Spirited Ride (17 page)

“Everything’s fine. We, uh… we wanted to talk to you about recording a song,” the older boy, Matt, said to TJ.

“I didn’t know you did more than video and photography,” TJ said in surprise at the older boy’s serious tone.

“It’s not for us,” Ben said. “We want you to record Gretchen’s song. We’ll pay you for it.”

The following week was busy as they managed to open the music store with more help from Chuck and his two newest interns, who were now living in their old house.

Sherri was as surprised as TJ on how well the grand opening went. People were coming from other counties and the calendar for the recording studio was filling up quickly, as was the schedule for lessons for everything from guitar to the flute.

Long days at the shop and bar didn’t stop TJ from finding her wherever she happened to be and dragging her back to his apartment and into his bed. Sex had always been good between them but now it seemed to completely consume them both… not just her.

He’d always been vocal about what he wanted from her and it had excited her to no end in her youth. Now that she was older, hearing him give in to her from time to time… calling out her name… made her spirit soar to all new heights.

She couldn’t quite explain the difference between then and now, but it was beautiful and ensured that he had in fact left his mark on her very soul.

Stopping by to pick up a few of her valuables from Lilly’s house, she’d finally taken some time to tell Lilly about patching things up with TJ. Sherri explained about Gina’s role in her having lost ten years with the man she loved and how Gina was now running scared.

As expected, Lilly then told Dana as the two of them seemed to be thick as thieves most of the time. What she hadn’t planned for was for little Gretchen to overhear the conversation and decide to take matters into her own hands.

TJ, being true to his word, had booked a slot for Gretchen and her sisters to come in and record her song. An hour before Dana was to bring them to the shop, though, she called and said they would be stopping by but wouldn’t be recording Gretchen’s song because, once again, the little girl was in trouble.

When Gretchen came into the shop a little while later, looking angry and disappointed, Sherri couldn’t help but ask what was wrong.

She was surprised when Gretchen hugged her around the waist and said, “I’d do it again, Aunt Sherri. What she did was wrong and someone needed to make her pay for it.”

Looking to Dana for answers to Gretchen’s outburst, Dana sighed and said, “
Someone
was listening in to a conversation that was
none
of her business and overheard Lilly telling me about Gina’s part in you and TJ breaking up. Then that same little girl just happened to run into Gina at the store, when she rode her dirt bike up there without permission, and she punched her!
In the face!
”

“Gretchen!” she said, pulling the little girl’s arms from around her waist to look her in the face. Then Sherri turned to TJ for help on how and what to say to the child.

Of all the people in their group who were angry about what Gina had done, herself especially, she’d never expected any of them to physically go after the woman. For one of the youngest in the group to have done so was startling to say the least. She appreciated Gretchen’s loyalty to family but was shocked at how she’d decided to go about showing that allegiance.

“The employee at the store didn’t call the police and so far… neither has Gina. From what I gathered talking to the clerk… she too had some issues with Gina over some things and felt Gina had it coming. So far any legal trouble has passed by but that recording she has been cooking up with Matt and Ben is going to have to wait for a while,” Dana explained, clearly frustrated.

“Go to the practice studio, Gretchen, and wait for us there,” she said to the young girl.

Gretchen looked to Dana for help but Dana only pointed at the studio door. Once the girl entered the small room where lessons were given and closed the door behind her, Sherri turned back to Dana. “We’ll talk to her about it too. I’m so sorry, Dana. We never meant for our problems to affect your family.”

“We’re all family… what affects one of us… in many ways… affects us all,” Dana replied. “However, she needs to learn now that there are proper ways to deal with things… and punching a grownup is not one of them. She’s not even a teenager yet!”

Following Dana’s gaze to look at the young girl who could be seen through the glass of the door, Sherri knew that Gretchen’s heart was in the right place. However, she also recognized the same stubbornness that resided in her, radiating out from every pore in the child’s body.

Gretchen sat on the stool, her arms folded across her chest with an angry scowl on her face.

Dana took Melody and Ginny around the store to look at all the instruments while she and TJ went in to talk to Gretchen.

They had no more than entered the room and closed the door behind them when Gretchen said, “She had it coming so I’m not going to be sorry, no matter what you say. You have to tell me it was wrong because I’m a kid but that doesn’t change my mind any.”

TJ brushed his hand across his mouth and Sherri could tell he was trying to hide a smile. Honestly she wasn’t sure what to say to the girl, since Gina did have it coming. She watched as TJ pulled another chair over and sat in it facing Gretchen. Then he leaned back, crossing his arms in an imitation of her.

“I respect that, Gretchen. Some people do deserve what they get. However, let’s think about who’s really paying for you hitting her. She might be sporting a bruise or a black eye right about now but you… you’re missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime! All because you gave her a moment of your time when you hit her,” TJ said.

“I of all people have given that woman enough control over my time… ten years in fact! So believe me I’m the last person to say that she didn’t deserve what you did to her… I’m just not so sure she deserved the time out of your day. Ten years of my life and ten years of your Aunt Sherri’s life was more time than she ever deserved from any of us… understand? I think it’s time to leave that woman in the past where she belongs… but that’s just my opinion,” TJ finished.

Gretchen never replied and her arms never uncrossed but she looked thoughtful for a brief moment. Sherri could only look at TJ in awe. He might not have ever wanted kids of his own but he had a lot to offer other people’s kids… aside from music lessons.

When Gretchen finally went out to the other room to find Dana and her sisters, she approached where TJ stood watching the child walk away.

“We did give Gina way more of our time than she deserved. Forsaking all others… we obviously misunderstood that part I guess,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“This time around… things will be different. I swear it, Sherri,” he whispered before bending to kiss her mouth, his hair draping around them like a curtain blocking out anyone who dared to intrude.

“Do you think that Becca can undo the divorce somehow?” she asked between kisses.

“We’ll never know if we don’t ask,” he replied with a sexy grin.

After the girls and Dana left they went and ate dinner at the bar and then drove across town to visit Dickie and Becca.

The older couple were polar opposites but for the first time Sherri recognized the deep love and devotion they had for each other… because she felt that way for TJ.

“We no longer want the divorce and wondered if there is a way to cancel it,” she said, sitting down on their couch.

A look of frustration crossed Becca’s face and she said, “You two need to just stop!”

Becca was the observant one in the group… the people watcher. She normally sat back and watched the group’s interactions with each other but rarely got involved in their mischief.

Other than when Dickie would pick on her, she was also seldom confrontational with anyone. Sherri could see why she was such a force to be reckoned with in court. It was hard to tell what exactly she and TJ had done but somehow she felt like they weren’t going to like what they were about to hear.

“When you came to my office that day and told me you that you wanted a divorce… what did I tell you?” Becca asked her.

Then without waiting for a response Becca continued, “I said to give it some time… to really think about what you wanted. You gave it the month I suggested but you never really
thought
about what you wanted and instead impetuously filled out the divorce papers, asking for things you knew would start a fight with TJ. Then you both proceeded to use that document as a way to provoke and anger each other until, in another round of impulsivity. TJ signs it and then
insists
that I file it. I can only do so much to keep you from screwing up your lives! At some point you are going to have to be grownups and figure out what’s best for you… on your own.”

Sherri glanced over at TJ and his stunned expression matched hers. She would have felt properly chastised by Becca if not for Dickie who took that moment to lean down and whisper something in Becca’s ear that made the older woman blush.

Becca swatted at Dickie in an effort to get him to leave her alone which only made the older man smile more.

“I cannot undo a court ruling,” Becca sighed after collecting herself and burning a dirty look at Dickie who actually laughed out loud. “You would simply have to remarry. However, before you do so… may I again suggest that you take some time and really think about what works best for you in your relationship? This time if you choose not to give the importance of this decision its due diligence… then please do not expect me to be able to swoop in and save you from yourselves!”

Sherri felt bad because ultimately Becca was right. As much as they had said they wouldn’t involve their friends or try to make them choose sides, they had used Becca as one more weapon against each other. Glancing at TJ she could see that he also felt the guilt over their actions.

“You’re so right and this time we will actually listen to the advice we pay you for,” she said to Becca with an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry to be so… harsh. It’s just that I care about you both. You’re good people… with you helping Chuck find places for these kids to work when they get out of the foster system and convincing Casey Lawrence do what was right by little Ginny,” Becca said to Sherri.

Then looking at TJ she said, “And you… that song has made more than enough money to pay off little Melody’s doctor bills. Tommy’s family is fine now. Are you sure you don’t want to reinstate your share of the royalties from it? Seems to me, with your new store you could use the money now.”

Suddenly the ease with which little Ginny’s adoption had transpired made perfect sense. Lilly had given Casey some money to help her ‘get her life back on track’ but even having her sign over all rights and put the child up for adoption hadn’t been enough.

Melody’s outstanding medical bills had made it seem as though Dana and Tommy couldn’t afford another child. Then somehow miraculously, at least it had seemed so at the time, the money to pay the bills was suddenly there… and it hadn’t come from Chuck but from one of Tommy and TJ’s songs.

TJ’s financial status made complete sense to her now. She had long since stopped worrying about where the money had gone and just tried to trust that there was an explanation. Now there was.

“No. I’ve got all I need,” TJ smiled and looked over at her. “Fame and fortune is for someone a little more determined than myself, I guess.”

“Well good luck to you both then,” Becca said, handing them a piece of paper from her briefcase.

TJ took the paper from Becca’s hand, unfolded it, read it and then handed it to Sherri. It was a document signed by Chuck stating that in the event they chose not to reinstate their rights to the royalty from the song that their debt to him for the store was forgiven. The crazy ass, wild man and newest father in the group had no sense at all but Sherri would deal with him later.

“I finished the seat on that bike of yours,” Dickie said to TJ and the two went out to the tiny garage where Dickie’s workshop was housed.

The next hour was spent visiting and enjoying the closeness of friends who truly were more like family. Sherri couldn’t help but be grateful for the way things had turned out… in spite of the divorce.

Once she and TJ made it back to the apartment later that evening, she stopped him when he started in on getting her naked by saying, “I don’t think I want to marry you again, TJ.”

He tensed and backed away from where he’d been kissing the back of her neck and turned her around to face him. “The hell you say…” he replied.

“I was thinking about what Becca said today and what you said that first night we spent together at the music store. You’re both right… we don’t need a piece of paper to tell us what we have. It’s up to us to make this thing work. If we want to be together badly enough… then we will be… we’ll ride out any storms that come along because we
want
to… not because some piece of paper says we
should
,” she said.

“I agree.” At her shocked expression at him giving in so easily to her announcement, he laughed and continued, “Besides… you never changed your last name back to your maiden one. So most people will just assume that you still belong to me anyway. I love you…
Sherri Simons.
”

You can find out about more Riding with Honor stories at http://www.rebeccamaverybooks.com