by Mimi Milan
“That’s all you have to say?” Eddie asked, incredulous.
“Why? What else is there?” The man headed to a blue sedan, Eddie following closely behind.
“What else is there? What was that all about with Rachel and the whole ‘bad boy’ bull spit you were serving up?” Eddie demanded as Jimmy unlocked the rental. They both climbed in and he continued his tirade. “After everything she’s been through, how could you say all that?”
“C’mon, kid. Now you want to play the knight in shining armor bit? You stay in this business as long as I have and you’ll learn women come and go like celebrity hookups. Actually, that should be something you’re somewhat familiar with, wouldn’t you say?”
Eddie fumed as he slammed the car door. “You’re wrong about Rachel… and me. Contrary to what you obviously think, I do know a little something about chivalry. It’s not like I bed every woman that waltzes into my life. And what’s this whole ‘kid’ business? Whatever happened to ‘boss,’ and all that jazz?”
Jimmy snorted. “Remember our agreement? You’re the boss when it comes to all things music. You write the songs, sing them the way you want, do whatever pleases you onstage, etcetera. I’m in charge of all the financials, though… and I’m not wrong about the girl. She’s just looking for a meal ticket, and your listeners – you remember, the ones who pay your support so you can have this lifestyle? They won’t be having it. Trust me on that. No one wants to think their money went to support a guy who treated a deaf girl poorly. And despite your objections, there is the possibility. I mean, think about it. We’d be liable for her while we’re on the road.”
“What’s so wrong with liability?”
“What’s so wrong with liability? What’s so wr— You’re messing with me, right?” Jimmy stared at him like he had two heads. “Aw, man. Please don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for this brood.”
“Of course not!”
Jimmy stuck the keys in the ignition before giving him his full attention. He studied Eddie for a moment and then groaned. “Sweet, Moses, it’s true. You do want to play knight in shining armor!”
“What?” Eddie bellowed. “Chill out, man. I’m just trying to be decent.”
Jimmy grunted.
“Whatever you say… boss.” He turned the keys and the car roared to life. Before throwing the vehicle into drive, he glanced over at Eddie one last. “Listen, I’m sorry things didn’t work out. Bottom line, it would’ve been nice to have her on backup. That’s why I offered her the recording opportunity. She could’ve never gone on the road with us, though. There was just too much liability. Besides, if you really don’t have any romantic notions, then she would’ve messed up your game. Know what I’m saying? I’m doing you a favor.”
Eddie stared out the window. He liked living life as he saw fit – not as others dictated. His mind began to wander and he wondered if it would’ve been such a bad thing – Rachel messing up his… game. Despite all his protesting, he had to admit Rachel had a couple of things he had always wanted. A home. Family. That’s why he hoped to make it big in this business. People with money always got those things. At least, they got them easier than everyone else. The more he thought about it, the more he had to admit that having women fawn all over him was nice. To have one like Rachel, though? The wheels in his head cranked a little harder.
“Hey, Jimmy?” Eddie asked, an idea suddenly coming to him. “What would you get a woman if you wanted to apologize? Something meaningful.”
Jimmy sighed. “Please tell me you’re not thinking about going after this one.”
Eddie feigned a look of innocence. “Hey, I’m just trying to be sympathetic about things not turning out the way she expected. That’s all.”
“Sure,” Jimmy said as he drove back towards the hotel they were staying at. “You’re just being a good Samaritan is all.”
“Exactly,” Eddie awarded him with a victorious grin. He lightly punched Jimmy’s shoulder. “You should be proud of me. I’m acting like a gentleman for once.”
“I don’t know if ‘proud’ is the right word for it. More like scared.”
“Aw, c’mon. We’re going to be in town for a few days anyway. Right? Might as well make the best of it. Who knows? Maybe we can convince her to do a couple of tracks after all.”
“Yeah, okay, kid. Maybe we’ll persuade her to play tour guide, too.”
Eddie ignored his manager’s sarcastic remark, his mind toying with the notion instead. What would it be like to spend the next few days with a woman like Rachel?
6
The sun was hot for fall – much hotter than Rachel would have preferred while doing her afternoon chores. Even though her mother fed the chickens, gathered eggs and did other things that her aching back would allow, Rachel oversaw everything else. From milking their Jersey cow, Geraldine, to helping deliver a foul in the wee hours of the morning, the work never seemed to end. Sure, there were the seasonal workers – as well as her two younger brothers who would stop by whenever they weren’t busy with their new lives. The responsibility of the farm fell squarely on her, though. She balanced the books, hired out when she could, and made due with the rest. Problem was it wasn’t her dream. Well, not all of it anyway. Neither was the part-time job she worked as a preschool music teacher when the weather turned cold.
Rachel sighed. She loved her family and the children she taught, but was this all she was going to do for the rest of her life? She bent over the hooves of their second mare, removing debris with a pick as she chastised herself. That Jimmy guy was right. She should’ve just taken the offer. Who cares what she was originally desired for, or if they didn’t want her on tour with them? At least she would’ve made some attempt at following her dreams. Although, was that what she really wanted – the life of a touring musician?
Well… maybe.
She thought about Eddie. He seemed to have such a carefree life. It was an attractive one, too. At least, for as far as she could tell. Even though, she did truly love her home and didn’t want to completely abandon it or her mother. She just would’ve loved Linden Land more if she could hire sufficient help to break away from time to time to pursue other interests – like her music. It made her think about Eddie’s offer again. Doing the recording could’ve possibly led to something else. What if one of the songs garnered real attention? She would’ve had something to show others – songs to maybe get her into a band or even some small venues of her own. It would’ve broken up the monotony of being on the farm day in and day out. Who knows? Maybe even have a hit or two to earn enough for an easier harvest. She could be happy with just that much.
A shadow blocked out the sun shining on the spot she cleaned. She quickly stood, spun around and frowned.
“Hey, good looking.
Rachel forced a smile at the sight of her ex-boyfriend. She and Andy Thompson had parted amicably enough and that was the problem. He didn’t seem to understand that they had broken up… or he did understand, but figured she would change her mind if he kept pestering her long enough.
“Hi, Andy. Why are you here?”
“Why am I here? You silly goose. I wanted to see how my girl was doing?”
She heaved a sigh. “Andy, how many times do I have to tell you? I’m not your ‘girl’ anymore.”
“I know that.” He waved the comment away as if it were a joke. “I was using the term loosely.”
She wanted to remind him that there was only one real meaning for when a man called a woman ‘his,’ but she didn’t feel like getting into an argument that wouldn’t change the fact he would still keep coming around. In fact, she was fairly certain the only thing that would ever run him off was another man… or selling the farm. That’s what he was really after. Not her, but the land. And surely it was his father who had put the idea in his head to begin with, because after both Rachel’s father and Andy’s mother had passed away, the ‘single again’ Senior Thompson wasted no time pursuing her mother. It wasn’t long before they learned the
man was just interested in their forty acres. Of course, her mother broke things off.
Once Andy started asking questions about the farm – rather private ones regarding financial matters – she was able to put two plus two together. She was just a means to increase his holdings.
“Listen, Andy, I wish I could talk but I’m busy. I’ve got a lot of work to do around here.”
“See? That’s one more reason you should’ve said ‘yes’ when I asked you to marry me. Just imagine all my boys down here working the land. You and your mama would be sitting pretty right about now.”
Another reason she held him in very little esteem. All the workers his family hired were desperate immigrants with so few options that they would work for scraps. She had it on good authority from one of her own hands that most of the pickers averaged sixty bucks a day, working twelve hour shifts. It wasn’t even minimum wage!
“Andy, we’ve been getting along just fine. Besides, you know that we aren’t well suited for one another.”
“Now why would you say a thing like that?” Andy asked. “We both come from established farming families. We’re both good looking people… and heck! I don’t even mind that you can’t hear none. Shoo. We’d just tell people you’re a war hero and they would look at it like a badge of honor.”
Rachel gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to punch him one good time.
“I’m sorry being a veteran isn’t enough and you think it’s necessary to lie and say I’m a war hero in order to make it acceptable that I’m deaf.”
“It ain’t really lying. After all, you were in the war when you lost your hearing and—”
She quickly raised a hand, hoping he’d get the idea to stop.
He did.
“Like I said, Andy, I am extremely busy. So if you would just—”
“Hey what’s that?”
Andy was staring past her, pointing. She spun around, curious about what could actually silence a Thompson. There, pulling into the driveway, was a tour bus with lettering on the side that read “Eddie y Los Santos.” It stopped and the door opened. Eddie appeared and bounded down the bus steps, briefly glancing around with a look of sheer delight on his face. Then he looked at her, waved and walked towards them.
Was it just her imagination, or was there a spring in his step?
He stopped directly in front of her and flashed a dazzling smile.
“Hi, Rachel.”
“Who’s that?” Andy demanded. Eddie gave him a once over and then turned to Rachel, one skeptical brow raised.
“Uh…” Rachel gave Eddie her “help a gal out” look and hoped he’d pick up on the fact that Andy was an unwelcomed pest.
A mischievous expression briefly crossed his features. He took his place beside Rachel and placed an arm around her. “I’m the guy she’s seeing. Eddie’s the name.”
He dropped his arm for a moment and held out a hand to shake. Andy accessed him for a moment, disbelief causing him to stutter. “You’re… you’re… seeing this guy?”
Rachel shrugged. What else could she do? She didn’t want to say ‘no’ and risk the possibility of Andy thinking he still had a chance. Besides, it wasn’t exactly a lie. She had eyes and could see Eddie standing there just fine.
Andy’s face colored as bright as the tomatoes Rachel grew in the kitchen garden.
“Just like you Linden women,” he sneered, “thinking you can play around with an honest man. You’ll not get a lick of my help when this place folds.”
“This place isn’t going to fold.”
“We’ll see about that,” he threatened and then sped off, back to his pitch black pickup truck, leaving Rachel behind to fume.
“The nerve of that jerk! I’m serious. He’s a boorish brute if he thinks he can intimidate me.” She crossed her arms and huffed.
“Guess it’s a good thing I came along to save the day.” Eddie gave her a wink, which only elicited another surge of anger from her.
“Save the day? You must have fallen off a stage or two if you think I’m gonna buy into the idea that you’re any better than him. You were just trying to get me in bed!”
Eddie hung his head with embarrassment. “Okay, it’s true. My initial intentions were not exactly the best. But then I changed my mind when I found out more about you.”
“What do you mean when you found out about me?”
“Well, you know...” He hemmed and hawed until she finally filled in the blanks.
“Let me guess.” Her voice grew hoarse. “A deaf girl isn’t worthy enough for the great Eddie Rivera.”
“That’s not it. Well, not exactly. Look, don’t go putting words in my mouth. Okay? The truth is I think you’re amazing. You’re beautiful, you have an incredible voice… but do you know how fast the public would eat up the idea of a musician mistreating someone like you? All it would take is one sob story and the paparazzi would come flocking. They’d offer all kinds of money for something like that.”
“Are you saying I would play some damsel in distress just to earn a quick buck?”
“No, but all it would take is one wrong word and my career would be over. Not that any of it should matter now, though. It’s not like we’re going to sleep together.” He stopped and eyed her curiously. “Unless… Are you suggesting that we might—”
“No!” Rachel glared at him. “I may have been raised on a farm, but I’m not some yearling too green to know what goes on when the stall door closes.”
Eddie stared at her, dumbfounded. “Green yearling?”
She rolled her eyes. “No one’s gonna buy the cow if they’re getting the milk for free.”
Eddie threw his head back and laughed. The hearty sound vibrated in her ears, surprising her. He said, “Wow. I haven’t heard that saying in a long time. Not that I completely agree with it, but that’s beside the point. If you’re so against the idea of us hooking up, then why are you angry that I changed my mind first?”
She gasped with indignation and he winked at her – long, lush lashes that should have been a crime for a man to have. How could he be so handsome?
Ugh! And how could she be so swoony?
Rachel opened her mouth, trying to find a good retort. Failing, she snapped it shut again. Speaking through clenched teeth, she finally asked, “Why are you here anyway?”
“Oh, man. I completely forgot! Hold on a minute.” He jogged back to the bus and banged on the door. It popped open and the driver handed a box down to him. Eddie accepted it and returned to Rachel.
“Got anywhere we can sit for a minute?”
She eyed him suspiciously, but then decided that she was more curious than irritated. “Come on.”
They marched towards the house and up onto the porch with a bench swing on one end. She took a seat and he followed her.
Rachel pointed at the box. “What’s in there?”
“A peace offering,” he said and held the box out to her.
She hesitated and then took it, examining one side. “There are holes in it… and something inside just moved.”
Popping open the top, she quickly saw why.
“Ta-da!” Eddie waved his hands in the air. “I got him from one of your local shelters – some place called Angel Paws Rescue.”
“I know the place. They have a pet therapy program set up with the VA.” She forced a smile and lifted the cat out of the box. The last thing she wanted was one more animal to take care of. Like there aren’t enough responsibilities on this farm.
“I know. That’s why I chose them.” Eddie prodded. “So? What do you think?”
“What can I say?”
She studied the cat for a moment. It was hard to deny the fact that the creature was beautiful. White with a brown striped mask and smooth all over… She ran a hand down the animal’s back and was immediately rewarded with a purr that could put a V8 to shame. She laughed. “Do you like that Miss Kitty?”
“Hey now,” Eddie protested, “I think he might get a little perturbed at the idea
of being called ‘Miss’ anything. Then again, he has been fixed. So I guess it’s technically true.”
Rachel giggled. “You’re bad.”
“I know,” Eddie said and gave her a wink. The action caused her to stare at his eyes – something she hadn’t done since the first night she saw him on stage. Now she was once again caught up in those cocoa pools. They churned up emotions within that she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“Uh…” She slowly recollected her thoughts, chiding herself for feeling attracted to the man. “I’m going to go inside for another cup of mud. Want any?”
“Mud?” Eddie’s brows shot up.
“That’s just our way of saying ‘coffee’ around these parts.”
“I was about to say that’s some interesting way of thanking a person. And, yes, I would like a cup of coffee very much.”
She scooped up the cat and opened the screen door, motioning for Eddie to follow her inside.
“This here is what my mother likes to call the parlor.” She balanced the cat on one arm while pointing to a quaint room off to the right with two cushioned chairs neatly tucked under a small table. A porcelain tea set on it as if awaiting guests. Across from the entertaining area sat a settee in front of a large Victorian window dressed with creamy lace curtains. Rachel smiled at the old Southern, Gone with the Wind charm emitting from the room.
“Wow. It’s kind of warm in here,” Eddie said. He pulled at his shirt, fanning it up and down, revealing a perfect set of muscular abs.
“Yeah,” she said, wondering if the heat creeping up her neck was from the stuffy room or the embarrassing fact she was staring at his sculpted stomach. She peeled her eyes away and met his teasing one. It was obvious he knew how he was affecting her. She steeled herself. “We don’t use the air conditioning much. I guess you could say my mom’s rather old school. We do have an attic fan, though. That helps save a good bit on the electric bill.”