Page 23 of Sunsets at the Beach House

She nodded as she went off to the bathroom. She was pretty sure she and Cash were the only ones still here. Kat and Claire had gone to run some errands, and Margo had left earlier to go write with Conrad.

Jules turned the water on to get warm, then picked out her clothes. Jeans, in case the studio was cold, which they could be sometimes, a Dolly Parton T-shirt, and her boots. That was really all she needed to get herself in the mood to work in a studio.

She went back to the bathroom, bringing her phone with her but leaving it on the counter. She wanted to replay the recording she’d made of Bayou Moon while she was getting ready. The last verse felt not quite right to her yet.

She showered fast, got out, and got dressed, then went back into the bathroom to dry her hair and put on some makeup, all while listening to the song on repeat. She just about had some new lyrics worked out when the song stopped. She glanced down at her phone. The screen was lit up, but went black as she looked at it, making her realize she’d missed a call.

She swiped her finger across the screen to see who it had been from. Billy, her agent. She called him right back.

“Jules! How are you?”

“Really good. The album is taking shape beautifully.”

“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. You’ll be happy to know I secured the rights to Folsom Prison Blues. It’s all yours to record.”

“Excellent news! That’s fantastic! Thank you.”

“The Johnny Cash Estate was happy to do it and, I quote, ‘very interested to hear what such a talented musician like Julia Bloom would do with the classic song,’ so no pressure or anything.”

She laughed. “I’m actually going to be working in the studio today, getting a feel for the place. Maybe Cash and I will do a run-through. My son, I mean.”

“I know who you mean.”

“You should hear the song he wrote for the album. The kid is on fire these days.”

“You know,” Billy said. “I believe that whole mother-son angle will really appeal to the media. Good idea there.”

“I wasn’t doing it because I thought it would be a good gimmick,” Jules clarified.

“I know that,” Billy said. “Just pointing out that it’s the sort of thing that will get latched onto. It’ll be all over social media. You need to prepare Cash for what could be coming.”

Jules nodded, even though Billy couldn’t see her. “I’ll mention it to him.”

“Good. Can’t wait to hear that demo.”

“You’ll have it sometime next week. Promise.”

“I’m already working on a press release. Talk to you soon.” Billy hung up.

Jules put her phone down and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Cash had never wanted to make his way in the world because of who his parents were, but that might no longer be an option once this song went live. Billy was right. Social media would definitely take notice of who he was.

She had to make sure he understood that and was, like Billy said, prepared for what it might mean.

Of course, much of that depended on how well this song did.

She used a wide-tooth comb to detangle her hair and comb it into place, then she let it air dry while she finished her makeup. Nothing fancy. Just enough to brighten up her face and look cute. Jesse would be there, after all.

She sighed. She still hadn’t talked to him about the possibility of joining her for some of the tour. Mostly because she wasn’t sure how he’d react. But maybe today there’d be a good time to bring up the subject.

It would be nice to have him along. She’d never toured with anyone she’d cared about in that kind of way. If he said yes, she’d have Jesse and Cash with her.

She smiled. That would be something, wouldn’t it?

She brushed a little setting powder over her makeup, dried her hair, then grabbed her purse and went out to see if Cash was ready. He was. And he’d remembered to bring her guitar down, in its case. “Thanks, honey. I forgot to mention I’d need that.”

“Associate producers just know that kind of stuff.” He was sitting on the couch, scrolling through his phone.

She smiled. “I guess they do. Hey, I heard from Billy. I got the rights for Folsom Prison Blues.”

---