Last One to Know

by Sharon Coady

  “I don’t know why he ran either. He told me this summer was do or die for him. It looks like I might have tipped him over the edge.” She paused, trying to gather her courage. “We have our first real gig coming up Friday, I have to think about that.”

  “Oh Leona, you don’t have to pretend with me. Your mother has hurt you deeply and now this has caused a rift between you and John. I know you.”

  “What more do you want me to say? You already know everything that has happened to me—or that I’ve allowed to happen.” Leona turned from Hope as tears spilled and ran down her face.

  “Leona, look at me.” Hope placed her hands on her face and gently tugged so Leona turned and watched her. “There is no shame in crying. We cry for many reasons: sadness, happiness, love, and loss. How would we ever have any rainbows in our lives if we didn’t cry?”

  Leona sniffled while attempting to stem the flow of her traitorous tears. She hated crying. It made her feel weak, and she didn’t want her friends to see that.

  “You never acted upon your feelings for John until recently and it was good, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah, for the first time in my life, I felt complete. I felt I was getting everything I wanted. But one damn phone call from her, and I fell right back into her grip.”

  “No, you went home to make sure your dad was all right. John ran before you had a chance to know what was happening. I don’t know why he made such a rash decision. But he’s human. Just like you and me, he makes mistakes.” She stood and smiled at Leona. “Come on, let’s go and spend some time with everyone and have a nice evening.” She grabbed Leona’s hand and pulled her off the bed. “Splash some water on your face. I have a surprise for you.”

  They walked into the dining room; everyone stood in front of the table, grinning like total fools. “What’s going on?”

  Hope clapped her hands and laughed as everyone side stepped and pointed to the table. There was their favorite game set up, waiting for them to play. Country Music SongBurst had been a favorite of hers for years.

  “I thought this game was lost. Where did you find it?”

  “I took it home the last time we played because your mother was throwing it out. John rescued it from the trash and I stole it.” Heather had a huge grin on her face and her hands on her hips, waiting for someone to say something about her stealing it.

  “I always wondered what happened to it. She threw it away? She just didn’t want me to have anything to do with music, did she?” Leona’s voice quivered.

  “No, she didn’t, but it didn’t work. Look at you and Alastair. You have four paid shows with a contract. That is amazing. Who knows where y’all are going.” Hope was wiggling around from her excitement.

  ~~~

  John sat on his sofa, going over in his mind everything Leo had said. Did she really want to be just friends? How could they go back to being just friends? How could she even suggest it? Damn, he shouldn’t have ever left. What the hell was I thinking?

  Picking up his phone, he sent a text to Alastair. How is she? Has she asked about me? Should I come back?

  He paced and watched the minutes tick by on the clock. Maybe the text didn’t go through. He picked up the phone and checked again to see if anything had come back from him. Nothing. Hey, did you get my text? Don’t leave me hanging here.

  Not leaving you hanging, busy with everyone. Don’t know why you ran but it was wrong. Love allows for mistakes, love is patient. That goes for both of you. Telling her the same thing. Think about it, John. You helped make her strong. She thinks she can do it, and I think she’ll be fine. But will you? You need to suck it up and get your ass back here. You two are good together. Don’t let yourself down.

  He sat staring at the screen of his phone and re-reading the text. Yeah, he screwed up. He never should have walked away. What type of person does that make me? Time to suck it up and get his ass back to support her. Alistair was right. That is, if she’ll have me back.

  “Grow the hell up, John. Go back to her, beg her forgiveness, and be the man she deserves. Eat crow as they say.”

  John packed his bags, put everything away, grabbed his keys, and headed back to Leona, his heart heavy but full of hope. The drive gave him time to think about what he was going to say to her. An apology would be the first thing. He pushed his Bluetooth, “Call Alastair.”

  “What’s up?” Alastair asked as soon as he picked up the phone. John could hear laughter in the background.

  “On my way back so I can apologize to her for being the world’s biggest ass. What are you doing?”

  “We’re playing SongBurst and having a blast.”

  “SongBurst! No way. Heather kept that game all these years?”

  “Yep. She told Leona that you rescued it when her mom tossed it away, and then you gave it to her to keep safe. Heather told me last night she was hoping we would all get together and play it for old time’s sake. But back to the reason you called. You need to explain to Leona why you left. She doesn’t understand it. Hell none of us do.”

  “Shit Alastair, I don’t know why the hell I did what I did. I got scared and I ran. Pretty stupid to do to someone you love I know but I did it. I can’t undo it. I can only explain and go forward from here.”

  “Why don’t you stay with Hope and me tonight? That way we can talk.”

  “Is there a reason why I shouldn’t just go on to the cottage and talk with her tonight?”

  “Yeah, she’s exhausted, and we practiced all day. Hope and I are about to leave, and she said she was getting ready to go to bed. I’ll make sure it happens tomorrow. She doesn’t need you to wake her up.”

  “Shit, you’re right. I’ll just meet you guys at the hotel. Thanks for taking care of her for me.”

  Alastair laughed a big, booming laugh. “That girl doesn’t need taking care of, John. She’s got this, always has. She just had to get the courage to stand on her own two feet. You made her see that. You should be proud of her.”

  “Thanks.” John hung up the phone as he thought about what Alastair had said. Leo always did have it in her to take care of herself. He just needed to make her see they still had a chance. Not because she needed him but because she wanted him. His heart stuttered for a moment. What if she didn’t want him anymore? He had been a coward. He might have screwed up the best thing in his life. He had a few hours to think of what to say to her, to explain what happened and how he felt about her.

  He thought about calling Heather but didn’t. He didn’t need a lecture or to be told what to do. This was between Leo and him. Alastair was the one constant between the two of them, the one that had a head on his shoulders. He would spend the morning talking to Alastair, and then go see her. Once they talked, he would pray they could work it out together.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  John knocked lightly on the hotel room door.

  Alastair opened it with a finger to his lips. “She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago. She’s pretty upset. Thinks it’s her fault all this happened.” He moved to the side, motioning for John to come in. “Glad you made it safe. You look like shit, man.” He pulled John into a hug.

  “Thanks. I feel like shit. I don’t know what I’m going to do if she doesn’t want me back.” Listening to himself, he realized how weak and foolish he must sound to Alastair. Great, where was the manliness in that?

  “Hey John, this isn’t you. Pull your shit together. You sound like a little girl. What the hell?”

  “I can’t lose her. She’s my life, always has been. You said she’d be fine if I didn’t come back. I don’t think I will. I can’t imagine my life without her in it, and I don’t want to be just her friend anymore.”

  “I understand, I do. But you ran away when she needed you to be there the most. Do you know what that did to her? It shocked all of us that you left. If you remember, I told you not to go, to let her find out what was going on.”

  “Nothing like kicking me in the balls when I’m down.” He sat down hard,
a knot forming in his stomach. “What can I do? Can you talk to her for me?”

  Alastair’s mouth turned up in a half smile. “John, she loves you. She wants you to come back on your own because you love her not because she begs you. She’s determined to make this work on her own, without leaning on anyone but herself. I think she needs to prove to herself that she can do it.”

  “So do I talk to her tomorrow or wait until after the show Friday? I don’t want to upset her or cause her any stress.”

  “That’s totally up to you. Unless you are asking my opinion and you really want it.” Alastair sat back and folded his arms over his chest, apparently waiting for John to take in everything he’d said. “Take your time and sleep on it tonight if you want. Things might look clearer after a good night’s sleep.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll do just that. Where can I bunk?”

  “You can sleep in the other room, we aren’t using it.” He grinned. “You guys will make the right choice,” he added.

  “Thanks. I don’t know if what’s right for me is right for her anymore. I want her to be happy but damn, I don’t want to lose her. I love her too much to do that.”

  “You guys are two of my best friends, and I can’t imagine either of you not being in my life or each other’s lives. Now, get some rest.”

  “Night, Alastair.”

  “Good night, John.”

  John lay awake for a long time thinking about what Alastair had said. He should have listened to him before he took off like he did. Maybe he should have gone with her. At least that way, he would have been there to help her when she saw the person her mother really was.

  How would he have felt if she had done this to him? He knew he would be mad and expect one hell of an apology. He was going to have to figure out a way to explain to her, something he couldn’t even explain to himself. He’d run it past Alastair in the morning to see if he could explain it so it made sense, or at the very least, was understandable. Maybe he would be able to help him get the right words.

  When he felt himself start to drift off, his last conscious thought was of her.

  ~~~

  Heather sat with Leona once everyone left.

  “You know, you don’t have to pretend with me.”

  “I’m not going to beg him, Heather. He was hurt, I understand that. But I have to prove to myself that I can stand on my own two feet.” She looked out the window into the inky blackness beyond before turning back to Heather. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You know it.” Heather took her hand.

  “Do you think he’ll come back?” She raised a brow and looked into her eyes.

  “Oh, Leona. I do. Come on, this is John we’re talking about.”

  She studied Heather’s reaction and saw nothing but truth in her eyes. “You don’t think I’ve ruined everything?”

  “I can’t answer that honey, only he can. Knowing John, he’ll apologize and all will be right again. Now, can I ask you something and will you tell me the truth?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why did you really get together with John now? What made you decide this summer was the time?”

  “Why do you want to know?” Leona asked cautiously.

  “Because I want to make sure it happened for the right reasons. Not because I’m an ass and teased you forever about being a virgin. I would feel awful if I caused you to do something you didn’t want to do.”

  Leona felt her jaw drop. “What?” She blinked for a moment, completely at a loss of what to say before her senses came back. “No, I didn’t. It honestly just felt right for it to happen. I wasn’t thinking about you or anyone else. I was only thinking of Johnny and me.”

  “I’m so sorry I’ve been such a nag about it, it really was none of my business. John was really hurt when you got out of the car and left, not looking back. If you had seen the look I saw on his face. It was like something broke inside him. I think that’s part of why he ran.” She leaned forward and hugged Leona. Heather stood and walked towards the door. “I hope you guys get it worked out.”

  “Thanks, Heather. Me, too.”

  “Get some sleep. I can’t have you looking like crap for the show Friday. You know you’ll have bags under your eyes for days.” She closed the door behind her.

  Leona lay awake for a very long time that night, thinking about Johnny and her life. She felt she and Alistair were on the cusp of something amazing. She knew she had Johnny to partly thank for it.

  She owed him a big apology for not listening and leaving anyway. But when she had called him to say she was sorry, his voice sounded hollow, as if forcing himself to talk to her. Her mother had ruined so much with that one call. Why hadn’t she just listened to her friends?

  She rolled over and pulled up the covers, willing herself to get some sleep. She couldn’t look like hell for the show Friday night. She needed to get her head on straight if she was going to try to talk to him tomorrow; she owed him that. She had to try again. As she drifted off, her last thoughts were of Johnny. That night she dreamed of him and a song filled her mind. She heard the melody as she watched him trying to walk away from her, and she sang to him as if her life depended on it.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  A soft rapping on the bedroom door woke Leona. Rolling over, she glanced at the clock to see it was eight-thirty. Throwing her arm over her eyes, she lay back down and groaned. Please go away. The rapping got a little louder.

  “Leona, are you up? Come on, I have something to show you.”

  “Come in, Heather,” she called. “What in the world is so important that you had to wake me up? Ugh, you know I didn’t get to sleep until late.”

  “I know, but you really have to see this. Come on, sleepy head.” Heather eyes twinkled as she tugged on Leona’s hand.

  Leona threw the covers off and got out of bed. “Can I use the bathroom first?”

  “Yes but hurry up. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” She hurried out the door, calling over her shoulder, “Hurry up. Leona.”

  What in the world has her so wound up this early? After she used the restroom and grabbed her robe, she made her way to the kitchen. Sebastian was grinning from ear to ear.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Leona, turn around and look at the TV.” Sebastian grinned even bigger.

  “TV? When did you get a TV, Heather?”

  “That’s not what the surprise is.” Heather put her hands on Leona’s shoulders and turned her around as Sebastian hit play.

  There on the screen was Hark, talking to a news reporter. “Yes, the show is tomorrow night at eight. This is one of the most exciting duos we have ever had in this town. They’re out of Texas and bring country music at its best.”

  The reporter nodded her head. “I hear you discovered them at one of your open mic nights recently?”

  “Yes, lucky for me. McCoy and Wilson agreed to four shows exclusively for my club. We are going to be in for the ride of our lives with this duo. There is something special about them, one of those magical combinations. But hey, don’t take my word for it, come on out tomorrow night and hear for yourself.”

  “Thank you. That was our interview with Hark Larson, one of the owners of the Cove Nightclub on Main Street. He’s predicting the new country ,duo McCoy and Wilson, will be the next breakout group. Jim, I know I’m going to be checking them out.”

  The picture paused. Leona stood frozen in place, her jaw hanging open. “What the hell was that?”

  Heather squealed and grabbed her up into a big hug. “Aren’t you excited? He thinks you guys are the next big act.”

  “I don’t get it. Why did they interview Hark? Is his club more famous than we knew? Why is he making it sound like we are an important band?” Her mind was working overtime. She needed to call Johnny. Maybe he would have some insight into this. Wait, she couldn’t call Johnny. They weren’t speaking, or were they? He was their lawyer, so it should be okay for her to call him. Well, she could call Alastair and have h
im call Johnny.

  “Earth to Leona. Aren’t you excited?”

  “Yeah, this is a good thing. You guys just got some airtime before you’ve done your first show. Aren’t you excited?” Sebastian put his arm around Heather.

  “I don’t know how I feel about it. Shouldn’t he have told us he was doing the interview? I think we need to talk to Johnny and ask him. He has experience with this type of thing.”

  Heather grinned, a knowing look on her face. “You’re going to call John? That’s good.”

  “Actually, I’ll ask Alastair to talk to him. I don’t know if Johnny is speaking to me or not.” Leona watched the smile slide off Heather’s lips.

  “You really think he wouldn’t talk to you?” She shook her head. “This is the perfect excuse.”

  “I don’t want an excuse. When I call Alastair and he speaks to him, Johnny can pick up the phone and call me if he wants to talk.”

  “Oh my God, Leona!”

  Leona felt the anger surge through her. “I’m not trying to be mean Heather. I’m trying to be understanding and give him space!”

  “I give up. But don’t let your stubborn pride ruin everything.” She threw her hands up into the air. “I’m done trying to figure you out for the day.”

  “Oh come on Heather...”

  “Just go call Alastair. Maybe he can talk some sense into you.”

  Leona started to say something but Sebastian held up his hand. “I think you two need a break from each other right now. Maybe you should just go call Alistair.” His hand was moving in small circles on her back as her shoulders shook.

  She turned and walked out of the room. She grabbed her phone and dialed Alastair’s number, praying he would answer and not Hope. He picked up just as she was getting ready to hang up.

  “Did you see the local news this morning?”

  “Good morning, Leona. I’m fine. How are you this morning?”

  “Sorry Alastair, good morning. I’m fine.” She sighed. “Now, did you watch the news this morning?”