Lance turned off Interstate 4 and took a left at the bottom of the exit onto Vista View. He followed that until he reached Sweet Briar Lane. Mercedes house was off of Sweet Briar. Lance drove past the drive way and pulled off the side of the road. His head went down on the steering wheel.
"Shit." He hit his head on the wheel a few times, "What am I doing?"
Lance took out his cell phone and dialed his sister's number.
"Stacey?"
"Yes? Is this you, brother?"
"Yeah. How are things?"
"Great. Miss you. What's wrong?"
"Nothing has to be wrong for me to call."
"I know, but if I'm not mistaken something is wrong tonight. I can hear it in your voice."
Silence.
"Okay, spill it."
"Stace."
"Yeah."
"I feel like such a hypocrite."
"You? What would make you say that?"
"The guys, well they think I'm all out of it because Liam died."
"Okay...Liam. Oh, yes, Liam Burns, old record company. Died in an auto accident, correct?"
"Yes, he did."
"Isn't his wife producing the new CD...what was her name, Mer..."
"Mercedes McKenzie." When Lance said it , it sounded almost lyrical.
"Okay, so the guys think you're acting strange because of Liam's death. Sweetie, I'm sure they understand. It's hard to lose a friend like that."
"That's just it. We weren't."
"Weren't...friends?"
"No, I...I hated him."
"Am I talking to James Lansten Bass? Are we related? This does not sound like you!"
"Maybe not, but I despised him. He lived his life in such a way that he lost sight of every good thing he had. The one really precious thing he had, he never appreciated."
"Why is it, I think you're talking about Mercedes?"
"Stace..."
"Lance? The way you said her name..."
"It tears me up knowing how much she loved him and misses him still, even though he was never faithful to her."
They were quiet for a while. Lance leaned over his steering wheel and put his face into his hand.
"Are you still there, Stace?"
"Yes, I am."
"I never crossed that line, you know."
"I know that Lance."
"But, in my heart. I did."
"There's a friend of mine who saw our Minister. He told her that it wasn't a sin to have thoughts, because being human we couldn't help but think things sometimes. It was just the actions we needed to be concerned about."
"So, the lusting thing, that's not a sin?" Lance teased her.
She smiled, knowing he was mocking her just a bit, "Well, probably if you were REALLY obsessive about it, Jesus would get alittle annoyed with you."
"I have to tell you, I'm starting to get really obsessive about it."
"Well, she isn't a married woman any more."
There was another moment of quiet.
"Brother, you've got it bad."
"Oh. yeah." Lance then rubbed his eyes. "Any advice?"
"Yes. Let It Go."
"Let it go?"
"You heard me, Let It Go. You didn't tell the guys Liam was a jerk. Okay. Mercedes thinks her dead husband loved her and was worthy of her love in return. So, okay. What are you stressing about? You are a great guy. You don't go around trashing other people, even when maybe they deserve it. Time to write a new chapter for yourself and for Mercedes, too...maybe?"
"Thanks sis."
"You're welcome. Just come home once in a while."
"Will do."
"Lance, I meant it. Forget Liam. Concentrate on yourself and Mercedes' happiness. Leave the past back where it belongs."
"Love you."
"Love you, too, sweetie."
Lance returned his cell phone to his jacket pocket. He sat for a while absorbing everything he and his sister talked about. Then, he started his car and pulled back around to the long drive way. When he got to the house Joey was on the front porch swing between two girls he recognized from the studio. "Hey, Scoop. We'd almost given up on you, man."
Lance went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Mike's hard lemonaide from the fridge.
"Hi Chris. Hi Dani. Have you seen Mercedes?" Lance asked them.
"She went down to the Barn to show J.C. and Bobbie the renovations. "Thanks."
As Lance headed towards the Barn, he noticed a curly head over near the lake. Even in the dark he made out Justin's form, standing next to a decidedly female-type person and they weren't catching fire flies.
"Is that you, Lance?" J.C. hollered from the door of the Barn.
"Yep."
"I'm so glad you made it. Hey, you've got to see the loft Mercedes had built." Bobbie whispers in J.C.'s ear and he smiles.
"I think we're going for a little moonlight stroll. Go on in the barn,Lance. Mercedes is putting out some candles, she'll be so happy you made it here. And she loves to give the tour. We'll meet up with you at the Main House later, okay?"
"Sure."
