Chapter 3

(two more days have passed)

What a day, Donovan sighed, pulling his black pickup into his driveway. He couldn't believe the stuff Keys came up with this time. It was trite schlock. And he told them so in no uncertain terms. Barrier Riff had never fought in the studio before. This one was a doozy. Keys was right about two things. The record company wasn't going to wait forever, and Donovan had nothing better for them to play. There was no way his name was going on an album with that schlock.

Donovan was proud of his music. The first three albums had been hugely successful and well written. Their last album wasn't. They needed something good or they were going to disappear. Lately he'd been wondering if disappearing was a bad thing. Barrier Riff had a good run. Thirteen years was a long time for a rock and roll band. Not many other bands could claim nine years of headlining tours and four platinum albums.

At least he was home now. He needed some time to think things through. So why was there a woman sitting on his porch?

He stopped the pickup at the garage door and hurried out of it. He was not in the mood for someone selling something, especially if she were selling herself.

"Hey, lady. This is private property. You can't be here."

The woman stood. She looked good in her tight blue jeans and white blouse. She reached down and pulled her purse over her shoulder.

"I am sorry to bother you, Mr. Woodson. But if I could just have a couple minutes of your time..."

"Look lady, whatever you're selling, I'm not interested."

"I'm not selling anything." Jessica put her hands on her hips. "I promise."

"Yeah, right," Donovan muttered. "Look Ms..."

"Jessica Mayberry."

Donovan stopped short.

"Then you do remember my name at least."

Donovan stared at her. It couldn't be, not after all these years. The memories and heart aches flooded through him. He continued staring as she closed the distance between them. Her eyes were the same eyes he still dreamed about. They were the inspiration for some of his best music. My God, it is her!

"J-jessie? What? Where? How?"

Gently, Jessica pushed Donovan's mouth shut and put her arms around him. When he hugged her back, everything felt so right.

Donovan couldn't believe it. It was a dream. He hugged this woman tightly. He wasn't going to let go this time. And then he felt her shake and the tears soaking his shirt.

He couldn't think of a thing to say, so he just gently nudged Jessie toward his front door. In no time, they were seated on his couch.

"I can't believe it's you, Jessie. It's been forever. I gave up ever hearing from you or about you."

"I'm sorry, Don. But I have no where else to go with this," Jessie said, wiping her tears up with a tissue from her purse.

Donovan started to say something. She put her finger on his lips.

"Let me say this. I've been rehearsing it in my mind since I got here. I'm not sure I can get through it all, but let me try. Then you can ask questions. Okay?" She kept her finger on his lips, so he just nodded.

He watched as she took a deep breath. Her breasts were bigger than he remembered. In his mind's eye he was transported back to that day, fifteen years ago. She was lying back on that blanket. She displayed herself for him as she smiled. It was time she'd decided and he was the one. They would make love for the first of many, many times. It turned out to be just the once, but at the time, they were committed to forever.

Jessica stood up and moved away, staring out the back door at the fading daylight. "It all started that day. I was on such a high when I got home. And my bubble exploded in my face. Granny died. We were moving the next day, never to return. I didn't even have a way to tell you. As soon as we got to Hillside, I wrote you. I wrote daily. But you never wrote back. It broke my heart that the forever we promised lasted less than a month. I didn't find out until a few years ago that you'd moved away the next week."

"I wrote you too," Donovan croaked, feeling the heartache return.

"I know. I actually found one at the dead letter office. I couldn't believe it, but it was too late. And I had no way of finding you then. You see, six weeks after we moved, I still hadn't had a period. I was pregnant."

Donovan gasped.

"Yes, you have a daughter, Kasey. Momma and Poppa tried to get me to give her up, but I couldn't. I worked hard and I made a life for the two of us. Momma and Poppa helped. Poppa even tried to find you. After a couple of years, we stopped trying. Kasey grew up knowing she had a father, but that he didn't know about her. I explained it as best I could. I don't think she felt cheated until Poppa died two years ago. And then Momma went last year. We were still fine. I tried several times over the years to find you. It was ironic because you were under my nose all the time these last few years."

Jessica was pacing now. "You see, Kasey and her friends adore you. They have every one of your CDs. They've even been to two concerts. But I was clueless. I never knew that Axe Woodson was you. And the pictures never looked like you. It didn't click until last week when your picture was in the paper. I'd seen that look once before when Tommy Johnson tried to pull my shirt off at the picnic."

Donovan remembered that day. Tommy was a drunk, even at seventeen.

Jessica finally stopped pacing and sat down next to Donovan. "I don't want to burden you with Kasey, Don, but I have no choice. I have liver cancer."

Jessica stopped and grabbed Donovan's hand. She looked up to see the tears streaming down his cheeks.

Donovan took a deep breath. "How long?" he croaked.

"Two months or less."

It wasn't fair. I just found you again, his heart said. I have a child? What do I do? A tornado of thoughts swirled in his mind.