Tate (35 page)

We’d talked about names for both a girl and a boy, so I knew Lileeana would be the name of our baby girl. Lilee. Now I found myself anxious for her to get here.

***

I hit the road in June, pleased with the response. The fans loved all the songs, but I was thrilled that
Timeless
was doing so well. Andy was too. He told me he felt such pride when I asked to record it. “It’s the best compliment ever,” he told me.

I didn’t like that Maisie wasn’t with me for all the stops on the tour. She joined me for a few, but she was busy tying up loose ends to leave Dion with more responsibility.

We were able to sneak in a week in Blowing Rock one more time before Lileeana arrived. I ran out one day, leaving Maisie to rest. When I came in I carried a big box and placed it in front of her.

“For when we come back for Christmas,” I told her when she saw it was a crib.

***

Waiting for Lileeana’s arrival, I reflected on the last two and a half years, thankful about the doors that my music opened for me, and what it meant. I thought about the financial means my career had blessed me with, and remembered, sadly, the money that Maisie contributed to what was ‘ours’ and how she came to have it. It was important to her to be a co-contributor. It didn’t matter to me, but it did to her. I suspected it had to do with the gold digger comments from our previous experience. My love of music led me to Maisie and a beautiful future. For some reason, they seemed like separate lives now. Suddenly, I didn’t want the two paths to intertwine. I didn’t think that through when I jumped into this. I only saw myself as Tate Morrow the performer, but now I only wanted to see myself as Maisie’s husband and Lileeana’s father.

Maisie used the term ‘life changer’ when we discovered her father. Life as her husband, and the idea of being a father to a baby that we made together, was a life changer that I didn’t know was part of any dream I could ever imagine. It was
that
future that I dreamed of now.

***

On the twentieth of August, I woke when Maisie hollered from the bathroom. “Tate. We need to go!”

“Now? It’s early! Where’s your bag? Now?” I shouted.

“Now!” she yelled.

We arrived at the hospital, and Maisie was in a bed within forty minutes. Eight hours later, I heard a set of lungs that let the whole birthing room know she’d arrived. They placed Lileeana on Maisie’s stomach, and I started to cry. “Maisie, she’s so beautiful. Perfect.”

By ten the next morning, our room was full of family and love, and that included David. I watched him with Lilee and thought of what he’d missed with Maisie, but given the scenario with Kitty, I was sure it wouldn’t have been an experience like this. Carlene and Mama -
the Grannies
, I thought - were busy mother-henning Maisie. It made me smile, because this was the love and attention she deserved. When she could, she’d look my way, silently begging for me to relieve her of the smothering.

That evening, after they were all gone, I sat in the bed with Maisie. Holding them in my arms, I watched the love she gave Lilee and I knew I couldn’t love my life more than this moment.

“She’s got your nose,” I said softly, stroking Lilee’s head.

“Your eyes,” Maisie whispered.

This
was the life I didn’t know I’d dreamed of.

Epilogue

Tate

As soon as they were able, I took Lileeanna and Maisie to Nashville. We had some business to take care of. Maisie had holiday designs that she need to go over with Dion, and we had to let Dion and April have their share of Lilee love. I noticed Maisie seemed content not to be there daily. She liked sending ideas and seeing Dion and April bring them to life.

After Thanksgiving with Carlene, we headed to Blowing Rock for the month of December. I cherished this time, falling more in love with my family. It was the only place we could go where it was just us. I didn’t want to share this beginning with anyone. I wasn’t going to miss it. I found myself waking in the middle of the night to just stand at Lilee’s crib side and watch her.

I couldn’t imagine it was possible, but I found myself falling more in love with Maisie every day. Watching her with Lilee filled my heart with so much love. I thought of all we’d been through, but mostly, I thought of all that was ahead.

***

Six months later, we moved to the new house in Oklahoma. Mama was a frequent visitor, as we knew she would be.

My singing career didn’t end; it just took a different path. We put a recording studio in the barn when they rebuilt it. Marco came there to work with me when we were recording. We released singles instead of entire albums. Not the norm, but it worked for me.

I didn’t miss the road. I was busy learning the ropes at Willie’s from Ophie and Cage. Just like the old days, on Friday and Saturday I stepped on stage at Willie’s, but only for two songs now. During the week I popped in to see how things were going. Ophie and Cage oversaw things and he reveled in the attention that the crowd showed him. The crowd had grown so much that we were exploring expansion. There weren’t many places to stay near Willie’s, so we were working with investors, looking into the possibility of a hotel close by, because fans were coming from all over to see me.

***

Over the next two and a half years I did two televised shows, and every single we released topped the charts. It made me happy that the fans still wanted to hear what I had to offer, but I knew how precious family was. I learned that my family – Maisie and Lilee - were the most precious gifts I’d ever been given.

We made trips back and forth to Nashville and spent weeks here and there in Blowing Rock. Maisie still designed amazing dresses and vests, but being Lilee’s mother seemed to be her greatest joy.

Carlene was the doting ‘Lovie’ that Lilee called her. Carlene said ‘lovely’ so much that when Lilee first said it, it stuck. Dion became De’o, and he wore it proudly. Talk about life-changers.

***

Saturday night, I stepped on the stage at Willie’s to a packed house. I looked out, amazed at the crowd.

“Thanks for comin’, y’all. I still scratch my head every time I come here and see this crowd. I can’t believe that y’all are hanging in with me after I chose to stop touring.” I started playing, and suddenly heard a happy ruckus. I looked up to see my world enter through the front door.

Maisie and Mama had taken Lilee to Oklahoma City to pick up things for a big party the next day - Lilee’s third birthday. Mama held Lilee in her arms. Maisie’s eyes met mine. It amazed me that even in a crowded room we shared that connection. I saw Cage and Ophie making a fuss over Lilee, and then she spotted me.

“Dah!” she yelled, and broke free to run to the stage. The crowd parted to allow her to make her way to me, with Maisie hot on her heels. I put the guitar aside.

“Lilee!” Maisie yelled. “Dah’s working!”

When she reached the stage someone close by hefted her up. I lifted her off the floor. “Well, hey Lilee love!” I covered her face with loud kisses and she squirmed with glee. “I love you!”

“Love you,” she said, and the crowd went wild. She loved it, clapping along, curly blonde hair bouncing as she did. I looked at Maisie and knew, without question, that this was where I belonged. This was my life.

“This,” I said. “This is why I’m here and not out there.”

This is me

I thought I had a plan

But as you see

I’m not that man

I don’t want to ride that steel horse

I don’t want to miss this course

This is where God’s placed me

I can’t carry that six string on my back

I don’t want to stray from this track

This is me

This is the new plan

I’m where I gotta be

I took a stand

I can’t ride in and love you for a day

I’m where you need me, so here I’ll stay

I won’t have any regrets

I won’t ride in, sing a love song and leave

I’ll be right here for whatever you need

This is me

I’ll be your man

Can’t you see

That’s my plan

The End

Acknowledgements

I swear, every day that I wake up and an idea turns into a story, or characters in my head become people, I pinch myself and wonder how I got here. After a minute or so (and a cup of coffee ha!) I know the answer… YOU. And you are such a variety of people in my life that I’m just sticking with YOU.

Each of YOU is such a blessing in my life. Some of you have been part of my life for my whole life. There some of you who have been part of life from day one of this incredible journey, people who I know and love. Some of YOU are those people who have sent me a note or a message telling me how a book affected YOU and THAT means so much to me. Some of YOU have shared such personal pieces of your heart with mean and I feel so honored that YOU entrust me with your thoughts, trials, and personal experiences. Thank YOU for finding your place in my life. I can’t wait to wrap my arms around you in a hug and tell you what you mean to me – and I pray that happens.

YOU are also a special bunch of Bitzes who believe in me and have given me guidance to help me grow and learn all that’s involved with writing as well as promoting and pimping me. Frankie and Trish, thank YOU for reading Rock and Roll Never Forgets and believing in me enough to guide me along – helping my writing be better and helping me learn how to share myself with the rest of YOU!

Thank you to every one of YOU who are the encouragers who’ve pushed me out there. My pimps, and Bitzes, and Mafia members - I love YOU for helping me SEE the writer I can be. Thank you to the writers who I follow - you inspire me.

My goal is to continue to grow and be better with each next sentence, and I think with each next book you’ve seen it. Stick around!

Thank you to Trish Kuper for the POLISH. All of us need a little polish and this Bitz has the best side comments – the corrections help me learn, but the “Swoons” and “This made me tear up” comments... make me stop and think – I WROTE THAT!

Thank you to Kellie Dennis and Book Cover by Design for the amazing image for my cover. I see it and think about Tate deep in his thoughts. It’s the perfect cover for this story. You’ll have to read it to know what I mean…

Special thanks to TRJ Photography for helping me find my beautiful side
.
 

My last YOU is the wonderful man who shares my life. I think people use the phrase ‘I am blessed’ freely – I try to think about my blessings seriously and I thank my God for placing people and events in my life and showing me TRUE BLESSINGS. Gene is my biggest comfort, my cheerleader, encourager, and believer – He’s the greatest blessing in my life… He gets me.

I hope that each of YOU find something you are passionate about – step out of your comfort zone. Do something you’ve always wanted to do!

Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being BARBARA STEWART - AUTHOR and not just Barbara Stewart.

Thank YOU for sharing my journey - I AM BLESSED.

Barbara

P.S. Maisie’s font is called ‘Talking to the Moon’ <3

About the Author

Barbara (7/13/1959) is a yankeebilly, born in Havre de Grace, MD, and raised in the central east coast area of Florida. She currently resides in Middleburg, FL with her husband, Gene.

Barbara has worked in the electronics industry, and most recently in healthcare. In 2009, she received
The American Cancer Society’s HOPE Award
for volunteerism. 

She writes love stories from her heart that come to life from music. A song begins to paint a picture that becomes a love story. Barbara writes in a way that allows the reader to imagine the love.
Readers tell her that they feel like they know the characters she
brings to life.

She refers to her writing as ‘the sound-track of her life.’ Sprinkled through her stories are humor and sadness based on real life experiences shared with family and friends.

A reviewer on Amazon recently said, "This isn't a romance, it's a love story." (readingmaven)

"As a writer, I hope you continue this journey, travel with me, see what song inspires me next, and I hope that you see more growth with each page you turn."

She finds great enjoyment in reading. Her love of ready began with classics like
Little Women, Christy
, and the Nancy Drew books. “Books are an escape, a journey into new and different places.” Her favorite genre is romance. She loves to explore and support other authors
who paint a picture through words that allow her to feel the story – like Adriana Trigiani, Maggi Myers, and Nora Roberts.

Barbara is working on a rewrite and edit of her first published work –
Sweet Surrender.

You can reach Barbara by email:

[email protected]

You can also find her at:

http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-S-Stewart/e/B0076J5RHE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

http://barbarastewartwrites.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Stewart-Author/352239824808537

Twitter: @bsswrites