Every Good Cowboy Deserves A Second Chance

by Maggie Miller

  “In that case, will you come to one of my concerts then? I need to see you. Even if it’s just one night. I need you here with me, Ginny. You don’t know how much. Please, I’m begging you. You wouldn’t need to buy any fancy clothes for a concert so you can’t use that as an excuse. What you’re wearing right now would be just fine. Shorts and one of my old t-shirts. Though you might need to put on some shoes. Your pretty bare toes might get stomped on in the rowdy crowd. And your hair is perfect just the way it is, soft and tumbling over your shoulders.”

  I hold my breath, hoping she’ll agree. Indecision crosses her face. I wait for her to tell me that I can always come back home if I want to see her so bad. That my family needs me back in Sweet Rose Canyon too. Instead she surprises me by nodding and smiling back at me. My mood lifts immediately.

  “I can fly to Orlando this weekend for your concert there,” she says. “I’m sure I can get the time off considering how much overtime I’ve put in lately. My co-workers owe me big time. Will that work for your schedule or is another date better?”

  “It’ll more than work, sweetheart,” I say, grinning back at her. “I hope you’re not joking around with me. This is the best news I’ve heard in the longest time. I can’t wait for you to meet my band.”

  “If you want me to come, I will,” she says. “I miss you, Luke.”

  “I miss you too, sweetheart.”

  Her smile slowly drops and she glances down at her hands. “And besides, when I get there, we need to talk,” she says so softly I can barely hear her. When she looks back up at me, her blue eyes are filled with tears.

  Oh no…

  35

  Luke

  After my conversation with Ginny, I’m restless and full of anxiety. I can’t sit here by myself in the dark anymore replaying our conversation, wondering where I messed up and what I should’ve said to make things better. I scramble out of bed, grab a water out of the small refrigerator, and step off the bus into the arena’s dark parking lot.

  “Great show tonight, Luke!” One of the crew lifts his hand in greeting and calls out to me. He’s busy loading our musical instruments carefully into the underside of the bus.

  “Are we almost packed up and ready to go?” I ask him. “The band is still out. I should call them if you’re finished loading.”

  “It’ll be another hour or so, and then we’ll be on our way to Charleston,” he says. “They have fantastic shrimp and grits there, I’ve heard. Do you want to come out with the crew for dinner tomorrow night? Blow off some steam? You’ve been working yourself to death on this tour. We barely see you except on stage.”

  “I’d love to,” I say, taking another swig of my water. “Except Harry will probably have me booked solid once we get there. He never lets me out of his sight these days. Almost as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he gives me too much time away from him. If he had it his way, he’d put a black leather collar around my neck and keep me on a leash. Maybe one of you can bring me back a to-go plate.”

  “I’ll be glad to,” he says. “You’re the only reason my bills are being paid these days, Luke. It’s the least I can do for the star of the show. I’m grateful for my job.”

  “I’d appreciate it. Have you ever been to Charleston? I’ve heard it’s nice.”

  “Nope, have you?” he asks.

  “No, it’s just another city and another arena parking lot to me. After a while on tour they all look the same when the view is from the bus. Charleston, Memphis, St. Louis, Chicago. I can’t tell one from the other anymore. We could be playing in the same place every night and it wouldn’t make a difference.”

  “We’re not here for a grand tour of the world,” he says, grunting loudly while rearranging the equipment so it will all fit in the luggage compartment. “You know what I mean? It’s not as if you’re giving out travel tips on stage. You’re here to sing for your fans. That’s it. And the rest of us are here to make sure you sound the best you can up on stage. If we do that, who cares where we are? Once we’re old and retired, we can buy an RV and travel around with our old ladies to see the sites. When we don’t have anything better to do.”

  “That’s right,” I say. “We’ll have all the time in the world to do those things.”

  When he walks away, I lean back against the side of the bus and stare up at the night sky. Not a single star is visible due to the bright city skyline. Back on the ranch, every night sky is filled with glittering stars if the weather is clear. I took them for granted the same as everything else, until I began to forget the stars ever existed at all. One day I simply stopped searching for them. What has happened to me?

  Ginny was smart enough to see through my lies when I told her we’d have a blast if she came on tour with me. I was only saying things to convince her to join me because I couldn’t bear leaving her behind. I told her we’d travel and see the world together. The truth is, I’m not seeing the world. All I’m doing is seeing is the dirty back sides of arenas and smelling the exhaust from idling tour buses.

  This is no kind of life for her.

  I realize that now.

  A special woman like Ginny needs stability and family. A home where she can plant tiny seeds and watch them grow. She deserves much better. A life with roots and family.

  Maverick walks up and leans back against the tour bus beside me. “You’re mopey and depressed-looking for a guy who just blew the ceiling off a stadium filled with ninety thousand fans,” he says. “What’s making you so gloomy tonight?”

  “I talked to Ginny. She’s flying out this weekend for our show in Orlando.”

  “No wonder you’re depressed!” Maverick chuckles and punches me on the shoulder. “I would be too. Having a girlfriend show up in the middle of a tour is a downer all the way around. Man, that sucks! You have my deepest sympathy.”

  “Not in my case,” I say. “I’m thrilled she’s coming for a visit. I miss her. It’s been five weeks since I was home.”

  “You sound serious,” he says, frowning at me. “What’s the issue then if you want her to come visit?”

  “She said we needed to have a talk.”

  “Oh no,” he says. “That can’t be good. Nobody wants to hear the ‘we need to talk’ line from a woman. Those little chit-chats never end well. At least not in my experience.”

  “Thanks Maverick, you’re a big help,” I say. “I feel much better already. You’re a real confidence booster.”

  “Sorry about that,” he says. “I’m afraid I’m not much help when it comes to relationships or giving advice. Did you know I was engaged once?”

  “No, I didn’t.” I turn to get a better look at him to see if he’s joking. “For some reason, that surprises me. I can’t see you settling down to be a family man with a house, wife, and kids.”

  “I was prepared to be,” he replies. “At the time it sounded pretty good. I met her one night in a bar and fell head over heels in love.” He lets out a long sigh. “Darlene was her name and she was something else. Wild and free. Full of life. I spotted her dancing all by herself in the middle of a dance floor, not caring who was watching or if anyone was. I proposed a month after we met because I was terrified of losing her to some other guy. I knew I had a good thing with her even if we were both too young to get married. Other men would see it too.”

  “Why did you break up?”

  He waves a hand toward the arena and the tour bus. “All this is why,” he explains. “I was with another backup band at the time. We went on tour and I had to leave Darlene behind. Her family had a little restaurant in town, and they depended on her help. We tried keeping things together for a few months and just couldn’t. It ended on a bang, the same way it started.”

  “You cheated on her?”

  “No, believe it or not, I didn’t.” He leans his head back against the bus and closes his eyes for a moment before continuing. “There was no one particular reason why we ended it. I could name a million reasons why. Different time zones so we couldn’t ca
tch each other on the phone. Jealousy over what the other one might be doing. Or who they might be seeing.” He turns to look at me. “None of that mattered though. The honest truth is we didn’t want it bad enough. We could’ve made it work if we’d wanted it to. It was just easier to find excuses why not to try. We both took the easy way out. If there’s a will, there’s always a way. We just didn’t have enough will to work through the pain until we reached the other side. One night we had an explosive fight and that was it.”

  “It sounds to me as if you have regrets over not trying to keep it together with her,” I say. “I always thought you liked the wild tour life.”

  “I regret losing Darlene every day. If I had it all to do over again, things would be different. She was a ‘once in a lifetime’ gal. At the time, I thought there would be plenty of women to come along later who could easily take her place. After I’d sowed my wild oats and was ready to settle down. It turns out, I was flat-out wrong. She was one of a kind, and I messed up by letting her slip away. Regardless of what you might hear, good women aren’t a dime a dozen. They’re rare and priceless. The most precious thing you can ever have if you’re lucky enough.”

  He inspects his empty water bottle and tries to stifle a yawn with his hand. “There’s no need crying about it now,” he says. “What’s done is done. Now she’s married to another man with a couple of kids and I’m here with you. I’m heading on inside the bus to get some shuteye. I’m tired and ready to hit the sack. I’ll see you in the morning.” He claps me on the shoulder as he moves past me.

  “Goodnight,” I tell him.

  Maverick climbs up the steps of the tour bus, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  Where will I be in five years? Or ten? The thought of standing here by a tour bus with nothing but regrets leaves me ice cold.

  36

  Ginny

  I’m on my way to visit the ranch when a car suddenly stops in front of me to make a left turn. I reach over to the passenger seat of my car to make sure my freshly-made chicken casserole hasn’t spilled. Since Luke left, I’ve been doing my best to help Matthew out when I can, mostly by bringing the family home-cooked meals. That’s the one thing county women can be counted on to do when a family is in crisis; cook and deliver comfort food.

  For the past few weeks, Matthew has been having trouble getting his dad to eat anything besides junk food. I have a sneaking suspicion it’s because of what’s being offered to him. I wouldn’t be excited about frozen meals or takeout either.

  Once I started bringing an occasional meal of Charles’s old favorites to the house, his appetite picked right back up again. I’m glad to be able to help in a small way, and being around the family makes me feel closer to Luke. Sometimes when I walk into the kitchen, I can almost convince myself Luke is upstairs taking a shower or out in the barn stacking hay bales.

  Now that the construction on the house addition has started, the house is buzzing with activity. Luke hired a local construction company to complete the addition with a strict deadline in place. When I pull up in front of the house, I’m amazed at the number of construction workers hurrying around, carrying lumber, sawing, and hammering nails. Money makes things happen fast.

  I knock at the house front door and then walk right in. With the loud hammering going on, no one could hear my knocking anyway.

  “Anyone home?” I yell out.

  “In the kitchen!” Matthew yells back.

  Entering the kitchen, I find Matthew standing by the sink having a cup of coffee. “Someone is relaxed for a change,” I say in surprise.

  “A rare moment of solitude, believe me,” he says, chuckling. “It won’t last long.”

  “Where’s Lily?”

  “She’s at her first ever ballet class in town. They’ll be doing a ballet recital at the end of the month if you want to come. It should be fun. A stage full of four-year-old ballerinas twirling around will be a sight to see.”

  “Oh, ballet! That’s a girly activity for our little cowgirl.”

  “What can I say? She loves both cowboy boots and tutus. She’s been begging to learn to dance for months, and I’ve finally given in. The classes will give her more time away from the house too. I worry about her getting hurt with the construction going on. She’s a curious girl and is always picking up tools and getting into things she shouldn’t. Plus, she asks the workers a million questions when they’re here.”

  “I think ballet is a great idea.” I set the covered baking dish down on the counter. “I brought you dinner. It’s chicken casserole. I hope your dad likes it.”

  “Thanks, Ginny,” he replies with a grateful smile. “Dad will enjoy it, I’m sure. Mom used to make it a long time ago.”

  “How’s the construction project coming along?”

  “Great. The bathroom is almost finished, and it’s by far the hardest part. They’re working on the bedroom now. The addition will be bigger than I expected it to be, but Luke seemed to think we might need space for live-in caregivers too at some point. Luckily we have plenty of space on the side of the house to build.”

  “How is Charles handling the construction mess?” I ask. “It must be upsetting for him to see things torn up and strangers on the property.”

  “Fairly well, considering the noise,” Matthew replies. “It’s not an optimum situation having him here during the remodel. We didn’t have a choice. Luckily, the new caregiver keeps him busy most of the day when the construction workers are around. She takes him for long walks through the pastures or drives him into town. Sometimes she just sits with him and they watch game shows together. Having extra help with him has been a blessing. I think he’s enjoying her company and the extra attention.”

  “Do you hear much from Luke these days?” I ask. “He’s hard to reach. Our phone calls are getting further and further between.”

  “He’s kept in touch better than I expected him to. He texts me quite often instead of calling. He’s concerned about how Dad’s coping with the construction mess.” He lifts his coffee cup gratefully in my direction. “I’ve got you to thank for most of this. You convinced me to take Luke’s offer of money and to involve him in Dad’s care. I was going under doing everything on my own. I appreciate you speaking up and helping me to see the light. Only a true friend would be willing to tell me where I was screwing up.”

  “Don’t thank me,” I say. “Luke wanted to help. Sometimes it takes an outside person to see what a family needs the most. You were too close to the situation.”

  “You’re right. I was so stressed out I couldn’t see straight. Enough about me though. How are things going with you and Luke? Is everything okay?”

  “He’s flying me down to Orlando this weekend to see him in concert,” I say, unwilling to involve Matthew in our problems. He has enough on his plate. “Can you believe I’ve never been to one of his shows? I thought about it plenty of times over the years, but never made it happen. I guess I was afraid it would’ve made me feel weird to see the women throwing themselves at him.”

  “I’ve never been to one either,” Matthew says, a touch of sadness in his voice. “I feel bad about it too. I let him down by not showing him the support he deserves. Would it have killed me to take the time to see one concert? When he first hit it big, I was caught up with the problems in my own failed marriage, and then Lily came along. The next thing I knew Mom was sick and now Dad. I guess I always felt everyone else needed me more than Luke.”

  “That’s the funny thing about your brother,” I say. “He keeps things on the inside. If he needed you, you’d never know it. You’re both stubborn when it comes to asking for help or expressing feelings.”

  “He needs you,” Matthew says, giving me a pointed look. “To keep him grounded and on the right track in life. I hope whatever is going on between the two of you, that you can work it out. As far as we’re all concerned in this house, you’re part of this family and always have been. Dad and Lily feel the same as I do.”

  “Thank
you, Matthew. I feel the same way about all of you too.”

  He walks over to the kitchen table and picks up several of Lily’s drawings stacked into an untidy pile. “Take these to Luke,” he says, handing them to me. “Lily draws a new one for him every day. They’ll be up to the ceiling before long. She’s crazy about him.”

  Taking the drawings from him, I take time to carefully study each one. Lily’s scribbles always stick to one main theme: family. “Lily isn’t the only one who is crazy about Luke,” I say, fighting back tears. “I’ll let you know how things went when I get back from Orlando.”

  “For all of our sakes, I hope things work out for you two,” he says. “This family needs everyone to be together again.”

  37

  Ginny

  The short flight to Orlando is uneventful. Since I’ll only be gone a couple of nights, I packed everything into one carryon to keep from checking a suitcase. I don’t want to spend my limited time with Luke searching for lost luggage.

  Luke had told me he’d be stuck in rehearsals right up until the eight pm showtime. Since he’s unable to pick me up from the airport, he hired a limo service to deliver me straight to the arena. Once I arrive, I’m handed off smoothly to Janet, his personal assistant, who escorts me backstage. She chats non-stop while we navigate our way through the busy hallways.

  “Luke is excited you’re here,” she says to me. “If you need anything while in town, let me know. I’m here to take care of you.”

  “I will,” I say, hurrying to keep up with her. “Where are we going?”

  “Luke told me to bring you straight to him as soon as you arrive,” she says. “He’s on stage now, rehearsing with the band. You can watch from the side stage if you want.”