02x04 - It's Always Nashville

[bunniefuu]

Wow...

this is looking amazing.

Yeah, it's almost there.

I'd really like to be done
before I head to Nashville.

Right.

That's gonna be very...

exciting.

Thanks for this.

No problem.

You get to record a
record instead of have one.

Yeah, it's a step up.

And you're re-recording
your single, too?

The record company really
seems to be behind it, so...

it's a good sign.

And, then what?

And then hopefully they release it.

And then?

And then we'll see.

You're okay with all this, right?

Yeah, yeah of course.

I mean it's all so...

Abby...

We're gonna be fine.

Okay?

I'm starving.

♪ The miles are
getting longer, it seems ♪

♪ The closer I get to you ♪

♪ So I'm going home, to
the place where I belong ♪

♪ Where your love has
always been enough for me ♪

♪ I'm not running from ♪

♪ No, I think you got me all wrong ♪

♪ I don't regret this life
you chose for me ♪

♪ I said these places and
these faces are getting old ♪

♪ So I'm going home ♪

♪ I'm going home ♪

Aye, here she comes,
the little leprechaun

with her pot full of gold!

Freshly baked Morning
Sunrise Muffins from Chef David.

Apparently, my cook loves to cook.

So weird, right?

Mmm, I've said it before,
I will say it again:

David is the best baker...

Outside of our family, of course.

Nice catch, Connor.

Well it's true.

All right girls,
finish up your breakfast

so we're not late for school.

Hey, why don't you
do that at the library?

Or the firehouse?

Do they have a Dalmatian?

Uh...

I don't know, I guess so.

All right.

Hey Jess, how's everything at the B&B,

is it all back to normal?

It's not the B&B, it is
now the Inn at Eagle Point.

People are actually booking online

and I have guests from
all over the place.

It's kind of awesome.

That's great. Okay, bye.

Bye.

Bye darling!

It's Always Caroline.

A timeless story of everlasting love.

An epic tale of longing,
faith, and triumph.

Is this thing any good?

- It's amazing.
- It's garbage.

Jacob meets Caroline when they're kids,

and then she moves away

and he spends eternity
searching for her.

It's a Bree's Must Read.

Bree's right, it's garbage
but I loved the book.

Bree Elizabeth O'Brien?

Did he just middle name her?

He did.

- Sally's?
- Sally's.

Oh yeah.

I'm buying.

I'm making breakfast! Pancakes!

You bought a bookstore?

Uh no, I didn't buy a bookstore,

I took over the lease.

Is there a problem?

No, it's just that
you're a writer, Bree.

You should be writing.

Well, I can do both.

I just worry that you can do both well.

Well I can, and I will.

Okay, all right, good.

That's good.

You want some pancakes?

Uh-huh...

Willie, Waylon, Kristofferson, and Cash?

Yup, this is where they first

got together and recorded Highwayman.

People said it was amazing.

But after they left,

when the session was over, poof!

The tapes disappeared.

Huh, guess that's why

they call it the lost studio.

Studio 17, it's as country as it gets.

You can feel the music

coming out of the walls, y'know?

Yeah, pretty intimidating.

Yeah.

Mark? Mark Hall?

The Mark Hall?

First off, it's just Mark,
and the honor's mine.

I saw both your shows at
the Bluebird last year,

and I caught a set in
Atlanta a while back.

Think it was at the Gilbert.

Yeah, it was.

You remember that?

It's not often a venue loses power

and you play true
acoustic for 20 minutes.

I don't think the
audience took a breath.

That was a pretty special night.

You also had that bass player.

I see him at the Palace
every now and then

working the boards.

John Rawl?

Yeah he's pretty good, too.

Yeah, he is.

Like I said, I've had my
eye on you for a while.

But you weren't ready.

But your new stuff...

I'd love to help you with it.

Wait? You're producing us?

One of the nice things
about having my own label

is I get to cherry pick
which artists I produce

and which I farm off to employees.

Wow!

I don't know what to say.

Well, how about we just get
started and you sing instead?

Heck yeah!

Yes sir!

Let's do this.

Dad hasn't used a middle name in what,

six months?

I know, he was on a streak.

It's too bad.

So how's work going?

Work, let's see.

I've spent the last two weeks
researching the history

of an obscure tort
from the 18th century,

which was only slightly more interesting

than researching a minority opinion

from the Supreme Court
from the 19th century.

Why don't you just quit?

I don't know.

Some part of me just wants
to make it to the present day.

That and I don't want Dad to use

my middle name during breakfast.

Whoa.

Twelve o'clock.

No no, not your twelve.

My twelve, your six.

What was that?

What? It's what I always do.

It's not that you do it,
it's how you do it.

It's weird.

That's weird?

Weird, or weirdly effective?

- Hi.
- Hey.

I noticed you doing whatever
you were doing at me.

Yeah.

And I was so flattered.

Out of all the women here,
you would make the effort

to get to know me, to understand me,

and then decide you like me enough

to acknowledge who I
really am by doing that.

I don't think that she liked it.

Me neither.

I'm sorry that I didn't call.

Yeah, I was a little surprised.

Wait?

You two know each other?

We've met a few times.

You still haven't paid your fine.

I didn't know that you
were serious about...

I will pay the fine.

Okay.

Are you serious bro?

You had her number and you didn't call?

Didn't think I was ready.

Why not?

Ah!

Georgia, right, of course.

Well, if you're still not ready, I am.

She hates you.

Everybody hates me...

at first.

Or at second, at third...

All right, thank you.

It's quite ironic.

I'm a writer who refused
to be rewritten by a hack,

and now I'm making money,
selling a hack writer.

I loved it.

Especially the ending, it's so romantic.

Yeah, if by romantic you
mean on-the-nose dialogue,

soapy and overwritten...

Exactly, it's wonderful.

Your dad was not happy

when he found out about this, was he?

Worse, he was disappointed.

I always hated it when Mick
veered into disappointment.

He just doesn't seem
to think I can do both.

So, what do you think?

Well, you know what I think?

I think that you are old enough
to make your own decisions.

He just doesn't know what
this place has meant to me.

Writing is a big part of my life...

And the bookstore?

It's a big part of my life, too.

I always wanted to have a
place where people could

get together and read books
and talk about books...

And have reading groups.

A reading group!

That is a great idea, Bree.

I love reading groups.

Okay, reading groups.

Oh yeah!

We could do Faulkner and Hemingway

and Fitzgerald and Joyce...

Dead, dead, dead dead dead.

What?

I don't know if you realize this,

but every time you talk
about your favorite authors,

they're always dead!

It's depressing!

She has a point.

Okay, all right.

Who would you suggest?

Simon Atwater.

Yes!

I don't think so.

One, he's living, big plus.

And two, have you seen the jacket cover?

He's seriously hot.

And British.

No, it's a horrible idea.

It's one thing to sell the book,

it's another to glorify it.

Do you know how many
people would come, Bree?

Well, I'm excited.
We're doing this, right?

We are not doing this, no.

Great, so that's a yes.

Just leave everything to me.

I'll do the poster, everything.

I'm so going to regret this.

No you're not.

Okay, before we get started,

I have to remind you for the purpose

of this conversation,
I work for Matt Fox.

All right.

And as his consultant,
I have to tell you

that all the numbers make sense,

we are already being
threatened with lawsuits

and community action groups,

which are going to delay the project.

Thomas is just trying to scare you.

He's not going to get the
environmentalists on board.

The project makes too much sense.

Then tell me why are you doing this?

Because there are a
lot of other projects

you could be working on.

Because this is the project
I want to be working on now.

Simple as that?

Sometimes honey, business
just isn't that complicated.

Seems like these days,
everything is complicated.

What's going on?

Oh, I don't want to talk about it.

All right...

I'm just...

worried about Trace.

He seems to be doing great.

Yeah...

that's not what I'm worried about.

I know.

I'm sorry.

♪ When I see your face oh memories ♪

♪ come crashing through these walls ♪

♪ here comes the free fall ♪

♪ Here comes the free fall ♪

k*ll it.

You wanna start again?

No, I'm gonna let 'em finish.

I don't know what's wrong.

Something is.

Yeah.

♪ Didn't think I'd
see you here tonight ♪

I think we got it.

Thanks guys, see you tomorrow.

Send me the recordings.

Okay.

You think that was okay?

From what I hear,
Hall is a perfectionist.

So, if he said he got it...

Trying to figure out

if you're here to give me good news.

That my brother is no longer
developing the property.

Well, that is not for me to say.

I work for Matt Fox.

How's that working for you?

The man's responsible for

turning America into a parking lot.

Well, parking lot or not,

what I would like to know
is why are you doing this?

My law firm protects the
environment, it's what I do.

You're giving away land that you own.

It's called not being a hypocrite.

Okay, then why now?

If you weren't trying
to take this land away,

Dad never would've
wanted to build on it.

Are you telling me that
as a representative

of Matt Fox or as Mick's daughter?

Because those are two
very different things.

What happened between you two?

What happens in all
families at some point,

they break apart.

Time, distance, lives...

eventually everyone's
perfect little world cracks.

It doesn't have to be like that.

No, but it usually goes there.

Did that feel strange to you?

What, that Hall didn't say

a single word about the performance?

Yeah.

I would've taken anything.

Good, bad, whatever.

We don't want to hear
bad, not from Mark Hall.

Y'know, it is nice being
back in Nashville with you.

Yeah.

Y'know, I never really thought
I'd be doing this again,

at least not here.

Here is home.

At least it is for me.

Maybe for you again someday.

Did you hear what Hall said about John?

That he was a pretty good bass player.

No, that he was working
the boards at the Palace.

Remember how we used to dream
about getting called on stage,

a hit record, everyone
knowing our names.

Think they'd call us up?

We should go.

Yeah, we could go by.

Yeah.

Someone's signing up, look!

Best book club ever.

For a book that is barely a book.

Five people in five minutes!

Wine & Simon!

Spend an evening with Simon Atwater

reading It's Always Caroline.

Wine & Simon, it rhymes.

Jess...

What did you do?

I'm getting people to sign up.

By promising them an
evening with Simon Atwater?

We don't have a Simon Atwater.

Yet.

We don't Simon Atwater yet.

But we will, because he's in town.

Well, actually, he's in Baltimore.

On a national book tour, which means

he's going to DC immediately
after he finishes.

Right, so we show up, tell him our plan,

invite him to Chesapeake Shores.

That is crazy.

So crazy it just might work?

No, just crazy, like insane crazy.

Okay well it's getting
people through the door.

Angry and upset people,
Jess I'm going to be run

out of business before
I even have a business.

I'm sorry.

I just think if we
ask him, he'll say yes.

Or he'll call the cops.

Maybe both.

Where'd you get that photo?

I found it in a box
of files from the Trust.

My Dad didn't want to talk about it.

I'm guessing he wouldn't.

It was from the late 70's,

we were at a small
travelling fair in Harpswell,

just before I left town.

He did say that he wasn't happy.

I wasn't either.

As I recall, your grandpa

had just yelled at him about something.

Dad said that he was the one who
was always getting in trouble,

you were Grandpa's favorite.

No, I was Mom's favorite.

Pop didn't know what to do with me,

so he just left me alone.

But not your dad.

He went after him man, it was brutal,

nonstop, screaming all night long.

So you had it easy?

No, I was ignored.

Hey.

I called you but did you send
me straight to voicemail?

You miss the first window,
you don't get a second one.

Well I know, but I didn't realize

there was an expiration date on dialing.

For me, there is.

I was wondering if I might be
able to take you out for coffee.

So your friend can smile at me again?

That was my brother
and no, it'd be just me.

So, like a date?

Not like, it would pretty
much be an actual date.

How do you know we'd even
have anything in common?

Maybe I'm not your type
and maybe you're not mine.

Isn't that the point
of me asking you out?

Am I missing something here?

Only if you tell me why you didn't call.

Timing.

That's it?

That's all I'm going to tell you,

at least for now.

So if I really want to know?

Dinner.

Tomorrow night.

Meet me here.

Nice crowd tonight.

Yeah...

I'll be right back.

You okay?

Gotta talk to him at some point, right?

Buy you another round?

I heard you were back in town,

got yourself a new deal.

Yeah we did.

Look John, you know if this happens,

and we get going, I want
you back in the band...

What?

Like everything that happened
doesn't matter anymore?

Look man, I'm offering you the job

because you're the best
bass player I know.

But if you want to throw it all away,

that's on you.

Yeah, it is.

I hope you got everything
you wanted, Trace.

Thank you!

Next up, two of my favorite
singer-songwriters:

Trace Riley and Leigh Corley.

[Applause]

Hey would you guys
mind sitting in for one?

Sure!

Right on.

How's everybody doing tonight?

It's great to be back
here at the Palace.

This is our old stomping grounds,

so we're gonna play you what
we hope to be our new single.

It's called Free Fall.

♪ Didn't think I'd
see you here tonight ♪

♪ but I guess I really
should have known ♪

♪ Someone else is living in your light ♪

♪ and I'm standing in the shadow ♪

♪ Well I guess I went
and let things fall away ♪

♪ Thought I gave the chance
to talk it out some day ♪

♪ And I promised you that
I was gonna change ♪

♪ But it's too late ♪

♪ You met somebody now ♪

♪ I bet he's pretty good for you ♪

♪ I thought I'd know somehow ♪

♪ How to handle falling through ♪

♪ But when I see your face ♪

♪ Old memories come crashing
through these walls ♪

♪ Here comes the free fall ♪

Hey, you home?

I am home.

Want some wine?

Oh, yes please.

How were Caitlyn and Carrie?

The girls were wonderful, as always.

I just put them to bed.

I thought I would be home much sooner.

Boys are more complicated, aren't they?

That is an understatement.

Hey I found this old
picture of you and Dad

and Thomas in your early 20's, I think.

Were they close back then?

Thomas and Mick?

Inseparable.

Different.

Thomas always wanted to be like Mick.

But he wasn't.

So what happened?

Time...

jealousy...

I don't know.

Thomas said that distance played a part.

You can't always be with
the people you love, Abby.

Dad?

Hey!

Hi.

Trace has done a great job
with this place, hasn't he?

What's going on?

I need you to tell me what
happened between you and Thomas.

Why do you want to know?

I don't, but I think Matt Fox does.

Well, when Dad d*ed,

Thomas and I each
received half the trust,

but Charles, your grandfather,
made me the trustee.

So you control everything?

That's what your grandfather decided.

Must've made Thomas furious.

I don't know what he was,
but since the funeral

it's never been the same.

What changed?

I think...

everything.

He blames me for...

everything.

♪ You met somebody now ♪

♪ I bet he's pretty good for you ♪

♪ I thought I'd know somehow ♪

♪ How to handle falling through ♪

Cut, let's try that again.

It's sounding flat guys, emotionless.

Again from the first chorus.

All right, you good?

Yeah.

One, two, three, four.

♪ You met somebody now ♪

♪ I bet he's pretty good for... ♪

I'm coming out.

Cut it back to the third bar.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Are you guys here? You with me?

I don't understand.

This is not karaoke
night at the local bar

and you get points just
for singing the notes.

You gotta feel it.

I thought we were.

You might be, but no one else is.

Again!

Two, three.

♪ You met somebody now,
I bet he's pretty good... ♪

Wrong! Let's try it again!

Mr. Hall, Mark, no offense,

but you gotta let us know
what you're not hearing.

You're singing, but
I'm not hearing the love,

the longing.

I'm not hearing the song.

Let's go again.

Okay, what're we gonna say?

I think I'll start by
blaming everything on you,

and then I'll beg.

Blame it on me? It's your fault.

Exactly, but one of us is gonna
look silly and you're cuter.

You know what?

This is by far one of
your worst ideas ever.

Which is why it will work!

When Kevin told you that,

he was just trying to
make you feel better.

Okay there he is, here we go.

He's even more smug looking in person.

By smug, I think you mean hot.

Let's do this.

Hi Simon, we are huge fans
of It's Always Caroline,

well, actually only one of us is,

but that's not important...

Mr. Atwater?

Hi, I'm Bree O'Brien and
this is my sister, Jess.

So Bree owns Wordplay,
which is a bookstore

in Chesapeake Shores and
she's hosting a book club

for you to read It's Always Caroline

and we, thought, I
thought maybe you could

come by and read a few excerpts?

I mean you don't have to,
but it's already sold out,

and it's kind of my fault.

What, I thought you
were going to blame me?

I thought I did.

Wait, I didn't?

I'm freaking out!

Anyway, the point is, my
sister has a new bookstore.

You opened a bookstore?

That's very impressive.

She's a writer, but
she's kind of a book snob.

She wanted a place that...

So what do you think of my book, Bree?

Oh, well...

it's a page turner.

Oh.

In a good way.

It's like, it's interesting...

Are you implying I'm a hack?

No! What?

No no.

Unless you say so...

So you're saying you hated it?

No, I really, really, really...

Hated it?

Loved it!

Favorite new book, by far...

Okay, thanks so much.

That did not go well.

No, it did not.

Hi.

Hi, perfect timing.

So, where do you want to go?

I was thinking we could eat here.

Hey, Army, you made it!

Isn't it a bit... crowded?

Well a bit, but it's my night

to cook for everyone, so...

Which makes it my night, too, I guess.

And if we have enough to
talk about cooking dinner,

I'll even let you hang
out and help eat it.

Considering my abilities in the kitchen,

this might be a mistake.

I saw you roasting marshmallows,
it looked like you had chops.

Any reason why we're here making dinner?

These guys, they're like my brothers,

so you gotta get through them first.

They're pretty picky.

I get it, my family is, too.

They didn't like you not calling.

Yeah well they're really
gonna not like my cooking.

I think we just found our
first thing in common...

What's that?

They hate how I cook, too.

[Fire bell ringing]

Nice first date.

It was a disaster.

We didn't get through a
full take on a single song.

Is he going to try and
paste one together?

Hopefully he can put something
together after 45 takes, right?

It's gonna be all right.

Hey Leigh...

Thank you.

For what?

For pushing to get us into a room

where we can get
yelled at for ten hours?

No, so we can get yelled at for
ten hours doing what we love.

And hopefully cut a
record we'll be proud of.

Yeah.

There's not too many people

who would understand that, are there?

There's not.

[Cell phone ringing]

Hey Abby.

Nothing much.

You have no idea how happy
I am to hear your voice.

Yeah, me too.

So, how's it going?

Well, it's a lot harder
than I thought it would be.

But I think we're
getting some good stuff

and we're right back at it tomorrow.

Sounds great.

And then...?

Well, considering the
way things are going,

I'm not exactly sure...

Well, you let me know how it goes.

Yeah, umm...

I'll talk to you tomorrow then.

Good night.

What's up Ryan?

You ready to try again?

Sure...

Look, I want to apologize for yesterday.

I spent all night
listening to the tracks,

and I think I figured
out what the problem is.

I'm sure if you just
told me what to do...

The problem isn't with you, Trace.

Your singing is great,

but I'm not hearing
who you're singing to.

Two microphones facing one another.

You're both in your own space.

Now, when we play the tracks again,

I want you to think about who
you want more than anything.

Sing the song for her.

All right...

One, two, three, four...

♪ Didn't think I'd
see you here tonight ♪

♪ But I guess I really should've known ♪

♪ Someone else is living in your light ♪

♪ And I'm standing in the shadow ♪

♪ Well I guess I went
and let things fall away ♪

Pull down, Leigh.

♪ Thought I'd get the chance
to talk it out someday ♪

♪ And I promised you
that I was gonna change ♪

♪ But it's too late ♪

♪ You met somebody now ♪

♪ I bet he's pretty good for you ♪

♪ I thought I'd know somehow ♪

♪ How to handle falling through ♪

I don't like talking ill about the dead

because they're not here
to defend themselves.

Especially my beloved Charles,

but there's days I'd like
to shake my fist at him.

Because he left me with this mess there.

I don't think he meant to, do you?

The thing is, Megan...

he saw himself in Mick.

So he knew how to
handle Mick: tough and...

Loud.

Yes!

But he didn't know
how to talk to Thomas,

so they didn't.

Sad.

Thomas and Mick and me, remember?

We used to be so close.

Oh yes.

Half the time, people didn't
even know who I was dating.

We were always together.

Well, you'd think they'd be
able to handle this, but...

now I'm not so sure.

They start to have a
conversation about the weather

and it turns into a hurricane.

Aren't you the one
that always says that life

has a way of working itself out

the way it's supposed to?

Darling maybe I do,

but this time I think I'm going

to have to give it a little nudge.

Watch out boys!

I should have stuck with dead authors.

Shakespeare would never tell me no.

I'm terribly sorry, it was all my fault.

Yeah, it is.

No, no.

You are supposed to say you
both share responsibility.

Well, I'm sorry but this
is actually all her fault.

And Dad might be right, maybe opening

this bookstore was a terrible idea.

No, this was a great idea.

Bree, this is what you should be doing.

This is where you belong.

Oh yeah, this is where you'll find me

right in that corner over there

when it is revealed that Simon Atwater

was never booked for a
reading in Chesapeake Shores.

And I hate his writing.

Yeah, you've mentioned that.

Well I'm sorry, I'm just trying

to make myself feel better.

Well, it'll just be us three.

On the run.

Chased down by hundreds
of women with pitchforks.

Good times.

Except I won't be here
because I have to work.

You can't leave me with her.

Sorry...

Good luck!

Remember when we used
to lie to Mom and Dad

and tell them we were getting along,

just so we could get out of the house?

After all these years,
not much has changed.

Why, you think I'd lie to you now?

I think you're Dad,
you'll do what you need to do.

This isn't business, Thomas.

What is it then?

You're my family.

That's easy for you to say, you had one.

What do you mean by that?

You had it all.

And you had it easy.

Well, maybe I didn't want it easy.

You sure didn't want my life.

And you couldn't have handled mine.

This is gonna be a long walk.

Oh, boy...

Hi.

Hi.

So, have you made a decision?

I have.

And did you think about it carefully?

I did.

And so...?

And so if Matt Fox chooses to
move forward with this project,

he's going to be taking a huge risk.

It is likely that Thomas
O'Brien will be able

to legally change the
status of the property

and Matt Fox will have wasted his time,

money, and energy on the development.

Well thank you Abby,

I appreciate your honesty.

And since my job is
to make an evaluation

and consider the risks and rewards,

while there is a significant upside

there is a tremendous amount of risk.

So what did you decide?

I'm going to tell
Matt Fox to move forward.

I'm going to tell him
that as an employee

of Capital Management, I think that

it is a risky but solid investment.

Mostly because I
believe that in the end,

you're going to do the right thing.

I'm terribly sorry... no.

My sister is an idiot... no.

Honey?

Yeah?

It's time.

No!

I think we should run away.

You... zip it!

Okay.

Hello everybody.

I know you're all very
eager to meet Simon Atwater,

and I hate to...

Leave you waiting any longer.

Please welcome, Simon Atwater.

[Applause]

Thank you.

Thank you very much, thank you.

Every time I've called myself a hack,

everyone corrects me, except for you.

That's a first.

Okay...

Good afternoon.

I'd like to read you an excerpt

from It's Always Caroline, Chapter 12.

Yesterday, I met someone who
reminded me of this passage.

"I had grown weary
after years of searching

for that unattainable
confirmation that she exists.

The feisty, force to be reckoned with,

not easily fooled... Caroline.

The woman who won't fall for anything,

sees through me to the
point where I am invisible.

And that's what makes her beautiful".

♪ You met somebody now ♪

♪ I bet he's pretty good for you ♪

I don't understand,
where's Leigh on this?

Look Trace, we love this album,

and we want to get behind it 100%,

but we only want you.

So what're you saying?

We're saying we want you as a solo act

and we'll honor your record deal

providing you record
the songs alone with us.

Leigh and I are writing partners, okay?

She co-wrote most of these songs.

And you still are writing partners,

but Leigh doesn't belong on stage,

at least not with you.

Maybe KAP Records should
find me another producer.

I am KAP Records.

Look, you're still partners,
you're still writing together,

but these songs need to be sung by you.

Trace...

I've been doing this for over 25 years

and I know what I hear and what I don't.

I'm not comfortable with this.

Most aren't at first,
but you'll come around.

Trace, you won't get another sh*t...