Heart of the Matter

2

Lindsey gets her vocal and the guitar part and as she's walking out of the booth, the Warner Execs with her label have joined them as well as the Idol producers. When an agreement is reached a flutter appears not only in Kendall's heart but also Lindsey's. 

"So, Kendall...let's talk about your album. Do you think you and Lindsey can get it done by the summer?" One of the Warner Execs asks.

"I mean...I have a bunch of demos, more than enough for one solo album...I'm pretty much free it's going to depend on Lindsey." Kendall shrugs.

"My schedule depends on Fleetwood Mac, we're supposed to be going on the road this year but Stevie just finished one tour and I think she wants to wait until the end of the year...I would like to push it a year but I have some meetings and things with them in the next couple months but I'll make sure we have it done by...when's your birthday?" Lindsey turns to her.

"May 24th..." She trials off. Lindsey cocks his head but then he shakes it off.

"May 24th. I'll have it ready for release on May 24th...Hell, we just created your first single. Come back tomorrow and i'll have my guys here we can put drums on it, keys, bass, and get final cuts. We can have your first single out the beginning of next week." Lindsey states.

"What about like a music video or something?" Kendall asks.

"No...Lindsey's onto something. He has the song ready for release on the 15th...I'll set up radio play, and phone interviews. We'll tell the world that you're working with Lindsey Buckingham and then on the 26th...You'll walk the Musicares red carpet with him." The other exec points out.

"Craig is going to Nashville to do some more recording...I'd rather not sit in my Condo and do nothing...so why not." Kendall grins. 

"Great it's settled." One of the Idol producers smiles. 

***

The next morning, Craig wakes her up much like he did the day before with coffee. When she told him everything that was going on he cheered and said that she had made it big. After she finished her coffee she changes into a pair of light washed ripped jeans a maroon lace bralette and an oversized white long see-through long sleeve that falls off of her shoulders. She pulls her blonde waves up into a ponytail and cuffs her jeans before sliding her feet into brown five-inch high booties. 

Arriving at Lindsey's he's waiting for her outside and she pulls the demos out of her brown leather fringe purse and hands them to him. He leads her downstairs where he introduces her to his backing band and his engineer, Keith Olsen. 

"Has anyone ever told you, you look like Lindsey's ex-wife?" Keith questions.

"Agh...Stevie Nicks?" Kendall questions.

"Who else, the man's only been married once." Keith chuckles.

"Well no, not really. I don't think I've ever heard someone say I looked like Stevie Nicks." Kendall shakes her head.

"Well you do...you do look like her." Keith smiles.

"Well thanks...I guess." She grins.

***

After she had redone the vocals for I Hope, and laid vocals down for twelve more tracks, it was nearing eleven at night and she had stopped and was sitting at the board with Lindsey and Keith.

"Okay, so what are you thinking about for your title?" Lindsey asks.

"Well...I like the name River Rose, and I have that song on the album...But I don't know what do you think?" Kendall questions.

"I think it's clever. Kendall means River a derivative from the Kent River..." Lindsey gives a sad smile.

"So River Rose it is." Kendal grins. 

"But is that going to be an album track or a single?" Keith questions.

"Does it really matter?" Kendall asks.

"No...It was just a question." Keith shrugs. 

***

January 26, 2018

Kendall couldn't believe she was sitting in a limo wearing a teal, chiffon long-sleeved dress with pink flowers on it and a pair of tan five-inch high heel boots. With her waves in a half up half down bun. What was even better was they flew to New York on a private jet.

They walked the carpet together and answered some questions for the reporters. Eventually, he was pulled away to take some Fleetwood Mac Pictures and then they went inside. 

After they performed and accepted the award Kendall hugged Lindsey around the neck and she could feel the eyes of her mother burning into her back. Once she pulled away it was almost instantaneously when Stevie pounced on Lindsey. 

"You better not be sleeping with this girl. She's barely fucking legal?" Stevie growls.

"I'm nineteen." Kendall chimes in.

"Nine-fucking hell. I'll have you arrested." Stevie spits.

"Stevie, we're not sleeping together. I'm producing her there's a difference." He growls.

"There wasn't a difference when you slept with those girls you produced while we were married." She crosses her arms.

"I have a boyfriend...I promise he's just producing me." Kendall defends him.

"Be careful...Asshole." She points out. 

"I'm sorry about that she's a little nuts." He scratches the back of his neck.

"It's okay...the woman that raised me, kidnapped me, I can handle crazy." Kendall shrugs.

"What?" Lindsey asks.

"I kind of had an ulterior motive for working with you." Kendall shrugs. 

He just gives her a look and then she pulls him into his dressing room. Once she shuts and locks the door she pulls her birth certificate out of her purse and hands it to him. He looks it over and then he lets out a strangled sob gasp noise. 

"Oh my god..." He pulls her into his arms.

"Hey." She says quietly.

"I don't..." He shakes his head.

"Her name was Pamela. She died in 2013, in Pittsburgh. She was killed in a car accident by a drunk driver. I was fifteen and I moved in with her sister Lucy we cleaned out the attic and I found a box with this Birth Certificate in it and a whole bunch of newspaper clippings about the Buckingham kidnapping." Kendall shrugs.

"Kendall we have to tell her." Lindsey sighs.

"NO, I don't want to tell her...It was hard for me to even tell you...Craig said to wait until I felt comfortable with each of you...I'm not entirely comfortable with her yet. Promise me you won't tell her." Kendall expresses.

"Okay..." He smiles taking her face into his hands. He looks her over, his eyes trailing over her blonde waves and her brown eyes. They're shaped like his, but every other part of her face is her mother's. 

With tears still streaming down his face, he kisses her head.