by LuAnn McLane
“When you get the chance,” Garret said, and suddenly wanted to get up and help her wait on those big clods who seemed to love to get her goat. “What is noodling, again?”
“You wade through the water until you find a catfish hole. Then you stick your hand in there.”
“What? Don’t they bite?” Garret could only shake his head that this was actually some sort of sport that one would willingly engage in.
“When they clamp their mouth shut you grab them by the gills and haul them out of the water. It’s not too dangerous. You usually only get little scratches or cuts.”
“Sounds horrid.”
Mattie glanced over at the front counter and then lowered her voice. “It’s not the catfish that are dangerous but the snakes or snapping turtles or beavers who take over the catfish holes as their home.”
Garret felt a flash of alarm. “You’re not really going to do this nonsense, are you?”
Mattie shrugged. “Maybe.” She gave Colby a glance and Garret wondered if she would do this insane activity to impress him. Apparently so.
“Good God, I’ll pay you not to do it. Name your price,” Garret offered, but she only laughed as if he was joking, though he wasn’t.
“You’re funny, you know that? I’ll bring more coffee over in a minute.”
“Thank you.” Garret wanted to tell her that he was dead serious, but she turned on her heel and hurried back to the griddle, where she cracked eggs one-handed and then started rapidly flipping food, making her ponytail swing back and forth. Garret had a hard time not staring at her cute bum in those little cutoff jeans. After she served up the big breakfast feast, the blokes dove into their food with gusto and to Garret’s relief the teasing finally ceased.
Mattie seemed to take it all in stride as she handed menus to a sweet older couple whom she addressed as Clyde and Miss Patty.
“You two still have that newlywed glow about you,” Mattie said as she poured coffee into their mugs.
“I’m not at all surprised that it shows.” Clyde reached over and picked up Miss Patty’s hand. When he bestowed her knuckles with light kisses, she blushed. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“Oh, you’re such a sweet talker,” Miss Patty said with a wave of her hand, but the blush deepened.
Newlyweds? There was something so endearing about them that Garret had to smile. He felt an odd stab of longing and in that same moment Mattie turned and came walking his way.
“They’re cute, aren’t they?”
“Adorable.”
While Mattie poured steaming coffee into his mug she asked, “How is everything?”
Garret responded with a long sigh and she laughed. “You’re right. I’ll die happy.”
“Let me know if you need anything else,” she said, sounding a little bit breathless.
“Don’t you have any help?” Garret asked, thinking that she could use someone to either cook or wait tables for her.
Mattie shrugged. “Sometimes I have Bubba Brown in here helpin’ me cook and clear tables, but he’s a bit under the weather, so I’m all by myself today.” It seemed like a daunting task to have to do everything on her own, but she seemed to be able to handle it. “And my brother Danny over at the counter will help me clean up if he doesn’t have boats to work on today. I’d rather be busy than standing around twiddling my thumbs.” She shot him a grin. “Keeps me outta trouble.”
“I hope it keeps you from sticking your hand in a catfish hole,” he grumbled, but she just laughed again.
“Maybe you should come along.”
“Not on your life,” Garret said, trying to imagine doing such a foolish thing.
“Don’t say I didn’t offer,” Mattie said in a tone that suggested that she knew he wouldn’t accept, making him suddenly want to.
But when she started to turn away, Garret felt the need to stop her. He surprised himself by saying, “Seriously, Mattie, don’t do something that could potentially cause you harm just to prove yourself.” He supposed that he could relate, since he’d felt the need to prove himself most of his life. Her smile faded and Garret thought she was going to tell him to mind his own business, and she would be right. He should. “I won’t,” she promised softly, and then went back to work.
Garret looked down at the enormous amount of food on his plate and started eating the biscuits and gravy. Mattie was a damn good cook, which made him marvel at how she could get everything done to perfection without any assistance. He toyed around with his phone, checking messages and playing on Facebook while trying to make a dent in his breakfast. While he used to love to sleep in, these days Garret was an early riser and there still didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. But he liked his schedule being full and wondered how he had ever thought that life was good when he didn’t have a damn thing to do. And Mattie was right. Staying busy kept Garret out of trouble, something he used to get into on a regular basis. Three-day benders and raising hell no longer appealed to him.
Garret looked down at a text message from his father, reminding him about the meeting with country superstar Shane McCray that was to take place tomorrow. Recently retired from touring, Shane was going to help open Sully’s South, a venue to showcase singers/songwriters in the vein of the famous Bluebird Café in Nashville. Sully’s South was the brainchild of Maria Sully, songwriter extraordinaire who took a position in the publishing end of My Way Records after returning to Cricket Creek to reunite with her ex-husband, Pete, who owned Sully’s Tavern and Concert Hall. Cricket Creek, Kentucky, was quickly becoming a mecca for musicians.
Along with his performing on guitar as a studio musician, Garret’s other role with his father’s recording studio was as a talent scout and he absolutely loved finding fresh new voices. Funny that he’d once longed to be famous like his father and now his job was making other musicians into stars.
When Mattie started clearing dishes from tables, Garret realized he’d outstayed the other customers who were starting to leave. By some miracle he’d managed to consume most of his breakfast—even the smothered and covered mountain of hash browns.
“Can I get you anything else?” Mattie asked, and grinned when she saw his nearly empty plate.
“Yes, a crane to heft me out of here.”
Mattie laughed. “Well, there are plenty of activities to do around here this time of year to burn up some calories.”
“Like noodling? Um, I don’t think so. And I don’t even want to know what mudding is.”
“Well, there are some tamer things to do like swimming, fishing, and hiking. We rent boats and WaveRunners down at the dock if you’re interested. My brother Danny can hook you up. Mason is a fishing guide if you want to try your hand at bass fishing. They really do fall for the artificial bait.”
“You swim in the river?”
“Only close to the dock back here in the cove. The current is pretty swift and can be dangerous when you get out into the main channel of the Ohio River. Up near the dam the river is wide like a lake and we head up there whenever we can to go tubing or water-skiing.”
“Tubing? Sounds a bit odd.”
“Not really. It’s when you sit in a big inner tube that’s hooked with a ski rope to the back of a boat. You have to hang on for dear life while the driver tries to shake you off by bringing you back over the huge waves from the wake of the boat. Mason takes particular delight in shaking me from the Tube.”
“Again, I think I’ll shy away from noodling and tubing and . . . mudding.”
“Hey, it’s a small town. We have to make our own fun.”
“How about a good ol’ swimming pool? Do you have one of those around by any chance?”
“Sorry.” Mattie laughed. “No concrete pool back here, but we do have a nice-sized lake on the property with campsites nearby.” She shook her head as she handed him his bill. “There are elect
ric hookups, no room service, I’m afraid.”
“Pity.” Garret made a show of sighing. He’d actually done some hiking in some pretty remote places all around the world, but he found it rather amusing for her to think he was a total city boy.
“We provide cabins up by the lake too. My own cabin is located on the opposite side and I have my own little dock. Trust me, it’s safe to swim in if you like. And you can just sit in a tube.”
“Now, that I could do.”
“Come on up for a swim any time you like. I only chase strangers away with my shotgun, so you’re safe.”
Garret imagined her with a big shotgun and was rendered speechless.
“I’m just kidding.”
Thank God. “I knew that.”
“Sure you did.” Mattie laughed again. “Well, it was nice to meet you, Garret. I hope you’ll come back for breakfast on a regular basis.”
“No doubt about that. You’re an amazing cook, Mattie Mayfield.”
“Why, thank you.”
Her smile seemed shy at his compliment, making him wonder if all those blokes took her for granted.
“And it’s nice to know you’re my neighbor. How far away is your cabin on the lake?” he asked.
“Just a rather short walk through the path in the woods or a couple of miles down the main road that winds through the marina if you go by car. Unless it rains I usually walk.”
“Sounds peaceful.” Garret nodded and he was about to ask if she might show him around later when some customers walked through the door, taking her attention away from him. He left a generous tip and walked outside into the warm sunshine. As he made his way toward his cabin, he realized that he was smiling and that cute little Mattie had put the smile on his face.
Garret paused to take a few pictures of the stone and cedar structure to send to his mother, who lived in London. He missed her dearly and planned to visit her again as soon as he could fit in a bit of a holiday. Although he’d lived in way more luxurious homes in his lifetime, there was just something about this rustic A-frame that drew him in and made him feel at peace. The river view wasn’t majestic like an ocean view, but Garret liked the calm sound of the river lapping against the shore.
Because the cabin had been used as a vacation rental, it had been fully furnished, another nice perk, since Garret was so busy traveling back and forth to Nashville. It helped that his stepmother, Maggie, was a real estate agent who did all the legwork for him. Garret shook his head when he thought about his hard-rocker father marrying such a down-to-earth sweetheart like Maggie. Garret adored Maggie, who in some ways reminded him of his London-born mother, who was much more grounded than people realized. He certainly would never have guessed that his dad would ever settle down at all, much less in a small town like Cricket Creek. And running a record label geared toward bluegrass and country music was another surprise. But then again, he’d always thought his dad had been living the life of his dreams when that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Garret understood. His own badass thumbing-his-nose-at-the-world persona that he’d created over the years was a complete farce. If Addison Monroe hadn’t seen through him and called him out on it before giving back his engagement ring, he might still be chasing a dream he never really wanted in the first place. Like his father, music pumped through his blood with every heartbeat. But fame? He no longer cared and thank God he hadn’t stooped to become a reality show star laughingstock. When Addison had called him out on wanting to marry her so that they could star in their own television show, she hadn’t been far from the truth. Creating amazing music in the studio and searching for new talent were much more rewarding.
Garret snapped a few pictures of the cabin and then took a few more of Mayfield Marina. When he heard shouting he turned around and laughed when he saw Mattie chasing the dog better known as the ham bandit.
“Rusty, get your sorry hide back here!” she yelled.
Chuckling, Garret took a video with his phone, wondering what tasty treat Rusty had snatched from the kitchen this time. When the ham bandit got away Mattie stood there with her hands on her hips and stomped one foot before taking angry strides back into the restaurant.
Still grinning, Garret opened the front door and decided to brew a bit more coffee to enjoy while sitting on the back deck that overlooked the marina and cove. While he’d someday take the time to put his personality into the décor, for right now the sturdy functional furniture was perfect.
Later that evening Garret thought he’d take a jog after the heat of the day dissipated. And just maybe he’d end up on the trail in the woods leading to Mattie’s home by the lake. Garret had to grin. There wasn’t a maybe in that thought. Although he knew he wasn’t Mattie’s type, since she seemed to be so into Colby, there was just something about her that made him want to get to know her better. He’d never had a girl who was only a friend, and the thought suddenly appealed to him. While the coffee brewed, Garret went into his office and picked up his laptop so he could make notes for the meeting with Shane and Maria.
Garret inhaled the pungent scent and smiled while thinking that not too long ago he didn’t even know how to make his own coffee—or rather wouldn’t have been bothered to make it and would have felt the need to have a barista create a frothy something or other with a long list of ingredients. Garret poured the strong coffee into the mug and smiled. Simplicity felt so much better. While he knew that he still had a way to go on his journey of self-discovery, he liked this new sense of purpose. And though he and Addison weren’t meant to be together, he’d missed her friendship after their breakup. In the end Addison had seen through his false bravado. She’d told him that there was more to him than what he’d given himself credit for and she had challenged him to have the courage to dig deep and find it. The fact that Addison had truly cared about him had seeped into his bones and made him stronger, unbreakable. He thought again that he was so over being the bad boy son of a famous rock star and international fashion model. Instead of being famous for being famous, he wanted to create a career based on his own talent and accomplishments.
Taking his coffee and laptop out onto the back deck, he settled into the cushioned lounge chair and started brainstorming. He’d once turned his nose up at country music, thinking the down-home genre of music to be beneath him. But after meeting and working with the brilliant Maria Sully, he’d, well, changed his tune. Shane McCray was a Country Music Hall of Fame legend. His classic country songs transcended time and spoke to Garret on a basic level that he’d ignored in the past.
Timeless, Garret typed and then smiled when sparks of inspiration starting flooding his brain. He laughed, thinking that his brain was so happy to be used for something worthwhile that the ideas came faster than he could type. When he finally took another sip of coffee, it had gone cold, but he didn’t care and drank it anyway. The meeting with Maria and Shane was going to be fantastic.
3
Skinny-Dipping
SHANE STRIPPED OFF HIS SWEATY RUNNING CLOTHES AND let them drop into a soggy heap behind a potted plant on the pool deck. He added his shoes to the pile, peeled off his socks, and then dove into the deep end. The water felt deliciously soothing, sliding against his overheated body. He’d pushed too hard during his run, but now that he was retired he wanted to remain in decent shape. After breaking the surface, Shane flipped to his back and simply drifted. As he gazed up at the light blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds, he realized that he hadn’t felt this calm in way too long.
Shane would never be ungrateful enough to complain about his success as a country music star, but the downside to fame was never having enough hours in the day to enjoy the fruits of his labor. His career had also cost him his marriage to his high school sweetheart, a woman he still at times missed. Thinking about Patsy brought a sigh past his lips. His ex-wife had moved on and was remarried with three children and he thought maybe two grandkid
s by now. They’d remained friendly, but the pain of the divorce caused Shane to never seriously consider marriage again. Shane wondered if Patsy knew how many of his early songs were written about loving her. Missing her. When they’d fallen in love their senior year in high school, neither of them could have predicted that just a few years later Shane would shoot to the top of the country music world so swiftly and stay there. Patsy simply couldn’t deal with his absence, and God knows Shane often wondered if his career had been worth it. He didn’t give a damn about the money or fame. He had remained a simple man with simple needs. In truth it was the fans that had kept him going. Shane knew all too well how much music meant to people.
It wasn’t as if he still pined for Patsy every day, but since his retirement he had time to reflect upon his life and wonder what the future might bring. Always surrounded by people and yet he still suffered from bouts of loneliness.
Shane kicked his feet, sending water splashing. The direction of his thoughts disturbed his peaceful floating, so he pushed them aside and let music drift into his head.
Shane watched an eagle soar high up in the sky and smiled. One of the perks of moving from Nashville to his secluded home in Cricket Creek was the privacy. Nestled as it was deep in the woods on a hillside overlooking a winding section of the river, Shane no longer had to worry about paparazzi snapping pictures or tourist buses driving past his house. Nope, the only eyes possibly on him were animals scampering through the woods.
Shane flipped over and swam a few leisurely laps. Other than helping his songwriter friend Maria Sully with Sully’s South, her showcase venue for discovering new music talent, the only thing Shane had to worry about was where he’d go fishing next. Having free time still felt odd, but he supposed he’d get used to it. He didn’t want to be one of those stars who had a huge last tour hurrah only to come back a year later.
After a few more minutes Shane’s stomach rumbled in empty protest and he hoped he’d find something in the fridge to eat for breakfast, which was the only meal he was capable of making. Flipping an egg was about as far as his cooking skills could take him. Unfortunately going to the grocery store was still an adventure where he walked around in a confused daze.