Since Nick had a house was just a few miles outside of Nashville, they opted to get ready for the show in the comfort of home. Annie and her young son had basically lived there during the months she was recording and promoting her debut album, with Nick coming and going as his schedule allowed. It originally started as a landlord/renter type of arrangement, except that Nick would never actually allow her to pay rent. As their relationship grew, it began to feel more like “home.” Yet unlike conventional couples who were “living together,” they each had their own rooms. Annie was a traditionalist, and Nick, in love as he was, was happy to go along with it-- for now, anyway. After the makeup artist and hairdresser had worked their magic on her, and Leighanne helped her step into her dress and zip it up before leaving to check on the guys, Annie found herself staring at her own reflection in the mirror.
Every curl was in place, expertly pinned out of her face with finger waves across the side of her auburn head in an “old Hollywood” fashion. Glossy red lipstick complemented her green eyes, making them appear even brighter, and the diamond earrings Nick had given her that morning, calling them an “early birthday/good luck tonight” present, sparkled in the warm, late afternoon sunlight that streamed through the window blinds. She looked down at the top of the oak dresser in front of her to grab the matching bracelet and put it on, and gasped, her hand frozen in the air as she saw a third piece of diamond jewelry glistening in the September sun. “How did that get there?” she asked herself. She gulped and bent down to examine the engagement ring she hadn’t seen in months. Curiously, the platinum band that was beginning to lose its luster and had taken on a gray tint the last time she’d worn it, was now bright and shiny, as it someone had taken it to a jeweler to have it cleaned and polished, and the two-carat princess-cut diamond glinted blindingly. With her hand shaking, she picked up the ring, held it between her thumb and forefinger, and stared at it. Was this some kind of joke? It had taken her years to finally pack the ring that her late husband had given her in a box and stow it away in the attic. Now, someone had put it back on her dresser right before she was going to debut Nick as her serious boyfriend in front of TV cameras and the Christian music world while she walked the red carpet with him by her side? The thought was a little unnerving.
Suddenly, she had the urge to call her former mother-in-law and check on her son. She walked over to her nightstand and picked her cell phone up. After three rings, the older woman answered sounding breathless. “Hello?”
“Hi, Gail,” Annie smiled at the sound of the familiar voice on the other end of the line. “I just wanted to check on Drew.”
“Annie, honey, aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for the show? We’re so excited to watch tonight. He’s fine, by the way. He’s wearing me out, but he’s fine.”
Annie laughed. “We’re leaving in a few minutes. I just needed to check in. Once everything gets started tonight, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do it again. I worry even when I know he’s in good hands. You know how it is.”
“I do,” Gail answered wistfully. “I sure do.” Annie couldn’t keep the tears from starting to well up in her eyes. This woman knew exactly what it meant to worry about her son. She also knew what it meant to have those worries and fears come true. Undoubtedly, she’d worried when her son had left for that business trip. Then, he’d returned in a body bag. Gail Morgan had taken Annie under her wing after the death of her son, Annie’s husband, so much so that Annie had made the decision to move to Andrew’s hometown to practice emergency medicine in the local hospital after she’d completed her training. However, after her son was born, things changed.
“I’m sorry, honey. It’s just too painful to look at him,” Gail told her when Drew was only one month old. Annie’s son was the spitting image of his father, with a crop of light blonde hair, wide eyes, and dimples when he smiled. If it weren’t for the fact that he had the same emerald green eyes as Annie, you’d never know he belonged to her at all. Even though they were living in the same small town, Annie and her mother in law rarely ever crossed paths for almost two years. Luckily, Gail and Allyson, Andrew’s older sister, approached her when they heard she was moving to Nashville to start her music career. As time healed their emotional wounds, they realized that having a little grandson/nephew who was Andrew’s, bittersweet as it was, was something they didn’t want to let go of. After several successful visits, Gail offered to keep Drew for a couple days surrounding the awards show, and Annie reluctantly agreed. He loved his “Gamma,” and besides, Berea, Kentucky was a heck of a lot closer to Nashville than Boca Raton, Florida, where her own parents were happily enjoying their retirement.
“You’re going to have to get that boy a puppy,” Gail laughed. “He’s making Rusty young again,” she said, referring to the old hound dog that her Andrew had always loved so much. He must have been about 15 years old by now. “I tried to get him to come to the phone, but he’s too busy wrestling in the grass with that dog!”
“One of these days, I will,” Annie assured her. “But right now, we don’t stay in the same place for very long, so it’s probably not a great idea.”
“I’m sure Nick’s dog sitter wouldn’t mind another,” Gail said nonchalantly. Annie had been afraid to let Gail and Allison (Mr. Morgan had died of a heart attack a few months before Annie met Andrew), know about her new relationship, but again, time was healing wounds, and they’d been genuinely happy for her.
“Hey there, gorgeous.” Nick appeared in the doorway looking dapper in his dark grey suit and striped tie that complemented Annie’s navy blue, one shouldered evening gown. “You ready?
He cocked his head to the side and flashed her his irresistible smile.
Annie smiled back and held up her index finger as she nodded toward the cell phone against her ear. “Give Drew a kiss for me, Gail. Call if you need anything. My cell will be on silent, but I’ll check it throughout the night.”
“Sure thing, honey. But don’t expect me to call. He’s fine!” Gail reassured her warmly. “Now have a great time, and bring home one of those shiny bird trophies!” Annie laughed as she told her goodbye and hung up the phone.
She looked up at Nick, who was now standing beside her. Then, her eyes flashed to the engagement ring still laying on the dresser. “I’ll be just a minute, okay?” She stood up and leaned forward to kiss him lightly on the jawline, careful not to leave a big lipstick mark there.
“Well, hurry up. The limo’s here.” Nick gave her waist a gentle squeeze with his arm and started walking out. “I’m kind of excited to see you walk down the stairs, all Scarlett O’Hara, anyway.” Annie couldn’t help but giggle. Nick had never seen Gone With the Wind until she made him watch it with her a few weeks ago. Once he was out of sight, she hurried to get her bracelet put on and dropped her cell phone into her handbag. The last thing she did was take the ring and stash it in her dresser drawer. She didn’t think another thing about it for the rest of the night.
