Love's Everlasting Song

by RaeAnne Hadley

  When the song ended, the lights went down and a melody she knew by heart started playing and she heard Luke’s voice float over the speakers, above the roar of the crowed. “This song is dedicated to a friend who helped me find my way one night when I felt lost. This song is for you, Rebecca.”

  She felt a tear slip from her eye as he began singing Love Everlasting, the song that had brought them together. She sang along and was enjoying the performance when Tonya walked over.

  “Well, that was touching. You really must be the flavor of the month.”

  Rebecca glared at her. “Excuse me?”

  Tonya held up her hands. “Hey, no offense. Just saying, Luke keeps his girlfriends around for a couple of months before he gets bored and moves on. He’s not the settle down and have a family type, so enjoy it while you can. Just don’t be surprised when he trades you in for a younger model.”

  Rebecca felt her jaw drop as she watched the spiteful brunette walk away. She tried to go back to enjoying the concert, the band changing over into another fast beat tempo but she found herself watching how Luke reacted to his fans, who were mostly women. She saw a few of the women trying to get up on stage, while others held signs proclaiming their love for him. As the concert continued, she was almost completely focused on the audience and less on Luke. She felt nauseous and appalled. Women were throwing their undergarments up on stage and Luke was picking some of them up, nodding in the women’s direction before throwing the garb back onto the upper stage that held his drummer and keyboardist.

  Tonya’s words came back into her head and she realized she didn’t belong here. She was a small town woman with the dream of showing her horses. She didn’t belong in this kind of limelight, didn’t want to have that kind of attention and she wanted a relationship where she didn’t have to wonder, or worry. She didn’t like how Kip treated her but she liked the idea of marriage. Someone to come home to, to share her day with and he with her. She didn’t want to have to worry about if there was another woman in the shadows to take her place.

  She gazed at Luke, seeing his enjoyment and excitement as he sang and she knew it wouldn’t be fair to impose her desires and needs onto him. He was a free spirit who was living his dream and she couldn’t see how she would ever feel comfortable living in it. She quietly got up and made her way back down the hallway she’d come earlier that night, forcing back the tears. She didn’t run into anyone she knew until she hit the outside doors where she blindly ran into a broad chest.

  “Rebecca, is everything alright?” Henry asked.

  She tried to smile but felt the tears threaten her eyes. Blinking them back, she nodded. “Yes, Henry, thank you. I’m fine. Just had some news at home and I need to leave immediately. Is there a taxi anywhere?”

  “I’ll get your driver. He’ll take you wherever you need to go.”

  He called on his radio and soon the man who had driven her appeared. She climbed into the car and let her tears fall. She noticed the clock read eleven-thirty and she couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped her. Cinderella at least had until midnight. When they made it back to the hotel, the driver insisted on waiting while she packed her stuff so he could take her to the airport. Because she hadn’t unpacked much, it only took her minutes to pack and get back downstairs and get into the car. When she made it to the airport, she refused Luke’s private jet and booked the next commercial flight back to Colorado.

  She placed a call to Megan, tearfully asking her to meet her at the Sweetwater airport to give her a ride home, letting her know what time her flight would land. She refused to give Megan any details and assured her she was alright. She ended the call and turned her phone off before putting it in her purse. She didn’t want to have to talk with Luke, not until she was home and had a clear head. She was doing both of them a favor. She sat back in her seat and waited to get to Colorado.

  Chapter Ten

  It had been six days since she’d come home. The first two were spent recovering from jet lag and crying over what had happened. Megan had consoled her but gently pointed out that maybe Rebecca had overreacted. Frustrated, Rebecca lashed out at Megan, telling her that she hadn’t been there and didn’t understand. Two days later, she mailed back the blouse, bracelet, the hairclip Dwayne had put in her hair, and a letter to Luke. She’d thanked him for letting her borrow them and asked if he would thank Dwayne for her fairytale night. She hoped they would both understand.

  Luke had left several messages, the first couple had been frantic, asking what had happened. The last two had been devoid of emotion, asking her to call him so that they could talk. She’d picked up the phone so many times to tell him she was sorry, that she had made a mistake but Tonya’s words would creep back into her head and the images of women throwing themselves on stage stopped her from doing so.

  On the eighth day, she received a certified letter from Luke’s managers. Confused, she tore it open and broke into sobs as she read it.

  It was a signed contract, giving her exclusive rights to his song, Love Everlasting. Once again, she picked up her phone to call him but ended the call before it went through. She had to keep their relationship professional. It was better for both of them.

  She tried to get back into the routine she’d always been so comfortable with but found it almost impossible with having to hear his voice over the stereo as she and Othello practiced their routine. She was distracted and it showed as she missed cues and became frustrated, taking it out on Othello. When he threw his head up and snorted in defiance, she realized she wasn’t being fair to him either.

  “Sorry, big guy. It’s not you, it’s me, getting caught up in stupid, human stuff. Seems I’m hurting all the men in my life, or were in my life. Let’s forget practice today and just go for a ride.”

  She rode him out of the arena and headed for the mountain trails that took them through her five hundred acres. Summer flowers were in bloom and the trees, aspens mixed with mountain pines, whispered in the evening breeze. She took in the scent of the mountain air blending with the smell of her horse and felt a happiness flow through her. This is what she lived for, this was her life.

  They made their way on the trails that wound their way around rocks and trees. As it opened up into a meadow in full bloom, she felt Othello shudder in anticipation. She patted his neck and leaned closer to his ears. “You got it, boy. Go ahead and run.”

  She eased up on the reins and let him take over. She closed her eyes as he broke into a run across the meadow, relishing the feel of the air rushing across her face and the power of the animal under her. When they made it back to the barn, they were both breathing heavy, enjoying the change in routine. She took pleasure in walking Othello to cool him down and after brushing him and putting him away, surprised herself when she caught herself whistling. She fed the horses and as she walked out of the barn, she turned to look back. She smiled, feeling happy and content as she gazed at what she had created. She’d done this, no one else. She could be content with that.

  * * *

  As the day grew closer to the world grand champion show, her thoughts were focused on the trip. She’d made amends with Megan and though Megan often told her she was being ridiculous and overreacting, they both agreed that her main focus should be on the show. Megan didn’t bring up Luke other than the occasional question as to whether or not he’d called or she had called him. Rebecca admitted that he’d called several times but she hadn’t heard form him since she had received the contract for Love Everlasting. She’d heard through various media networks that his concert tour was successful and he had performed at sold out shows throughout the U.S. He was scheduled to take a six-week hiatus before continuing his tour overseas. She was sincerely happy to hear of his success but also felt a pang of pain. She would see him on news clips and feel the desire fill her body as strongly as when she’d been in L.A. and New York.

  Her mind told her she was doing the right thing, that she was behaving logically but her body was telling her otherw
ise. He now haunted her dreams and she was being awakened in the middle of the night, her body hot and tingling from the images. Intellectually she knew they couldn’t make their relationship successful but her heart kept creating scenarios that showed they could. Each morning after she had those dreams, she spent more time in the barn, trying to convince herself it couldn’t. Unfortunately her mind was turning traitor, showing her ways it could work. She tried to work harder, to push those thoughts to the back of her mind but her frustration was affecting her riding skills and she had to work doubly hard to push them away.

  She worked with Othello every day to get their routine down and rewarded both of them with a run through the meadow after each workout but she knew her emotions were compromising their work. After a frustrating day, she decided to hit the meadow first and then work on the piece. She hoped the change would pull her out of her funk and when they made their way into the indoor arena, she felt hope. The fresh air had been a nice change before having to concentrate on their sketch. She was pleased that both of them fell into their movements easily and without the frustration she had felt earlier. They flowed through the number flawlessly and she felt a surge of accomplishment. She moved him through the prologue a second time and again enjoyed the thrill run through her body, knowing they had it down. They were going to be ready for the world championships and she believed their showcase was going to knock the audience and the judges socks off.

  When they completed the second performance, clapping at the far end of the arena startled them both. Both she and Othello jerked their heads towards the sound, having been so lost in the routine that neither one had heard the intruder walk in and stand at the arena railing, watching.

  She saw Luke standing at the gate and sucked in her breath. She wanted to rub her eyes to see if he was an illusion or not but then decided she would rather have the illusion. She clucked Othello into a gallop, racing across the arena to greet him. She had a moment’s panic thinking he might be here to change his mind about his song but the smile on his face and the look in his eyes told her he hadn’t.

  She felt amazed that with just that look from him, her body flooded with desire, thoughts of other women and his fans relinquished their hold and she knew she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  Luke gazed at her as she rode closer, her hair flowing as she was astride this massive, black beast. He thought he had never seen anything lovelier. He’d expected her to be cold, unhappy with his unexpected visit but the smile on her face was genuine. She nimbly leapt off of her horse and allowed the reins to drop to the ground. As she ran to him, he opened the gate to greet her and as she flung herself into his arms, he felt that all was finally balanced in his world.

  He’d tried so hard to push her out of his mind, to concentrate on his work but she crept into his thoughts. He began to lose sleep, wondering what she was doing. He wanted to call her, to share his experiences with her and listen to what she was doing but because she had left so abruptly and wouldn’t return his calls, he had left her alone. He’d been home for three days on his break when he couldn’t take it anymore. He decided to fly out, confront her and make her tell him what had happened. He’d gone through the different arguments he imagined she would present and thought he was prepared for anything. Seeing the passion on her face was his undoing and all of his mental arguments disappeared like smoke. He breathed in the scent of her hair before he pulled back and met her lips with his own.

  She wrapped herself around him tighter, savoring his taste and his embrace. She was surprised at the depth of her emotion, of how much she had missed him. Othello snorted and she pulled away reluctantly. She didn’t want to stop kissing Luke but she had to take care of her stallion.

  She gazed up into Luke’s green eyes and smiled. “Hi.”

  “Hi yourself. I wasn’t expecting that kind of reception but I really liked it.” he grinned, his dimples flashing.

  “I wasn’t expecting to see you.” she answered shyly. “But I’m glad you’re here. I need to take care of Othello before he chills. Can you give me thirty minutes.”

  “Rebecca, I flew out from California, I can give you all the time you need.” he said soberly.

  She felt tears well up in her eyes and quickly kissed him again.

  Luke turned towards the massive horse. “I take it this is the other man in your life?” he joked.

  “Yes, he is. Luke, meet Othello. He’s the one who is going to be performing to your song.” she laughed as she walked over to her horse.

  Luke tentatively followed her, surprised that the animal still stood in the same spot. “Why doesn’t he go anywhere?”

  “He’s trained to ground tie. That means that when his reins are on the ground, he’s supposed to stay put.”

  “That’s incredible.” He reached up and touched the powerful neck, the muscles quivering under his touch.

  “It’s critical when you’re dealing with cattle. You never know when you have to get off in a hurry to pull a calf, help a trapped cow, or even if you fall off. You don’t want your mode of transportation running away.” she explained.

  “I didn’t know you had cows.”

  “I don’t. My dad is a rancher. He has about five thousand head of Angus but when you grow up that way, it’s really ingrained into your head so all of my horses are trained to ground tie.” She gathered the reins and patted Othello on the neck. “I’ll just cool him down and we can go into the house.”

  She quickly unsaddled the stallion, put his halter on and put him on the hot walker. The gears groaned slightly as it began to move in a circle, walking the big animal as he cooled down. While he walked, she quickly moved through the barn to feed the other horses and put her tack away.

  Luke stood back and watched her as she moved from one stall to another, feeding, petting and talking to each animal. He could see how much she enjoyed being there, it was obvious she was in her own element and he felt his first pang of guilt as he realized how much out of her comfort zone she’d been when she had flown to New York to watch his concert. Maybe it had been too much for her and that’s why she had fled.

  She raced through her chores, worrying that Luke was bored and would soon say that he needed to leave. Having seen his life, first hand, she couldn’t imagine that hers was very appealing. She was surprised when, as she was leading Othello back to his stall, Luke walked along side.

  “So can you introduce me to all of your kids?”

  “Oh my gosh.” she thought to herself. “ I’m in trouble. He’s going to make me fall in love with him even more than I already am.”

  After Othello was in his stall, they walked to each stall as she named each horse and gave it’s background. She tried to keep it as simple as she could and move on but he stayed at each stall, petting the velvety muzzles and asking questions. When they reached the last stall and he loved on the last horse, she watching him, taking in his gentle nature.

  He turned and looked at her, smiling. “I can see why you love it so much. They are beautiful creatures.”

  She leaned over and kissed him, overwhelmed by her emotions. “Thank you.” Aware she probably smelled like horse, sweat and hay, she pulled back and took his hand. “Let me take a shower and I’ll make us dinner if you’re hungry.”

  “I would love that.”

  Her twenty-four hundred square foot home wasn’t as extravagant or expensive as his but she loved it. It was a brick ranch with a walk-out basement, a large deck wrapped around the front, overlooking her barn and her pastures. The dirt road wound it’s way up the property, first turning into the barn, then continuing on up to the house. There were tall stairs leading up to the deck with a landing mid-way, creating an L shaped structure. The sliding glass door leading into the basement she used during the winter months when the snow and ice built up dangerously on the stairs but during the summer months, she enjoyed the climb, knowing that when she reached the top, she could oversee her land and everything she had built. The back of the house back
ed up to an aspen grove that sheltered the house from the cold, northern winds and blinding snow, while providing cool shade and sweet earthly smells in the summer.

  The interior was warm and inviting, with beige, soft blues and occasional moss greens. Everything, furniture and paintings alike, were bought with the intention of creating a cozy and embracing atmosphere. She knew she had succeeded, visitors often commenting on how at home they felt.

  Her bedroom was the only room in the house that was unadorned and sparse. Kip had always complained that her house was always that, her house and that he felt like a roommate as opposed to her husband so she had told him that he could decorate their bedroom anyway that he liked. He never decorated it, white walls were bare and a simple, gray comforter covered the king sized bed. Off the bedroom was a large bathroom that had her favorite feature of the house, a large walk in shower with two shower heads. There were many nights after doing chores in the bitter cold that she stood in the steaming heat, allowing the water to warm her body as it flowed over her.

  She wasn’t going to take the time to enjoy it tonight. She had left Luke in the living room with a glass of wine while she excused herself to take a shower. She flipped through her dresser, picking out the cutest undergarments she had and threw them on her bed. She would figure out what she would wear while she was in the shower. Not wanting to keep him waiting, she soaped and shaved as quickly as possible, nicking both of her knees. After she rinsed her hair, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped a large towel around her body. Blindly racing out of the bath, she started flicking through the clothes in her closet. She spun around, grasping her towel at her breasts when she heard Luke clear his throat. He was standing next to her bed, staring at her with a sultry look on his face.