ChapterTwenty-Seven
Jami stood just inside the barn doors, the familiar smell of cedar and old stage gear clinging to the air.The morning meeting had scattered everyone in different directions, but the quiet that followed felt heavier than any noise.Outside, sunlight flickered through the trees, dust hanging in slow motion.The storm wasn’t over; it had just taken a breath.But he felt different.
Tony’s voice drifted from the yard as he paced, phone to his ear, already diving back into legalities.Sean leaned against the side of the barn, staring out over the bluff.He needed a break before they started trying to make their song work.Axel sat on the steps with Maddyn tucked under his arm, both staring out at the horizon like they were seeing a new future form right in front of them.Livia sat on one of the leather sofas, writing in a notebook.
For the first time in a long while, the band wasn’t talking about songs or shows or charts.They were talking about the next steps with the label.The general mood was that if they had to finish out this contract with the label, it would be a one and done.They'd never again work with a label that didn't see them as people, with real lives and emotions.They'd all agreed, way back in the day when they came together as a band, to do it the way they wanted.Their idea wasn't the sex, drugs, and rock' n' roll of most bands.They wanted to earn a living doing what they loved the most, playing music.When Summit Sound had approached them about producing a record, they'd been ecstatic.But now he realized they'd not considered how much the label was willing to do to control them and their image.Jami's upbringing taught him to protect his reputation because it was difficult to regain it once lost.Now here they were, fighting for the reputation they'd meticulously guarded because of greed.And not their own greed, but that of the record label.
And on the porch, framed by sunlight, was the one person who’d made that survival possible.
Carlene.
She sat curled against the railing, her laptop closed beside her, a half-empty mug cooling at her feet.The breeze caught the edges of her damp hair and the soft linen of her shirt.Even after everything, the call, the tension, the fight, she looked steady.Grounded.Like she belonged here more than any of them.
Jami stepped out and lowered himself beside her.“You holding up?”
Her lips curved in the faintest smile.“Define holding up.”
“Still breathing.”
“Then yes, barely.”
He chuckled and nudged her shoulder.“That’s good enough for me.”
For a few minutes, they just sat.The barn door creaked in the wind, cicadas filled the silence, and somewhere far off a gull called from the bay.The sound was peaceful, but it only reminded him how unpeaceful his head was.
He rubbed a hand over his jaw.“Tony’s on the phone with the attorney.He says there are clauses in the contract that they could twist against us.”
Carlene looked up, eyes alert again.“Conduct and performance?”
He nodded.“How’d you guess?”
“Because every label builds a trapdoor.They talk about partnership, but the second you think for yourself, you become a liability.”
Jami studied her.“You sound like you’ve seen this before.”
“I have.”She folded her arms over her knees.“I used to work in corporate PR before I started consulting.I’ve watched artists lose everything because someone higher up decided their rebellion sold better than their obedience.”
Her words sank deep.He’d been close to that edge more than once, letting someone else rewrite who he was because it made a better story.
He leaned forward, elbows on his thighs.“I don’t want to play that game anymore.”
She turned toward him.“Then don’t.”
“It’s not just me,” he said quietly.“It’s them.The band.The crew.The people whose paychecks depend on the next show going off without a hitch.”
Carlene reached out, her fingers brushing his.“You’ve carried that weight for years, haven’t you?”
He swallowed.“Since the first gig.”
Her touch didn’t move away.“Then maybe it’s time to set it down.”
He looked at her, really looked, and saw the tiredness beneath her strength.“You’ve done more than you had to, Carlene.Most people would have cut and run after that lawyer called.”
She shook her head.“I don’t quit on people who tell the truth.That’s a rare thing in this business.”
The barn door opened again, Tony’s voice calling out.“Jami, you’re going to want to hear this.”
Jami stood and held out a hand to help Carlene up.Her fingers slid into his, warm and sure, and for one heartbeat, he didn’t want to let go, so he didn't.They walked hand in hand toward the barn, and his heart, while ready and braced for bad news, felt stronger and healthier than ever because Carlene was here.She made him feel strong.
