Our Song (4 page)

MAMA INSISTS THAT WE EAT
supper before going to the pool hall. We all come together at the table—Mama, Daddy, Beau, my grandparents, Jake and I. Mama has outdone herself again with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, and homemade biscuits. Mawmaw brought her famous peach cobbler, and we are stuffed by the time it’s over.

We take a few extra minutes to enjoy their company, which is something that we don’t have often on the road. Jake takes every chance he can to brush the side of my leg with his hand, and it is driving me crazy. The sooner we get out of here the better.

I excuse Jake and myself from supper, and we make our way to the truck. He catches me off guard by opening the door and helping me inside before heading to the driver’s side. Once he closes the door, he looks my way and smiles that perfect, up to no good, but I like it, grin.

“Belle, come here.” I do as he asks and slide closer to him. Laying my head on his shoulder, I realize that I could get used to this, especially on the road. To know that I have someone at every stop would be amazing, but if I’m being real, I just don’t know how this is going to work when we go back on tour.

Within minutes, we are at Martin’s Pool Hall, and not one thing has changed. Chase’s truck is here along with Lyndsay’s car. Glancing around, I recognize a few other cars, including the bartender’s.

“Come on. Let me show you how it’s done in Lattimore,” I say as I slide out the passenger side.

As I open the screen door, the smell of stale beer and cigarettes tickle my nose. Jerry is in his usual spot behind the bar. He whistles when I walk through the door. Leaving Jake at the entrance, I run to Jerry, throwing my arms around his neck. I can’t believe I’m actually home.

After spinning me around, Jerry puts me down. I introduce Jake to him and the other locals. Chase has a pool table set and ready to go. We order a round of beers and crank up the jukebox with our favorite country songs before choosing teams based on our scientific method of rock, paper, scissors. Jake and Lyndsay are paired along with Chase and me.

After the second game, it’s very evident that Jake got the bad end of the stick on this one. Lyndsay is definitely not the best at pool, and Chase and I are a team that’s been playing together for the past five years.

Realizing that this isn’t quite fair, we decide to play boys against girls, and the girls get beat easily.

Jerry keeps the beers coming, and by number five, I’m starting to feel the effects. The jukebox begins to play Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s “It’s Your Love,” and as if we are at Joe’s, Chase wraps me in his arms and we dance in the middle of Martin’s with all eyes on us, including Jake’s.

Chase and I sing every word to each other and exaggerate our emotions. As the song comes to an end, Chase kisses the top of my forehead, and we go back to drinking our beer.

“Y’all do that often?” Jake asks with a hint of jealousy.

“That’s our song,” Chase says with territory in his voice.

“Of all songs, that’s y’alls?” Jake questions.

“That’s been our song ever since we started going to Joe’s. They always play it there, and it’s kinda our thing. I can remember one time this guy was trying his damnedest to get me to dance with him, and I was trying to explain that I couldn’t. The next thing I knew Chase and his bouncer self showed up, and the guy ran off,” I say as Chase smiles at me.

Jake takes a long pull on his beer, but his eyes never leave mine. For some reason, he’s acting like I’ve done something wrong, but I’m not sure what.

“So, tomorrow’s Friday. Do y’all have to work at Joe’s?” I ask Chase and Lyndsay, not like I don’t already know the answer.

“But, of course!” Lyndsay says and then has an OMG moment. “Y’all should totally come! I swear I won’t tell a soul. It would be awesome. I bet people won’t even recognize y’all. Oh, hell, who am I kidding? You know they will, but come on! Pleeeeaaassssssseeeee?!” she begs.

As I look at Chase for guidance, he smiles. “I’m game if Jake is. He’s the one that’s gonna have to fight the girls off.”

Chase chimes in on time as usual, “I hate to break it to ya, but Belle, you’ve grown up there. Cole is gonna end up doing something big once you get there. You know that, right?”

“He better not,” I say with my hands on my hips. I know that it’s gonna happen, and that we are both gonna end up on stage tomorrow night.

Knowing that the night is coming to an end, I glance at Chase and Lyndsay. They know exactly what I’m thinking.

“No way. Not tonight, Bella Blu,” Chase says.

I just smirk, look at them and say, “Last one there has to jump first!” I grab Jake by the arm and run out of Martin’s. Jerry is laughing his ass off behind the bar because he knows exactly what’s up. We’re going to the trestle.

Bursting through the door, I tell Jake to fork over his keys. He pauses, and I inform him we don’t have time for this. He tosses me the keys, and we hurry to the truck. By the time we hit the main road, Chase is out in front. Damn.

“Do you care to explain this craziness? Or do I just have to wait till we get there?”

“When Beau was in high school, I used to follow him and his friends out here to the train trestle. He’d get so mad. I think he thought one of them might try to make a move or somethin’. They’d take a few beers and just chill on the tracks. It’s hardly ever used anymore, so it’s like an escape from reality. Then, I started going there to write, and one day Chase followed me. I gave him a bullshit story that this was my spot, and if he wanted to stay, he’d have to jump. Well, he did. So, we decided from that point on, the last one there has to jump. We pretty much just hang out, shoot the shit, get drunk, and jump. Every now and then we have to outrun a train, but those are few and far between.”

“You’re fuckin’ kiddin’, right?”

“That would be a no. I’m serious as a heart attack.”

“Damn. Please make sure we aren’t last. I’ve jumped one time already today, but knowing you’re not waiting at the bottom makes this one less appealing.”

“Who knows, I might jump with ya!” I wink.

As we pull up to the stoplight, I gun it to pass Chase, and Jake shoots him a bird. Mature I know. We are out in the lead, and within another five minutes, we’ll be there. As we approach the trestle, I give Jake a play-by-play of the fastest route to the middle. As the headlights hit the parking spots, I realize that Lyndsay has somehow beaten us here.

“Well, damn. Looks like we’re gonna have to haul ass if you don’t want to jump.” I throw the truck in park, and we sprint to the trestle. Chase is right behind us, and I know it’s gonna be close. Chase runs past me and closes the gap on Jake. Once he’s past him, Jake slows his sprinting to a jog until I catch up.

“Just so you know, I wasn’t gonna let you jump alone,” he says.

“Well, I’m a big girl, and there’s nothing like the rush you get when you jump. I can promise ya that.” And with that statement, I take off, leaving Jake in the dust.

We are all huffing and puffing at the trestle when Jake arrives. “That was so wrong, Belle. So wrong.”

“What can I say? You fell for it, Mr. Country Music God, but if you want me to, I’ll jump with ya.”

Lyndsay and Chase look at each other. “That ain’t in the rules, and you know it!” Lyndsay says.

“Rules are meant to be broken, and sometimes they are worth it,” I say as I turn toward Jake.

As we make our way to the middle of the trestle, we reminisce about the last time we were here. It was the night I found out about the tour. Lyndsay, Chase, and I came out here to celebrate, and I put on a private concert for the two of them. We drank a case of beer, and then Lynds got a call from her boyfriend at the time. She ditched us, and Chase and I had the best night of our lives…. alone.

Chase and I have always been friends, but that night almost crossed the line. We don’t talk about it, but as much as I try to deny that he has feelings for me, I know that Jake is right. He does, but I just can’t go there. He’s my best friend, and I can’t mess that up. If that relationship ended badly, I’d never forgive myself. I pull myself from those thoughts, and notice that Chase is looking at me. He’s thinking the same thing. Lyndsay and Jake are both oblivious to our exchange of glances and engaged in their own conversation.

Once we reach the middle, it’s do or die for Jake.

“Aight, country music god. Let’s see ya do it,” I say.

“Y’all are really gonna make me do this?” We all nod in agreement.

“Aight, let me remove all forms of technology,” he says as he removes his phone and all the contents from the pockets of his jeans. It’s almost a replay of earlier today, and I look at Lyndsay who is totally drooling. I nudge Chase, and he laughs at her.

“What?” she asks. “Chase, you can’t possibly tell me that if Carrie Underwood were standin’ here right now, you wouldn’t have to pick up your mouth off the ground.”

“See somethin’ you like?” Jake asks Lyndsay.

Standing with the confidence that only she can possess, she replies, “Damn right I do!”

“Aight, quit putting off the inevitable and jump already!” I say.

Jake makes his way to the edge of the trestle and peers over. “Y’all sure this water is deep enough?” I can see the worry on his face.

“Yes!” we yell.

“But if you want me to, I’ll jump with ya, regardless of the rules,” I say while removing my shoes and emptying my pockets. Not giving him a chance to respond, I grab his hand, count to three, and we jump off the top of the trestle into the river below.

As soon as our feet leave the track, my adrenaline increases, and it is pure bliss as we make our way into the water. Jake never lets go of my hand, and when we surface, he lets out a holler.

“That was amazing,” he tells me as he stares into my eyes. “Just like you.”

Not giving him a chance to make a move in front of Chase and Lyndsay, I pull him to the bank where things are a little more private before giving him permission to finish what he started in the water.

Understanding exactly what I’m doing, Jake takes me into his muscular arms and brings my lips to his. His hands begin to roam my body, and everything inside me heats up. It’s very evident that he feels the same way.

As the heat increases to the point of combustion, I hear Chase holler for us. “Y’all comin’?”

I unwillingly pull away from Jake and answer, “On our way!” Then, he pulls me in for one more sizzling kiss.

Once we are back at the trestle, I see Chase and Lyndsay seated on the edge of the track talking in-depth about something, and if I have to guess, it has to do with Jake and me. Chase and his damn overprotective self.

Hearing us approach, Chase says, “‘Bout damn time!”

“What? Are you mad I won’t ever jump with you?” I ask with my hands on my hips.

“Never mind. Just get your ass over here before Lynds and I start arguing.”

I shake my head and smile. They fight like brother and sister. Jake and I make our way to the middle and have a seat. Chase gets a case of beer from the truck, and we all pass them down and pop a top.

Without saying a word, we each take a long pull and sit there quietly. I can hear the water moving below, the hot summer breeze blowing through the trees, and the sound of crickets surrounding us. This is the perfect way to end a great night. Feeling that someone is staring at me, I glance to my right, and sure enough, Jake has those baby blues right on me. I smile back and take another swig of my beer.

“So, Belle, do you think you’ll ever come back home for good?” Lyndsay asks.

I search my heart and soul for the answer. “I love Lattimore, but I don’t think I’ll ever come back home for good. I mean, I’d love to, but it doesn’t look like it’s in the cards for me. It’s kinda funny how Beau is dying to get out, and I’d love to stay here forever.”

Chase doesn’t say a word as he crushes his beer can, tosses it into the water and begins to walk toward the other side of the track. Lyndsay motions for me to go see what the hell is his problem.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell Jake. Getting up, I finish my beer and grab two more before going that way.

I don’t holler at Chase to stop; instead, I walk to catch up with him. Chase isn’t one of many words, and whatever is bothering him must be pretty big for him to walk off like that. As my feet leave the track, I can see he’s sitting on an old pine stump.

Once I reach him, I hand him another beer and have a seat beside him. We open our cans and just drink for a minute.

“Chase…” I start to say as he interrupts me.

“Don’t, Bella Blu. Just don’t,” he pleads with hurt in his voice.

So I don’t. I don’t say it. I don’t tell him that I wish he could go with me, that I hate not seeing Lyndsay and him every day, and how I wish there was a way for me to have the best of both worlds.

Instead, I take another drink of my beer, look at him, and turn off my emotions. “Chase, what do you want me to do? I can’t believe you’re acting like this. It’s not like I can change my life. This is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Glaring at me, he shakes his head. “Tell me, Bella Blu. Does he make you happy?” With a deer in the headlights look, I’m speechless. “That’s what I thought. When he hurts you, I can’t promise I’ll be here to pick up the pieces,” he says as he stands to leave, and then we feel it. The shaking of the earth below us. We look at each other and run as fast as we can to the trestle.

As we get on the trestle, we hear the sound of the whistle. It’s coming; the train is coming. Lyndsay and Jake are sitting in the middle as I start to run toward them and yell for them to run. Chase takes me by the arm and stops me from running toward them.

“Train! Y’all run!” I shout a heart-wrenching scream as he pulls me to safety.

“Chase! Let me go! We can’t just stand here and watch,” I say as tears form inside my eyes.

“Yes, we can, and we will. I’m not letting you go.”

Fear consumes my body as I watch Jake and Lyndsay run hand in hand across the track. They should just jump. Why didn’t I say that? I can see the headlight of the approaching train, and tears begin to stream down my cheeks. No longer able to see Jake and Lyndsay, I turn and face into Chase’s chest as a sob escapes my lungs. He places his hands in my hair and consoles me.