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The control he usually had over his thoughts was lazy after a restless night, and his mind took him back—back to the first morning he’d woken up in bed alone after returning from his second deployment. Nora-Jean had ended things while he was in Afghanistan, which sucked more than words could say. Yet, regardless of how much time passed between that video call and his first night back in the apartment they had shared in North Carolina, the pain which accompanied waking up alone was a lot to bear.
He’d known then what his next move had to be. He felt he was man enough to finally be who his woman deserved—but he had been wrong. In hindsight, Lawson recognized that by the time he made his way back to Tennessee, he’d managed to grow into the man she’d wanted when he left—but not the man she needed when he returned.
Now, he wasn’t going to make the same mistakes. Now, he was determined to be more than the man she needed. He wanted to be the man he respected when he looked in the mirror. Coincidentally, that man wasn’t meant to wake up in a bed without his woman. Neither was he meant to sit at his father’s table on Sunday afternoon without bringing along his own family.
Keaton Steele had instilled the importance of family and sticking together in each of his children from the moment they were born. And, like every good mother, Gale made home a place to which everyone felt inclined to return. No matter where life took them, they found their way back to each other every week. The only exception ever granted was for Lawson while he was an active-duty soldier. Even then, he got home as often as he could. He hadn’t lied to Nora-Jean when he told her she’d left a hole at Judge’s table after their split.
Yesterday, Lawson felt not just one absence but two.
He was adamant it wouldn’t happen again.
Needing to a get a move on, Lawson forced himself out of bed and headed straight for the shower. He was cleaned up, dressed, and ready for duty just as his phone alerted him to Moretti’s text. He stopped in his tracks when he realized Moretti’s text wasn’t the only unread message he had. He frowned when he saw a message from Ashlynn.
A couple weeks ago, he thought he understood why she was calling. It couldn’t have been a coincidence the first time he’d heard from her was the day after his brother had been stabbed. Except, he figured a few ignored calls was a clear statement on its own, even if it was rude. Regardless, he didn’t owe her anything. They weren’t together. In a lot of ways, they never really were. They certainly weren’t friends.
His curiosity getting the best of him, Lawson decided to open the text. What he found didn’t provide clarity so much as it increased his confusion.
Ashlynn: I know it’s been a while. I’m sure my calls seem out of the blue…but I’d really like to talk to you. Hope you’re well.
He didn’t know what to do with her request. Not to mention, he had enough to worry about with Nash in close proximity. There were only so many ghosts of relationships past he could handle at a time. He hoped continued silence would be a response in and of itself, and he deleted her text. After grabbing a protein bar and his keys, Lawson made his way down to join his boss in his truck.
They weren’t on the road five minutes before Moretti commented, “So—sounds like your weekend consisted of a little more thanthe usualfootball, church, and Sunday dinner.”
Lawson chuckled, quite pleased he could agree. “Yeah. You could say that.”
“Manned up, huh?”
“It was long overdue. ‘Ppreciate the push.”
Lawson could hear the smile in Moretti’s voice as he replied, “Happy for you. Looking forward to meeting the woman who had you wanting to quit on me.”
“Nora-Jean is her name. Goes by Nora. Her daughter’s name is Evelyn.”
“Nora-Jean…I’ve heard that name before.”
Lawson thought back a couple months. He’d never heard her perform with her band, but he did remember hearing her voice from the parking lot of a restaurant down in Tullahoma. Whiskey-N-Boots. Lawson had met his colleagues there, back when he was assigned to keep an eye on Kyra. They’d met that night so Fuchs could provide an update on what he knew. Armedwith the details, Lawson didn’t stick around but went to grab a beer with Atticus, who ended up helping out with the case as it escalated.
“She’s a musician. She’s got a bluegrass band.”
“That’s it. Nora-Jean and the Pick-a-ninnies. I’ve heard them play a couple times. Shit, that’s her?”
Pride washed over him as he confirmed, “That’s her.”
“Damn. Good for you.”
As they sped down the highway, Lawson wondered about Nora-Jean and her music journey. She’d always been a talented singer. Her beautifully unique and raspy voice was one she’d showcased in the high school choir all four years. It had been Darlene who gave Nora her first guitar. It was an old forgotten thing his songbird brought back to life as she learned how to play. It’d been too long since he’d heard her perform. He added that to the list of things he still had to make right.
All that aside, he wondered where her music might have taken her if it hadn’t been for Nash. The way she told it, it wasn’t becoming a mother that had her sidelining her guitar, it was his betrayal. He’d stolen her voice when he took her songs and made them his own. He’d snuffed out her light. The bastard.
Much as he didn’t like the guy, Lawson was glad he was going back to set that day. He’d been around Nora-Jean and Evelyn for as much of the weekend as he could manage. So long as he was around, or even close by, he didn’t have to worry about Nash sniffing around where he didn’t belong. That day, if work was to take him out of town, at least he could keep tabs on Nash.
Or so he thought.
After they arrived at their destination, it wasn’t long before Lawson learned Nash wasn’t on the call sheet that day. Worse yet, being on set meant Lawson would have to silence his phone. He prayed Nash would play it smart and leave Nora-Jean alone.He prayed he wouldn’t miss any calls from his woman telling him Nash hadn’t listened to the last words they’d exchanged.
He’d warned him to stay away. It was the one and only courtesy he’d be allotted.
Even though Mondays were her days off and Evie wouldn’t be returning to school until after the New Year, Nora-Jean dropped her daughter at her aunt and uncle’s place as soon as they made their way through their usual morning routine. With Christmas only a few days away, this was Nora’s final opportunity to finish the last-minute shopping she had on her to-do list.
