Cheaper Than Free: An Anniversary Story (The Dance A/U Sequel)

What's Better Than Alone

Pacific Coast Highway, California
Saturday, June 5, 1971
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"Jeremiah was a bullfrog...was a good friend of mine...I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him drink his wine...and he always had some mighty fine wine...Singing joy to the world...all the boys and girls...joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea, joy to you and me..."

The Buick Skylark was rolling down PCH towards Los Angeles at a scenic speed, and Stevie was alternating between looking out one window towards the ocean and the other towards the mountains. The California sun was just the right amount of in her eyes, and she was singing along to Three Dog Night on the radio singing "Joy To The World", her hand on Lindsey's thigh as he drove. She was singing in his ear now, stopping for the occasional kiss to his neck, which was making him turn his head inward towards her and tell her to stop because he had to watch the road.

"Spoil-sport," she said, sticking her tongue out at him and then sitting back in her seat and resuming her taking in of the panoramic view.

They had woken up early this morning - well, early to Stevie - and finished packing everything they were taking with them to Los Angeles in the trunk and back seat of the car. Ruth had hugged and kissed them both, as had Morris, but Ruth's hugs came with cardboard boxes of non-perishable foods and two big brown bags stuffed with sandwiches, drinks, chips, apples and grapes.

"In case you get hungry on the road," Ruth had said. "That's a long drive."

Ruth and Morris Buckingham had become the parents Stevie had never known she'd needed in the months Lindsey was recovering from mono and she had moved into their house to take care of him, and when he was feeling up to it, work on the demos. They had gotten it down to twelve songs, and Stevie had just spoken to her father on the phone last night who'd told her his favorite was "Don't Let Me Down Again". Barbara, in the background, had made the argument for "Crystal", Christopher was most impressed by "Races Are Run", and the phone call in which Stevie had outlined their travel plans and listened, yet again, to Barbara's lecture about being smart with their money, had somehow turned into a five-way conversation, the four members of the Nicks family and Lindsey all discussing the drive, the music, the sessions booked with Keith Olsen, and the two women on the call discussing at great length how Stevie intended to decorate their living space around the gorgeous blue Tiffany lamp she'd bought for her and given to her before they flew back to Chicago at the end of Jess' vacation from his job at Greyhound. Stevie had cried on the phone to Barbara as if they were saying goodbye in person, and afterwards, she'd sat in the kitchen with Ruth for hours over coffee while they had talked about everything - the circle of life, motherhood, getting older, the value of a dollar, the ups and downs of marriage - as both families thought upon Stevie and Lindsey as married by this point - and in the end, Ruth had hugged her and told her she was happy that if her son was about to move to Los Angeles and chase his dream, she was happy that he wasn't doing it alone and was even happier that his partner in this adventure was a girl who truly loved him who loved her back. She'd gone upstairs to bed jittery after three cups of coffee with Ruth and Lindsey had pulled her close under the covers in his half-asleep state, sensing her anxiety.

"This is everything we've been talking about since Fritz broke up, angel," he'd murmured into her ear, holding her close from behind and kissing her shoulder. "This is the plan, it's the dream. We've got this, Stevie...you and me. Buckingham Nicks."

"Buckingham Nicks," she repeated, closing her eyes and leaning into him more. "Don't let me go, Buckingham. I sleep better when you hold me."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Nicks," he said, and they fell asleep locked together with Ginny the dog under the covers, trying to rest up for the drive the next day.

"I'm getting hungry," Stevie announced after a period of quiet between them, the only sounds in the car those of Ginny snoring in a pile of blankets in the back seat and The Rolling Stones on the radio singing "Street Fighting Man", to which Lindsey was tapping his fingers on the steering wheel as if picking out chords. "I think I'm going to reach back there and grab a sandwich from your mom. Do you one?"

"Actually I'm starving," Lindsey announced as if he was realizing it in real time. "Don't bother with the sandwiches...we can stop and eat a hot meal, like with a fork..if we go another five miles to Barstow."

Stevie tried to conceal her real feelings about his suggestion - fear of spending money on a single meal. She clasped her hands down into her lap. "Okay."

They drove on to Barstow in more quiet, the radio playing "We've Only Just Begun", which was not rock and roll but had been an enormous hit for the Carpenters that past year. Stevie was listening to Karen Carpenter's fluid, magnificent lower register as she sang about a couple who'd just gotten married and were about to face life's challenges together, and slowly, as the song's chorus began, Stevie felt Lindsey's hand reach out for hers and hold it in her lap, his other hand on the wheel, and when she glanced over at him, she could see him tapping his hand to the beat...and she saw Lindsey Buckingham, her guitarist boyfriend, her rock and roll man, the man who worshipped Elvis Presley and the Everly Brothers and Jimi Hendrix and The Who, smiling as he sang along. Stevie began to sing too, so aware of their perfect harmony it almost took her breath away.

"Sharing horizons that are new to us...watching the signs along the way...talking it over just the two of us...working together day to day...together..."

He said nothing as he looked over at her and smiled, but she knew just what he was saying. She leaned against him with an exhale and closed her eyes.

The sign for the exit to Barstow was upon them, and he turned off the freeway towards their late lunch. Stevie knew in that moment that this was it. They were Buckingham Nicks in every sense of the word, and relaxing against him, her hand in his, she had never felt so safe or so loved or so sure in all twenty-four years of her life.

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