“Because of Kendra and how that turned out?” Matt guessed.
“I wasn't going to say that.” Kyra pursed her lips.
Matt heaved a sigh. “I wasn't expecting a conversation like this now, but because it's on your mind, I guess we'll have it.” He brushed her hair away from her face. “You changed my life, Kyra. There are a lot of aspects I'll honestly say I don't like about your world, but I love you, and that means learning to compromise and work with anything I'm given. If you end up pregnant before we're ready, or even when we are ready, I'm not going to tell you that you can't go back to your music. It would be difficult, and it might mean doing things outside my comfort zone, but I'll do it. For you. Always for you.” He brought her hand to his lips. “Let's get you ready for your tour. I can't wait to see you take on the world.” Hopefully, his answer was enough, because the subject at hand scared him. He didn't want to be in this position this soon, but the possibility would hang over his head. They would just deal with life as it came. It was the only thing they could do.
*****
“I don't know how I didn't see this before.” Kyra stared at an email containing a full schedule of her tour dates and locations. She'd noted some of the biggest cities, but didn't pay any attention to every single date, especially since some were added recently. One date and city in particular caused her pulse to race. She nearly choked on her own saliva when that one came across her line of view.
Matt stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder. “What's wrong?”
Taryn, who'd been quiet until now, piped up. “She's going back to the city where she had her last concert before her breakdown.”
“Oh, ouch. I'm sorry. Can't you call Landon and get it taken off?” Matt questioned.
“No. It would be more hassle than it's worth. Tickets were already bought, fans are excited...” Kyra's voice trailed off. “I'll just do it. Years have passed, and truths have been revealed.”
“You're trying to convince yourself of that,” Matt pointed out as he touched the side of her face, guiding her to look at him.
Kyra brushed off the fear. “It's old news. Just caught me off guard is all. Anyway, Taryn needs to go away so we can plan the biggest, most epic prank on Baby Stetson.” She eyed her best friend and waited for a challenge or something.
“Gee, thanks,” Taryn mumbled, stifling a smile.
“I can't pull off a prank on the band if you're here to hear it! You're part of the band!” Kyra fired back.
“Fine, fine. I'll just mosey on to the back room, call Chris, and plot out our own prank.” Taryn let out a cackle.
“I'll have to type out my thoughts, Matt. Can't take the chance that she'll hear us,” Kyra whispered loud enough on purpose so that Taryn would hear them.
“Go ahead, but my prank will still be better!” Taryn called back as she headed toward the room. “Chris already has some ideas! I'm so glad he's coming with us!”
Matt chuckled. “The behind the scenes events on the bus are going to make for interesting times.”
“Yes, they are.” Kyra closed her laptop, eager to forget about cities she didn't want to think about. Time to focus on Matt and Andrew to make sure they had the best experience on the road. “Is Andrew still hanging with the driver?”
“Yup. I was half tempted to tell him to come on back so he doesn't bother him, but it seems they're getting along fine.”
“And he still hasn't said much about Kendra?”
“No. I want to ask, but I figure I'll wait. His mood hasn't changed much, and we're still getting along. He's either really come to terms with it, or it's going to hit when we least expect it. I'm on my guard, but I know eventually I won't be, and that's when it hits.” Matt shrugged. “I can't do much more other than listen to him when he's ready to talk about it.”
Taryn's laughter from the back room drew Kyra's attention.
“I'm really glad she's touring,” she said softly. “And Chris is doing so much better now that he's with Taryn.”
“When the right person comes along, that's what happens.” Matt pulled her in his arms. “I love the way your tour bus looks! I never knew you could fit so much on the bus! I mean, you've got a kitchen, cabinet space, these couches are comfortable, the table isn't cramped ... and there's still so much room!”
Kyra laughed at his expression. She'd taken a lot of time and effort in putting together the set up of her bus, especially taking into consideration Taryn's needs. She was more than happy with the final outcome. “Isn't it neat? Having a lot of comforts and space helps when we're cooped up in here on the road a lot.” Drawers lined up the underside of the seating on each side of the bus, filled with various things. There were plenty of cabinet spaces near her kitchenette area, and a decent sized fridge which she kept stocked full of water and other assortments of beverages, snacks, and other odds and ends. She'd decided to go with natural colors and left the floors without rugs so that Taryn's chair wouldn't get stuck. Eventually, Kyra could tire of the color scheme and change it to purple, but at least for right now, the newness and excitement of her current set up suited her. “We have a few video game systems, card games, and board games stored away in some of the drawers. As long as no one overpacks on personal items, there's plenty of space. And not that I've tried them out for a long period of time, but the bunks for sleeping were comfortable for the few minutes I spent on them.”
“Will you show this novice what you big stars do on the bus? With so much time on your hands, I imagine the possibilities are limitless?”
“Hmm. Oh, if you only knew...” Kyra's tone was suggestive and fun. “There are so many possibilities. Some of the best parts of the tour happen on the buses.” Her smile grew. She'd had way too much fun on her bus in the old days. Between her and Taryn, there were always laughs. Jordan, James, and Ralphie added to it. A wave of nostalgia slammed into her. So much had changed. Nerves danced in her belly. Why had she allowed her mind to go there again? The past needed to stay behind her. Things were different- yes, but they were exactly what was meant to be. It didn't stop the reminiscing sentiment, and most likely, there was not a damn thing Kyra could do about it but let it run its course. The hurt would ease away in time.
“Kyra? Are you okay?”
She shook herself from her reverie. “Yeah. I was thinking about the time when I toured with Taryn, Jordan, Ralphie, and James.” They'd had some good times.
Matt's eyes were full of sympathy. “I still have to wrap my mind around the fact that at the age Andrew is now, you had a year of stardom under your belt. Weird question to ask, but did your parents ever come on tour with you?”
The bus traveled over rough roads, and Kyra nearly toppled over, but Matt held on to her. She gestured for them to sit down. “No, but I called them every day. They had the phone numbers to my manager, publicist, and several other people, so if they needed to find out how I was or anything else, they could easily.”
His eyelids lowered. “As the parent of a teenager, I just can't grasp that. I'd be worried sick all the time!”
“There's a lot of sacrifices that go with this life.”
“Yeah, I can tell. You've definitely made a lot of them. But,” Matt caressed her jaw before kissing her, “you have such passion when it comes to your music. I love that about you.”
“I wouldn't know what else to do if music wasn't in the cards,” Kyra admitted.
Something flashed in his eyes, but Matt didn't say another word.
“I guess a band doesn't have to be at the top of their game before the bottom feeders, aka the media, starts in on them, huh?” Taryn wheeled down the narrow open floor from the back, a frustrated expression across her face.
“What do you mean?” Kyra scrunched up her nose. Who said what now?
“Chris told me Jameson came across an article from The Scoop's On Us, and they're digging into quite the back story about his relationship with Avery. On a good note, the article states that the band has talent.”
“Oh God.
Already? I warned everyone of this, but didn't think it would happen this soon.” Kyra clapped a hand to her forehead. “How bad is it?”
“The sole focus, aside from the intrigue of the new band, is how two former lovers who almost got married can still work so closely in a band without causing tension. The author of the article claims she'll be watching the chemistry on stage between Avery and Jameson to see if old flames could ever reunite. I had no idea they ever dated. Is it true?”
Matt grunted. “They were serious for years. Childhood best friends.”
“I know it's all rag stories, but it's also difficult not to read what they have to say. It's something every new act does. Hell, it's something a lot of established singers do, too. I admit to cringing at a few articles about me. It'll blow over.” Kyra said. “Lucas and Melody know about the relationship, right?” She didn't know too much about this either, but she'd heard a little about a previous relationship between the two. It never mattered for her to find out more, so Kyra never asked.
“Yeah. It's not a secret Avery and Jameson were together, so that won't be an issue.” Matt folded his arms. “So it begins, huh?”
“Well, it's the first of many. It'll blow over. I hope they aren't too bothered by it, but I'll talk to them later.”
What bothered Kyra was how much she worried about Matt's reaction to all of this. She still had concerns, and when he asked certain questions, even though there was no judging in his voice, she couldn't keep the thoughts at bay sometimes.
*****
“So everyone is squared away with the hotel, right?” Kyra asked as the the members of Baby Stetson headed downstairs an hour after they rolled into New Orleans for the first stop on the tour.
“We're all good,” Avery affirmed. “How long do we have until sound check?”
“Three hours. There's a little time to do sight seeing, but don't be late. I have an hour of free time before I have to do interviews, since it's the first night of the show. There might be some reporters with video recorders at sound check, because we're putting some highlights of behind the scenes on my website. I have a feeling eventually it'll get released on a live concert DVD.”
“Can I jam with Kyra for one song on stage, Dad?” Andrew rocked on the balls of his heels, anticipating the answer.
“Shouldn't you be asking Kyra if it's okay before asking me?” Matt raised a brow at his son. He and Kyra actually discussed things earlier, so he was only messing with Andrew to make him squirm a little. They'd planned to let him go on stage with her at least one night, but they decided to keep it a surprise.
“I'm asking you just in case,” Andrew insisted.
“It was brought up at one point,” Kyra added, playing right along. “I'd love Andrew to get up and jam with us. I bet you'd love to get up on stage when Tucker comes in as a guest star one night. We're just not a hundred percent sure what night he's going to do it.” She turned her gaze away from Matt to watch Andrew's reaction.
“Jam with you and Tucker on stage?” Andrew's face lit up. “You mean it?”
“I have no problems if you want to play guitar a few times during a concert, and if Tucker doesn't come to the shows while we're out on the road, I'll see what we can do about getting you out there for that show,” Matt promised. He wasn't about to deny his son that dream, even if it meant going out of his own comfort zone in many ways, which would include letting Andrew fly alone.
“Then it's settled. I can't wait! Has anyone seen Taryn?” Kyra glanced around the room. “Wait, I don't see Chris, either. That means they're probably at the pool.” A knowing smile lit up her face. “I'll talk to her later then.”
If Kyra was going to talk to Avery or Jameson about that article, she lost her chance for now as everyone scrambled away to go check out New Orleans. She faced Matt and Andrew. “What are you two going to do?”
If only she didn't have but an hour, otherwise Matt would love to spend time seeing the city with her. “I'm torn. I want Andrew to see some of the city, but I want to spend some time with you.”
She kissed his lips lightly. “I want that too, but the first night on a new tour is always the craziest. Go see the city with your son. You both deserve it.”
“What do you want to do, Andrew?” Matt asked, though he had a feeling Andrew wouldn't want to stick around the hotel or venue too much, considering he'd never been to New Orleans.
“I wanna see some of the city!” Andrew confirmed Matt's thoughts with his answer.
“Have a blast, you two. See you in a few hours. Check with Rafe, who can drive you all anywhere you want. And there's my cue. I need to go check in on the progress. I'm so sorry we're not spending as much time together right-”
Matt dipped his head and kissed Kyra silent, holding her close. “I'll see you soon. Stop apologizing so much, would ya? I knew it would be like this. You don't have anything to worry about,” he promised against her soft lips. Somehow, Matt had to find a way to wipe Kyra's worries away without compromising when and how he wanted to propose. It had to be at the right time, and that didn't include out of the blue to make her feel better, because she would see right through it and call him out on it.
“Kyra! You're needed!” A male's voice boomed from the other side of the hotel's lobby.
She spaced her feet apart, glancing back at Matt and Andrew for a mere second, her hazel eyes filled with frustration. “Have fun. See you soon!” she called before finally bolting.
“This is really happening,” Andrew mused, staring in awe at the chaos all around him. “You're really cool with all of this, Dad?”
“What do you mean?” Boy, did he do a number on everyone with his strong stance for years.
“Me on stage and this whole music scene with Kyra.” Andrew stepped closer. “You keep asking me how I'm handling what Mo- Kendra did, but you were also affected.”
Caught off guard, Matt stared at his son. Andrew had a point. He'd also reacted in ways he should have thought more about all those years ago and hadn't. His responses were to dislike musicians and want nothing to do with the whole scene. “If we're doing the honest thing, it gets to me. I'm looking at this whole music scene with a critical eye again, but not in a judging way towards Kyra. At least, I hope I'm not. As we've discussed before, Kyra and Kendra are two different people.”
Andrew bobbed his head in a slow nod. “Fair enough. Let's go do some sight seeing. My plan is to get Daisy something from every place we stop. I'm glad we're both getting past this whole thing.”
Feeling brushed off, Matt wondered if they were actually getting past it or ignoring their feelings toward the situation instead.
*****
Kyra grabbed another bottle of water after finishing her second interview in a row, careful not to spill on her silk blouse. Her throat was parched, and she still needed to do vocal warm ups before her set, but at the moment she was content sitting with Matt and Andrew as Baby Stetson went through their sound check. The temperature in the venue was way too hot, or maybe it was just her, and sweat dripped down her forehead. It was like sitting in a steaming sauna.
“Are you okay?” Matt pressed a cool hand against her cheek. “You're burning up, Kyra!” Concern laced his voice.
“I think it's nerves. At first, I thought maybe it was too hot in here, but your hand is so cool and comfortable,” she admitted, “and you have no sweat like I do.”
“You've got this,” he assured her softly. “It's going to be a great tour kick off. The last few months have been so good to you. Look at the awards you racked up and the praise for this new CD.”
“I might have to keep you longer while on tour.” Kyra half smiled, trying to put her nerves at ease. “You're good for my ego. Seriously, thank you. I'm sure after the first few shows, I'll laugh this feeling off. But until then...”
“Until then, remember my words. You've worked hard to get here. This tour is going to be fantastic. Don't think I haven't noticed the trail of Kyra fanatics trying to catch your attention.
I don't think anyone is thinking about the past and all of that chaos. Focus on the present.” He kissed her gently.
Kyra sighed against his lips as the kiss ended. “That settles it. I'm hiring you as my hot boyfriend roadie.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Chris joked as he weaved around some of the crew to come sit with them. He pointed at the stage. “Taryn's rocking it.”
Kyra and Matt pulled apart. Sometimes, she got so lost in him she forgot the world around her. She needed it at the moment, but who knows what people caught on camera or video when she wasn't thinking about anything else? She caught Matt's sheepish grin before settling the right way in her seat and glancing in the direction Chris pointed towards. Sure enough, Taryn owned the drums and didn't miss a beat. “I was worried for a while that she would decide again that this wasn't for her. I'd have respected it, but I'm glad she's here. And every time I see her today, I laugh because she decided to wear one of my tour shirts.” Kyra shook her head. “She used to do that to me in the beginning. It's weird to see my friends wearing my merchandise!” And Taryn damn well knew it!
“I need to remember to go buy out the stock of Kyra Sanders shirts for men,” Matt teased. “I've been saving up to get them all.”
“And you're going to put them where?” Andrew asked, raising a brow. “You're too much, Dad.”
Chris stifled a laugh. “I don't know … if Taryn had a bunch of shirts made of her and I saw men wearing them, I'd walk up to them and say 'That's my girl on your chest.'”
“Taryn would kill you!” Kyra giggled. She could so picture the entire scene in her head right now.
“Oh, no doubt. She's already afraid of what I'll do because she's on several different prints with Baby Stetson. I keep threatening her.” Chris grinned.
“I think Dad needs pointers from Chris, instead of this hoarding shirts thing he wants to do.” Andrew rolled his eyes, still smiling.
“And I think it's about time I get ready for my sound check. I'm afraid of what plans I'll miss when I come back. Behave, you three. I'm not sure how much I trust any of you. I know someone has something up their sleeve.” Kyra narrowed her eyes, attempting even the slightest bit of seriousness. It didn't last long at all before she burst into giggles.
Skyrocket (Love and Music in Texas Book 6) Page 4
