Home Is Where You Are

by Melissa Grace

  “What happened definitely sucked,” I said, “but it helped me see that it didn’t really matter what everyone else thought. Besides, if that article hadn’t been printed with the info about the foundation, who knows if we’d be opening Deanna House. Some of that, I owe to Ben.”

  Benton surprised us all when he became one of the first donors for The Deanna Slade Foundation, an organization Jax and I formed in memory of his mom. The foundation was started to provide mental health care and drug rehabilitation for unhoused men and women. Jax and I, along with Midnight in Dallas and the bakery, had decided to contribute twenty percent of our future revenue to the foundation. What we hadn’t anticipated was the number of independent donors we would get after the Huffington Post piece ran with a blurb about the foundation. Due to the generosity of those donors, we were slated to break ground on Deanna House, our first halfway home, right here in Nashville next spring.

  “You’re right,” Ella admitted, “but I don’t have to like it.”

  “If you ask me, things turned out pretty good.” I looked over at Jax who caught my eye and smiled. “We’ve got a lot of reasons to celebrate.”

  I grabbed Ella’s hand and we joined everyone at the center of the room. “I’d like to raise a toast,” I said, raising my voice and my flute of champagne. “To Cash, and to the beautiful beginnings of Carrie On Records!”

  We were piled in the small lobby of the office that would now serve as headquarters for Cash’s label. He started the label out of his new Nashville home, but he knew early on he needed to find a permanent space for the business. Jax and I spent a lot of time at The Loving Pie Company in Berry Hill while we recorded our album earlier in the year. During one of our visits, we noticed a ‘for sale’ sign at one of the renovated old houses down the street that had been zoned for commercial use. Cash loved it because it wasn’t right on Music Row, and it was close to the recording studios the band loved.

  “To Jax & Liv.” Cash held his glass toward me. “For becoming Carrie On Records first signed act.”

  “What are we?” Dallas feigned offense. “Chopped liver?”

  “You didn’t let me finish.” Cash laughed. “And to the band who started it all. You guys believed in this dream of mine, and I wouldn’t be here without you. I’m proud to have Midnight in Dallas on the Carrie On Records label.”

  “To Carrie,” Jax toasted. “She would be so proud of you, man.”

  By summer, Cash had signed three other artists, including Sam Corbyn. He had also found the perfect summertime assistant in the form of Grace, who’d decided she wanted to consider a career in the music business. Cash was more than happy to teach her everything he knew, and though I knew Cash loved having Grace work alongside him, I think what he enjoyed most was how much that meant he got to see Ella.

  Grace beamed. “Thank you, Cash, for giving me the opportunity to learn from the best.”

  “Girl, you ain’t got nobody fooled.” Antoni pursed his lips. “I think we all know the real reason you decided you wanted to work in the music business, and he’s about six feet tall with a British accent, gorgeous red curls, and he goes by the name of Sam Corbyn.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Grace grinned mischievously.

  As Cash got busier, it became difficult for him to maintain his management duties for me and Jax and for the band, but luckily he knew the perfect replacement. Antoni transitioned into a management role and having him on the road when we toured made life so much more fun.

  Our first self titled album came out in late September, and we were the opening act for Midnight in Dallas. It worked well to have the two groups together. I knew being on stage that long was exhausting for Jax, but he never complained. At Jax’s insistence, we’d taken to me doing a couple of solo numbers during our set. He said it was because he needed a little break, but I suspected he really just wanted me to have the chance to shine all on my own.

  Cash and Antoni said we’d be headlining our own tour by this time next year, but I was content taking things one day at a time. After all, a lot could happen in a year.

  “I have something for you, Cash,” Derek said as he grabbed a thin, but long, rectangular package propped up against a nearby wall, handing it to Cash. “I thought maybe you could hang it above the reception desk.”

  “What’s this?” Cash asked, a curious expression creeping onto his face.

  “Open it,” Derek urged.

  Cash tore at the wrapping to reveal a beautiful black-and-white photo collage encased in a

  matte-black frame. His eyes became misty as he gazed down at it a moment before proudly turning the collection of photographs outward so we could all see. I felt my heart catch in my throat. The collage contained candid shots of all of us that Derek had taken at Sunday dinners, Thanksgiving, backstage, and even a few from when he had visited the bakery.

  At the center was a gorgeous photograph of Carrie, her smile wide with laughter. I felt Ella squeeze my hand from beside me. Though it had been given to Cash, in a lot of ways, it felt like a gift for us all.

  “Wow.” Luca finally broke the silence.

  “This label… well, it started as a family,” Derek said. “I wanted to find a way to pay tribute to that.”

  “It’s…” Cash’s voice wavered slightly. “This means the world to me. Thank you.” He grabbed Derek in a hug.

  “Let’s hang this beautiful masterpiece,” Dallas said, moving behind the desk and locating a hammer. “Katie, do you mind holding the picture up so we can make sure it’s centered?” She moved around the desk and held the collage until they landed on the perfect spot. After Dallas hung it securely on the wall, we stood back and admired it together in quiet reflection of the loving family we’d found in each other.

  Jax made his way over to me, placing his hands on my shoulders and kissing my cheek. “We better get going if we’re going to meet Darcey by three,” he said softly.

  Ella squealed. “Send me pictures.”

  “Good luck, you two.” Cash smiled warmly at us. “Thank you for being here.”

  We said our goodbyes and made the drive to a gorgeous, sprawling home about twenty-five miles southwest of Nashville. The white house sat in the middle of ten acres, with a scalloped picket fence all the way around the perimeter. It was a lot of house for the two of us and Mama, but in the next couple of years, we hoped to fill it with a lot more love in whatever ways we could.

  After inspecting the house together, we found ourselves in the kitchen with none other than self-proclaimed realtor extraordinaire, Darcey Dubois.

  “Well, what do y’all think?” Darcey purred, making a sweeping gesture with her hand. “Do you love it, or do you love it?”

  Jax laced his fingers with mine as we exchanged a knowing glance. “We love it,” we said together.

  “Fantastic,” Darcey drawled. “You two are the cutest darn things. Alrighty then, I’m going to draw up the offer real quick. Y’all want to take one last peek around?”

  “Sure.” I smiled and led Jax onto the back deck that overlooked a small pond. The autumn breeze whipped through my hair as I turned to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “This place is perfect. Mama is going to love it.”

  “I don’t know.” He laughed. “I think Mama has gotten used to being a tour cat.”

  Once Jax came home, Mama wouldn’t let either of us out of her sight. Since we had our own tour bus, we decided to see how she’d do coming on the road with us. Turns out, she was made for it. She loved lounging on the bus and had even grown to love the guys and Antoni over the last few months. However, the person she’d developed the greatest affection for was Brady. We’d often find him with Mama perched on his shoulder as he read a book.

  When we needed to take her off the bus, she had her own clear kitty backpack that she traveled in. Jax loved carrying her around in that thing, and we’d b
een photographed by the paparazzi carrying Mama around so much that she now had her own Instagram account where people could tag her in their Mama sightings. More often than not, people were more excited to see her than they were to see us, and we loved it that way.

  We gazed off the deck into the sea of vibrant trees in shades of red, yellow, and bright orange. “It’s so peaceful out here.” I sighed as he tightened his arms around me.

  “Hell of a view.” Jax grinned as he took in the scenery, but I was looking at him.

  “Sure is,” I whispered. “Hell of a view.”

  The Saturday before Thanksgiving, we were backstage at the Ryman Auditorium for our last show of the year. I was nervous before every show, but this was on a whole new level. The Ryman had been my dream for as long as I could remember, and on this night I could swear those stained glass windows were sparkling even more than usual.

  I took a deep breath as I looked at my reflection and the sparkly champagne-colored gown I was wearing for the show. With it being our last show before the holidays, we’d all decided to dress up for the occasion. We had ten minutes till showtime, and I could feel each painful second tick by.

  “You’re going to kill it, Liv.” Ella pulled me into her arms as Grace sandwiched me from the other side.

  “And you look hot,” Grace added.

  “You mean H-A-W-T, right?” Ella laughed. “A total smokeshow.”

  “Back to the scene of the crime.” Jax waggled his eyebrows at me.

  “I can’t believe that was only a little over a year ago.” Katie shook her head in disbelief as she took a seat on the couch beside Dallas. “It feels like yesterday, but it also feels a little like you guys have been together forever.”

  “What’s hard to believe is that I ever survived without your delicious pastries,” Dallas said, taking a bite out of a chocolate croissant, one of the many treats Katie had supplied for us backstage. “This woman is a witch! A temptress! I love Nashville!” At least, I think that’s what he said. He said that last part with half a croissant in his mouth.

  “It’s a shame everyone doesn’t live here,” Derek said pointedly at Luca. “The gang’s all here, except for you.”

  “I do what I want.” Luca shrugged, taking a drink of what looked like bourbon from the clear glass in his hand. “Besides, I’m with you guys all the time. Isn’t it nice to be away from me on occasion?”

  “You do have a point there.” Dallas leaned forward and attempted to retrieve another croissant from the box on the coffee table when Luca elbowed him. “Hey now! I’ve got precious treasures here.” He made a big show of taking a bite out of his second croissant.

  “How are you doing, Liv?” Antoni asked. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t want to forget to take in what it feels like to be on that stage.”

  “I don’t think we have to worry about that.” Jax grinned, pulling me into his arms.

  Before I could worry anymore, Cash knocked on the door to the dressing room. “It’s showtime, guys.” He clasped his hands together, and I glanced up at Jax nervously.

  “You’re going to be perfect,” he said, lacing his fingers with mine.

  We all piled out of the dressing room where Brady was posted outside, holding Mama who was sound asleep in her backpack. “Break a leg.” He waved as we walked by.

  We wound through the backstage area that I remembered like the back of my hand, despite having only been there once. I was bursting with gratitude that I was getting the chance to play the stage where so many legends had played before me. It was even more special now because this was where my love story with Jax began.

  A stagehand passed me the guitar Jax had given me and handed me my in-ear monitors. My nerves reached a fever pitch as the house lights darkened, and the crowd erupted in cheers.

  “I’m so fucking proud of you, babe,” Ella said in my ear, giving me one last squeeze.

  Jax peered down at me, his boyish grin stretched across his face. “Are you ready?”

  “Ready,” I answered, and we took our spots on the stage as the crowd continued to roar. We began to play the notes to our opening song, and the stage lights went up. My stomach twisted, but like I’d done every night on every stage we played, I looked over at Jax, and the nerves subsided.

  We made it through our first two songs before Jax took his break to allow me to sing my two solos. I tried to memorize each magical moment as I poured my soul out onto that stage. The crowd was lively and happy as they sang along with me. At one point, I turned the mic to them and watched in awe as the Ryman Auditorium sang me a love song.

  At the end of my last number, the audience thundered their approval. I gazed out, trying to memorize every face that stared back at me.

  “Thank y’all so much,” I said. “We’ve got one more so…” I trailed off as dozens of audience members stood, hoisting white boards over their heads. I watched as the squares were raised in a wave that appeared to ripple across the crowd. I squinted, shielding my vision from the spotlight with my hand so that I could see what was happening. Suddenly, a message written amongst the boards became crystal clear:

  Turn around.

  I turned to find Jax standing beneath an archway that looked as though it was made entirely of tequila sunrise roses. Grace appeared at my side, taking my guitar from my hands with a knowing smile. I walked to where Jax waited for me, the butterflies in my stomach threatening to take flight and send me zip lining across the stage.

  Jax reached for me, taking my hands in his as I approached.

  “Liv,” he said my name with tears glistening in his eyes. “I could live a thousand lifetimes, and that still wouldn’t be long enough with you. You’re everything to me. You’re the love of my life, my best friend. You’re my home, baby. I don’t know what forever holds for us, but I know I want to spend every second of it with you.” He dropped to one knee, extracting a black velvet box from his pocket. Tears streaked down my face as the crowd cheered and applauded around us. “Olivia Faith Sinclair, will you marry me?”

  I gazed down into his storm-cloud eyes and nodded profusely, unable to make my mouth form words.

  “Yeah?” Jax asked as a glittering smile spread across his face. He slid the stunning pear-shaped diamond set in rose gold on my trembling finger, and I pulled him to his feet.

  I took his face in my hands and crushed my lips to his, in awe that I’d get to kiss this man every day for the rest of my life. “Yeah.”

  Acknowledgments

  Nicole, you’ve believed I could do this since we were kids, and you never let me forget it. You’ve helped me mold this series into something I’m proud of. This is only the beginning for us both. Because of you, I’m a better writer and a better person. SSMATBMDBFFAATE. Love you.

  Jen, you’ve been my biggest cheerleader, and you never let me give up the many times I threatened to set my laptop on fire. You talked me through dozens of plot points, and you never held back. This story wouldn’t be what it is without you. I love you a million shrimp emojis.

  Katie, thank you for asking the difficult questions that helped shape Liv and Jax into who they are. This book, and my life, are infinitely better because of you.

  Lauren, aka Wonder Woman, what would I do without you? I could fill this page, plus ten more, with all the ways you helped make this story what it is and the ways you’ve helped me grow as a writer. Any friendship born out of Richonne love was destined to be something pretty amazing, but this one is extra special. Thank you for everything.

  Dee, my 11th-hour hero. By the time my manuscript made it to you, I was full of doubt. You reminded me why I wrote this story in the first place. You are such a blessing.

  Samantha, you are the best and a thousand exclamation points combined. I adore you!!!!!!

  Jena, thank you for reminding me to take care of
myself. We’ve shared many tears, laughter, and love throughout this process. Ready to do this four more times, plus a few more? You’re my soul sister. So much love and gratitude for you.

  Kia, you’ve always reminded me I had something to say that people needed to hear. So many times when I’ve doubted myself, it’s been your voice in my ear reminding me what I’m capable of. You are one of my greatest blessings. I love you, and I love us.

  Erin my OG since birth. I wouldn’t be me without you. You’re my person forever. Love you.

  Gaby, we’ve been each other’s sidekick for years. Your friendship has been one of my life’s greatest gifts. I’m so proud of you. Love you always.

  Carina, for always knowing I would make it here. Love you to the moon and back.

  Suzanne, The Loving Pie Co will forever be a place that magic happens. Love you.

  Thank you to Sydney, Chelsea, Ali, Brooke, Amanda, Sam, Andrew, Tai, Neal, Erin C… You all touched this book in one way or another. I’m so lucky to have friends like you guys. Love y’all!

  To Nat for everything. Always. Love you.

  Mrs. Ross, you always believed I could, and I finally did. Much love and gratitude for your influence in my life. You’re still my favorite teacher.

  To Glendon, for being the most patient formatter ever. You are an angel!

  Elle Maxwell, thank you for bringing Liv and Jax (and Mama) to life in such beautiful detail. You are a rockstar.

  To my patient, loving husband. You taught me that not all love stories have to be grandiose. Sometimes the ones that sneak into your heart quietly are the best. You’ve supported my every dream. Love you and our sweet fur babies more than anything. You’re the Jim to my Pam. Let’s go to Target.