Sidearms and Songbirds (Hearts of Nashville Book 3) Read online

  Carly pulled in a ragged breath. “Thanks, Julia. I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome. And don’t worry—you can always count on me for a quick kick in the nether parts when you start feeling unworthy again.”

  “That’s good, because my nether parts need kicking often.”

  “I noticed that.” Julia chuckled. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  “Yeah, actually. I wondered if Tommy needed me to come back in, or if he thought the album is done.”

  “I’ll check with him and get back to you, all right? And in the meantime, go visit a pony. Enjoy yourself. Have a good time.”

  “You know, I think I will. Thanks, Julia.”

  Carly hung up, feeling a little bit lighter. When she dealt with Mick before, she didn’t have such a strong support team in her corner—she’d only had her mother, and her mother didn’t have these kinds of connections. Getting into the music industry had made it easier for Mick to find her, but it had also given her better resources to deal with him.

  Chapter Eight

  The drive out to Quinn Dawson’s ranch was just as gorgeous as Carly knew it would be. The Tennessee countryside never ceased to take her breath away with its gently rolling hills and green, green grass. She’d never guess that just a short distance to the north was Nashville, an absolute beehive of activity.

  She turned in at the gate marked “Always Yesterday” and followed the private road down another long stretch toward some buildings in the distance. She noticed a couple of guard shacks, but they didn’t stand out like most others did—instead, they looked like little farm sheds, and blended into the surroundings. Only the uniformed guards gave them away.

  She pulled up in front of the barn, following the instructions Quinn had texted her, and there he was, waiting in the parking area.

  “Hello there,” he said, his eyes going straight to Sophie. “I’m very glad you came. My pony’s been asking to meet a little girl.”

  “He has?” Sophie’s eyes went wide. “He can talk?”

  Quinn chuckled. “Well, he can’t really talk, but he’s pretty good at communicating. You know how animals are.”

  Sophie nodded solemnly. “We used to have a dog, and I always knew when she was hungry.”

  “See? It’s the same thing.” He turned and nodded to a teenage girl in riding boots who was walking toward them from the dim interior of the barn. “This is Casey. She helps me with the animals, and she’s going to show you the pony, all right? Your mom and I are going to be right here.”

  “Okay,” Sophie said, trotting along beside Casey as they walked out to the paddock. Quinn and Carly followed at a slower pace.

  “How are the wedding plans going?” Carly asked.

  “Well, from my perspective, it’s all a bunch of chaos and confusion,” Quinn replied with a chuckle. “I’m of the opinion that we should just put on some nice clothes, hire a preacher, and say some I do’s, but Meg wants something a little fancier. I’m glad she’s not into all that poofy stuff and ribbons, but I’m about being driven to distraction with matching napkins and whatnot.”

  Carly grinned. “But it’s worth it, right?”

  They’d reached the paddock, and Quinn rested his arms on the top rail of the fence. “It’s absolutely worth it. Meg’s the one I’ve been looking for my whole life—no doubt about it.” He nodded toward the house. “She’ll join us in a minute—she wanted to say hello to my parents first.”

  “And how are they doing?”

  Quinn pulled in a breath and then exhaled. “My dad’s doing better now that they’re out here on the ranch with me. He’s not trying to do everything by himself anymore, and that’s been a huge step forward. As for my mom, well . . . some days are better than others. Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease, Carly. It robs a person of everything they once loved about themselves. The only saving grace is that for the most part, they aren’t aware of what they lost—but when they do realize it, it’s devastating.”

  He wasn’t looking at Carly when he spoke, but she could still see the moisture in his eyes.

  “Mommy! Look!”

  Carly shielded her eyes from the sun as she watched Sophie clamber aboard the pony’s back with a boost from Casey. She’d been given a little riding helmet and some knee pads, and Carly couldn’t help but chuckle. “She looks like she’s ready for one of those British equestrian events.”

  “She’s a natural,” Quinn replied. “Meg and I can’t wait to have a few of those of our own running around this place.”

  “My ears are burning,” a cheerful voice called out from behind them. “Are you talking about me, Quinn Dawson?”

  Carly and Quinn both turned to see Meg walking toward them in jeans and a flannel shirt. She’d moved down to Tennessee from Boston to be with Quinn, but she looked like she’d been born and raised in the country.

  “I’m always talking about you.” Quinn put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. “Haven’t seen you much the last few days.”

  “Hey, these weddings don’t plan themselves.” She grinned at him, then turned to Carly. “Hi, Carly. Julia tells me you could use some legal advice.”

  “I sure could.” Carly glanced over her shoulder to make sure Sophie couldn’t hear their conversation. “My ex is in town. I have a restraining order against him that says he can’t come closer to us than fifty feet, but he’s shown up at Sophie’s school and he’s been on my front porch—he’s pushing that limit just as far as he can. The chief of police in Cherry Creek says I need to get a stronger restraining order in place so he doesn’t feel like he can taunt us like this.”

  “I’ve met Chief Bolton—he’s a good man, and yes, he’s right. Your ex sounds like he’s just thumbing his nose at you—men like that drive me crazy. Do you have a copy of your existing order with you?”

  “Yes, I do. It’s in my car.”

  “If you could grab that, I’ll take a look, and we’ll see about using some stronger language. I know a judge who doesn’t take too kindly to people who try to dance around the law, and I’ll try to get this on his docket as soon as possible.”

  Carly had to work hard not to cry as she walked over to her car. She hadn’t felt so much hope in ages, and the relief was just as overwhelming as the pressure had been. She grabbed her bag, checked to make sure she really had put the papers inside, then returned to where Quinn and Meg were still watching Sophie over the fence.

  “She’s so cute,” Meg said, grinning. “Look at her curls bouncing up and down as she rides.”

  “I think I know what she’s going to want for Christmas this year,” Carly replied, shaking her head. That was one Christmas wish that wouldn’t be granted—she didn’t think they could fit a horse in their small house.

  “She’s welcome to come out here anytime she wants,” Quinn said. “That’s part of why I bought this place—to share it.”

  Carly handed her papers over to Meg, and Meg flipped through them. “Yeah, I can see why he thinks it’s okay to push the limits,” she said after a few minutes. “There aren’t any real consequences outlined. I’m guessing you were eager to get this done and didn’t want to battle for something harsher?”

  Meg hadn’t spoken accusingly, but Carly felt tears come to her eyes anyway. “I just needed him to get away from me,” she said softly.

  Meg put her arm around Carly’s shoulders. “I get it—I really do. You’ve been through total darkness, and you were doing whatever it took to survive. But now you’re in a better position, you can see things more clearly, and we can tighten this up and make it closer to what you really need. Will you let me help you with that?”

  Carly nodded. “Yes, please.”

  “Let’s go up to the house and ask Quinn to make us ice cream sundaes while I edit this,” Meg said. “Does Sophie like ice cream?”

  “Sophie would live on ice cream if I let her,” Carly replied.

  “Well, last I checked, I had something like six flavors in my freezer,” Qu
inn said. He turned toward the corral. “Hey there, Sophie! I think that pony needs a break. Let’s go have some ice cream.”

  Sophie looked disappointed, but she nodded, and Casey led her over to the fence so she could climb down it like a ladder.

  “Coming to the house, Casey?” Quinn asked.

  “No, thanks, Mr. Dawson—I’ve got homework,” the girl called back as she gathered up the pony’s reins.

  Quinn’s house was huge, and it was obviously expensive, but it wasn’t overdone. He led them through the house and into the kitchen, where he pulled out all the ice cream and lined it up on the counter. Then he brought out syrups and candies and whipped topping. Sophie’s eyes grew bigger and bigger with each thing he added.

  “Now, don’t go thinking this is a regular thing around here,” he said with a chuckle. “This is left over from Meg’s bridal shower the other day. They held it here because I have the most room, and looks like I have the most freezer room for leftovers, too. Not that I mind.”

  “Oh, no.” Carly’s gaze flew to Meg. “I forgot about your bridal shower. I have the invitation on my fridge, but that was the day Mick showed up in town, and absolutely everything else flew out of my head.”

  “No worries,” Meg replied. “It’s honestly all right. And this way, you can still have refreshments without having to sit through all the silly games.”

  Carly laughed. “True. I kind of like some of the games, though. All depends on which ones.”

  “Did you play Pin the Tail on the Donkey?” Sophie asked.

  “No, but we played a game where everyone guessed how many kids we’re going to have,” Meg said, sounding amused. “We won’t know who won that one for a long time, though.”

  “Do you want to have any little girls?”

  “I’d love to have some little girls. Especially if they’re like you,” Meg replied.

  Sophie beamed. “If you want a little girl like me, you have to eat a lot of tacos while you’re pregnant. My mommy says that’s why I turned out so good.”

  “I’ll have to keep that in mind. I love tacos.” Meg turned to Quinn. “I’m going to grab my laptop so I can work on this. I leave the scooping to you.”

  “Scooping is my specialty,” Quinn replied. “All right, Sophie—come show me what you want.”

  Carly was afraid that Sophie would eat herself into a diabetic coma, but Quinn managed to make her a sundae that included everything she wanted but without being overly huge. Then he made Carly a Rocky Road sundae with triple chocolate everything, which was exactly what she needed without really knowing it.

  “Meg’s been teaching me some of the finer points of what it means to be a woman under stress, and we’ve had quite a few conversations about chocolate,” he said as he handed her the dish.

  “She must be a good teacher, and you’re an excellent student.” Carly picked up her spoon and swirled it around in the chocolate fudge sauce. “Julia’s sending me on tour as soon as she can get the venues arranged.”

  “That’s fantastic. Do you know who else will be going?”

  “She didn’t have anyone nailed down, but she thought Gil Murray might be one of them. That would be fun—I already know him a little from that charity basketball game.”

  “He’s a good guy. The only one I wouldn’t send you out with is Jeremy Banner. He’s got a lot of talent, but he’s also got a reputation.” He glanced at Sophie to indicate that he didn’t want to say too much in front of her, and Carly nodded.

  She got a text just then, and she pulled out her phone.

  Carly, this is Sam. I spoke with Mick this morning, and as of this afternoon, he’s checked out of his motel and is heading west.

  She blinked a few times, not sure if she was reading that correctly. Thank you, she finally replied.

  I’d like to talk with you in the morning, if you can come down to the station.

  I’ll be there.

  Meg came back in the room, a laptop under her arm. “What’s up?” she said, obviously reading the change in Carly’s emotions.

  “That was Chief Bolton. He says Mick just left town and is heading west.” She glanced at Sophie, then back at Meg. “Does that mean this is over? Maybe we don’t need to worry about the restraining order.”

  Meg shook her head. “We’re definitely petitioning for a new restraining order. Yes, he left town, but there’s nothing to stop him from turning around and coming back. Now that he knows where you live, he could show up on a regular basis. We need a long-term solution for what’s almost sure to be a long-term problem.”

  “Oh. I guess I got my hopes up a little too high.”

  “But the fact that he left is good,” Meg continued. “Until he decides what he’s going to do next, you’ve got the upper hand, so let’s use this time wisely.” She opened her laptop and set it on the table.

  “You look like you could use some brain food,” Quinn said, setting a dish on the table next to her.

  “I could, and this looks great. Thank you.” She smiled at him, but it was a distracted smile—her fingers were already flying over the keys.

  “She’s in lawyer mode now,” Quinn said to Carly. “We could put on unicorn costumes and dance through the kitchen and she probably wouldn’t even notice.”

  “We could?” Sophie asked. “Do you have unicorn costumes?”

  “I don’t, but now that you mention it, I should get some.” Quinn gave her a grin. “I’ll put that on my list.”

  Carly finished her ice cream, then rinsed all the bowls and put them in the dishwasher. Meg was working fast, but it still felt like quite a while before she turned her monitor toward Carly. “What do you think?”

  Carly didn’t understand half the legal jargon, but what she did understand was that Mick wasn’t allowed to enter the same town where she and/or Sophie lived without previously contacting them and specifying his reason for being there and why he was coming. This would allow him to travel for business, but would not allow him to stay in the town longer than the dates of the event. If he broke the agreement, he would be subject to a fine of ten thousand dollars.

  “Wow,” Carly said, shaking her head. “Do you think the judge will go for that?”

  “I’m certainly willing to give it a try,” Meg said. “If it doesn’t work, we can always adjust it, but this makes it clear that Mick’s behavior will not be tolerated. And by putting an actual dollar amount on the fine, it shows him just how seriously we’re taking this. Your old paperwork didn’t even specify what would happen to him—no wonder he didn’t care.”

  “This just seems so gutsy,” Carly said, her eyes still glued to the screen. “Can I really ask this?”

  “You certainly can—you have every right. The restrictions might seem a little heavy-handed, but you’re only asking him to do what he should have been doing all along.”

  Carly sat back in her chair. “If you think you can push this through, let’s go for it.”

  “Like I said, I want to try. If the court disagrees, I’ll find out what they will approve. We’re going to keep you safe, Carly.”

  “Thanks, Meg. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “In the meantime,” Quinn chimed in, “do you have a gun?”

  Carly glanced over at Sophie, who was busy sorting the M&Ms into different colors on the counter. “No. I never wanted to have a gun in the house while Sophie was little.”

  “Just something to consider,” he said mildly.

  She opened and then closed her mouth. She could see where he was coming from, but she could also imagine Sophie getting curious and hurting herself. “I’ll think about it,” she said at last. She knew it was possible to buy gun safes or to install a lock on a closet, but if she had to scramble to unlock a safe while an intruder was coming after her, that wasn’t going to give her much protection either. It was a catch-22.

  Meg printed out the document and told Carly she’d take it down to file it first thing in the morning. After that, it was a matter
of waiting to see how long the courts took to move it through the process. She’d see what she could do to hurry it along, and promised she’d call Carly as soon as she knew anything.

  Sophie fell asleep on the drive home, and Carly smiled, watching her in the rearview mirror. Her daughter knew what it was to be scared because of Mick, but she also knew what it was to be loved because of Carly. The answers weren’t clear and there was still so much to be figured out, but of one thing Carly was absolutely certain—she would never, ever stop fighting to give her daughter the secure childhood she deserved.

  Chapter Nine

  “Thanks for coming in, Carly.” Sam stood as she came into his office. He noticed that she had some dark circles under her eyes. “Did Sophie get off to school all right this morning?”

  “She did, although the school’s not crazy about this whole Mick situation. Are you sure he’s gone?”

  Sam indicated a chair, and she sat down. “That’s why I asked you to stop by,” he said as he lowered himself back into his own seat. “Yes, Mick packed up all his things and drove away, but I’m not convinced. I think he went just far enough to make us think we’ve gotten rid of him.”

  Carly leaned back. “Meg Forrester’s my new lawyer, and she hinted that she thought the same thing. I hoped I was misreading her.”

  “Meg’s your lawyer? That’s great. She’ll fight hard for you.”

  “Yeah, she already wrote up a stronger restraining order and is filing it today.”

  “Excellent.” Sam leaned forward and rested his arms on his desk. “We’re pulling back the surveillance, but we’re only making it less obvious—we’re still keeping an eye on you. I want you to continue double-locking your doors and taking all the precautions you have been.”

  “Not a problem. It’s become second nature.”

  “Good. So, tell me what the school had to say when you talked to them.”

  “They said they aren’t equipped to deal with situations like mine, and they don’t have much security in place.”