The Songwriter

by Jensen, A. P.

  “That’s what my mom says,” Peyton said.

  “Why don’t you ask your mommy how much men she dated before she married your dad.” When Peyton’s eyes went wide, Gwen decided it was time to change the subject. “Who wants ice cream?”

  They drove through the McDonalds drive thru and armed with food and ice cream, she drove the kids back to her parent’s house while the girls pestered Trey with questions and observations.

  “I looked you up on YouTube. Sometimes your pants are too tight,” Peyton said.

  Gwen choked on a fry and wheezed.

  “Uncle Trey, I saw you kissing another lady. You can’t kiss two girls at the same time,” Molly added.

  “I’m not kissing two girls. I’m kissing your Aunt Gwen.”

  “Aunt Gwen’s cool. She gives the best presents,” Abby chirped with her mouth full of ice cream.

  Ben, the only boy watched and listened to his cousins but didn’t say a word. Gwen told herself she needed to find time to talk to him. No one knew how much he knew about his mom or what he’d seen while in her custody. They all knew it wasn’t good and although he was talking more in Wade’s care, Ben didn’t act like other kids his age.

  “Papa says there’s land for Aunt Gwen to build her house. Maybe you and Aunt Gwen can build your house next to ours,” Molly said.

  Gwen was relieved to pull up to her parent’s house, which now had cars lining the street. She opened the back doors of the SUV and the girls ran out, rushing to put their bags down in their houses before they could go to Nana’s house. When Ben climbed out of the back, he smiled shyly at Trey and reached for Gwen who put him on her hip.

  “How was your day?” Gwen asked.

  “I like when you’re here,” he said.

  She frowned, sensing all wasn’t well. “Did something happen at school today?”

  Ben rested his head on her shoulder and said nothing. She stroked his hair as she walked into her parent’s house with Trey. Her parent’s house was filled with people milling and heading out back to the field where they were setting up a massive tent. Trey went out to help while Gwen greeted townsfolk and relatives. Mama rushed in looking flustered and excited.

  “Gwen, I’m going to make chili but I need more ingredients. Here’s a list,” Mama said, thrusting it into her hand.

  She could be gone for a year but the moment she was home, it was hectic helping with the kids, cooking, cleaning. It was like she never left.

  “Wanna come?” she asked Ben who nodded.

  She settled him back in the SUV and drove to the nearest store. He rode in the basket as she moved quickly through the aisles, stopping every now and then to chat with someone who saw her on TV or heard she was singing with Trey Phoenix. Everyone knew why she was home and half the town was expected at her parent’s party. She tossed the items in the basket and checked out.

  “This party’s gonna be huge!” Gwen said to Ben who watched her solemnly. “You like parties?”

  Ben shook his head and her heart dived to her stomach. There was fear on his face and she wondered what he saw in his mind that he never talked about. She stopped beside the SUV and paused to brush his hair back and kiss his cheek.

  “This party is going to be a nice party and your dad and I will be there the whole time,” Gwen said.

  Ben nodded and hugged her. She didn’t know what to say so she loaded up the car silently and when she turned back to grab Ben, she froze. He was gone. Instant panic filled her and she whirled in a circle and saw a woman with dark hair sprinting across the parking lot. Fear and fury gave her the speed she needed to step between the woman and her beat up Buick.

  Steph Carson, Ben’s mother was gaunt with sores on her face and neck. Her eyes were glazed and Gwen knew she was high on something. Gwen knew Steph was hurting Ben but he didn’t utter a sound as he looked up at his mom fearfully.

  “Give him to me,” Gwen said.

  “Screw you, Gwen. He’s my son.”

  “You lost custody,” Gwen snapped.

  Steph sneered as she looked her over. “I heard you came in with an entourage. Think you’re better than me?”

  “I think you’re high and you’re gonna be sorry if you don’t give him to me right now.”

  Steph laughed and tried to shove Gwen out of the way so she could put Ben in the car. When Gwen made a grab for the boy Steph backed away, holding Ben sideways like a duffel bag. Gwen tried the rational approach.

  “You need to sort out the details with Wade. I have nothing to do with this and I want to take him home safely.”

  “He’s my son! I should be able to see him whenever I want!” Steph raged.

  “Maybe if you weren’t on drugs, Wade would let you see him more often,” Gwen retorted.

  Steph’s mean eyes flashed before she shoved Gwen to the side and carelessly thrust Ben inside. Before Steph could get into the driver’s seat, Gwen swung her around and balled her fist and swung. She’d been in her fair share of fights while on the road and her aim was true. The punch caught Steph square on the jaw. She staggered into the door and slumped to the ground. Heart pounding, Gwen grabbed Ben who cried silently and clung to her.

  “I’m sorry baby,” Gwen whispered into his hair. “Your mom’s not a good person right now. Let me take you home to nana.”

  Gwen turned away from Steph and her heart sank. Steph wasn’t alone. Four of Steph’s sisters were crossing the parking lot and one of them cracked their knuckles menacingly. Gwen was pretty sure she wasn’t about to turn into a karate master in the next minute. She was in deep shit.

  An SUV squealed across the parking lot and nearly hit Gwen, who leapt out of the way just in time. At first Gwen thought it was a cop because the Carson sisters stopped their advance and began to swear. The driver’s door opened and a woman dressed in jeans and laced stiletto boots stepped onto the pavement. Regan Lee Hawking took in the scene in a single glance. She came over to Gwen and held her hands out for Ben. When Gwen hesitated, Regan Lee raised her brows.

  “Really?” Regan Lee said.

  Reluctantly, Gwen handed Ben over and Regan Lee smiled at the teary boy.

  “You must be the luckiest boy in the world, getting into all kinds of fun, huh?” Regan Lee said playfully.

  She opened the back door of the SUV and Gwen saw the most adorable boy grinning at them. He had bright green eyes and he chattered unintelligibly to Ben as Regan Lee boosted him onto the back seat of her SUV.

  “Watch my boy, okay, Ben? I need to talk to your aunts,” Regan Lee said and closed the door.

  Regan Lee’s heels clicked on the pavement as she stood beside Gwen and faced the Carson sisters. Silence descended and Gwen twitched nervously.

  “Don’t worry. My sister will bail us out. I texted her when I drove into the parking lot and saw these bitches,” Regan Lee said quietly.

  “Isn’t Missy married to a cop?” Gwen whispered.

  Regan Lee shrugged. “So what? Sisters before misters.”

  “This doesn’t concern you, Regan Lee,” one of the Carson sisters snarled.

  “Of course it does,” Regan Lee said with a patronizing smile. “You back up Steph like she’s Mother freaking Theresa. You should be trying to get her into rehab instead of protecting her.”

  “Don’t tell us what to do!” another sister chimed in.

  Regan Lee let out an impatient sound. “I’m done talking. I think it’s been too long since I kicked some ass. It’s been what, a little over a year since we got down?”

  The Carson sisters shifted nervously and none of them came forward. Something made Gwen turn around just in time to see Steph barreling towards them. Gwen shoved Regan Lee to the side just in time. Steph barreled past at full speed, tripped and scraped her face on the pavement. The Carson sisters leapt forward to help.

  “You get your sister clean or she’ll never see her son,” Gwen said grimly

  The oldest sister sneered. “This isn’t your business.”

  Rage made her s
tep forward so they were face to face. Yeah, she had to look up at this Carson sister and her right hand was useless, but she didn’t care. All she saw in her mind was the fear on Ben’s face.

  “Ben is my nephew and if you give a shit about him, you’ll do whatever you have to with Steph so you can have a relationship with him. My family isn’t going to put up with Carson bullshit. We’ll take you all to court if we think you’re endangering Ben.”

  “You ain’t gonna do shit.”

  Gwen was so pissed she was sure she would breathe fire any moment. She got into the other woman’s face and whispered, “Try me.”

  “Just because Steph is his mother doesn’t mean she can do whatever she wants to Ben. If you spent an hour with him, you’d see he’s terrified of her,” Regan Lee added.

  “That’s not true.”

  Talking with the Carson’s was useless and Gwen knew what she just experienced with them was a fraction of what Wade had been dealing with since Ben was born.

  “I’m taking Ben and if any of you tries to stop me, I’m calling the cops and my sisters,” Gwen snapped and strode to the SUV. She wasn’t sure if her sister’s had ever thrown a fist in their life but with their size, they could take the Carson sisters on.

  “Well said, Gwen. When you guys are ready to rumble, you know where to find me,” Regan Lee said with a smile and followed Gwen. “Get in. I’ll drive you to your car.”

  Gwen sat in the passenger seat and turned to look at Ben.

  “Don’t wanna go with her,” Ben mumbled.

  “You’re not. We’re going home, okay?” Gwen said, trying to keep her voice even when she wanted to rip Steph and her stupid sisters to pieces.

  “Johnny told me about his new album inspiration,” Regan Lee said easily as if the confrontation with the Carson’s never happened. “I think it’s going to be a hit.”

  Gwen tried to calm herself. “Yeah, I think so. He can turn anything into a hit. It pisses Trey off.”

  Regan Lee parked beside her parent’s SUV and hopped out. “I heard Trey Phoenix and his touring crew is in town.”

  “Most of them,” Gwen said and pulled Ben from the back seat.

  Ben clung to her and she soothed him, running a hand up and down his back. She could feel him shaking and she rested her chin on his head when he buried his face against her neck. Regan Lee pulled out her baby boy who was the spitting image of his father, Brooks Hawking.

  “He’s gorgeous,” Gwen said.

  Regan Lee beamed. “I know. I never thought I’d want to be a mom but I love it.”

  “Thanks for what you did back there.”

  Regan Lee shrugged. “I’ve had a run in with Steph before. I testified against her in court for Wade and I know the sister’s well. They’re always looking for a fight.”

  As are you, Gwen thought and from the grin on Regan Lee’s face, she knew that too. Regan Lee waved goodbye and Gwen put Ben in the car, locked the doors and drove back to her mom’s house. Once they were there, she found her mom and explained quietly what happened. Her mom took over while she went outside and called the hardware store. Lisa answered.

  “Have you ever been in a fight?” Gwen asked, sitting on the front steps of the house.

  “With you and Jo.”

  “No. A physical fight. You know, punching, biting, kicking.”

  “No. Why?”

  “Because I had a run in with Steph and punched her in the face.”

  “What?”

  “And I told her sisters if they do anything else to Ben that you, Jo and I can take them.”

  A long silence and then, “Yeah, we could do it.”

  “Thanks. Can I talk to Wade?”

  Lisa handed the phone over to Wade and Gwen told him what happened. He was eerily silent which wasn’t a good sign.

  “Ben is with Mama right now.”

  “Thanks,” he said.

  “Anytime.”

  She hung up the phone and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She was fiercely protective of Ben, they all were. It enraged her to witness anyone treating a child with such carelessness and seeing Ben’s fear roused every maternal instinct she possessed. She heard a car door slam and tried to compose herself to greet the newcomer. She looked up and froze.

  A guy dressed casually in jeans and a shirt walked towards her. He had a boyish face and short, curly hair. He stopped several feet away from her, hands in his pockets. Gwen got to her feet and didn’t know what to say to the man who haunted her.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” Zach said.

  She fidgeted. “I just came for my parent’s anniversary.”

  “I hope you don’t stay away from White Mist because of me.”

  She did but she wouldn’t tell him that. “I’ve been busy.”

  “I saw a video of you at a concert. You’re really good.”

  “I had a good teacher.”

  Zach’s eyes flickered. “So it’s true you’re on tour with him?”

  She nodded because there was suddenly a huge lump in her throat. Zach’s eyes swirled with mixed emotions and she stood there, waiting.

  “He’s here?”

  Gwen nodded again and Zach’s hands clenched into fists and he took two steps away from her as if he couldn’t stand being so near to her. She held up a hand.

  “Zach, I’m sorry.”

  “You didn’t hurt me enough already? You had to bring him back to shove in my face?”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. “It’s not like that. He wanted to come and I couldn’t say no.”

  “You’re sleeping with him?” Zach let out a hollow laugh. “So you got what you wanted, huh? When are you going to wake up, Gwen and stop dreaming?”

  Zach turned and walked away, leaving Gwen standing on the steps to her parent’s house with tears rolling down her face. She heard the sound of footsteps behind her so she hastily wiped her face and hoped whoever it was just needed something out of their car.

  “Gwen?”

  Trey stepped in front of her as Zach revved his car, burning rubber in his haste to get away from her. Trey cupped her face in his hands and she closed her eyes because she didn’t want him to see how devastated she was.

  “What happened?” Trey demanded.

  She sank down on the steps and put her hands over her face. She felt as if she’d been shot through the heart. It was her reaction every time she laid eyes on Zach.

  “Your hand’s bleeding,” Trey said, snatching her hand.

  Before she realized what he was doing, he picked her up and took her to the main bathroom. He set her down and dug through the cabinet until he found antiseptic and band aids. While he tended to her hand, she talked about the run in with Steph and he looked at her with raised brows.

  “You punched her?”

  “She deserved it,” Gwen sniffled and blew her nose.

  “So why are you crying?”

  “I’m not.”

  “Who was that guy you were talking to?”

  So he noticed Zach. Fantastic. Gwen blew out a breath and wiped her eyes. “Zach.”

  “Zach who?”

  “My ex fiancé.”

  He’d never seen Gwen like this and he didn’t like it. He wasn’t sure why seeing her ex would make her cry. Shouldn’t she be happy she walked away from him? Did Gwen still love the bastard?

  “What did he want?” he asked.

  “To make me feel like crap probably,” she said bracingly and got up to splash cold water on her face. “Oh well. That’s over with. I’m gonna help Mama.”

  “Gwen.” He tipped her chin up and looked into her distant eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine.”

  The day passed in a frenzy of preparation as people walked in and around the house carrying chairs and tables. Gwen kept an eye on Ben, who relaxed when Wade arrived. Lisa, Jo and Gwen helped their mom dress in a simple white gown and Gwen looked at her mom who was glowing with love and health and felt her eyes fill with tears. Gwen’
s heart was heavy as she sat and let her sister’s tuck peach colored roses in her hair.

  “You happy, baby?” Mama asked.

  Gwen took a deep breath. “Yes.”

  Mama cupped her face and looked into her eyes. “That’s all I want for you. I worry about you.”

  Gwen swallowed hard. “Zach wasn’t right for me.”

  “I know,” Mama said, surprising Gwen. “You weren’t completely happy here. You were always ready to travel and you need quiet to do what you do, hmm?” She patted her daughter’s cheek. “This is the happiest I’ve seen you.”

  “I know it’s going to end,” Gwen blurted and a tear slipped down her cheek.

  “He cares for you. I see it in his eyes.”

  Gwen hugged her mom. “We shouldn’t talk about this. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Mama badgered Gwen and Trey to sing Grow Old Along With Me as her mom walked across the field to her dad. They sang not on a stage, but on a blanket of grass with no sound or costumes. They didn’t even have a guitar. The afternoon was quiet and their voices blended together perfectly, enchanting everyone assembled. She glanced at Trey as they sang and she knew she loved him- completely, unreservedly. Her heart quaked in her chest as she watched her parents renew their vows beneath a sky streaked with pink and purple as the sun set.

  Everyone gathered beneath a huge tent sheer enough to see the blanket of stars above. Dim lanterns were set on huge tables along with a buffet line of food. Mama begged Gwen and Trey to sing and she couldn’t deny her mom so under the scrutiny of relatives and friends she sang. Lisa, Jo and Mama hugged her with tears streaming down their cheeks when it was over.

  “You touch people when you sing. It’s a gift,” Lisa murmured.

  Gwen looked around to make sure the band was doing okay. She didn’t have to worry. The people of White Mist were fascinated by the outsiders and asked them question after question about touring and the places they visited. Trey was constantly distracted by people coming over to take pictures or get his autograph. To her astonishment, several people she’d known all her life wanted pictures with her so they could say she was from their hometown.

  Gwen watched Wade chat with Trey and knew why she hadn’t wanted him to accompany her to White Mist. If she kept Trey in a compartment that didn’t cross into other parts of her life, it wouldn’t hurt as much when they parted. Now not only would her nieces ask her about Trey, so would everyone in White Mist. Seeing Trey high five Ben or take pictures with her nieces made their relationship too real and permanent.