Music of the Heart (15 page)

              “Look Dixon, I really don’t want to talk about it right now but I will say this – He had his chance.  It’s been three weeks since we’ve spoken.  Three damn weeks.  I’m pretty sure he can use a phone in Canada.  He obviously doesn’t want to be with me and I’m done with trying to be nice anymore.  Now, I’m going back to the kitchen unless there is anything else you want to talk about.”

              God, I just need this day to be over with.  I can go home to Alabama tomorrow and then not have to worry about anything involving Cross for a few weeks.  Of course, I’ll be back in Atlanta for the New Year’s Eve concert but that is the kick-off to my next tour so I’m not getting out of that.  Maybe Cross will be traveling for work that day. 

              Thankfully, no one else mentions Cross the whole day.  We had a great lunch and exchanged our gifts.  Later on, I headed back to my house to finish packing up.  I have tons of stuff to take home and have to get it all in my car somehow.

              After I get everything and in my car, I just sit for a couple of hours before I head to bed.  If it wasn’t so late, I’d start driving now.  Deciding to leave super early, I go to bed to grab a few hours of sleep.

CROSS

              Thank God I made it home on Christmas Eve.  I know my mother would have disowned me had I not been here.  Of course, I am extremely tired but that won’t stop me from going to Christmas Eve with the St. James’. 

              I don’t have time to stop by the house and freshen up so I head straight to Victoria and Lucas’s house to see everyone.  Everyone is already there and having fun when I walk through the door.

              “Merry Christmas everyone!”  I belt out as I walk to the den.  My mom jumps up and gives me a big hug.

              “Oh, Cross.  I’m so happy you’re home.  I was beginning to think you wouldn’t be here for Christmas.  Dixon assured me you would be here but I had my doubts.  How was your trip?”

              “No business talk tonight mom.  We’re here to celebrate Christmas.”

              Walking over to where my brothers and Dixon are, I notice all the girls giving me mean looks.  What the hell have I done to them?  I grab a beer and sit with the guys.

              “Hey guys, what’s wrong with the girls?  They look like they could cut my balls off if I get near them.  How in the hell could I have done something from over 1000 miles away?”

              I look at them waiting on an answer.  Dixon is the one who decides to speak up.

              “Cross, I’ve got one word for why they’re mad – Ashleigh.  You screwed with her and now, Merritt is pissed off at you.  She told the girls what you did so now they’re pissed at you too.  Tonight’s not the time to talk about it but let’s just say, you better fix this and soon.”

              Well, Merry Fucking Christmas to me.  This sucks.  I really like this girl and now, I’ve gone and royally pissed her off and all her friends. 

              “Goddamn it, guys.  I know it’s my fault.  I know I was an ass but I was busy with work.  If anything, y’all know my work is my life.  I couldn’t be distracted on this trip.”

              “Cross, let me ask you one question and then we are done talking about this until after the holidays.  Do you have feelings for Ashleigh?  And I mean, true, strong feelings?”

              I sit quietly for a minute.  It doesn’t take me long to answer him.

              “I do Dixon.  I really do but now I’ve screwed everything up.  I mean, I don’t even know what the new doctor said about her throat.”

              With that statement, I hear Merritt walk up.  I am pretty sure she is about to lay into me. 

              “Of course you don’t know asshole.  You never called her.  The new doctor basically said the same thing.  Same diagnosis but stressed to her how much she needs to take a very long break from singing in the new year.”

              “Seriously?  How long of a break?”

              “I really shouldn’t be talking to you about this you know.  The doctor recommended 5-6 months with no singing.  Her voice and throat would heal nicely and get the break it needs.  Ashleigh flipped out when he said that.”

              “Well, is she going to take a break?  She doesn’t need to damage anything else.”

              “Honestly, I don’t know, Cross.  She doesn’t want to and knowing her like I do, she won’t tell her manager or the label what the doctor said.”

              Hearing that from Merritt, I know what I have to do.  I walk away and pull my phone out and send a quick text to Jamie at JMA Music.  Ashleigh will hate me if she finds out I’m doing this but I care about her and this needs to be done.

Chapter Eighteen

ASHLEIGH

              Christmas came and went too fast.  I always hate having to ay goodbye to my family especially when I know I am going back out on tour and won’t see them for a while.

              Pulling in to my driveway, I am ready for some quiet time with no distractions.  I never even called Merritt to tell her I was headed home.  She’ll be mad at first but she’ll get over it. 

              I decide to leave unpacking for tomorrow and go to the kitchen and pour a glass of wine.  Settling down on the couch, I find a movie on Netflix and order Chinese food to be delivered.  I sit there wondering if it is possible to stay hidden in my house for the next three days.  Deciding that is not even a possibility, I chug back my wine.  As I get up to pour another glass, my phone chimes.

Merritt: Hey!  When are you coming home?  We have a girls night planned.  Dinner and drinks

              on Tuesday. 

Ashleigh: Um, I guess I’m coming back tomorrow.  Not sure what time though.  Dinner sounds

                  good.  I’ll be busy the other days getting ready for the concert.

Merritt: Do you think the concert is a good idea?  What about your throat?

Ashleigh: Don’t start Merritt.  I’m not going to dinner if y’all harass me all night about that.

                  I’m serious.               

Merritt: Fine.  No talk about your throat.  We’ll meet at your house around 7:00 on Thursday.

             I’ll just have to burn your ears with wedding talk. 

Ashleigh: Oh joy!  That’s not much better!  Night Merritt.

Merritt: Night Ash.

              I grab one more glass of wine and my Kindle and head to take a nice, long bath.  Not long after, sleep finds me pretty quickly. 

CROSS

              Tuesday morning is extremely busy at work.  I am working on acquiring some new land in a few different places to develop some properties.  I stay on the phone scheduling meetings in Houston, Denver and Phoenix.  From the looks of it, I will be gone all of January traveling for work.  I buzz Barbara to ask her a few questions.

              “Hey Barbara, can you come in my office for a few minutes.”

              “Headed that way now, sir.”

              Barbara walks into my office with her notebook and takes a seat.

              “Have you booked my hotels for Houston, Denver and Phoenix?  Make sure the pilot is prepared to fly on those dates.”

              “I’ve got you booked in all three cities and the pilot knows already.  Anything else?”

              “Um, yeah.  One more hotel reservation.  Can you get me a room in Nashville for January 26th?  I’ll just need it for one night though.  Quick trip for a meeting.  Let the pilot know about that as well.  That should be it for now.”

              There’s a knock on my open office door.  I look up and Dixon is standing there.  He gives Barbara a hug as she is leaving my office.

              “Hey man.  What are you doing here?  We didn’t have lunch plans, did we?”

              “No.  No lunch plans but if you have time, I brought lunch to you so we can talk while you work.  I know you’re busy.”

              He sets out the sandwiches and chips he brought and we eat in silence for a few minutes.  I can tell he has something on his mind and I’m curious what it is.

              “What’s up man?  I can tell you have something on your mind.  Just spill it and tell me what it is.”

              “Ashleigh is back in town.  All the girls are going out to dinner and then for drinks tonight.  You know she has a concert tomorrow night at the Fox, right?  Are you going?”

              I completely forgot she had a New Year’s Eve concert.  Shit, she doesn’t need to be singing but I can’t say anything about it.  She’s made it clear it’s none of my business.

              “Well, it is New Year’s Eve and if everyone else is going, I guess I am too.  I’m pretty sure she won’t be very happy to see me though.”

              “Luckily for you, she’ll be on a stage singing and won’t have much time to deal with all your bullshit.”

              Well, hell.  That made me stop eating.  I thought Dixon was on my side.

              “What the fuck man?  You’re my best friend.  You’re supposed to be supportive of me.  I’ve told you have much I like her and care about her.  I fucked up while I was gone.  I’m sorry.  But I don’t know what to do because she is going to hate me no matter what I say.”

              “Hey Cross, calm down.  I’m not the one who needs to hear all this.  Ashleigh is.  Come early with us tomorrow night and you should have a chance to talk to her before the show.”

              We finish eating and Dixon leaves.  I throw myself into work so I can take the rest of the week off.

              When I wake up the next morning, I go for a long run to clear my head.  I’m trying to decide what to say to her tonight.  Do I just apologize and hope we’re good again?  I guess we will see.

              I spend the rest of the day packing for my business trips and just relaxing.  The concert starts at 9:00 p.m. with the opening act, Blake Hunter and Ashleigh should go on around 10:00 p.m.  Since it’s New Year’s Eve, it’s a late show so she’ll be singing to ring the new year in.  Dixon let me know earlier that they were all leaving from Merritt’s house at 7:00.  Merritt got us a car to ride in and they told me we were eating there with Ashleigh.

              When I get to Merritt’s, she shoots me the evil eye.  I laugh when I go to hug her and she is still giving me the look.

              “Look Merritt, I’m going to talk to her and apologize tonight so can you stop giving me that look?  I’m a dick.  What else do you want me to say?  I know what I did was wrong and I’m going to beg for her forgiveness.  Is that good?”

              “I guess.  You better hope she’s in a good mood, though.  If not, you may be shit out of luck.”

              We all pile into the car and have a drink on the way there. Allie, her assistant, meets us at the back entrance with our passes and tickets and shows us the way to the green room.