by Ava Miles
To her surprise, Georgia sought her out. As everyone got situated around the table, Clayton’s mother came over and leaned down to hug her. “I’ve seen some mighty moving concerts in my time, Amelia Ann, but what you’ve envisioned for this one is genius…and it’s going to make people cry buckets. Thank you, from one woman to another.”
Her only reaction was to blink at the praise in Georgia’s voice. She’d expected the same cool reserve from her she’d sensed on the phone a couple of weeks ago. But any anger on Georgia’s part seemed to have dissipated. Too bad the same couldn’t be said of Clayton.
Susannah was the last to arrive, and when she came through the door, shock rippled across her face. Amelia Ann followed her gaze and realized she was staring at Jake Lassiter, who was seated next to Rye, a can of Coke in his hand.
What was that about? Well, she could always ask her later.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said as she made the rounds, hugging her brother first and then Tammy.
Amelia Ann rose and embraced her warmly. “Good to see you.”
Rye came around and picked her up off her feet after Tory released her. “Good to see you, sugar. Nice to have the McGuiness clan represented here today. Thanks again for helping out.”
“It was an honor,” she told him when he put her down. “I know you’ve probably heard it before, but what you’re doing with this concert is really special, Rye.”
Her brother ducked his head. “Well, now…your mama called and told me the same thing. I’m only doing what needs to be done. Let’s get to it, shall we?”
Amelia Ann watched Susannah awkwardly shake hands with Clayton, and then Jake rose and pulled out the empty chair next to his. “Susannah. Good to see you again.”
“You too, Jake,” she said softly.
“All right, Georgia,” Rye said once everyone was seated. “Tell us what we’re about to see.”
“I’d prefer it if Amelia Ann made the introductions since this was her idea. Then Susannah can show us her collage after we watch the features.”
Everyone swung around to look at her. Amelia Ann caught the look Clayton gave his mama. He probably wasn’t thrilled she was being so nice to her.
“I’d rather let the women speak for themselves,” she said in a small voice. “These are their stories, after all.”
Georgia nodded her approval and hit the button on the remote in her hands. The flat screen turned on and seconds later, the first woman appeared.
Amelia Ann knew their stories by heart, but seeing them talk about their tragedies and their incredible journey to overcome domestic abuse brought tears to her eyes. Halfway through Martha’s incredible story about going from abused wife to restaurant manager, the women were reaching for the tissues Georgia had thoughtfully placed in the center of the table. Rye kept shifting in his chair and scrubbing his face. J.P. wedged his chair close to Tammy and wrapped his arms around her as tears slid down her face.
She glanced around to see how the rest of their group was responding. Georgia and Susannah were both in tears, and seeing Clayton’s mama like that was a bit of a shock. Jake sat through it all without a change in his expression, but he extended a box of tissues to Susannah.
And reached for her hand at one point, Amelia Ann noticed, and her friend let him take it.
The one reaction she really wanted to see was Clayton’s. He’d told her how much the women’s stories had moved him, but there wasn’t any indication today. His face was impassive—almost like he didn’t even want to be there.
Which was probably the truth.
It felt like another stab between her ribs. They’d shared this dream together, and it hurt not to enjoy the final product with him.
She turned her attention back to Winnie and was smiling through tears when the woman talked about the pride she’d felt on the day she opened the door of her small accounting firm. These women had come so far, accomplished so much, and when Hazel finished her story, the feature showing her with the class of second graders she now taught after overcoming illiteracy herself made Amelia Ann want to cheer.
It was the first strong positive emotion she’d had in weeks, and she embraced it.
So, she clapped when the feature went dark and kept right on clapping, knowing that they were celebrating something special here: victory over tragedy.
Georgia sniffed as the others joined in with her, and Rye knuckled tears away from his eyes.
“Well,” Rye finally said when their applause stopped. “I don’t rightly know what to say. It’s powerfully moving. We couldn’t have hoped for better stories. Those women…those women…Clayton, I want them and their kids—heck their whole families—to sit in the front section with my family.”
Clayton nodded. “I’ll see to it.”
But that was the only outward reaction from the man who’d stolen her heart. He was like a hologram of his former self.
“Susannah,” Georgia called. “You’re up, darlin’.”
She blushed as she let go of Jake’s hand. “Like Amelia Ann so wisely said, I think I’ll let the images of these brave women speak for themselves.”
Georgia nodded and reached for a remote. She pushed a button and Susannah’s collage flashed onto the screen.
Amelia Ann had seen it before, of course, but only on a small computer screen. Then, it had moved her; now, it bowled her over. She had no doubt it would be even more powerful on the mega-screen at the concert.
“My goodness,” Tory breathed out loud.
“Good heavens,” Tammy whispered raggedly, and Amelia Ann wondered if she was imagining herself as she’d been, as she was now.
More tears flowed, and no one spoke for quite some time.
“Susannah, sweet,” Rye finally said after clearing his throat. “That’s…that’s the most shockingly beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long time. And I know exactly which song I’ll use it for. Thank you.”
J.P. leaned forward. “You’ve outdone yourself, sis. I’m speechless.”
Susannah wiped her own tears away. “I’m glad everyone was as moved by these women’s journeys as I am.”
“You both done good,” Rye said. “Real good.”
“I think you just found another layer in that heart of yours, Rye Crenshaw,” Georgia said, finally standing up. “I know I don’t say it often, but I’m mighty proud of you, son. I couldn’t retire on a better note.”
Rye rose and grabbed her to him. “Dammit, girl, I’m going to miss you.”
She patted his back. “Me too, you big hick. Now let me go. You’re crushing my implants.”
Amelia Ann knew her eyes must have grown wider at that, and a few people coughed to cover their chuckles.
Clayton tugged on his cowboy hat, finally showing some emotion, even if it was only embarrassment. “Mama…for the love of God.”
Rye wandered over to Jake and sat on the edge of the conference table. “What about you, Jake? Do you think you’ll be able to sing after seeing one of those features?”
He didn’t speak right away, like he was searching for the right words. “I served with some pretty amazing men when I was in the military. I watched them do unimaginable acts of bravery. But those women…they might be the bravest of all.”
“I couldn’t have said it better,” Rye said, clapping him on the back. “All right, let’s run through the schedule. Clayton?”
Finally forced to interact, he ran through the schedule for the concert in a flat tone. He actually had to acknowledge her when he reached her part. Rye had arranged for her to make the introduction to the concert’s cause and give a short intro to the first spot. After Jake’s set, Susannah would introduce the second spot, and midway through Rye’s first set, he would make his own short speech and introduce Tammy.
“Are you okay with that?” Rye asked Tammy.
She nodded. “I have what I want to say written down. J.P. has read it. I kept it short. Do you want me to send it…to anyone?”
“You can send it t
o me,” Georgia said, “although I know what you’ve come up with is perfect. We’ll simply use the script to follow along so we’ll know how to cue the band once you’re finished.”
“I’ll be coming back on stage to hug her, Georgia, so that will be your cue.” Rye gave her a wink. “We’ll be in the wings supporting you, Tammy.”
Everyone knew what a big step it was, and Amelia Ann squeezed her sister’s arm and smiled at her. “You’re going to do great.”
“Okay, after Rye’s last set before the encore, we’ll show Hazel’s story. Then Rye has something special planned. That’s when we plan to unveil Susannah’s collage.”
“We’ll run through everything at rehearsal,” Georgia said, “so don’t worry about a thing.”
“There will be few dry eyes at the end of the concert, I expect. Thanks for coming today, everyone,” Rye said. “It’s going to be a concert this city won’t forget.”
Everyone rose and clustered into small groups talking.
“Didn’t I tell you everyone would love your collage?” Amelia Ann said to Susannah. “Thank you again for what you created. It’s simply breathtaking.”
“Yours were too. You did a wonderful job finding the women.”
“Their stories speak for themselves. I know I owe you a night out. I’ll give you a call when I’m...feeling more myself.”
Susannah glanced over at Clayton, who stood with his back to her, talking with Jake.
“I’m still praying for you,” her friend said, and the simplicity of the heartfelt words moved her. “We all are.”
There was a chair in her way as she went to join Rye, Tory, J.P., and Tammy. She was pushing it aside when a large hand assisted her. Her heart twisted as it recognized the shape of those fingers, the strength of that palm. Looking up, she glanced into Clayton’s eyes.
“How are you?” he asked in quiet voice.
The question threw her. Was this something he usually asked a woman he’d left brokenhearted? Anger she hadn’t fully realized she carried broke through any polite response Mrs. Augusta may have instilled in her. “Is this part of some let’s be friends thing?”
He cursed softly under his breath. “I was only asking because you look like you’ve lost a lot of weight, and there wasn’t much to you to begin with.”
Her weight? They were talking about her weight? “I’m a big girl, Clayton. I can feed myself.”
“Dammit, Amelia Ann…” he said in an aggrieved tone.
“Do you have anything else to say to me?” The anger spread through her veins, making her want to punch him for not forgiving her, for deciding to stop loving her.
Under his cowboy hat, his gray eyes turned the color of thunderclouds. “No. I shouldn’t have rightly said a word, it seems. Excuse me.” He cut around the table and strode out of the room.
She clenched her hands together. So, they were back to fighting, were they? Somehow that broke her heart even more than his coldness did.
“I wish he wasn’t such a hard man sometimes,” Georgia said, coming to stand beside her. She must have witnessed the whole sorry scene. “He gets that from me. We’re like crabs when it comes to pain. We retreat tight inside our shells when we’re hurt.”
“Thanks, Georgia,” she said. No other response would come to her.
Crabs, huh? What was she supposed to do? Poke Clayton with a stick until he emerged from his shell? She’d done that by threatening to ride Odin that night. It hadn’t worked out. Besides, maybe she didn’t want to be with a man who always shut down on her when he was upset. Their life together would be intolerable, and she loathed having to pull his feelings out of him time and time again.
“I need to get to the clinic for my shift. Thanks again for today.”
Georgia only nodded, and she didn’t try to stop her when she left to tell her family goodbye.
As she was leaving, Clayton came out of his office and froze. This time, she was the one who turned away and walked out.
Chapter 42
Jake caught up to Susannah as she was heading to her car. “Ah, thanks for letting me hold your hand in there. I think we both needed it. My God, that was powerful stuff. You and Amelia Ann didn’t pull any punches, but you managed to approach the subject with grace and sensitivity. It’s tough to pull off something like that. You should be proud of yourself.”
He ducked his chin, and for some reason, Susannah thought it adorable. They hadn’t seen each other for weeks, so she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to really look at him. A white dress shirt was tucked into worn denim. His cobalt blue eyes made her heart pound faster, but not as much as holding his hand had done. Oddly, it had felt right when he reached for her in the conference room. She hadn’t been surprised, and there had been no urge to pull away.
“No problem,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “It was…nice.”
It had been more than nice. She’d lost track of where his hand started and hers ended. They seemed to meld together like two pieces of metal in a seamless sculpture.
The sun had disappeared while they were inside, replaced by gray clouds speaking of rain.
“Your collage pretty much grabbed me by the throat. I mean, I’ve seen plenty of art before, but yours…the way you drew out the power of those images using a simple arrangement and some color and all…well, it’s a masterpiece.”
His praise only added to the warm glow in her chest.
When they reached her car, she unlocked the door, but made no move to open it, hoping to continue their chat. Her brother and Tammy chose that moment to emerge from the office building, of course. J.P. had a grin a mile wide on his face. His words echoed in her ears: He said you were charming. And if that didn’t make her cheeks flame…
“See y’all later,” J.P. shouted a little too cheerfully, and Tammy waved as they headed to their vehicle, which was thankfully parked in the opposite direction.
Jake tipped back his caramel-colored cowboy hat, and she caught sight of his thick, curly, sandy blond hair. “I’ve kept you long enough.” He opened her car door quickly. “Enjoy the rest of your day.”
That was it? Wasn’t he supposed to ask her out for a cup of coffee or something? “Thanks,” she said with a forced smile, hopped in, and let him close the door behind her.
As she was pulling out of the parking lot, she wanted to kick herself. Had she misjudged the situation? Didn’t the fact that he’d held her hand mean he liked her? It wasn’t like she’d reached for him.
Then she looked in the rearview mirror and saw Jake hadn’t moved from where he was standing, his head bowed down a bit like he was deep in thought.
Why wasn’t he striding off toward his truck? Then a thought struck her. Could he be shy around women? He was a man who exuded such confidence and easy grace, but one of the reasons J.P.’s quick brush with country stardom had ended was because he was uncomfortable with all the attention. Maybe Jake was a like-minded soul.
The way Jake had held her hand had meant something.
She knew it in her bones.
Chapter 43
A cold front blew into the South the day of the concert. Amelia Ann bundled up, grateful her professor for her last Wednesday class had cancelled it as a Thanksgiving present. It gave her more time to fuss over her short introduction. Sure, she’d aced it in the rehearsal, but it would be different in front of so many people. And it didn’t help that Clayton was nearby. He’d kept his distance during the rehearsal, and she hoped, for the sake of her sanity, he would do the same tonight. It was going to be emotional enough without adding another layer.
Of course, what she was feeling couldn’t be nearly as intense as Tammy’s apprehension. When she met her sister backstage in Rye’s dressing room, the sight of her pale face made her heart catch. She didn’t bother to take off her coat. Simply wrapped her arms around Tammy, who let go of J.P.’s hand to clutch her tight.
“It’s going to be all right,” she whispered. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I know I need to do this, but I’m afraid I might throw up,” Tammy said with a shaky laugh.
“Go ahead. Unburdening yourself might make you feel better. Just remember all the women whose lives you may change by sharing your story tonight.”
Her sister nodded against her neck. “That’s what’s getting me through this. And I know I need to do it for me too.”
Yes, everything they did, they needed to do for themselves—first, last, and always. It was the only way a person could be strong for the other people in their life.
When they separated, Tammy put on a brave smile. “We shared a shortened version of my speech with the kids at the family therapist’s office yesterday. Rory said he knew his daddy had hurt me, but Annabelle just sat there and cried. It broke my heart and John Parker’s. I hated to leave them tonight, but Louisa and Dale offered to take care of them. They couldn’t be in better hands.”
Amelia Ann had to cough to clear the massive lump in her throat. “It was nice of them offer,” she managed to say. “I know Rory and Annabelle love being with them.”
“That’s the God’s honest truth. Now, why don’t you take your coat off and greet the others? I’m going to get a glass of water.”
J.P. helped her shrug out of her coat. “You’re a comfort to her, Amelia Ann,” he whispered.
She kissed his cheek. “She’s so brave.”
“The bravest,” he replied. “I’ll find somewhere to put your coat. We have a full house tonight.”
Yes, Rye’s dressing room was packed with family, including Mama Hollins, who sat next to Daddy on a couch, sipping sparkling water from the look of it. She crossed the room to join her parents, and they both rose, taking turns embracing her.
“I’m glad you’re here, Mama.” It was a bit jarring to see her mama in such a scene, but she meant every word.
Rye had surprised everyone by calling her of his own volition—the first time since his law school days—to invite her. It was an opening to a new relationship between them, or at least that’s what everyone in the family hoped.