by Lisa Smartt
Dave kissed Collin’s cheek and hugged him close. Ashley wanted Dave to kiss her and hug her close. Okay. That’s just my guess. I’m not saying I know for sure. But I am pretty perceptive.
We all filed into the basement where we could watch from the nursery window as Dave and Ashley attempted their getaway. Jerry Conner prepared to walk out the door first explaining to Ashley that nothing could happen to her because he had a gun and he knew how to use it. Uncle Bart rolled his eyes exactly the way Andy Griffith rolled his eyes when Barney shot himself in the foot. Dave put his arm around Ashley and said with an adventurous smile, “You ready to make a run for it?”
She grinned. “Absolutely. I mean, what could happen?” She winked at Dave and said with a smirk, “We’ve got a law man right here.” And there went Jerry Conner’s chest. Thanks, Ashley. He’ll be telling this at the barber shop for the rest of his life like he saved you from a gang of armed thugs.
Dave and Ashley held up their hands and ran toward the truck. Dave opened the driver’s side door and helped her in. She scooted over and he quickly followed and closed the door as reporters started banging on the window and asking about her reported one-night stand with Dan Dubois. A few people followed them for ten minutes but eventually gave up the chase. We figured out what had made such a big difference between the shower yesterday and today’s Sunday service. Yesterday it was only local folks who knew she was here. They were real fans, not paparazzi. But when those fans posted pictures on Facebook, word spread and the vultures came out.
Chapter 15 DAVE: Beauty and the Brawler
It was almost three hours to the Nashville Airport. Rain was starting to fall and the temps were dropping. Ashley seemed tired and disturbed by what happened at the church. Me? I was happy to be alone with her. Happy and terrified.
“Is the temp okay? I mean, we can adjust this if you want it to be cooler. Or warmer.”
She smiled and said, “No. I’m fine.” She took off her jacket and laid it in the seat between us. Her hands were beautiful. Perfect nails and beautiful long fingers. I noticed she was wearing a large gold class ring with an ugly green starburst stone in the middle.
“Is that your college ring?”
She smiled as she looked down at the ring. “Don’t I wish. I never went to college. I started working at my dad’s grocery right out of high school, doing the books and stuff. I always thought I’d go to college someday, but no, I never did.”
It started raining harder and I turned the wipers on faster while I searched for the right words. “College isn’t for everybody. And who knows? You may still manage to do alright in life.”
We both laughed. Entertainment Weekly had just reported she’d signed a seven million dollar contract for a romantic period film to be set in Ireland. And here she was. In the truck seat next to me. “So that’s your high school ring then? You’re a famous movie star who still wears her high school ring? That must be the reason everybody likes you. You’re a movie star and a commoner all at the same time.”
She kept staring at it like it had its own story to tell. “No. It’s not mine. I mean, not really.” She rubbed her fingers over the stone then looked at me. “It was my husband’s.”
“Oh, I didn’t know, that you were married or that…well, anyway I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind talking about it. Well, unless you’re a reporter. Are you a reporter disguising yourself as a small town loan officer?” She laughed. “Cause if you are, well, just dump me out on the side of the road right here.”
I smiled, “In the rain?”
“Better to be soaking wet than to have lost all sense of privacy.”
“I’m afraid you’ve already lost all sense of privacy. You’re carrying twins, remember?”
She was more relaxed now and said with a smile, “Oh yeah, how could I forget something as important as that?”
“I can’t believe the media hasn’t reported that you were married. Everyone just keeps saying you’re single, that you’ve never been married.”
“Good. Let’s leave it that way. It was a long time ago, for a very short time. Most people in Florence don’t even know. I was eighteen. So was he. We didn’t have a wedding at a church with family or anything. Just drove to Birmingham on my eighteenth birthday and got married at city hall. March 9th of our senior year, the Saturday before spring break. We crafted this big plan, didn’t tell a soul.”
She chuckled pleasantly and raised her eyebrows, “We wanted to be together, y’know? But we both agreed we should be married. We knew our parents would throw a fit if we told them we wanted to have a wedding before we’d even graduated from high school. So we called my parents from Birmingham after we were already married. We were right about the fit. Daddy wanted to kill Cliff. Threatened to come down to Birmingham and do it too. But then Cliff got on the phone and I still remember the exact words he told my dad.” She smiled and looked out the rain-soaked window as though she were experiencing memories of a favorite Christmas. “We were parked at this dinky gas station and I can still see the kind expression on his face. He said, ‘Mr. Harrison, I would never disrespect your daughter. Ever. I would never do anything to hurt her. I didn’t want her to just be my first…I wanted her to be my last.’” Ashley looked at me. She had a tear in her eye but she didn’t look sad. Her brown eyes looked hopeful. Beautiful. “I mean, what could Daddy say to that, right? We went to Pensacola for four days with some money he’d made hauling hay. The hotel was small, roach-infested. It rained the whole time.” She looked back out the passenger side window and smiled. “We were young and stupid and I can see why Daddy was so torn up. I certainly wouldn’t recommend our course of action. But even looking back on it, I’m not embarrassed to say it was…it was wonderful.”
“And?”
“And we came back home and decided we would still live with our parents until graduation. That we just wouldn’t tell anyone until summer. We graduated June 2nd. His uncle offered him a job, a good job, working offshore oil down near Mobile. So we made a plan. He’d go down and work two straight months, make some good money. Then he’d come home on August 12th. We’d have a wedding at the church on August 13th. Then both of us would move to Mobile and live happily ever after.”
“But something happened to the happily ever after part.”
“Right. There was an accident on the rig. Aug. 6th, one week before the wedding.” She looked at the ring again. “Mama later asked me if I was sorry I married him in such a rush, without a wedding ring, without all the fanfare. I wasn’t sorry.” She paused and looked into my eyes. “I’m still not sorry.”
“I understand. Believe me.”
She touched my arm so gently but it was like a lightning bolt hit my body. Her beautiful hand rested on my forearm. She said in an almost whisper, “I know you do. And I’m sorry you understand. I wish you didn’t…I wish I didn’t.”
I moved my arm a bit and she retreated. When she took away her hand, I felt this odd sense of loss. So I did something so unlike me. I reached over and took her hand in mine. I never even looked at her. I just kept looking ahead like the weather required my complete attention. I waited a few brief seconds to see if she was willing. She scooted closer and I could feel her grasp my hand tighter. I said the only thing I could think to say, “Well, I hate to change the subject but I figure you must be getting hungry. There’s a little diner up here at Parker’s Crossroads that I like. It’s just country food. Is that okay with you? I don’t think anyone will bother you. And if they do, we can leave. We’ll just go through a drive-thru somewhere.”
She smiled and said, “I’m game.”
Chapter 16 DAVE: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Divas
We pulled into the diner parking lot which was starting to thin out because the Sunday dinner crowd had mostly come and gone. Well, everybody except the truck drivers and the Pentecostals.
I let go of Ashley’s hand. She quickly applied some kind of cherry smelling ChapStick or
lip gloss and all I could think about was grabbing her face and kissing her. “Look, if things go wrong in there, we’ll just come out, okay? Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”
She reached for my hand. “I believe you.”
I was pleasantly surprised that no one inside seemed to recognize her. A chubby older woman seated us at a booth near the front door and said, “Aren’t you two just the cutest? I bet you’ve been in church today.”
She handed us two menus and I said, “Yes, ma’am.”
Ashley ordered a green salad, no dressing, and a piece of grilled chicken. I ordered the fried chicken dinner with an extra roll and extra butter.
She frowned. “You can eat like that? And look like…well, that?” She pointed at me. Then she pointed at herself. “And me? I’ve got to lose another fifteen pounds before we start shooting in three weeks.”
“Why? That seems silly, if you ask me. You look great.” She looked better than great. Long brown hair. Warm smile. Friendly brown eyes. “Why is Hollywood so stupid about that? About weight?”
“To quote my grandma, ‘It is what it is.’ If I don’t wanna play by the rules, I can get out of the game. And I don’t want out of the game, not yet anyway. I’m just getting started.”
When the young waitress brought our plates, she looked at us a bit longer than usual. I ignored her look and thanked her profusely.
I knew Ashley was leaving for Ireland next week. It had been in all the Oscar news stories, that she was co-starring with Blake Blanton in a period romance that had all the girls swooning. All of it made me feel sick at my stomach. This little thing, this thing where we’re sitting at a diner in Parker’s Crossroads, this thing where I hold her hand and electricity shoots through my body…it’s all temporary. It’s all just a trip to the Nashville Airport so Ashley can fly to LA and become Ashley Harrison again. Ashley, the millionaire, the movie star. And then I, well, I drive back to Sharon, Tennessee, where I walk into a rent house that has a leaky roof, hug my son, carry poopy diapers in a Wal-Mart bag to the green trash can out back, wake up early the next morning, go to work, and pretend my brush with a movie star never even happened.
Ashley looked up from her salad and said, “So tell me about the drinking.”
“Pardon me?”
“You know. The drinking. Last night. I knew there was a reason Doug stayed at your place. When Carlie came home alone, she had to tell me the truth.” She looked straight into my eyes and touched my hand. “You and me, we’re friends, right? I ought to be able to ask and you ought to be able to tell me.”
“I did something stupid.”
“This stupid thing…is it a regular activity or was it a one-time deal? You might as well tell the truth. I’m blessed with a God-awful truth detector. Seriously. I’m gifted.” She chuckled and drank some water.
“It wasn’t the first time, if that’s what you mean. When Shannon first died, I got in the habit of drinking myself to sleep. Unfortunately, my parents treated it like normal. You know, poor young widower dad just trying to survive. They shoulda called me on it. But when Collin and I moved to Sharon and started living on our own, it was time to stop. It had been six months since she died. I had a full time job. No more excuses, y’know?”
“Yeah. What is it John Maxwell says? ‘You can’t grow from the position of an excuse.’”
“He’s right. I didn’t tell anyone what I was doing and that was the problem. When I was a pastor, my common counsel was, ‘Don’t go it alone.’ You know, surround yourself with people who will be involved in your life and shoot straight with you. But I didn’t. I had people in my life but I didn’t tell them the truth.”
“Doug and Carlie didn’t know?”
“No. They probably didn’t know I drank at all. So, no. No one knew about the first six months. I mean, they knew I was sad. But not about the other.”
“And you’re avoiding the question.”
“The question?”
“This drunken stupor thing. Is it a regular activity? That was the question.”
“I drank too much on her birthday, Shannon’s birthday. That was two weeks ago. Doug and Carlie were out of town. A few other times. And then…last night. It was stupid. Bad memories of some bad choices. And avoiding…y’know, avoiding stuff. But really. No excuses.”
“Avoiding what stuff?”
I chuckled, “Are you moonlighting as a counselor? Forget being a movie star. You’ve got a future in counseling. Well, that or criminal interrogation.”
She pushed away her mostly uneaten salad and smiled. “I’m being a friend. How’s that?”
I said quietly, “Avoiding you, Ashley.” Her eyes met mine and I saw kindness there and I continued. “Avoiding you.”
She smiled. “Am I really that bad?”
I looked down at the plate I hadn’t touched. “I don’t know. According to Dan Dubois and the rest of the world, you’re pretty amazing.”
“Dan Dubois is a philandering know-it-all. So I wouldn’t go by his opinion. But yes, I am pretty amazing.”
We both laughed. I took a big drink of sweet tea and said, “So Carlie was making a big deal about you coming to town for Dusty and Clara’s shower. I knew she wanted me to put on my best behavior, make a move. But I couldn’t. I sabotaged myself. Y’know, tried to seal my fate. I wasn’t just a lonely widower in a rent house. I was a drunk who didn’t even bother to show up for Dusty and Clara’s party. And you’d never go for someone like that. And you shouldn’t.”
Before Ashley could speak, a tall man in his early 20’s approached our table and removed his ball cap. “Pardon me, ma’am. But aren’t you the girl from that movie, that funny movie?”
She smiled and put out her hand to shake his. “Yes, I’m Ashley.”
“Whew, now this here’s a shock. I mean, I never thought a woman like you’d be in Parker’s Crossroads. Could I have my picture made with ya? My family, they won’t believe it. They won’t.” As he touched her shoulder his words slurred a bit, “Oh, and I’d take a kiss too, if you’ve got one. That or something else.” He laughed. “Yeah, I’d definitely take somethin’ else. But don’t worry. I’m not like those Hollywood guys. I like my women nice and meaty.”
I looked up at the young man and said, “Look, she’s had quite a day and she’s just trying to eat her lunch. Why don’t you leave her alone right now and let her eat, okay?”
He scowled, “I ain’t askin’ for trouble, just a picture. And she seems willing so it’s none of your business, right?”
“It’s my business to keep her safe. And to make sure she eats.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, if I can’t get a picture, maybe I can get a little hug.” He reached over and grabbed Ashley’s arm, “That’s okay, right? Just a hug for a fan?”
She pulled away and nervously said, “Dave’s right. Maybe later. Uh, why don’t you come back when we’re done?”
“Cause I need to hit the road, that’s why. Just stand up and get one picture made with me. I ain’t gonna bite, well, unless you want me to.” He leaned over like he was going to kiss her. “And you look like the kind who’d want me to.”
That was it. I stood and lightly pushed the guy in the chest. “Look man, just go away. Don’t make this get ugly.”
He pushed back. “I’m not worried. You’re mighty skinny for a bodyguard. Must be her cousin or her brother. Too stupid lookin’ to be her boyfriend.”
I started to sit down and ignore his comments when a right hook came out of nowhere. Instinctively, I jumped up and threw him toward an old empty table which cracked open as he landed. He came back at me with a punch to the gut. Ashley was screaming and I heard an older woman’s voice yell, “Call 911.” I caught the guy in the face again and then in the nose. He hit me in the right eye and the room started spinning. I could see blood all over my hand and on the side of his face. I was dizzy and falling to the ground. I could hear Dolly Parton singing “9 to 5” on the juke box as an older man reached down and held my ar
ms behind me. The young man bent over a wooden chair and spit up a bunch of blood and then yelled, “I done nothin’! He’s a damn idiot!” The next thing I knew I was riding in the back of a patrol car in handcuffs along with my new friend who was also cuffed and spewing expletives. Ashley drove behind us in Doug’s truck.
For some odd reason, I looked out the window and vividly recalled the day I got married. It was sunny like today, only cooler. Shannon was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I wore an uncomfortable black tux but as she came down the aisle, I stopped caring about the scratchy collar. It was her. The way she walked. The way she smiled. Beautiful. She cried when I read my vows. I reached out to wipe her tears and she kissed my hand. And the honeymoon…bliss. The ecstasy of human experience. Moved from California to Tennessee to begin our big adventure. Bought a house. Dreamed big. On top of the world.
Now I was handcuffed and riding in the back seat of a patrol car with a foul-mouthed idiot kid who’d had a few drinks and just wanted to flirt with a movie star. My head was throbbing and my hand was bleeding. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Clearly we were never mighty in the first place.
Chapter 17 DAVE: Jailhouse Revelations
The deputy was nice. Sadly, to both of us. I thought he would read the riot act to the crazy young guy ‘cause he’d been drinking, but no. Evidently we were both considered brawlers. Brawlers at a country cookin’ diner in Parker’s Crossroads.
An EMT met us at the station and bandaged my hand and his head. The young guy was still talkin’ trash and the deputy finally asked him to be quiet. We showed our IDs and gave our statements. Ashley was drinking coffee with the older woman at the front desk while we were being questioned behind a clear glass divider. The woman must have said something funny, because Ashley smiled really big and patted her on the hand. Her smile was captivating. So was her body. Hollywood writers ridiculed her. But they were crazy. My head was hurting and still I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. I’d met other beautiful women, even since Shannon’s death. But they didn’t have presence. It wasn’t the fame. It wasn’t even the thought that I couldn’t have her that made me want her. It was the kind way she spoke to her daddy about barbecue ribs at Doug and Carlie’s Fourth of July picnic, the way she wore a cheap dress to the Oscars and still looked radiant, the way she said, “I’m just honored to be here.” Except she meant it. The way she spoke to fans like they were friends. The way she worked in a diner once and talked about it with reverence rather than disgust.