The Road Home

Chapter 20

Harper checked the time; she was ten minutes late for her meeting with Les and Stan at her favorite downtown Nashville restaurant. This time though it wasn't her fault. She had actually been early before she got stuck in Nashville traffic. Like he would ever believe that. The waitress showed her to the table.

"I was getting worried." Stan whispered in her ear as they briefly hugged.

"Hello, Harper." Les stood and quickly pecked her on the cheek.

"How are you, Les?" Harper noticed the man had lost a considerable amount of weight since the last time she had seen him and remembered Stan telling her months ago that the doctors thought Les' cancer had returned. His pale skin and sunken eyes made her fear the worst.

"Had a scare a few months ago but doing much better now. Thank you for asking." Les waited for Harper to take her seat across from him and then sat down. "I know Stan has talked to you about this script and I want you to be a part of this project. I'm willing to pay you three million more than Huston."

"I think that sounds fair." Stan's beaming smile showed his excitement about his commission. "What do you think?"

Harper sighed. The thought of even starting another project made her head spin. She looked at Les. "I haven't had a chance to really look at the script. When do you start filming?"

"Three weeks from tomorrow or whenever you're finished in South Dakota, whichever comes first. We've already begun pre-production. We're going to be filming in San Francisco, so you'll be close to home. I know that's a draw for you. Here's a pen." Les handed the contract and silver pen across the table to Harper.

She took them both and stared at the contract.

Stan's eyes widened. "As your agent and friend, I advise you to sign it. I think this picture will be good for you. It's a comedy after all."

Harper's thoughts went to Ben and Neva. The thought of not seeing either of them for weeks at a time weighed heavily on her.

"What are you doing?" Stan asked panicky as she pushed to her feet.

"I've got to go. I'll call you later."

"Harper!" Stan quickly caught up with her. "What's going on with you?"

"I don't want to sign the contract right now."

"Why not?"

"I just don't. I can't. Not right now."

Once outside, she found her car and headed home. She knew she would have to leave South Dakota eventually and would cross that bridge when she came to it but right now she finally had friends she could trust. She wasn't ready to think about leaving them or the friendships they shared. Not yet.

~

Her phone told her it was four o'clock, the time she was supposed to be rehearsing onstage with Jake. She jumped when it rang in her hand.

"Yes?"

"Where are you?" Mel was outraged.

"Home."

"Why? You only get thirty minutes to rehearse. I knew I should've picked you up," she said, berating herself for not accompanying Harper to the rehearsal.

"I don't need to rehearse. I could sing that stupid song in my sleep." Harper looked out her bedroom window and watched the horses galloping across the field. She tried to think of the Palomino in South Dakota and not the trouble she had gotten into with Jake. How could she be so naïve? And why had she believed him when he told her he loved her and would give everything up for her, including his wife and two young daughters. And why would she even want him to? She was devastated when he broke it off, only to come back time and time again, begging her to forgive him. To make matters worse, she was even more irate when his wife cornered her backstage at last year's award show and started a fight. Had Harper not been such a hot commodity, Metro Police would have arrested her for the scuffle instead of cuffing her and taking her back to her dressing room to "cool off" as they put it. She shook her head and tried not to think of it.

"Look, you're not going to do anything crazy tonight, are you?"

Not that she hadn't thought of it a dozen times. A couple of months ago she wouldn't have thought twice about causing a scene, but now her life was different. She was different and she had come to a decision and knew it was the best one.

"Laura and Blane are going to be at your house within the hour." Harper wondered if her hair and make-up crew would bring their friends along. If they did, that meant she might have a house full at any moment. She needed to warn Robert. "And I'm bringing your dress and shoes now so I'll see you in a few."

~

Harper groaned as Nashville traffic had them stalled on I-65 yet again. She secretly wished she was on a country road in South Dakota as the limo inched its way towards her father's house. She stared out the window wondering if they would even make it to the Gaylord Entertainment building, where the night's award show was taking place, on time. Mel's rant about Shea not calling since they've been in Nashville was interrupted by her phone.

She had been thinking about Ben all day and knew she needed to reign in her feelings for him. It wasn't easy to constantly remind herself they were just friends.

"Have you gone to your show yet?"

"I take it you're not camped out in front of your television."

"I'm getting ready to teach a class. I've been thinking about you today. Are you worried about tonight?"

"No, I'm good." She loved that he worried about her. They talked for a few minutes before he had to go. She put her phone down and wished he was here.

When she looked up Mel was staring at her.

"Who was that?"

"Ben." The sound of his name seemed to wash over her.

"Ben?" Mel replied in shock.

"The Professor."

"I know who he is. What's going on? I thought you two were just friends."

"We are." He had made that plain and she had accepted it. Or was in the process of accepting it.

"It didn't sound like it."

"Why do you care?"

"Ever since you've been hanging out with your new friend," Mel made air quotes with her fingers, "you've been acting completely different."

"And that's a bad thing?"

Mel rolled her eyes and leaned back. "I'll just be glad when we leave South Dakota and life gets back to normal."

Harper refused to let thought enter her mind.

~

"Where were you earlier?" Jake asked, cornering Harper backstage. His guitar was strapped in front of him and his cowboy hat nearly hid his lying, cheating eyes as they waited for the show to come back from commercial break so they could perform their song. Lying, cheating eyes. That sounded like a new hit. I should write that song, she thought then quickly let the urge go. No more drama.

"Praying for the strength not to slap you. You should be thankful." She watched the furor going on around her. Assistants were hovering around performers straightening their gowns or making sure their hats were on straight. Make-up crews were powdering noses and fluffing hair. Agents were making deals. Technical people were feverishly making sure the show was going as planned. Reporters and photographers were trying to get sound bites or pictures for articles not yet written. She tried to step out of the way every time someone blew past her. This was the only way of life she'd known yet never felt like she belonged. She desperately missed her little trailer and quiet lot.

"Here's your mic." An assistant director handed Harper a cordless silver microphone. "It's time to get out there. You have ten seconds before going live."

Jake and Harper went to their places and soon were belting out the song that had earned them the nomination. Harper was able to keep her distance due to Jake's microphone being on a stand. The crowd went wild when they were finished. Harper lingered a tad longer on stage than she wanted due to the standing ovation and then made her way back to her seat and sat beside her father.