Highway Song: A Smokey's Roadhouse Novel (42 page)

Amy

T
he tour was near its end, and I couldn
’
t wait. Rex kept telling me I was more beautiful every day, but I was more tired than I
’
d ever been in my life. I was ready to get back to LA and rest for a few days.

Somewhere along the way, my personal possessions had caught up with me, sent along in the same manila envelope they
’
d disappeared into the day I was arrested. As I pulled out my old cell phone, it occurred to me for the first time that I
’
d let Smokey down. He
’
d asked me to stay in touch, and what with one thing and another, I hadn
’
t.

I charged up the phone, and wasn
’
t surprised to see a dozen missed calls. When I had enough of a charge to do so, I listened to the messages. At first, they were all along the lines of
‘
miss you, thought you was gonna call
’
. Later, they were messages of support. My story had reached even Smokey
’
s remote corner of Wyoming, and he
’
d called to say he
‘
knowed
’
there was no way I
’
d ever
‘
off
’
a cop. Or anyone else for that matter. After I listened to all of them, I called him back.

“
Smokey, it
’
s me. I
’
m so sorry I never called you back.
”
It was true I
’
d just had my phone returned, but that didn
’
t excuse my neglect. I didn
’
t need a phone call from him to remind me to call. Except, apparently I did.

“
Hallo, missy! Good to hear yer voice. Knowed ya wasn
’
t too snooty to talk to the likes of me, now.
”

“
No, of course not, Smokey. I just got my phone back from the jail in Texas. I didn
’
t have your number,
”
I lied. Better he never know I
’
d just forgotten about him in the chaos of my life.
“
How have you been?
”

“
Cain
’
t complain. Sylvie does. We still ain
’
t found a perm
’
nent replacement for ya. Don
’
t suppose ya want your old job back?
”
He chuckled.

“
I might consider it if they don
’
t stop working us so hard,
”
I joked.
“
So what
’
s the news from your part of the world?
”

“
Them damn kids
’
re still playin
’
at bein
’
badasses. We
’
re gonna hafta run
‘
em off, I
’
m afraid. Don
’
t wanta do it, their leader bein
’
Rooster
’
s kid an
’
all. It
’
s gotta be done, though. They
’
re gonna ruin the younger kids, we let
‘
em peddle that poison here.
”

“
What poison is that, Smokey?
”
I asked, dreading the answer.

“
That damn meth. Anybody kin jest up an
’
cook up a batch. Don
’
t matter to
‘
em they
’
re gonna mebbe blow up their old lady and kids.
”

“
Oh, that
’
s terrible. Listen, Smokey, they
’
re calling me. I
’
ll call you a little later. Maybe when we get a break, we can come and see you, if that
’
s okay.
”

“
Hell, yes! Bring them bodyguards, though. Jake still ain
’
t over you rejectin
’
him.
”

Of all the places I
’
d taken refuge, none of the people I
’
d worked for had ever given a shit about me except Smokey. I hated how my being there for a short time had disrupted his world. But I couldn
’
t take responsibility for the asshole that was his buddy
’
s son. That wasn
’
t my fault. I told Smokey goodbye and went to see what Axel and Cole wanted.

It turned out to be Cole
’
s family, who had traveled from Oklahoma City to catch us in concert. I greeted his mom, a sweet little woman who must have been amazed to have birthed a kid the size of her son, and two of his sisters. The other was in school and hadn
’
t been able to come.

It was fun seeing a different side of Cole, and seeing his tiny mom ask him when
he
was going to find a beautiful girl to marry. The way she said it, with a glance at me, made us both blush, and Rex put his arm around me possessively.

“
When
’
s the big day, Rick?
”
the older of Cole
’
s sister asked. I hadn
’
t ever heard anyone call him Rick since he left my dad
’
s house, except me on occasion. I looked from one to the other and wondered if they
’
d ever
…
But no, she was too young, surely. I
’
d be sure to ask him later.

“
We haven
’
t really made plans. We
’
ll have time to talk about it when we get back to LA. We
’
ve got a month off before we start recording the next CD.
”

It was the first I
’
d heard it. How long had he known that? Maybe it would be a good time to take a road trip and go see Smokey. Since we were celebrating, I ate more than usual, and Rex had too much to drink. But the next morning, I was the one who threw up.

The day after that, we flew back to LA, and I arrived with an upset stomach again. Again, I thought nothing of it. I didn
’
t like flying, so I assumed it was nerves. It wasn
’
t until the third day, when there was no excuse, I tried to remember my last period. And couldn
’
t.

“
Rex, can I talk to you privately?
”
It seemed we were never alone except late at night, and then we had more interesting things to do than talk. So I
’
d never asked him if he wanted kids. It never even occurred to me. Did I want kids? I really didn
’
t know.

“
Sure, sugar. Guys, let
’
s wind it up. I
’
ll see you tomorrow.
”

I waited until the others filed out of the house that was just ours now. Suddenly nervous, I stalled by getting him a beer.

“
What is it, babe?
”
he asked.

“
I
’
ve been wondering,
”
I started. That didn
’
t sound right.
“
I mean, I
’
ve been thinking. We really don
’
t know enough about what we both want to think about getting married without more talking about our future, wouldn
’
t you agree?
”

“
What are you getting at? Don
’
t you want to be in the band anymore? Or is it you don
’
t want to tour? I
’
ve noticed you were tired at the last couple of stops. We could make them give us shorter tours.
”

“
No, that isn
’
t it. Well, maybe. Rex, would you ever want kids?
”

“
Oh. Uh, I guess. I mean, I never really thought about it,
”
he said.
“
In fact, I never really thought about getting married. You changed all that, sugar. I guess if you want kids, I wouldn
’
t mind. Do you want kids?
”

“
I never really thought much about it either. But it looks like we
’
re gonna have one.
”
I really hadn
’
t meant to put it so bluntly.

Rex
’
s face went blank, and my heart stuttered. He didn
’
t want it! But then a grin the size of Texas and Oklahoma both split his face.
“
Seriously? You
’
re pregnant?
”

“
I don
’
t know for sure, but I think so, yeah. Is it okay?
”

“
Okay? It
’
s stupendous! Wait
‘
til I tell the guys! I
’
m a stud! Gonna be a daddy!
”

“
Rex, baby, could we wait until I know for sure?
”

“
What? Oh, sure. Okay, sugar, I get it.
”
He snapped his fingers.
“
Hey, we
’
ve gotta get married. How about next week?
”

I thought about all the things young girls think of when they imagine getting married someday. I hadn
’
t planned a dream wedding, because I never thought I
’
d have one. I didn
’
t care about a frothy white dress. We had no family to come to a wedding, just the guys in the band, and they wouldn
’
t care if they witnessed us saying our vows or not. All they
’
d care about was a bachelor party, but they
’
d been on pretty much a continual bachelor party since they formed the band.

“
Next week would be great, baby. Want to go to Las Vegas?
”

“
Hell, yes! We
’
ll get one of those fake Elvis guys to marry us. The guys could come. Or not,
”
he added, looking at my pout.
“
You don
’
t want the guys?
”

“
I guess I don
’
t mind. No, I really don
’
t mind. They
’
re the closest thing we have to family. They should be there. But I want you all to myself for the wedding night and honeymoon.
”

“
No problemo
, sugar. That is no problem at all.
”

Amy

I
trembled with the force of my emotion. I was about to make love with my new husband for the first time since becoming his wife. Earlier, we
’
d stood in a Las Vegas wedding chapel with Axel and Cole as our witnesses and said our vows in front of a man dressed in white satin and spangles. His outfit was more spectacular than my bridal gown, which Rex had chosen, contrary to custom.