Somewhere in My Heart (Tennessee Series #2)

by Jennifer Scott

  She argued, “I’m not so sure about that.” Just as Billie was about to ask why she would say that, Joy got a phone call from her agent.

  When she left the room, Billie decided to ask Chris. She inquired, “Is there something wrong? If you don't mind me asking, is Joy unable to conceive? Or does it have to do with not having children with Lana?”

  He responded, “Why so many questions? Where did those thoughts come from all of a sudden? I have no idea why Joy would say that. We’ve only been engaged a few months and we haven’t discussed children yet. It could happen; I am not ruling anything out at this point. If she gets pregnant, I am sure we will be wonderful parents. You see what kind of father I am to Colby.”

  Billie snapped, “For a moment there, I thought you were going to be serious for once. I also thought you were going to say something about your daughter. How does Joy feel about that?”

  He claimed, “About the same way Lana did. I haven’t really had any problems with the mother lately. So, Joy has not formed an opinion of her yet. But, as I said before, we haven’t brought up the topic of kids much. But, thanks to you, we probably will now. What is taking her so long?”

  Billie added, “If you don't mind me saying, you really should have discussed such a big topic before you got engaged."

  He didn't respond. She continued, "Are you in a hurry to get rid of me? All you have to do is tell me to leave. Not that I would. I have to finish getting ready anyway. Tell Joy to call me when the two of you have reached a decision about the cruise.”

  Billie was feeling more comfortable being around Chris now, although he seemed to be still adjusting. She hadn’t forgotten everything that had happened with him, but knew that he really had changed. She could tell by his tone and by the way he looked at Joy. She wondered if it was fate for them, the way it was for her and Ricky. She didn’t regret being with Chris, she felt it was meant to be, what led her to meet Ricky. Everything happens for a reason, philosophy. If she hadn’t been involved with Chris during the trial, she wouldn’t have been sent to Hawaii. Who knows when she would have visited Hawaii, and Ricky could have already remarried.

  Billie returned to see how Ricky, Maria, and Jason were getting along. Everyone was ready to leave for the airport. They all had to fly to Miami to board the ship.

  Ricky asked, “So, are they going to join us?”

  Billie answered, “They haven’t decided yet. They know what time our flight leaves though.”

  Maria petitioned, “How are they doing any way?”

  Billie reassured, “I think they are okay. Don’t worry. I don’t think there is anything wrong. They are acting like newlyweds that aren't married yet. And that’s saying a lot for Chris.”

  Ricky admitted, “If that’s the case, they must have been inseparable, like us.”

  Jason then said, “That reminds me, Maria. Did we pack the sea sickness pills?” They laughed.

  Finally, they decided to go on ahead to the airport. Billie was wondering why Joy and Chris didn’t at least call to give them an answer.

  Ricky indicated, “I know you wanted them to come. But, we’ve waited as long as we could. They can come with us on our next trip. We’ll still have a good time.”

  Maria vowed, “That’s right. I am your best friend and we all know what’s best for you.” A few hours later, they were in Miami.

  Jason noted, “We must be very careful. Someone might try and stuff cocaine in our luggage.”

  Maria babbled, “You’ve been watching too many Miami Vice reruns.”

  Billie asked, “Does that still come on television?”

  Maria answered, “Sometimes, but he has it on dvd. I just hope he doesn’t get the girls in to it.”

  Jason cried, “What kind of a father do you think I am? I’m starting them off small, like with Law and Order.”

  Maria commanded, “As long as it isn’t Baywatch.”

  Jason responded, “If you have a problem with Baywatch, I wonder how you’ll feel when we’re pool side on the boat, and all the girls go by in bikinis.”

  Maria ruled, “Jason, you can look at the menu...”

  Billie advised, “Same applies to you, Ricky.” Jason and Ricky gave their best surrender look.

  Ricky and Billie had their tickets ready to get on board the boat. Jason told them that he still had to buy his and Maria’s tickets.

  Ricky insisted, “We’ll take care of it. Besides, you have already paid for two tickets, the ones we received from you.”

  Jason replied, “Those were a wedding gift.”

  Ricky contended, “Well, these can be a gift…Merry Christmas.”

  Jason joked, “How about Happy Thanksgiving?”

  Maria cried, “Please. I’m beginning to worry about you two. Maybe you should share a room, and Billie and I will bunk together.” Ricky and Jason both agreed that her suggestion was a bad idea. They promised to behave, but Billie and Maria didn’t count on it.

  Once they were settled in their rooms, the boat had already left the docks. They looked around and decided on having dinner. When they were finished eating, they went dancing. As Billie was dancing with Ricky, she noticed a couple dancing in the corner. She asked Ricky if he recognized them. He couldn’t really see them. They danced over to Maria and Jason to see if they might know. Once they pointed them out, they were gone. Billie observed, “That’s odd. I wonder where they went.”

  “Looking for us?” a voice asked. They turned around and it was Chris and Joy.

  Billie shrieked, “I thought you weren’t coming?”

  He explained, “We just grabbed another flight to Miami that left a few minutes after yours.”

  Maria questioned, “Joy, was it your idea to come, or was it Chris'?”

  She replied, “We both decided. But, I sort of talked him in to it. We made up our mind as soon as Billie left our place. We would have called, but we didn’t want to ruin the surprise. I hope you’re not upset.”

  Billie assured, “No. We’re glad you could make it. Now, we all have a chance to get to know one another a little better.”

  Jason mumbled, “Oh no, girl talk. It’ll be a bunch of wet hens.”

  Maria warned, “Would you like to sleep with the sharks tonight?”

  Chris advised, “Jason, believe me, you don’t want to do that. Take it from me.”

  Later on in the evening, the guys got together to play pool and have a few beers. Well, Chris had root beer, being sober and all. Billie, Joy, and Maria played a game of poker.

  Maria inquired, “Doesn’t this remind you of a video that I did?”

  Joy noted, “Yeah, I was originally supposed to be in it, but had scheduling conflicts. Too bad, because that would've been great exposure for me.”

  Maria declared, “You will have plenty more opportunities to prove to the world how great a singer you are. They already know how great you sound from the song you did with Chris. But, since you have brought that to my attention, I think we should work on a song together. We also have Ricky and Chris here to help us work out the details. Who knows, maybe the four of us could do a song.”

  Joy agreed, “Well, I know Chris can help because he writes and co-writes all of his songs. As for the two of us, we have never written any of our hit songs.”

  Billie, at this point, was feeling a bit left out. She would be of little assistance in the writing songs department. She thought of an excuse to leave the room, without them feeling guilty. She wanted the two of them to bond anyway, and start a business deal in the process. She also was in the mood for a hot tub soak.

  She went past the steam room and entered the sauna area. The steam was all around her and she could almost not see the hot tubs. So, she got in the first one she came across. She wasn’t alone.

  Billie yelled, “Chris, I thought you were playing pool with the guys?”

  He assumed, “I thought you were hanging out with the girls?”

  Billie commented, “I was becoming a fifth wheel. I also wanted to rel
ax. This helps my condition, if you will.”

  Chris estimated, “So, they kicked you out? Ricky and Jason kept winning and I kept losing. So, I knew when I was being whipped. I guess we think alike.”

  Billie proceeded, “Can I ask you something, how does Joy feel about our past? Or have you kept that from her, too?”

  He declared, “She knows, along with most of the world by now. She doesn’t act like it bothers her…just like I don’t have angry feelings for her ex-fiancée. She understands that I was going through a rough time after the divorce and you were only trying to be supportive. Things just got out of hand. She is surprised though, that you are still talking to me.”

  Billie wondered, “Are you sure it is only Joy that is surprised? You know that I have forgiven you for what happened. Is it hard for you to forgive yourself?”

  Chris admitted, “Maybe it is. I still feel awkward when we are around each other. I am still waiting for Ricky to charge me with assault and battery. Or for him to have his revenge for how I hurt you. Or it could be how things ended in Hawaii. I was way out of line and I think I need to hear it from you that all is absolved.”

  Billie insisted, “We should put it to rest, so we can go on living our normal lives. But, you know I meant what I said to you on my wedding day. I will admit that I avoided you before that. I wouldn’t talk to you when we were all in Houston. Ricky didn’t know about us at the time. He figured it out later. He wasn’t upset with you; he was upset with me for lying to him. He has accepted it because I have convinced him that I am over it.”

  Chris pleaded, “Are you really? I don’t want you to be traumatized.”

  Billie argued, “I don’t think I need a shrink, if that’s what you are implying. I am leading a normal life. I am married to the man of my dreams, living in the greatest city in the country, and am about to have a baby with a man I love more than anything.”

  Chris tried to get her to open up, “Yes, but don’t you feel like something is not quite right?”

  Billie feared, “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

  Chris pronounced, “I know that you still feel uneasy when I am around you. I know that you worry about Joy and how I am treating her. There is the part of you that still sees me as a drunk and an alleged murderer. I wish you could learn to see the real me and how I really am.” Billie knew he was right and so she did the only thing she could think of, to hug him.

  While she was hugging him, Ricky walked up to the hot tub.

  He complained, “It is a little too hot in here for my taste.”

  Billie knew Ricky was jumping to conclusions. He was misled because he knew of her history with Chris. He couldn’t possibly doubt her love for him. But, she had to go explain things to him. Chris decided to go see Joy.

  Billie caught up with Ricky in their room. She lectured, “Why did you say that? That is all we need, for our friends to think we don’t trust each other.”

  Ricky demanded, “You should be more worried about your husband not trusting you, instead of everyone else. Your actions speak louder than words. You may be giving someone the wrong idea. Chris is not the person you should be messing with, he's unstable. Don’t you remember what he has done to you? Do you want that to happen again? I don’t want to see him put his hands on you ever again.”

  Billie added, “I thought we were clear on that subject. You know how he has changed and doing much better. Joy would not be with him if he were still verbally or physically abusive. I believe that he has improved and you should, too. He is a great guy, and you should give him a chance.”

  Ricky ordered, “I don’t know if I can do that. I thought he was over you. But, after I saw him hugging you tonight, I am not so sure. He still has a lot of issues to work out. I will be keeping an eye on him and I think you should watch your back as well.”

  Billie suggested, “I think I should leave you alone before we say something that we will regret. I hate having disputes with you. I never want us to argue again.” She left the room, wondering what Ricky was contemplating. She wondered if he would assume she was running to Chris. That was the last thing on her mind.

  She wanted to really think about how her past involvement with Chris was affecting her life. Chris was the one who had pointed it out. It never bothered her until he mentioned it. She had to discover her true feelings about it, the ones she had tried to mask. If she didn’t, it could affect her relationship with Chris, Joy, and most especially, Ricky. She walked over to a railing and looked at the waves. She started thinking about the nights she sat on the beach and looked off in to the distance, at Ricky’s house. Then, it reminded her of the night Chris attacked her. She tried to think of a more pleasant thought, but just kept thinking about that. She wanted to make sure she was never hurt like that again. She wasn’t worried about that happening with Ricky. She only hoped she wouldn’t hurt him in the meantime.

  She had to tell Chris that they couldn’t be friends anymore, or at least not communicate until things cool off with Ricky. She knew Ricky couldn’t be so spiteful to him forever. She thought once the baby was born, Ricky would change his attitude about things. She had heard how bringing a new life in to the world could make you see things from a different perspective. She turned around towards the entrance to the rooms, and that is when she slid. She had been so preoccupied earlier, and caught up in her thoughts and worries, that she didn’t notice the signs on the deck. They were warnings of waves making the deck slippery. There was especially a lot of moisture, excess water from the saunas, and the approaching storm clouds. She fell pretty hard and hit her head on the railing. She couldn’t move or say anything. She tried opening her eyes, but she couldn’t.

  Subconsciously, she was just hoping someone would find her. Maybe Ricky would come looking for her, when she didn’t return to their room. But, after their fight, he might assume she wanted to be alone. She wanted him to find her for the baby’s sake. Then, she faded further away. She no longer had thoughts of her rescue. It seemed to her that she was in some kind of trance.

  Chapter 8

  The moonlight was cascading along the ocean with the ship. It was way past midnight, and those that were not partying were asleep. Ricky was not one of those people. He was in his room, wondering what Billie was doing. He wanted to go ask Maria if she had seen her, but didn’t want them to worry. But, in his state, he didn’t care. He couldn’t go to sleep angry with his wife. He was afraid that making her upset would in turn hurt the baby. He couldn’t let that happen. He left the room and went looking for her.

  Water started rolling across the deck and some of it was splashing on Billie. She finally woke up, but only to find herself in a different place. She was lying on a beach and the waves were crashing over her. She must have been thinking that the water was on the deck instead. She stood up and looked around. She couldn’t see a thing. Her vision was blurred. She could make out a few palm trees. The sky was so blue. She figured the storm must have passed over when she was unconscious. Once she could see, it looked like she was the only one there. She tried to walk around to find some signs of life. She then heard a plane. She saw it approaching the island. It landed on the water. A man exited the aircraft. He was wearing an outfit like you might see on Indiana Jones. When he finally made his way on to the beach, he yelled, “Are you the person they sent to help me?”

  Billie advised, “I don’t know what you are talking about. Who are you?”

  He decided, “I guess they left that detail out. They aren’t supposed to give out top secret information. That’s usually how it goes on these kinds of assignments. We can just use code names. Mine is Robert. Yours can be Memory. I think it fits.” Billie was sure that this guy was on some major drugs. She thought she should start running. Then, he suggested, “I think we should start looking before it gets dark. The natives around here are more likely to hunt at night.” She didn’t want to be left alone with possible cannibals nearby. She figured she would be safer with him since he was armed. He had so
me equipment to use to set up camp, and a few other things that would come in handy.

  They started walking through the jungle that seemed to go on and on forever. Robert, who was awfully quiet, finally broke the silence. He assured, “I know you must be anxious to find your husband. I can understand why this had to be kept a secret from the media.” Billie couldn’t remember much. She didn’t know what he was talking about, or even who her husband was. But, she did have the feeling that she had lost something and she had to find it. She was hoping that maybe once she found him, she would remember something. Robert looked familiar to her. She just knew she had seen him somewhere before, but could not think of where.

  They had walked at least five miles before setting up a camp. Robert made a camp fire. She found them some fruit. After they finished eating, Robert asked, “So, tell me about you.”