True for You(56)

“If you don’t mind, I won’t have to pay out the,” everyone glares at me, “nose for a cab ride.” What kind of manners do they think I have? Parker slurps at his bowl of May Peas. Well, with family like that, I guess I can cut them a little slack.



***



The first thirty minutes are the most painful. Cole and I don’t have much to say to each other. The only things we have in common are Violet, an ass for a dad, half-siblings, and a mother that sold me.

“Planning on staying married to Bliss?”

“Bliss said she stayed with you guys after Brian Corey hurt her.”

Cole slows down for a traffic light. “Yeah, I was eighteen at the time and found her crawling on the side of the road. She wouldn’t let me take her to the ER or to the cops. Fuck. You should have seen her face, all swollen and—well, suffice to say, she looked awful. Then one morning, we woke up and Bliss was gone. I tried to find her, but I never did, and my resources were limited.”

“She said your mother made her leave, not that I can blame her, with Kelly and all, but—”

“Crystal didn’t live with us then. She was in rehab. I took her in, asked Miss Violet to come over and take a look at her. Kelly wasn’t even two years old; she wouldn’t remember anything about it.”

“But she said… the guy the Coreys owed money to came around there, bothering y’all.”

“I never saw it. Son of a bitch. He must have done it while we were in school. Damn it.” Cole pounds his fist against the dashboard. “I made a promise to her dad to take care of her. You have to bring her up here now. I need to apologize to her, for not keeping her safe.”

“Damn it,” he mutters again, pressing the gas. “Good thing that asshole’s in jail.”

I look at my brother, really look at him, and realize that despite who he looks like, despite who our dad is, he’s nothing like him. He’d kept his promise to Bliss’ family, but she’d gotten scared and ran away. Again.

“We’ll work out something, but just knowing you helped her, after what she went through… It means a lot.”

He pulls his Jeep up to the curb and puts it in park. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“What do you think?” I open the door and get out.

Cole leans over the seat. “I think that the answer-a-question-with-a-question bullshit is for the birds.”

“Does that mean we’ll start having family holidays together?”

“Do I look like I want to be miserable at Christmas?” Then he makes a face. “Go home to your wife, Morgan. By the way… thank you for being there for Violet. It meant a lot to her… and to me.”

I nod. “You’re welcome.” Then I close the door, and do exactly what my brother suggested. I head home to my wife.

But when I get home, she’s not there. All that remains is the wedding ring I’d given her and a note, painstakingly written by her. My heart breaks when I think about how long it took her to write it. Each letter is so precise, so carefully drawn, that my heart constricts.

Jackson. You need music. I need love. I am going home. Bliss

Home? Where in the hell would be home for her?

Forrestville? It certainly wasn’t Nashville. Then it hits me.

This is my home. This is our home. No matter where we go, we should always come back here.

Staring at her note, I take a deep breath, and then another. “I’m coming home, baby doll.”



Chapter Twenty-Seven



Bliss

It’s been a week since I’ve left Jackson, and my body aches for him. Not just my body, but my heart and soul.

Every day, to keep my mind off him, I sit on the deck, practicing reading and writing. I want to be prepared when classes start.

The sound of music fills the air, and I look up, puzzled.

I don’t remember turning on the radio. The music gets louder, until it’s coming from right under me.

A male voice, a lone guitar.

The hair on my arm stands up, and I get goose bumps.

I run to the rail, gazing down on the man singing to me.



Curly hair, beautiful face.

Green eyes, full of grace.

You’ve been hiding in the shadows,

Always feelin’ second place.



But I’ve always seen you, no matter how hard you tried to hide.

You’ve always seen through me, always to the best side.

And ever since I found you, I’ve been down on my knees,

Thanking God that you put up with me.



I don’t need the music.

I don’t need anything but you.

No matter where I go,

No matter where I’ve been,

I’m always coming back to you.



In your arms, I’ve found my home.

A taste of heaven every single night.