The laughter returned, only this time, it sounded as if it were right next to us. In an attempt to shield my eyes from the sun, I rolled over onto my elbow, using my other hand to block out the light. I saw two pairs of tiny, sandy feet before I looked up and took in the giggling little girls staring down at us.
“Holy Hell, Jhett! Wake up!” I flipped around, completely ignoring the girls. I clutched the top of my dress to my chest and tried to quickly tie the back into a messy knot before turning my attention to Jhett, shaking him in a panic. Jhett shot up like a bat out of hell, blinking the sleep from his eyes and startling the two girls, causing them to run away in a continued fit of laughter. What a show we must put on.
Jhett’s panic didn’t let up as he took in his surroundings. He pulled his backpack to him and began to rifle through it. Watching him made my heart practically beat out of my chest; half from panic, and half from the memories of last night that came back to me in a flood of emotions. Finally, he sat back and let out a sigh of relief. I was still frozen as I stared at him with wide eyes.
I fell apart at the seams when he finally looked up. The ridiculousness of the whole situation caught up to me, and I couldn’t hold back the nervous laughter anymore. Jhett’s features finally relaxed and he joined me, pulling me back next to him.
“I can’t believe we actually fell asleep on the beach! I feel like we may be a part of a romantic comedy or something. This just had to happen to us.” I wiggled my body between Jhett’s bent legs, resting my elbows on his knees. “Oh my God! We’ve got to get moving. The grand opening is tonight, and we still have so much stuff to do.” I twisted my body so that I faced him and sat back on my heels while my dress spilled around me.
“You know what?” He paused to wait for my reaction. “I love you.”
Even though we both said the same three words last night, hearing them again in the light of day made everything that much more real. “I love you, too. I don’t think I’m ever going to get tired of you saying that.” I pressed my lips to his for only a quick second, before rolling back on my heels and standing up. “But we really need to go home and get ready for tonight. And I’d rather not stick around and get caught by anyone else. Having those little girls as our personal wake-up call is something I prefer to never to experience again.”
Jhett chucked to himself as we shook out the blanket and folded it up into his backpack. Together we walked the short distance back to the restaurant, hand-in-hand like we did last night. As we weaved in and out of the tourists and surfers, I let my thoughts get the best of me. Yesterday was a game changer for us, and eventually we were really going to have to talk about the future – if I would stay, or if I would go home to Tennessee at the end of summer.
Jhett stopped me when we reached the double doors. “Before we go in, I just want to say thank you for everything that you’ve helped out with around here. You didn’t have to do anything, but I hope that you know how much I appreciate it. Now - go on so you can be the first person to step into ‘The Voodoo Kitchen’, since tonight we open.”
A smile that matched Jhett’s spread across my face. “Did you just tell me the name? Jhett! The Voodoo Kitchen? That’s amazing. I love it!” I threw my arms around his neck and pulled myself as close to him as possible. Jhett’s dreams were coming true, and I was perfectly happy to sit by and watch them happen, because I knew that when the time came, he would do the same for me.
“Seriously Hannah, we’ve got to go. We’re not walking the freaking red carpet here.” I hissed at her while I paced the length of the bed. As the time to head over to the restaurant drew closer, the more my anxiety grew.
“Shut your pie hole, Diva. You got to play dress up last night, and now it’s my turn. Besides, if someone hadn’t made love until all hours of the morning and then fell asleep on the beach like something out of The Notebook, we wouldn’t be rushing to get ready, now would we?” She popped out of the bathroom entryway with her tongue stuck out, teasing me like always. She was practically ready – she wore an all black dress with a black lace panel that went from her chest, up and around her shoulders to her back, leaving a keyhole cut out down her lower spine. Her chestnut hair fell loosely around her face, but it was the red heels that pulled the whole look together. She could really put herself together.
“Just hurry up.” I shouted at her, and then fell back onto the bed and began to stare a hole in the ceiling. I had my fair share of fancy dresses after last night, so I settled for something more comfortable – a strapless dress with red and white stripes across the top, and a knee-length navy blue bottom from the waist down. I even sucked it up and wore a pair of brown wedges after some persuasion from the fashion queen herself.
The bed shifted under Hannah’s weight as she climbed next to me and let her face hover just inches above mine. “I’m ready, and you’re just laying here relaxing? Jeez, you would think that you weren’t excited to go to this shindig. At least I can be excited. Food, drinks, and a band? Seriously, who gets a better birthday present than that?” she asked, and then yanked me up off the bed.
My hands sought out my necklace. I could think of a few things better than this party, I thought to myself. “For the last time, this isn’t a birthday party. It’s to celebrate the grand opening of the restaurant. You agreed to that, remember?” I glared at her as I slung my purse over my head and onto my shoulder, letting it drop next to my hip.
Hannah shot back an equally sassy look, her lips pursing as we walked to the Jeep. Even though we were only a few blocks from the restaurant, Hannah insisted that we blast the radio the entire ride there. When ‘Want U Back’ by Cher Lloyd came on, I couldn’t resist myself anymore. Screaming at the top of my lungs, Hannah and I sang every word in the most awful, off-key voices. But it didn’t matter, because this was my happiness.
I pulled around to the back and parked close to the door, before throwing the keys in the glove compartment. From the sounds drifting out into the parking lot, it seemed like the party was already in full swing. I was right – we were late. Hannah jumped out of her seat and joined me around the back of the Jeep. I stalled before going inside.
Hannah ran her fingers over the fresh vinyl signs that now decorated the doors. “The Voodoo Kitchen? Nice name. Sounds like my kind of place. Now suck it up, soldier, and let’s get inside and find that lover boy of yours.” She winked at me, put her hand in mine, and dragged me behind her through the back door and down the hallway into the main room.
I definitely had a case of Déjà vu when I looked around the restaurant. There was a band set up on a makeshift stage at the front of the room, and I recognized a few people from the bonfire dancing in front of it. The rest of the room was full of people engrossed in their own conversations and eating an assortment of burgers and sandwiches – Jhett’s specialties.
Hannah already wandered off and over to the dance floor. There was something about music that just drew that girl in. She couldn’t turn down any song as long as there was a beat she could move to. I, on the other hand, was much more content to sit back and watch from afar. I scanned the room and my heart sank when my eyes fell on a head full of bouncy, bright red hair as she twirled around under the arms of a guy I didn’t recognize. We still hadn’t talked much since the bonfire. I knew I was going to have to be the bigger person and say something to her tonight. We couldn’t ignore each other forever.
A pair of familiar arms encircled my body from behind. I inhaled deeply as I took in his woodsy smell and let all my worries fall into the back of my mind. We stood without exchanging any words, just watching everyone move around the room and enjoy themselves. Finally Jhett took my hand and spun me away from him, twirling me this way and that as I followed his lead. When he was done, he held my waist and dipped me backwards, with a satisfied look that spread across his entire face.
“Well, I’d say this turned out to be a success,” I told him as he set me back down on my feet. “You look like you’ve got your work cut out for you
tonight. There are lots of mouths to feed. Are you ready for that?” I teased, and playfully pushed his shoulder.
“Babe, I was born ready. But speaking of mouths to feed, I better get back there and finish helping out. Don’t want anyone to jack up my cooking mojo while you’re out here distracting me.” He mimicked me by pressing a finger into my chest. “Now you go out and enjoy the party. Remember, it’s half yours, too. If I see you moping around again, I’m going to sic Hannah on you before you have a chance to run away. I saw her out there dancing already.” He swooped in for a kiss on the cheek, before turning his back on me and disappearing into the kitchen.
I decided to try and make the most out of the night and attempt to enjoy myself, instead of worrying about what birthday surprises Hannah might have planned. She was far too mischievous to simply let tonight be laid back like I wanted. I found her sitting in a booth with a few girls I was thankful I didn’t know. She was mid-bite into a burger when she saw me and waved me over.
I slid into the booth next to her and stole a fry off her plate. She began to introduce me to the girls across from us, when something else caught my attention. Dressed in a skin-tight purple dress was Ginger, and she was headed straight for me. The anxiety rose in my throat. I changed my mind. I wasn’t ready to be the bigger person.
“Hey Charlie. Do you mind if we talk for a second?” she asked, with a tinge of coyness in her voice.
I got up from the booth and followed her over to an empty space in the corner of the room. I bit my lip with anticipation and she fidgeted in her black heels. “I’m just going to say that I’m sorry. And I hope that you’ve been able to enjoy some time with Hannah. She’s actually not the most terrible person on the planet.” She shifted her weight and waited for my response.
I tried to choke back a snort of laughter. She may have liked Hannah because they were almost the same person, minus Ginger’s super psycho split personality. “I forgive you. And thank you. You brought her out here at the perfect time.” I hesitated to continue the conversation. The way her eyes darted back and forth as she swayed made me uneasy.
“Well…alright then...” She was gone in a flash, her heels clicking against the floor as she vanished into the crowd.
I stood in shock for a few seconds before Hannah’s voice pulled me back into reality. She stood next to me and motioned toward the dance floor. “Did that look as weird as it felt?” I asked her.
“Um, yeah. That was beyond awkward. Let’s never do that again.” She laughed as we made our way through the small crowd of people and to the front of the restaurant. When we reached the mini-stage, I recognized a few of the guys playing. I searched out their faces more intently in an effort to find Wes, but when I came up empty handed, I relaxed and let Hannah dance with me just like we did the night she arrived. Once I finally let loose and allowed the singer and the upright bass to sing to my soul, I knew I could have stayed dancing like that all night.
It felt like I had been out on the floor for hours when a sudden lull fell over the band in front of us. I stopped swaying to the beat I started to finally to enjoy and glanced at Hannah, who looked equally confused.
“I hate to cut this song short, but a little birdy told me that the man of the night would like to say a few words. Let’s give it up for Jhett and The Voodoo Kitchen!” The singer started up a round of applause as he backed to the side and Jhett jogged up the stairs to make his way up on stage. I couldn’t help but let excitement wash over me; seeing him up on stage reminded me of the very first night I laid eyes on him.
Jhett took the microphone from its stand and began to walk from one side of the stage to the other like a natural. “I promise I won’t keep you guys from dancing for too long, but I wanted to tell everyone thank you for coming out and celebrating the grand opening tonight. Many of you heard me talk about opening my own restaurant for years now, and I finally got my act together and made it happen. But all this wouldn’t be possible without a lot of help from you guys – so thank you! Tonight is also a night to celebrate the birthday of someone very special to me. It doesn’t feel like it was only a few months ago that I was playing on stage and she literally stumbled into my life. But I wouldn’t change a single thing that’s happened since that day. And as one last birthday present from me and someone else close to her heart, I want to play her a song.”
Hannah’s hand was in mine, but I couldn’t focus on anything other than Jhett and the guitar that now rested in his lap. He placed the microphone back in its stand in front of him, and adjusted it to be level with his lips. I hung onto every second with anticipation, until he started to strum the six strings of the acoustic guitar and nodded to someone behind the crowd. It wasn’t until the words began to play around me that my knees threatened to go out beneath me. The voice I heard wasn’t Jhett’s – his mouth was closed. It was a voice I didn’t think I would ever hear again. Cameron’s voice sang along to the music that Jhett’s hands created.
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
It was Jhett’s voice that filled in the gaps where Cameron’s went silent, but he didn’t stop playing until he made sure I wasn’t going to look away. He didn’t have to worry though; nothing could pry me away from looking into those eyes that glowed with a fiery passion. I didn’t even try to stop the tears that flowed down my face, nor did I notice the hush that fell over the crowd. There was complete silence, but the only person I could focus on was the man who sat before me.
Jhett tucked the guitar behind the stool he sat on and let out a heavy sigh. “Cameron asked me to help him with recording this song for you. We never got a chance to finish before his accident, but I knew he would want you to hear it tonight.” Jhett only took a few steps before he bounded off the stage and wrapped me in his arms; applause roared around us.
There was no way I could ever repay him for the gift he just gave me. I clung to him, afraid that I really would pass out at any given moment. I finally recovered my voice and pulled away from him letting my hands rest on each side of his face. “How did you…? When did you…? That was the most amazing thing I’ve ever heard,” I said in between choking back more tears.
Jhett wiped my cheeks as they fell. “That’s what I’ve been working on in the studio. Cam used to say that Tom Petty must have wrote that song about you, and I don’t think he could be more right. It took some piecing together on my part, but in the end, it was all Cameron.” He looked down at me with nothing but love in his eyes, and I knew without a doubt that mine were reflecting back the same thing.
My heart thumped as it tried to explode from my chest. All the years of performing in front of crowds twenty times larger than this one could never have prepared me for playing Cameron’s song for Charlie. I knew just the impact it would have on her, but I never thought it would affect me like it did. The best thank you she could have given me was the love she had for me when she looked into my eyes.
A few small gasps drew my attention away from Charlie. Gracie made her way up to the side of the stage and walked straight for the microphone. Anger rose into my chest.
She tapped the mic a few times before she
grabbed it with one hand and looked down into the crowd; her dark eyes landed on Charlie and me. “Woooow…That was something, wasn’t it? All that just for little ‘ole Charlie. How nice of Cameron to think of her for her birthday, right? Isn’t that so sweet? Well news flash for you all: He’s dead! Do you really think he cares about any of this right now?” She spat out her words without ever leaving Charlie’s gaze. I could feel Charlie’s pulse speed up under the grips of my hands.
That was the final straw. I let her get away with so many things - making excuse after excuse for her - but not anymore. Not after that. “I’m so sorry, Charlie.” I let go of her hand and brushed past the rest of the crowd, all still staring in awe at the events that just unfolded in front of them. I clenched my fists to try and control the beast that raged within me, and marched up on stage and directly to Gracie. With little effort, I slung her over my shoulder and shoved back past everyone as I made my way toward the back door.
When I knew we were alone and away from prying eyes, I set her back down onto the pavement. Lacing my fingers together, I put my hands behind my head and closed my eyes, leaning back towards the sky.
“Care to explain what’s got you in a huff, Mr. Hudson?” Gracie screeched as she walked toward the back of the parking lot.
“Oh no! Don’t even try and play dumb with me. What the fuck was that in there?” I threw my arms in the air. She stuck her bottom lip out, pouting as I took a calming breath. I was really trying to not jump down her throat, but having a older sibling meant that they knew all the ways to push your buttons. “Do you care to explain why you took it upon yourself to get up on stage and not only embarrass yourself, but me too? You had no right to say any of those things to Charlie. I thought we talked about this? Tonight nothing would happen. You were going to stay sober so that you could actually pretend to be a normal, functioning adult.”
A smug grin danced across her face. “I kept my promise, little brother. I’m sober as a skunk. But you had no right to do something like that. Everything is always about Charlie and Cameron, but no one remembers I was his girlfriend. And seeing you two in love like that just makes me sick. You don’t deserve a love like that – especially not with her. Don’t forget, sometime soon she’s going to go back to Tennessee, and you’ll be left all alone. I already know how it feels to get your heart ripped out of your chest, so I was just trying to prevent you from making the same mistake as me.” Without missing a beat, she swung around and headed to her car.
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