comes to letting go and moving on. While I'm there in some aspects, you're right. I haven't let go of that argument. It leaves me unsettled that it never got resolved, especially considering what it was about. Now, looking back, I know Dad had a point. I just didn't want to see it because of how I felt. I'll talk about it next time. I will."
"That's my boy. I have to get back soon, but how has your week been? Both of you?"
"It's good, Mom. I thought about staying for Thanksgiving, but then I have to get back to my job," Blaine said. "I took an extended vacation, but that's almost over. I've racked up tons of vacation time that I never used, so it was long overdue. I promise this time, I'll come home more often."
"I'm glad to hear it, Blaine. We can't fix our past, can't really make up for lost time, but I want to start over again." Mom turned to Jameson. "And you? The band? The new woman you're seeing?"
"I'm good. The truck is running great. I don't like it, but Avery and Lucas covered everything for the repairs. They're being way too nice. The band is doing well. We're finishing some tracks for the demo, which we'll complete after Avery has the baby. Now it's getting really difficult for her to sing. She still works her vocals, but it's a little more of a strain. Mary is settling in nicely. You should hear her sing. She went up on stage a few weeks ago with us. When she sings back up with Avery, oh man, it's one heck of an effect. And she writes songs with me." Jameson went on, happy to talk about the good things going on in his life instead of dredging up the past.
Mom smiled. "That sounds lovely. I can't wait to hear all your music."
"Baby Stetson has a lot of new ideas and sounds, Mom. I love sitting in and listening to them," Blaine gushed. "It's like old times, just with some new faces."
"I'll never forget the first time I heard you and Avery on that porch," Mom mused, her eyes lighting up. "She's certainly got a voice."
"Yes she does." Jameson smiled. Now this was like the good times, actually having a conversation with his mom while sober. She had color to her cheeks again. She was happy, smiling and coherent. If he hadn't taken so long to realize what was happening, she would have possibly been on this path already. It didn't matter now because at least it worked out, but it was amazing how much one could ignore and never see the light. "I forgot to tell you. Avery's birth mother invited her to sing with her on stage on New Year's Eve. I just recently found out that she's asked us to open the show for her."
"Jameson! That's amazing!" Mom squealed. Then a shadow crossed her face, and the smile disappeared. "Now, remind me again who her birth mother is. I do remember this story, I just..."
She'd just been too far drunk to recall.
"Belinda Wainscott." Jameson lowered his voice. He held back a laugh when his mother's eyes went as wide as saucers. She covered her mouth.
"Yeah, big news." Blaine grinned.
"I can't believe all the things I've missed." Mom blinked back tears. "I don't know how you'll ever forgive me."
"We'll all get through it," Jameson said simply, knowing it to be true.
"Jameson, thank you for everything you've done. You should have never taken so much on yourself, but know that I appreciate everything. I'll get back to my old self one day, and I hope we'll be able to put the past behind us. I love you both. I'd better get going now."
They hugged one more time before his mom took off down the hallway.
*****
"Have you heard from Shelly since she left?" Avery asked Mary while they were en route to meet Lucas and Jameson for lunch. She leaned back in the seat, getting used to the idea of Mary driving Jameson's truck.
She wasn't sure about the woman at first, but had come to befriend Mary. After the night she had tried to run off with her truck, Avery thought Mary had something to do with the strange letters Lucas and Belinda had received. She knew now that Mary had nothing to do with them, bit it took awhile to get used to the idea of her staying in Harmony's Echo, let alone at Jameson's. Avery didn't fail to notice how attached Jameson had become to Mary, and that it went both ways.
It had been a neat idea to include her in the band. Mary had some great song lyrics. Between what she wrote with Jameson and now, working with her, they had plenty of new material. Sure, Mary still had something to hide and Avery wasn't sure what it was, but she made Jameson happy. He deserved that happiness.
"I gave her my number before she left a few weeks ago, but I haven't heard anything. I hoped, but am not really surprised. I know she was glad to go home once the baby grew big enough to be released. She's with her family, and I hope her boyfriend leaves her alone until he gets his stuff sorted out." Mary gripped the wheel and made a sharp turn into a parking lot.
"Looks like they aren't here yet." Avery searched the lot for the car.
"Nope. Good. We can get in there before they do."
"Hey Mary? Thanks for coming by this morning. It's nice to have some company. I'm a little freaked out about being alone sometimes." The letters continued, each one not so subtle. It scared her more than she wanted to admit. She tried her hardest not to let on to Lucas. He already worried as it was.
"It's no problem. I wish the cops could figure this out."
"Me too," Avery said softly. She opened the door to the diner and stopped short, staring at all the faces of friends and family she loved as they yelled "Surprise!" Heart racing, she jumped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "You guys- you-" She turned to Mary. "We weren't meeting Lucas and Jameson for lunch!" She meant it as a question, but it definitely didn't come out that way.
Mary laughed. "Nope. That was our ploy to get you here without any suspicion. You really had no idea?"
"Oh my God, none!" Avery sputtered, still in shock. Her heartbeat returned to normal.
"I warned you I'd get you when you got married, but you decided to go backwards," Laura teased, her eyes lighting up with happiness. She sat near Mom. Beside Mom sat Paula.
"Paula, you're here too! Gosh, you guys. I don't know what to say! I guess now I know why you and Lucas would get very hush hush when I came around sometimes." Avery giggled, staring at Laura.
"You look great, Avery! Yes, I came in for your baby shower and will stay until Thanksgiving." Her sister smiled. They'd kept in touch after she left a few months ago. It was still a strange relationship, but Paula has been doing so much better. Sometimes, it just takes a scare to make someone rethink their attitude. Paula had definitely done that. She'd been much nicer to Avery.
"I'm so happy! Paula, this is Mary." Avery made the introductions. Mary had met Laura a few times, and of course she knew Mom. Everyone else had no idea who she was.
"I'm here, I'm here!" Blaine rushed in behind Avery. She stopped in her tracks. "Aww, damn. I missed the surprise?"
Avery nodded. "Yep. You did. So you were in on it too? How's your mom doing?"
"She's good. Doing so much better. Sorry I'm late. I dropped Jameson off with Lucas."
The three women settled into seats as a rush of excitement ran through Avery. A baby shower. It was really happening! In a few weeks, she and Lucas would hold their daughter for the very first time.
"Laura, it's so great to see you, and you look amazing after just having a baby!" Blaine gushed.
"Better than what she said to me," Avery q
uipped, sliding a look at Blaine.
"I know, I know. I have a big mouth! What can I say? You're going to hold this over my head for awhile now, aren't you?" Blaine threw her hands up in mock defeat.
"Absolutely." Avery smirked.
"Dare I ask what she said?" Laura's lips twitched into a smile.
"She said, and I quote, ''You're so big!''"
Everyone laughed while Blaine scowled. "You know, I get enough picking on from Jameson. Why do you have to jump in, too?" She hid her smile.
"Oh I don't want to hear it. I was on your side the other day when Jameson listened in on us, right Mary?" Avery nudged her.
Mary shook her head with a laugh. "Oh no, don't drag me in the middle of your fight."
"Goodness, girls. You remind me of the days you'd come into the inn after school, all giggly and happy. Those were the good days. You've definitely come a long way, and I'm so very proud of you. My baby is having a baby!" Mom's eyes welled with tears as her smile widened.
"Oh Mom, you're going to make me cry." Avery wiped a single tear away, looking around at all the faces in the room. She was so lucky. She had come a long way.
"And next year, you'll be a wife," Laura said softly. "I can't wait to see you in your beautiful dress."
Avery smiled, picturing the long white gown she'd picked out in her mind. She'd made the decision to get married after the baby was born. Lucas supported whatever she wanted. All that mattered to him was her happiness. And with him, she was happy. She couldn't wait until the day she would be come his wife.
"I hope I can get back into it!" She laughed. "Maybe I should have picked something after."
Laura waved a hand. "Oh girl, don't worry about it. You'll be amazing, and you'll fit just fine."
"Some days, I worry about things. Juggling motherhood? Being a wife, and pursuing a music career? I'm scared," she admitted. It was nice to get that off her chest. It had been bugging her a lot recently, even though Lucas did his best to reassure her.
The Melody In My Head (Love and Music in Texas Book 2) Page 22