Chapter 9
The next few months were simply
the same reflection and continuation of Jeanie and Kevin's whole relationship.
Two successful people running in opposite directions.
The guys were concentrating on
their new album and took everyone with them to a remote, secluded island. As
Jeanie teased, "the whole fam-damily" was there. She wondered how
much work actually got done.
To Jessie's dismay, Brian's nose
was wedged in Leighanne's cleavage most of the time. Kevin doted on Jeanie,
Nick and Madi played for hour upon hour on the beach. At home, the only sand
Madi ever played in was her sandbox. The island was one gigantic sandbox. At
first, she was a little scared of the ocean, but Nick was patient. Even Kevin
had to laugh every time Nick would pick her up to "go swimming."
She'd dig her little nails into his neck and make the most God-awful, terrified
face, but would always laugh once he had her in the water. Probably one of the
funniest "Madi at the beach" stories was when Nick convinced her she
could hear the ocean in a shell. Unfortunately, she applied that theory to
everything after that…shoes…rocks…whatever. She was constantly forcing everyone
to hold objects up to their ear to listen for the ocean… Jeanie had enough
snapshots of the Boys and family to fill a whole album holding objects to their
ears. Brian with a stick…A.J. with a bottle of suntan lotion. It was
hysterically funny…except to Madi. She was serious about it.
When they returned from vacation,
Kevin rented an apartment while the Boys worked on the album. He needed to be
closer to the studio and Jeanie understood.
Nick did his best to keep a low
profile. Still, he loved her. He'd managed to corner her on vacation and steal
one sweet kiss before she wriggled free. Any other man probably would have been
hurt, but Nick knew better. That's why he loved her so much. She was fiercely
determined to make it work with Kevin.
Nick had known Kevin just about
his whole life. He was certain that sooner or later, Kevin would screw it up.
Kevin, his ego, mirror, and his new found Hollywood fame would get the better
of him sooner or later. There was no doubt in Nick's mind that Kevin loved
Jeanie, but there was also no doubt in his mind that Kevin loved himself.
Everyone knew it. That was probably why everyone cared and worried so much
about Jeanie. They were all anticipating the day when the "other shoe
would drop." It was a matter of time. He and Brian talked about. Lindsay
and A.J. knew it. Even Howie had to admit that even though he couldn't stand
the thought of it happening, it was inevitable. Kevin had new friends in high
and mighty places and Kevin thrived on it. Sooner or later, Jeanie and Madi
would become a nuisance…and Nick would be there to catch Jeanie's broken heart
before it fell too far. Just like always.
Jeanie completed the collaboration
with Hunter Maguire. The first single was already Number One on the Billboard
Country Chart. Kevin was happy for her success, but not too happy about her
relationship with Hunter. He was used to her working with Mike Levine. They
still collaborated, but she and Mike were also in demand individually and they
both took on little side projects. Hunter was one of Jeanie's projects.
To her credit, Jeanie was as
innocent as Nick was about life at times. She didn't see that she was the least
bit attractive and couldn't imagine any man wanting her for any reason other
than her song writing skills. Kevin knew better. Nick was proof of that…
* * *
Megan Woods and Mac were her
support system, as always. Megan pushed her a little too hard and Mac made her
laugh a little too much, but they were always there. They were her
"family." Mac gallantly offered his sexual services in Kevin's
absence. He was afraid she'd become frustrated and angry and that it would show
in her work. He teased that it was for her "career."
"So what do you get out of
this arrangement?" she laughed.
"Lucky, baby. Real
lucky." Mac grinned. Jeanie declined, but told him she'd keep his resume
on file under "H" for Hornier-Than-Hell.
Megan, never one to be outdone,
also offered similar sexual favors. Her only concern was that if Tex ever found
out what it was like on the other side of fence, she'd never want to go back to
Kevin. Jeanie laughed and told her she appreciated the invitation, but didn't think
Kevin's ego could take rejection of being passed up for a woman.
Megan just smiled and said,
"open invitation."
Somehow, Jeanie had a feeling she
was only half-kidding.
* * *
"I wish you could come with
me…" Jeanie half-whined. It was late…the house was quiet except for music
coming from Jessie's room. There was always music coming from her room. Jeanie
wearing only a pair of panties pulled the covers up over her and cradled the
receiver between her ear and pillow.
"I know…" Kevin moaned.
"There's no way?" Jeanie
tried not to make a habit of begging Kevin. She knew his schedule, but he'd
promised and now he was backing out.
"Baby, I'm sorry. I gotta
stay…gotta…See if Megan can go with you."
"She can't. I already
asked."
"Mac?"
"Kev, you know his schedule
at the station. He works six nights a week…the only way he could go was if he'd
put in for vacation time a long, long time ago." It was just a stupid
award show in Vegas. She had no idea why she was so nervous. Award shows
weren't her favorite thing to do, but she was certain she'd probably have to
get up on stage and hated the thought of it.
"Lindsay?"
"She's still in Europe,
remember?"
"Get Leighanne"
"Who?"
"OOOH…now…" Kevin
chuckled "I'm sorry, babe."
"Can I take Nick?"
Jeanie baited him. Served him right.
"No. Any more questions?
Wait, I know. Take Jessie…"
"Oh right, Jessie in Vegas.
Have you already forgotten her little infatuation with older men? Geez, she'd
be headlining in the Folies Bergere at the Tropicana if I even turned my back
for a minute…
Kevin started laughing…then
choking.
"Are you okay?" she
giggled.
"Yeah…I'm sorry. Really.
You'll be okay by yourself…I'll be watching on TV."
"Okay…okay. Maybe I'll get
lucky. If Hunter shows up then I won't have to go. As long as one of us is
there…you know?"
"Babe, they're calling for
me. I gotta go. You'll be okay…I love you."
"Love you, too," she
whispered as she heard a click. He was gone.
Kevin hadn't been home in almost
three weeks. She and Madi were beginning to feel abandoned. She tried to push
the loneliness out of her mind. She needed him…she missed him. She was married,
but not dead…she needed to feel him. She wanted him to make love to her.
Instead, she was alone one more
night.
* * *
If Kevin knew the truth about Hunter
Maguire, he'd hop the next flight to Vegas to make sure she wasn't alone with
him. Hunter wanted her…Hunter wanted her bad…
As soon as she'd sufficiently
recovered from her concussion and broken nose, she and Hunter began working in
earnest on his new album. He was a big man, but gentle as a lamb. He was always
smiling and had a drawl thicker than Jeanie's and Kevin's combined. He was a
good `ol boy from Oklahoma, divorced, and had more than paid his dues singing
in honky-tonks all over the south. By the time he hit Nashville, he was almost
thirty. For a lot of people, thirty was old. Hunter wore it like a badge of
honor. You can't sing about lost love and honky-tonk blues unless you've lived
it…Hunter had done more than his share of living.
He'd been enamored with Jeanie for
a long, long time. He'd seen her at various award shows and once attended a
songwriting seminar where she'd given a speech. She was everything he'd always
wanted in a woman and one hell of a country songwriter to boot.
He was appalled when he saw what
happened to her. He didn't know her very well, but he could tell she wasn't the
lyin' sort. He'd also worked with horses…no horse did that to her. Somebody
busted her a good one…and he had a sneaking feeling he knew who it was. He had
no use for a man who thumped on women, `specially no pretty boy.
Hunter Maguire was a humble man
who worked hard at his craft. His diligence made him a superstar. He was a
country boy with a big heart and the common sense to keep his mouth shut and
his ears open. He knew more about Jeanie Kirkpatrick and Kevin Richardson than
her closest friends. He also knew that Kevin had been seen clubbing in Florida
on several occasions in the past two weeks with young, beautiful women.
Hunter wouldn't break Jeanie's
heart…that was Kevin's job and he was damn good at it. He would, however, make
sure he was with her at the award show in Vegas. She was lady and it was high
time somebody started treating her like one…