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And I’ll get a new man.
Cause cheating ain’t my love story,
And I ain’t you’re biggest fan.
I’m saying no, oh, no, no, no.
Telling you no, oh, no, no, no.
I kept singing and playing until the song was through, trying to compensate for the bit of a mess in the middle, hoping Scotty could find a way to fix it.
When I played my last note, he sat back and applauded. I had to admit, the sound felt good. No one had ever applauded my music before because no one except my baby Darci had ever heard it before.
“That was great and not at all what I expected,” he said, surprising me with his comment. “It’s right up there with something that Miranda Lambert or Elle King might write. It has the right melody, but I would give it a bit more of an upbeat tempo, more punch during the chorus. Let me show you. I’ll use your basic melody, but I’ll speed it up a bit, with a little more edge. If you hate it, don’t be afraid to tell me.”
He took my song and gave it a touch of magic, making it sound like it was already a hit. He even sang some of the lyrics and sounded so good, I wanted to swoon. I applauded him when he played the last note.
“Oh my God! How did you do that? How did you take what I did and make it so amazing? Can you write it down? I don’t want to forget it.”
“Believe me, I won’t forget, but I can write it down for you.”
I couldn’t help being totally in awe of his talent. “Are you some kind of savant?”
“I don’t know what I am. I’m just good with music.” He spoke as if it were a well-known fact that he’d accepted a long time ago.
Nothing to see here. I’m just brilliant.
“This is a big ask, but would you consider helping me finish this song? I don’t know what I’ll do with it, but I’d like to have it be done.”
“I know exactly what you should do with it… play it, on stage, at Dirty Coyote. Tammy and some of the local talented women have an open mic every Wednesday night. Plus, they play some cover songs. The locals love it, and the place is usually packed. I know she’d love to have you up on the stage with her.”
Fear immediately bubbled in my stomach. “Oh, no. No. No. I couldn’t. I’m so rusty I could never keep up with them. I’m sure they’re all far better musicians than I am.”
“You’re just a bit rusty, like you said, but no one else has written a song like this, and I’ve heard a lot. I usually work on Wednesday nights. It’s a fun night for me, and I make a lot of money behind the bar. Women know how to tip much better than men do. I could help you go over their songbook, and I bet you can get through one set, easy. Plus, you can play your song. You’ll have almost an entire week to learn the songs. I know you can do it.”
My stomach actually quivered at the thought.
“Maybe Tammy can sing my song. That would be fun… to hear her sing it.”
“Or better still, maybe you can sing it.”
For a moment, he caught me by complete surprise. I’d never even considered singing the song myself. At least not now. Maybe in a few years, but not now. Now, everything was about making a home for Darci… a safe, lasting home.
“Let it go. It’s never going to happen.” I stood and leaned my guitar on the stand I’d brought out earlier. “Can I get you something to drink? Wine? Beer? Water?”
“Water. I have to drive.”
“You can stay here if you want. I’m sure Colt won’t mind. I think he’s got another guest room upstairs.”
I liked Scotty and wanted to get to know him better. The only way I could do that was if I hung around with him more often. Working with him wouldn’t do that. The place was too busy for any real interaction between employees.
“Thanks. In that case, I’ll take a beer, but why can’t you sing this song? I think Tammy would love to have you up on the stage with her.”
I walked out of the room and headed for the kitchen. I was still getting used to the layout of the house and took the long way. When I arrived, Scotty was already pulling a Coors Lite out of the fridge.
“I’ll get better at getting around in here.”
“It’s a big house. Did you want one?” He reached for another.
