Assured (Soul Serenade #2)(17)

“Okay, but nothing else. I’ll follow you.” She steps toward the open door of her car.

“I can drive us,” I offer.

“No, really, it’s fine. I’ll just follow you there.”

“Fine. At least give me your number in case we get separated, so I can reach you.”

She’s reluctant, but when I hand her my phone, she types in her contact information. I want to fist bump at this breakthrough. Instead, I smile, waiting for her to get in the car and buckle up. Once she’s strapped in, I shut the door and jog to my truck. She’s making me work for it, but it’s . . . fun. It’s been a while coming for us. She thinks she’s keeping me at bay, when really she’s just making the chase that much more exciting.





My palms are sweaty as I grip the wheel. What the hell was I thinking? I never should have agreed to dinner. It was those brown eyes that captivated me. That and it really would be nice to get an inside look at what it’s like being on the road. Logan can try to convince me all she wants, but the reality of the situation is that she really has no clue. This will be a first for her as well. She does have the advantage of being married to the lead singer; me, I’m just the tagalong best friend.

I’ve read the tabloid headlines. Do I want to live the life of a rock star? Do I want to be engrossed in that world? I know because of my association with Logan that I will be a little bit regardless, but being on tour with the band and hanging out with my best friend at her house with the band members is two totally different things. This is not an easy decision to make.

Cole taps his brakes and hits his turn signal. It’s not until we’re in the lot that I realize we’re at a Subway. I can’t help but grin. The famous Cole Hampton rolling up in a Subway to order dinner. It’s so hard to see them as normal, everyday people, but I have to admit they don’t live the catered life you think of when you think rock star.

Cole appears at my door and pulls it open. Reaching out, he offers me his hand. Hesitantly, I place my hand in his and he helps me from the car.

“This place looks dead tonight, and they’re cool.”

“Cool?” I ask.

“Yeah. Me and the guys come here a lot. The staff is used to us and they respect our privacy. They don’t tweet it out and ask for pictures. They let us be . . . normal.”

“That’s good that you have that here, close to home.”

“Yeah, it’s rough on the road.”

Before I can reply, his hand is on the small of my back and he’s leading me inside.

“Hey, Mr. Hampton,” a teenage boy behind the counter greets us.

“Tommy, enough with the Mr. Hampton. That’s my dad. Just Cole, my man.” He holds out a fist and the kid, with a blush on his face, connects his to Cole’s.

“Go ahead and order, sweets.” His deep timbre causes me to shiver.

“Uh, I’ll take . . . um, a six-inch turkey on wheat,” I stumble through my order. After I tell him what I want, Cole suggests I find us a table. I look around the empty room and then back at Cole. He simply grins and winks. “Here.” I hand him some money.

“Not happening, babe. We’ve had this talk and we can have it again, but it’s going to be the same outcome. Besides, I asked you here. My treat. Now, find us a spot and settle in, because I’ve got to educate you about life on the road.”

Not wanting to make a scene—not to mention it would be pointless because Cole is not the type to give in on this kind of thing—I politely thank him and grab our drinks. I pick a table at the very back of the restaurant. Hopefully, it stays slow, but if not, this should give us some semblance of privacy.

“I’m an open book,” Cole says, sliding into the booth across from me. He passes me my sandwich and a bag of chips.

“Thank you.”

He nods as he takes the first bite—if that’s what you want to call it. He looks like a chipmunk.

“I don’t really know where to start,” I confess. “Maybe you can just tell me about what goes on. What’s a normal day like?”

“It’s really just us guys hanging out. None of us have ever brought a girl on tour, so it’s going to be different this time. We all love Logan like a sister, and she makes Kace happy, but it’s just going to be different.”

“She’s going to cramp your style,” I tease him.

His grin lights up his face, and I find myself wanting to make him smile like this more often. He really is easy on the eyes.

“No, she will not cramp our style. We don’t bring girls on the bus, which is a rule we’ve all had. None of us wants to hear one of the others getting their rocks off.”

I choke on my water. “Well, okay then.”

“Being on the road is more than just singing a few songs and getting laid. This is a shorter tour, so it’s jam-packed with back-to-back concerts in different cities. We have radio spots, and I think there’s even a television appearance on the books.”

“So, why exactly do you need me?”

“Logan’s pregnant.” He says it like I should know from just those two words.

“And? Women have been having babies for a while now.” I smirk.

“Ha ha, smartass. Dealing with schedules, the label, venues—it can all get pretty stressful. We talked about it, and none of us want all that pressure on Logan. We figured we would hire someone to split the duties, take some of the pressure off.”