Love Song (13 page)

For a heartbeat, deep, dark pain filled his countenance. Then he smiled, but the warmth did not reach his eyes, did not take away the sorrow lingering there. “Naw, I’ll let you hang around as long as you want.”

Even for a lifetime?
Yearning flooded her heart, an ocean of need that made her desire to sing seem like a puddle.
I love you.
Her heart demanded she voice the words, but her head vetoed the idea. Perhaps she was only imagining the depth of his feelings, seeing what she wanted to see.
Give him time. Don’t scare him off.
She didn’t know if it was the Lord holding her back or her own fear. She glanced out the window, taking a minute to gather her composure.

“Well, that’s good, ’cause I’m not in any particular hurry to leave.” She tried to make her voice sound light and playful. His sharp glance told her she had almost succeeded. “I’m beginning to enjoy the slower paced life.”

“It will wear off.” Wade unsnapped his shirt pocket and withdrew the paper with Nicki’s phone number. Handing it to her, he pointed to the cell phone in a pocket on the console. “Help yourself.”

“Thanks, but I’ll use mine.” She unfastened the side pouch on her purse.

“Sure you want to give her your number this soon?”

Andi hesitated and closed the flap. “That’s a point. Maybe I’d better wait until I know her a little better.” And she was sure of God’s leading.

She picked up his phone and punched in the numbers. When Nicki answered on the first ring, Andi smiled at Wade and told the girl what they had in mind. Nicki promptly invited them over, giving her directions. They arrived at the house less than ten minutes later. It was a modest home, but in good condition.

Nicki opened the door before they had a chance to knock and led them into the living room to meet her parents. Mr. Alexander approached Andi cautiously, carefully inspecting her features. She waited a minute, then gave him a big smile. “Hello, Mr. Alexander. I’m Andi Carson.”

His solemn face broke into an astonished smile. “Mama, it is her! Look at those dimples.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but when Nicki told us about meeting you and said you were coming over, we were scared somebody was trying to play a cruel joke.”

“You’re wise to be cautious, sir.” She pulled out her wallet and flipped it open to reveal her driver’s license. “This might help.”

Wade peeked over her shoulder. “Wouldn’t you know it? Even her driver’s license picture looks good.” He held out his hand to Nicki’s father. “Wade Jamison. I’m a friend of Andi’s.”

“You a musician, too?” the older man asked as he shook Wade’s hand.

“Strictly amateur. I’m a rancher. Have a place south of Buckley.”

“Please sit down.” Mrs. Alexander motioned toward a brown love seat placed at a right angle to the matching sofa. “Can I get you some coffee or anything?”

“No thanks. We just finished dinner.” Andi glanced across the room and laughed. Five faces of various ages peeked around the edge of a doorway. From her angle, it looked as if they were stacked one on top of the other. “This must be the rest of the family.”

“Y’all come on in,” said Nicki. “But behave.”

The other children trooped in. They appeared to range in age from six to about sixteen. “Did you really come to our house to hear Nicki sing?” asked the youngest, a little boy.

“Yes, I did.”

“How come?”

Andi glanced at Wade. He didn’t say anything, but she saw encouragement in his eyes. She took a deep breath to allay a flutter of nervousness. She had promised the Lord she wouldn’t hide her faith and her love for him, but this would be the first time in many years that she let her light shine before strangers.

“Because I think God wants me to,” she said, looking at the youngster.

“Oh.” The little boy tipped his head to one side. “Did you read that in the Bible somewhere? Does it say you’re supposed to go listen to people sing?”

Andi looked quickly at Nicki and her parents. They appeared mildly amused at the question but also curious as to what Andi was going to say. At least they didn’t seem upset. “No, it was just a feeling I got today when I talked to your sister.”

“Oh.” The child seemed to accept the answer without question. “Is she gonna be a star like you?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Grownups say that a lot.”

She laughed softly. “Yes, I suppose we do.”

“Okay, kids, you’ve met Miss Carson. Now run on back to the family room and watch your video.” Mr. Alexander’s voice was quiet but firm. “We don’t want to waste her time.” As the children reluctantly left the room, he had a kind word or smile for each of them. He looked back at Andi. “Will my wife and I be in the way?”

“No, by all means, please stay. I’m sure Nicki will be more comfortable with you here.” Andi looked at Nicki and smiled warmly, trying to ease the girl’s tension. “I know you’re nervous, but try to relax. This is not a make-it-or-lose-it moment. If things don’t come together right now, we’ll try another time. How long have you taken piano?”

“Six years. I didn’t start until I was twelve. That’s when we got ours. But I’d been picking out songs on my grandma’s piano for a long time before that.”

“You play by ear?”

“Yes, ma’am. But my teacher always made me sight read the music before she would play it for me.” A smile flickered across Nicki’s face.

“Smart lady. I coasted through two years of music lessons before my teacher figured out I could barely read a note. She had a habit of playing each piece first, so I could hear how it was supposed to sound.” Andi smiled ruefully. “After I heard it, I didn’t need to read the music. Which do you like best, the guitar or piano?”

“I like them both. I guess it depends on my mood and the song.”

“Are you more relaxed with one of them?”

“Yes, the guitar.”

“Then let’s start with it.”

Nicki walked over beside the piano, picked up one of the two guitars leaning against the wall, and returned to the chair across from Andi and Wade.

“Play anything you like, something you’re comfortable with and that will help you warm up. I’m in no hurry, so take your time. Sing whenever you feel like it.”

Nicki strummed a few chords and adjusted the strings slightly. Once it was tuned to her satisfaction, she began to play. She missed a few notes at first, but soon she was lost in the music. The tempo was moderate, the melody intricate yet soothing. The song made Andi think of the creek where she and Wade had taken a walk. Bubbling, happy, yet peaceful. When Nicki lifted her fingers after the last chord, she paused, then slowly raised her gaze.

“Very nice. Is that one of yours?” asked Andi. When Nicki nodded, she continued, “I don’t think I ever asked what type of music you like to sing.”

“Mostly country and gospel. I guess I’m kinda like you. I like a variety.” Relaxing more, she flashed Andi a real smile and began playing a lively tune.

Andi recognized it immediately as one of the first songs she had recorded.

Nicki pursed her lips, frowning mildly. “Without the backup guitar, it doesn’t sound quite right.”

“Well, that’s easy to remedy.” Wade hopped up from the couch and walked over to the piano to get the other guitar. He grinned at Andi when he dropped down beside her again. “Didn’t know I could play your songs, did you?”

She shook her head, watching in fascination as he nodded to Nicki. The girl started again, and he joined in with the second part, playing each note and chord perfectly. Nicki grinned and so did Wade. Laughing, Andi held up her hands. “All right, all right. I’m impressed with both of you. Can you sing that one?”

“I can’t do it as good as you can.”

“Everybody has their own style. Hit it, kid. Show me your stuff.”

“Okay.” Nicki took a deep breath and played the intro. Wade joined in as she belted out the bouncy song about a girl’s futile efforts to capture the attention of the boy next door. She had perfect pitch, and her voice was strong with a hint of vibrato. After the first line or two, she relaxed, giving the song a sassy nuance all her own.

A conflicting mix of emotions rushed through Andi—thrill at discovering a wonderfully talented performer, satisfaction and excitement because she would be able to make Nicki’s way easier than hers had been, and a twinge of rivalry. This girl was going to give them all strong competition.

The song ended, and Wade looked at Andi with a wide grin. “Is the lady good or what?”

Jealousy pricked her, but it had nothing to do with Nicki’s singing. She forced herself to ignore it, confident God wouldn’t have led her to Nicki if it meant losing Wade. “She’s better than good. She’s fantastic. And I’m glad I recorded that song before you had a chance at it, young lady.”

Nicki gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth. A tear slid down her cheek, followed quickly by several more as she looked at her parents. They were of no help. They sat rooted to the sofa, completely dumbfounded. Andi gave them a few minutes to get their bearings.

“Uh...” Mr. Alexander stopped and cleared his throat. “I don’t mean any offense, ma’am, but I don’t want my girl working in any honky-tonks.”

“She shouldn’t have to, not if we handle things right. I’m staying with my cousin in Buckley. Nicki, I’d like you to come over so we can record a tape. It won’t be anything fancy, not like something produced in a studio, but it will give my manager an idea of how great you are. Once Kyle hears you, he’ll probably have you on the next plane to Nashville.

“You don’t have to sign with Kyle, but I can vouch for him. His entertainment company is one of the best in the business. They handle recording contracts, concert bookings, publicity and promotion, all the business stuff. He’s very good at his job, and perhaps even more important, he listens to me. If I ask him not to book you in bars or honky-tonks, he won’t. You will definitely need a manager. It’s hard to get anywhere in this business without one, but if you find for some reason you don’t like him, there are others I can recommend.

“Kyle runs the business end of things, but I have the final say on what goes into the performances, including the opening acts. When I got sick, we released everyone who had signed onto the tour with us so they could find other work. We will be trying to reschedule as many of the cancelled performances as possible after I’m able to go back to work, and we will need someone to open the show.”

“And you want me to do some of them?” Nicki whispered.

“I can’t promise yet, but I’d like to see what we can pull together. It will take a lot of hard work, mostly from you and your manager. My biggest contribution will probably be opening the door.”

“How can I ever thank you, Miss Carson?”

“Well, you can start by calling me, Andi. Miss Carson makes me want to look around for my old maid aunt. Do you work?”

“Yes. Three days a week at the bank. I’m off on Mondays and Fridays.”

“Could you come over Monday morning?”

“Sure. What time?”

“Let’s make it nine. In the meantime, think about what songs you want to sing. You can use some that other people have done, but you should have some of your own, too. A variety is good, so you can show your vocal range as well as style changes. If you’ll get me a piece of paper, I’ll give you the address.”

“Sure.” Nicki jumped up and hurried to the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a small, yellow notepad and handed it to her.

Andi wrote down her cell phone number, Dawn’s house phone number, address, and the directions to get there. “I’m sure you realize we need to keep the address and phone numbers confidential. Please don’t even tell your friends where I’m staying. I appreciate my fans, but as you saw today, I wouldn’t be able to get any rest if my location is public knowledge. And right now, I have to be able to rest whenever I need it.”

“Don’t worry. We won’t tell.”

Andi looked at Nicki’s parents. “You’re welcome to come over, too, if you want.”

“Thank you, but I expect we’ll let Nicki handle this on her own,” said Mrs. Alexander, dabbing her eyes with a wadded up tissue. “It’s hard to let go, but she’s all grown up and needs to make her own decisions.”

“I still want your advice.” Nicki beamed a smile at her folks. “You know that.” She collapsed against the back of the chair. “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe you’re sitting here in our living room, much less offering me a chance to go to Nashville, to be my mentor. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Andi smiled gently. “Actually, I have a good idea. Once you get started in this business, you’ll understand what I mean. I went to Nashville when I was eighteen, right out of high school. I didn’t know a single person in Tennessee or in the music industry. It’s been a long, hard road, filled with disappointments and sometimes danger, as well as happiness and success. It will give me a great deal of satisfaction to make the way easier for you.”

“Do you do this often, Andi?” asked Mr. Alexander.

“I’ve helped a couple of guitar pickers find good jobs, but that was merely by putting in a word here and there after I saw them play. I’ve never had the opportunity to work with a new singer like this. It’s exciting.”

“Not nearly as exciting as it is for us.”

Andi laughed and stood. “I’m sure it isn’t. We’d better go and let you share the fun with the rest of the family. I know Nicki is dying to call all her friends.”

Nicki and her parents walked Andi and Wade to the door. “We won’t go outside, so you can leave quietly,” said Nicki. “Our next-door neighbor is a big fan of yours, and he has a whole house full of company. He will probably kill me when he finds out you were here.”

“Maybe I can meet him another time.” Andi stifled a yawn. “When I’m perkier.”

They said good-bye, and Wade cupped her elbow as they walked down the steps. Once they were inside the Blazer, he leaned over and whispered, “You’re one special lady, Andrea Carson.” He kissed her tenderly, almost reverently, touching only her lips with his.

Andi could have sworn the ground shifted. When he ended the kiss and looked down at her, she knew she wore the same dazed expression as he did. “I can see the headlines, now,” she said, not even trying to hide her breathlessness. A frown touched his brow, and she smoothed it gently with her fingers. “Country singer dies of heart palpitations after earth shaking kiss.”