BONUS SCENE – Anything That You Need 

by Mary Carson

7 Years Later

– Gia

My next Christmas album was going to be recorded at our Flower Farm Studio, and I just had to get Jackson on board. Literally. 

I wiped off the kitchen counter in Jackson’s house—we still called the Henryville Township house Jackson’s, and the Nashville house mine, even after all these years. Some habits were just hard to break. And truthfully, it made us both laugh. 

I folded the rag along the edge of the sink and sat down at the counter. How would I talk him into this?

My first Christmas album did well, but it was the second album, which featured both my sister and brother, Lindsey and Paul, that really took off. Two of the songs were featured in two different Christmas movies, so even fans outside of the country music genre fell in love with the music, too. It was that success and the demand for more that convinced me it was time to do a third album. 

My agent had been speaking to several music companies that provide soundtracks for Christmas movies, and depending on how the recording went, I could potentially get songs into as many as four movies. The Christmas movie-making business was big business.

I pulled a notepad close to go through a pros and cons list—I was going to need to be convincing. Because there was a problem. Well, two, actually. Every time I heard my agent pitch the Christmas music, she referred to the songs and previous album as a “family album”. Which was true. Lindsey and Paul sang on more than half of the songs. But every time she referred to it as a family album, unease would shoot through me. Because without Jackson on the album, I felt like we were cutting him out of the whole “family” thing, and I hated that. He was my family, now, and we were his—he needed to be a part of it.

This brought me to problem number two. Jackson still hated any kind of publicity or notoriety.  And I wasn’t sure I’d be able to convince him to be a part of the album—the man remained intensely private. Sometimes I thought he was still reeling from the publicity our fake relationship had garnered all those years ago, but then I remembered it was his parents’ push to always be in the spotlight that kept him to himself. That was just the way he wanted things.

I tossed my pen down and sighed. I was just going to have to be brave and ask him. I knew it was asking a lot—I knew it would be pushing his boundaries. But maybe he’d do it for me?

Jackson came in the door and I turned on my stool, the smell of sunshine and dust entering with him. Gosh, I loved that smell.

“Hi, honey, I’m home.” He gave me a big grin, his dimple popping.

“Hi!” I slipped off the stool and into his arms, my favorite place to be. “How was your day?” I pulled his cowboy hat off his head and placed it on the side table. “Let me get you some water.”

“Thanks, babe.” Jackson pulled off his boots and left them at the door, then moved to the sink to wash his hands. I filled a glass with ice and topped it off with water from the filter.

“What’s this?” He tapped the notepad.

I bit my lip and gathered my courage. Looked like it was now or never. I inhaled and let it out slowly. “I’ve got a big favor to ask.”

**********

– Jackson

“What’s the favor?” I glanced at the notepad, which only had two words on it. Pros and cons. “Is it to help you with this list? Because you didn’t get very far.” I dropped down on a stool and pulled Gia close—where I always wanted her.

“You’re right. Not far at all. But you might be able to help me.”

“So that’s the favor? That’s not very big.”

She clasped her hands. “It’s not exactly the favor.”

I took a drink of water. “How about this? You ask me yours, and then I‘ll ask you mine. ‘Cause I have a favor to ask, too.” I hadn’t planned on asking her right this minute, but the opportunity was presenting itself, so I was going to take it.

“Okay, I’m just going to come out with it,” Gia said. “Will you please play guitar with me on my next Christmas album?”

I felt my eyebrows fly up my forehead and I had to pause for a moment. And then I burst out laughing.

Gia winced and pulled back a bit. “I mean, you don’t have to, but I’m not sure why that’s so funny.”

I pulled her close and hugged her. “Sorry, this is just so reminiscent of when you asked me to be your fake boyfriend.”

“Why is it reminiscent? I don’t get it.” She paused. “Though I do remember how hard you laughed when I asked you that.”

“I did. Like today. And what did I want to ask you?”

Gia tilted her head to the side. “To be your fake girlfriend!”

I smiled. “Yes. So if today is reminiscent…?”

Gia pulled back slightly and looked me straight in the eye. “Are you saying your favor was to ask me to be on the Christmas album?”

“Now you’ve got it.” I grinned.

Gia smacked me on the shoulder. “Jackson! What do you mean? You actually want to be on the album? You’re totally shocking me right now. I didn’t expect this at all. I know how you hate any publicity, and this will come with publicity.”

I entwined my fingers with her. “I know. But wait. What made you want me to be on the album?”

“The obvious. It keeps getting referred to as a family album, and it’s going to be made here at the studio, and you’re family. You’re my family. I want you on it.”

I hugged her tight again. Gosh, I loved this woman. “Thank you. I’d love to be part of your family album.” I kissed her briefly and then stood up. “But there’s a bit more to my favor.” My stomach was tight as I walked over to my Grams’ old rolltop desk and I struggled to roll the top back. Dagnabit, that rolltop was tight.

I pulled a couple of folded-up pages from an interior drawer and brought them over to the counter, where I leaned against it. “It’s a pretty big favor.”

“What’s that?” Gia motioned to the pages.

“You know the song you wrote from my grandparents’ love letters?”

She grinned. “You mean the song, “Love Letters”? I think I know the one.”

“I was hoping you could write another one.” 

She reached for the papers. “Like a part two of their letters?”

“No… like a part one of ours.”

She tilted her head and opened up the pages, and I watched awareness cross her face.

“From our texts? These are lines from our texts to each other when we were apart for those first couple of years?” Her eyes were wide and she had that beautiful Gia smile on her face. 

“I was thinking that so much of what we texted was how we couldn’t wait to be together again, and I couldn’t wait for you to come home. And that’s a pretty common Christmas song theme, so I thought if you wrote it, it could be a Christmas song about us, and I could play guitar with you.”

The pause was almost imperceptible before she launched herself in my arms, practically knocking me back a step. 

“Jackson, that is so much better than just being on my family Christmas album. It’s the best! I can’t wait to write it.” She grabbed my hand and pulled. “Come on. Grab your guitar, and meet me in the studio. I’ve already got ideas.”

Gia was pulling on her boots, hopping on one foot. She looked up. “Come on, slow-poke, get a move on. 

I laughed. “We’ve got a minute, don’t we? What about dinner?”

“You know how I work—I grab the ideas when they’re here, and they’re here now. Come on, we’ll eat when we’re done.”

I slipped on my boots and then lifted Gia up and swung her around, ending the spin with a deep kiss at the door. I grabbed my guitar and then grabbed her hand. “What are you waiting for, Just Gia? Let’s go.”

She was unsteady on her feet for a moment and looked a bit dazed from our kiss, which tickled me to no end. She gave her head a little shake. “I think that kiss just changed the ending of the song.”

I laughed. “As long as it’s still happily ever after.”

She stood up on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “The happiest.” She pulled on my hand. “Now come on.”

I followed her out the door with the biggest smile on my face. And I  had to agree. 

The happiest.

 XOX

THE END

And of course, things aren’t really over…. 

Remember Jackson’s friend Grace from the branding wall at Happy Springs Bar and Grill? Want to see what happens when she runs into her old crush at Chef Mike’s top secret charity event? 

Find out exactly what happens in Pucks vs. Pigskins, a second-chance, sweet romcom available for pre-order (click here) on Amazon now!  

If you loved Gia and Jackson and Anything That You Need, please consider leaving a five star review. Amazon (and me, too!) loves that! Just click here to leave a review – and thank you!

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