Page 54 of What Would Dolly Do?

T he driver waiting for Tom and me as we walked out of Nashville Airport obviously wasn’t duplicitous Dawn.

In her place was a tall African American guy wearing a black suit, white shirt and bootlace tie.

He had on a jet-black cowboy hat with silver trim and matching cowboy boots.

I loved the modern country vibe he was rocking.

With a big welcoming smile and impeccable manners, he introduced himself as Angelo and carefully took the case from my hand.

He may have been a giant but he was also clearly a gentleman.

‘Welcome home sir, lovely to meet you ma’am,’ Angelo said as he opened the door to the back seat of the limo and I slipped inside.

‘Angelo is my regular driver but he had a few days off last week. We missed you Angel man,’ Tom told him, clapping the big guy on the shoulder as he smoothly pulled the car out into the traffic leaving the airport.

Turning to me Tom added, ‘Angelo is his name but we more often call him Angel, ‘cause that’s what he is. This guy has saved my bacon so many times.’

I could imagine he was a very useful man to have around and Angelo seemed to preen in the driver’s seat as he heard Tom talking, then he asked Tom if he wanted him to drive ‘the scenic route’ on the way home? Tom told him we did.

I wasn’t heading to a hotel on this trip.

Tom had asked if I was happy to stay with him at his house and I’d jumped at the chance to spend more time at the place I’d partly explored on my last visit.

I’d been so impressed with how gorgeous and welcoming Braveheart had felt, until my uncomfortable encounter with Juliana Ripon, but I wasn’t going to let her spoil my chance of enjoying a stay there now.

Angelo drove the car right into the centre of Nashville and down Broadway just as the sun started to go down.

I hadn’t had chance to explore the famous street full of music bars, gift shops and stores selling cowboy hats and boots before.

As the sky above started to darken, the multicoloured neon lights up and down the strip were starting to light up, creating a twinkling introduction to the music city.

‘It’s like Las Vegas!’ I said, but Tom and Angelo laughed at my naivety.

‘You’ve never been to Vegas, have you?’ Tom said. ‘This place can get pretty crazy but it’s like a sleepy village compared to Sin City.’

Angel nodded in agreement but as I looked at the hoards of people swarming into all the honky-tonk bars I thought it didn’t look like any sleepy village I’d ever known.

The sound of country music was pumping out from each and every venue with a different band set up in the open windows playing to the whooping crowds inside and drawing fascinated onlookers outside.

I was delighted by the fact almost every person out having fun was wearing a cowboy hat and boots: old and young, men and women, tourist or local they all looked the part.

It made for an incredible atmosphere I was desperate to be part of.

Tom saw me craning my neck to look out at the sights he was showing me.

‘We can hit the strip sometime if you like, there’s a back entrance to Tootsies that can come in handy if I don’t want to get too much hassle.

’ That sounded great to me, although I couldn’t quite believe a star as famous as Tom would be able to mingle with these music-loving crowds safely.

Maybe that’s where Angel would come in particularly handy?

We drove away from downtown, leaving the flashing lights and pounding tunes behind us. A few moments later in a less busy part of town Angelo pulled the car over, jumped out and opened the door.

‘I wanna show you something,’ Tom said, taking my hand.

We walked for a few minutes until we were on a wide, pedestrian walkway between huge white metal archways and I realised we were on a vast footbridge spanning the Cumberland River beneath us.

‘Don’t look back Reba,’ Tom told me and so I kept my eyes forward as we walked further out across the water.

After a little while longer Tom’s pace slowed and he stopped and faced me.

‘I’m so glad you’re here honey,’ he said, kissing me softly.

The twilight sky above us was now a spectacular mixture of deepest blue, purple and pink.

Tom gently put his hands on my shoulders and turned me to face the city.

The sight was breathtaking, the cityscape of darkening buildings silhouetted against a vibrant rosy sky.

Tom pointed out one peculiar high-rise tower dominating the view and told me it was known as the ‘Batman building’.

I could see why. The twin spires crowning its square top looked just like the superhero’s head.

‘Wow!’ I could see why Tom had wanted me to see Nashville from this angle. The city was now starting to twinkle and sparkle as darkness descended, it looked completely magical.

‘I thought I was done with Nashville,’ Tom said as he stood behind me with his arms wrapped around my waist taking in the view along with me.

‘When I went back to Edinburgh I could feel my Scottish roots calling to me. I’ve always felt torn between Scotland and the Southern States, Edinburgh or Alabama?

I’m still not sure which one I should make my sweet home? ’

I didn’t say a word. Tom sounded like he was still mulling over the question in his own mind, not looking to me to give him an answer right now.

I let my eyes roam over the beautiful city laid out before me.

It was a place bursting with life, music and possibilities.

I was keen to throw myself in and experience it all.

I even wondered if my own future might lie here?

But just as I was preparing to step into this new adventure in the middle of ‘Music City’ itself, Tom seemed to be considering moving away. How annoyingly ironic.

As we both stood there drinking in the view Tom suddenly snapped out of his confusion and remembered why he had brought me to this vantage point. He nuzzled into my neck making my pulse race and my knees turn to jelly.

‘Take a good look Reba,’ he breathed softly into my ear, ‘it’s all there, Nashville in all its glory … and I believe it’s yours for the takin’.’

I kept my eyes on the incredible skyline in front of me and tried to focus on what Tom was trying to tell me.

I was facing my future as Reba Moon with the arms of the man I loved wrapped around me.

But were we destined to build a life here together or were the things we wanted not truly compatible?

I was keen to get started on proving I had enough talent as a singer and enough to say as a songwriter to become a part of this world.

Only time would tell if I could make it happen and do so with Tom Coltrane by my side .