Leaving Amarillo(40)

He swallows hard, the thick knot in his throat bobbing as a piece of his unruly dark hair drops over his forehead. He needs a haircut, but now is not the time.

“Tomorrow’s the last day of the festival,” I remind him. “Dallas said Mandy’s boss would be here to check out our show. He’s the one who determines whether or not she can actually sign us. Imagine screwing that up because you were too stubborn to let me come with you.”

“No,” he answers abruptly, not even bothering to pretend he considered my offer.

It stings, but I continue making my case in this one-sided debate. “You’ll have to sleep. Like it or not. And you won’t make it back in time. Even if you’re a superhuman machine that doesn’t need sleep to live, what if your phone dies? Or the van breaks down, or bikers swarm you on a deserted road and decide to have their way with you?”

He closes his eyes as a short huff of amused breath escapes his chest. A tiny smile teases at one corner of his mouth, allowing me to finally exhale.

“You gonna protect me from the big, bad bikers, Bluebird?”

“If need be.” We’re joking now, but the protectiveness I feel for him surges in my chest. I want so badly to keep him safe, to keep him away from anything or anyone that would cause him pain. His mother included. His mother first and foremost.

“Your brother would never go for it.”

I lower my voice, even though Dallas and Mandy are likely too caught up in their own conversation to pay attention to us. “I wasn’t planning on telling my brother. Or asking him for permission. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but I’m a big girl now.” I force a smile and wink, even though I’d prefer to take him by the shoulders and shake. Hard.

His eyelids lift and he scans me slowly from head to toe. “I noticed. Believe me, I noticed.”

If I had even the slightest hope that I could convince him not to run off to his mom’s rescue, then I would. But at this point, I know it’d just be a waste of time. Years of watching him drop everything for someone who wouldn’t spit if he was on fire has erased any ability I had to think that maybe one day he’d just walk away from her.

“Then it’s settled. Meet me at the van as soon as we’re done tonight.”

I don’t know how this impromptu trip is going to affect our deal for tomorrow night, but for as much as he protested, there is obvious relief smoothing the lines of concern on Gavin’s face once it’s decided that I’m going. Which I am. Whether he likes it or not. And for me, knowing that I’ve eased even a fraction of his pain is enough. For now.

Of all the people who could screw up my plan to ride to Potter County with Gavin tonight, Afton Tate is the last one I expect to actually do it. And yet, here he is. Standing next to the stage as soon as we step off it. We opened for his band again and he looks entirely too happy to see me considering our “breakup.”

“I’m so glad I caught you,” he greets me while smiling warmly.

“She’s not a fish,” I barely hear Gavin mutter from behind me.

It doesn’t appear that Afton heard him, because he continues with exactly as much gusto in his voice as he started with. “There’s a party after the shows tonight. At Crave. A lot of the big-timers will be there. We got invited and I’d love for you to come as my date.”

Crave, Lick, what is it with Austin and their one-word verb-titled food places? There’s something to be said for getting straight to the point, I suppose.

I sigh and try to let him down easy. “Um, I don’t think I—”

“She’d love to,” my brother chimes in unexpectedly. Turning to me he grins like he’s giving me some great gift. “Dix, this will be such a great opportunity for you to meet other people in the business. Have a great time.” With a wink he turns and walks off with Mandy, leaving me to glare at his retreating figure. I told him to back off a little before we came to Austin and he thinks this is what I meant.

A quick glance at Gavin reveals that he isn’t quite as thrilled with this new development but isn’t going to do anything to prevent it from happening. His stare stays straight ahead as he calls something I can’t make out to my brother and makes his way toward the van. He didn’t say goodbye to me. Didn’t ask me if I needed a ride back to the hotel.

“Yeah, um, I guess I’ll see you after your show,” I say to Afton while simultaneously formulating a plan in my head.

“Cool.” Afton smiles and I almost feel guilty. But it’s not like it’s a date, it’s just an after party and I’m not using him for his connections. I couldn’t care less about that, which my brother would be sorely disappointed to know. “I’ll pick you up at your hotel around eleven. I’ll text you when we’re done and I head that way.”

“Sounds good. Have a great show.” With a hurried smile, I wait until he’s heading up onto the stage before I turn and practically sprint in the direction of where the van is parked. Luckily it’s not far.

Gavin slams the back doors and heads around to the driver’s side. I’m in the passenger seat by the time he’s in and has pulled his door closed.

His eyes widen when he sees me already seated next to him. “Jesus, Dixie. Give a guy a heart attack.”

I can’t help but grin. “My bad.”