*****
“Kyra, I think I messed up, like big time.” Andrew knocked on the door just before she finished getting ready to head down to the venue for the show. Matt had already left, because he'd offered to help Taryn and Chris with something. In fact, Andrew shouldn't even be here right now! Kyra thought he'd gone with them.
“What's wrong, and how is it you're here right now instead of with your dad?” She grabbed her purse.
“You know how you and Dad always say not to talk to reporters, no matter what?” His cheeks reddened.
“Yeah...” Uh oh. When he started off with something like that, it couldn't be good. Kyra braced for his response.
“I was really pissed at something they said about you two, and I kinda yelled at them.” Andrew rushed his words at the end.
“Grab your guitar and we'll talk on the way. How is it your dad hasn't called me frantic about you?”
“Because I told him I was riding with you, and he was okay with it. He meant to ask you, but I guess he didn't. I'm not ready to face him over this yet.” Andrew popped back in his suite, returning a minute later with his guitar case.
“Keep your head low. We'll talk in the car so we have privacy. Whatever it is, I can't imagine it being too bad. We'll fix it,” she assured him. Andrew was young. It couldn't be as bad as he made it out to be.
Fifteen minutes later, Kyra realized she might be wrong. Big time. So maybe Andrew hadn't been exaggerating after all. Hell!
“You're making a face. It's bad, isn't it?” Andrew cringed.
“I understand why you commented, but oh boy.” Kyra's fingers trembled as she clutched her purse strap. How the hell would she be able to fix this one? Who could she even call to help with damage control? There was no way to spin Andrew's words in a way that wouldn't piss someone off even more.
“I'm so sorry. I get real tired of the comments about my mother.” Andrew lowered his gaze. “That stupid picture surfaced, and the rumors haven't stopped since.” His tone was laced with anger and pain all in one.
Oh Andrew. She reached out to him. “Hey, I get it. I really do. You wouldn't believe how many times I've had to bite my tongue before making a retort, no matter how much the comment riled me up. Even though you did speak the truth, it's not going to look good for your mom-”
“She's not even my mom any more! She relinquished her rights!” Andrew exclaimed. “Why should I care what she thinks?”
Kyra blew out a breath and remained calm before replying. “I know, Andrew, but the media is going to go ballistic with this. There's no telling what Kendra will do, especially if fans and critics alike react to what she did. It's not going to look good that a child she gave up turned to the media with a comment, even if it wasn't set out as a malicious act.”
“I was trying to make things better for you and Dad because of that stupid picture in New Orleans where they said Dad was cheating on you with her. I didn't even think of what being honest would do to her career. I didn't mean it maliciously.” He slapped a hand to his head.
“Well, we'll have to tell your dad of course, and I'll talk to my publicist, although I don't think there's anything we can do to put a stop to it now.” Her mind raced with ideas and thoughts, but nothing came close to coming up with a good suggestion for the next move. She felt for Andrew. At his age, Kyra had several of these mishaps. She'd definitely learned the hard way not to feed the media with a response. It always ended up worse. Always. Damn hard lesson to learn, especially for a young teenager.
Andrew looked on the verge of tears. “Crap, Kyra. Just … crap.”
“Calm down, kiddo. We'll figure this out. I'll protect you, no matter what, okay? It was a mistake, and one you didn't mean to blurt out. We'll take care of it.” Or so she hoped. And what would Matt say to this?
She dreaded tonight even more than last night, and that said a lot.
Chapter Twelve
“You said what?” Matt silently counted to ten as he attempted to keep his frustration in check. This was not good. Not at all. He'd had this bad feeling ever since Andrew and Kyra arrived. In the middle of Weston Wheel Center when everyone scrambled around them to set up wasn't the best place to talk about this, either.
“Matt-” Kyra started, reaching for him. He moved his hand away and ran it through his hair. Hurt flashed on her face.
I've gotta get myself under control. He didn't mean it, but what the hell is Kendra gonna do?
“I'm sorry,” he uttered, pulling her back toward him. “I'm a little shaken. This is big.”
“I didn't mean to, Dad! I was trying to stick up for you and Kyra! I got tired of people saying stupid sh- stuff about the two of you, and then to drag her into it like she still has a place in our life … I'm sorry. I'm so frickin' sorry.” Andrew practically went into hysterics.
“Kyra! Sound check time!” one of her stage hands called.
She froze. “I have to go. We'll get this sorted out. It will blow over, too.” Stealing a wary glance at Matt, Kyra took a few steps to head toward the stage. Her eyes were full of worry.
“Hey. Come here.” He wasn't about to let her go without attempting to console her. “I don't mean to let my frustration out on you. I'm not mad at you. I'm not even mad at Andrew. I'm very concerned about what kind of retaliation Kendra is going use. Is she going to pull any one of us down in the mud? I'm thinking of Andrew's safety.”
“Safety? Are you saying something could happen to me?” Andrew exclaimed. “Like death threats or something because I admitted the truth?”
“Kyra! Come on!” The man tapped his watch, then shot a scowl at Matt as if he was the one keeping her from doing what she needed to. Well, he was, but still.
She blew out a breath. “I really have to go. If this comes up tonight from anybody else, say nothing. We'll get with my publicist soon and figure out our next move. Maybe we can reach out to Kendra's team. We're on the same label, so I know I can figure out who's going to be working with her.”
Matt let her go, disappointed that he'd been unable to get a goodbye kiss. Did she have doubts plaguing her? Did she feel guilty for this whole thing? Matt knew exactly how her mind worked, and he'd bet right now she wanted to cry more than anything, and that somewhere in her heart, she took the blame for this. His knee jerk reaction to pull away when she needed physical contact sure as hell didn't help. Matt swallowed hard, unsure what to do right now.
“You're really not mad at me?” Andrew's voice pulled Matt from his thoughts.
“No, son, I'm not mad. I'm frustrated with the situation.”
“I didn't think telling the truth would be a problem.”
“I know you didn't, but here's the thing. You, me, and Kyra know that you didn't set out to ruin your- Kendra's career, but will she take it that way? She had to have cut ties for a reason, Andrew. There's no telling what kind of backlash will go her way for giving up her son, which means we have no idea what she's going to do, especially because I know she'll make a big thing. That's how she rolls. She could turn around and point the blame on us. There's no such things as truth in the tabloid world, because to them, the truth is boring. That's why we never, ever respond, no matter what.” His phone rang, the familiar ring tone signaling Blaine as the caller. He answered. “Hey there. How are you?”
“Well, I guess that depends. What the hell is going on out there?” Her voice was full of concern.
Damn. “What did you hear? Or see, for that matter?”
Andrew's face paled. Matt put an arm on his shoulder and mouthed, 'It's Blaine.'
“There's some story flying about a photo of you and some woman they claim to be Kendra.”
“It's not. It was Kyra.”
“Oh, I don't care about that. I can tell it's Kyra. I've had to do my own fair share of disguising. It's the story that Andrew said Kendra gave up her parental rights to him that bothers me.”
“Umm ... yeah, that one's true. He was trying to stick up for us-”
“Matt. Did
she really do that? Did she actually give up her own son?”
“It's true.” His voice lowered.
“When did this happen?”
“The papers arrived a few weeks ago. I didn't even have a clue. Andrew didn't want me to tell anyone, so we didn't.”
“How can someone-” She hiccuped through a burst of tears. Was it hormones, or was she that upset over the whole thing? Maybe a bit of both. Blaine did have a strong bond with Andrew. “-do that to their own child? How? There are people who want to be mothers and can't. There are people who have never been sure about this until they're actually pregnant. And then there's bitches like her, and-”
“Blaine, calm down,” Matt said softly. “Is everything okay with the baby? I mean, I know you're upset over Kendra, but some of your words have me wondering what else is going on.”
“I'm f-fine. The baby is fine. I'm just getting a lot of comments about a baby at thirty-five and all the risks, and the whole Kendra BS just pushed me over the edge. Sorry. I'm surprised Randy hasn't complained about all these messages sent to him and the tears I've been crying. Is he concentrating okay? Am I messing this up for him?”
“He hasn't said a thing, other than how excited he is about fatherhood.” And it was the truth. Randy couldn't be happier about having a child with his new bride.
“Thanks, Matt. I don't mean to cry on your shoulder, or in your ear, while you're having the time of your life. Can I talk to Andrew for a little bit? I hear he's making his stage debut tonight.”
Matt's lips curved up in a smile. “Sure can. Hold on.” He handed his son the phone. “Blaine wants to say hi.”
“Hey, Blaine.” Andrew's voice grew more enthusiastic as he talked to her. Matt half listened to him as he focused on Kyra on the stage. She wasn't singing to her full potential. It was only a sound check, but from the other nights he'd been here to see her, she put her all into those, too. Dread crept in his gut.
“Thanks, Blaine. I wish you were here for this, but I'm glad you're feeling a little better. Randy is awesome up there, just like always. We all miss you. Okay, here's Dad.”
“I'd better get to see every moment of Andrew's guitar debut on video.” Her voice choked up. “I'm so damn proud of that kid. He's come far, Matt.”
“I know,” Matt responded, glancing at Andrew, who'd taken off to talk with Taryn and Chris. He was laughing at something. Good. He needed a little cheering up.
As much as he looked forward to tonight's concert, especially with the special guests and Andrew going on stage, Matt couldn't wait until he was able to have quiet time with Kyra to talk this out once and for all, without interruptions.
*****
Tonight was supposed to be epic, except for one gigantic problem. Kyra couldn't concentrate. Not with the mess of Andrew's comment. Not with Matt's frustration and Kyra not knowing exactly what he was thinking and feeling. On a night Andrew was to take the stage when Tucker McGinnis and his wife showed up as a special guest, Kyra Sanders was nowhere near the top of her A game.
Not by a long shot.
And the show had only just begun. Her name had been called, her cue to get on stage with the lights low and sing her first song.
“Here she comes, ladies and gentlemen. Miss Kyra Sanders!” The announcer revved up the crowd.
Kyra slowly made her way to her spot. The music started. A foggy haze filled the stage, an effect that worked with the quiet music, something which amped up the crowd. She grabbed her guitar, slung the strap over her shoulder, and struck several chords, then chanted focus repeatedly in her mind. “Are you ready for a night of music?” Kyra shouted into the microphone.
Just the response she wanted. The crowd went wild. As the lights brightened, Kyra prepared to launch into her opening tune, only to discover her band wasn't on stage.
It was Baby Stetson, and when the spotlights hit them, they shifted gears and played a completely different song.
Stunned, Kyra tried to keep her composure. What the- This song wasn't even country! It was more of a pop tune. The audience seemed to love it though, as their cheers grew louder.
Kyra recognized the song with no problem after a few beats, so she played along and sang it, forgetting about the guitar playing. She swayed on stage, bouncing on her heels as Avery and Melody sang the back up lyrics.
Halfway through the song- a Rachel Platton tune by the name of 'I'll stand by You', Kyra removed her guitar and set it by the keyboard, took the mic off its stand, and joined Avery and Melody in the front of the stage. She glanced at each of them, sending a little wink as if to say 'Good one'.
When the show opener came to a stop, Kyra threw her head back and let out a laugh. “I guess my opening act wanted an encore. Give them a hand again! Baby Stetson is starting full force on the pranks.” After hugging Melody, then Avery, Kyra spun in a circle. “You caught me off guard for about a minute. Good job tonight, guys. Now shoo! Get out of here!” She wiggled her fingers toward the end, laughing again. “Where did you hide my band?”
“Got a big storage closet. We lured them in with chocolate,” Taryn teased.
“I think I'll be having a talk with them tonight. Chocolate over me? Traitors!” As her band members darted on stage, she faced the audience again. “Next thing you know, they're going to pull out the tricks and play a rap song. I'd better stay on my toes with this band!”
Five songs later, Kyra found her groove again, except for the times when she'd look at Matt in the front row. Her heart ached thinking about what he and Andrew were going through. She feared looking at him because she didn't want to see anger or disappointment, but she couldn't not look his way, either. When she went into Bare My Soul, Kyra met Matt's gaze once more, and she refused to break eye contact this time. Tears filled her eyes when he blew a kiss her way. Kyra knelt on her knees at the edge of the stage directly in front of him as she sang. When the song ended, Kyra said, “I love you, Matt,” through her tears and climbed to her feet. He waved and mouthed an 'I love you, too' back to her.
It was time to introduce her guest stars. Kyra's pulse raced. She'd talked to Tucker and Quinn just an hour ago, and they knew exactly how their intro was going to play out. Shivers of anticipation ran through her. The lights dimmed again, and the music began to one of Tucker's most popular hits.
The audience went wild. Absolutely crazy.
“Yeah, you know this song, don't you? Who doesn't love a good Tucker McGinnis hit?” Kyra said into the mic.
One verse into Made For This, the crowd went insane with cheers and hoots. Kyra continued to sing, though she knew Tucker and Quinn had to be approaching the center of the stage.
“You're singin' my song,” Tucker drawled, moving to the left of Kyra.
“Wait. That's the line you gave me. More than once.” Quinn played right along. She stood to Kyra's right. She looked amazing, decked out in a long black skirt, a pair of heels, and a red shirt with frilly sleeves.
It was so hard not to laugh at the banter between the pair. Kyra loved this. But she continued to sing.
“She's not even listening to us!” Quinn scoffed, waving her hands in Kyra's direction.
“Maybe we should just join in and sing. By the end, Kyra might know we're actually here with her.” Tucker raised the mic to his lips.
“Not a bad idea. Maybe she thinks she's hallucinating us or something.”
Oh, this is great!
I know I was made for this
But sometimes it gets the better of me
It's your face I will miss
When I have to leave
The three of them stood side by side in perfect harmony until the very last note.
“Ladies and gentlemen, my two special guests tonight, Tucker and Quinn McGinnis!” Kyra pumped a fist into the air.
“Well, I guess that answers my question. She does see us.” Quinn laughed.
“Hey, you two were late, jumping in mid-verse,” Kyra teased. She walked across the stage. “So we have a treat for you ton
ight. Not only is Tucker and Quinn here to perform a few song, I'm also pleased to bring up on stage a very special person in my life.”
Cheers rang out. Some were even shouting about it being her boyfriend.
“Matt! Matt! Matt! Sing a duet with Matt!”
“No, my boyfriend isn't coming up on stage at the moment, but his son, a fantastic new guitar player, is. Get up here, Andrew!” Kyra beckoned. “It's time for your guitar debut!”
*****
Matt hollered and cheered when his son climbed up on that stage and stood, in a bit of a shocked stance, between Kyra, Tucker, and Quinn, holding on to his guitar for dear life. Matt prepared to record, and Chris said he would take still shots.
“Ready to rock this place, Andrew?” Tucker asked him.
“I think so!” Andrew replied with a shaky voice into the mic.
“Have you learned Kyra's songs since we last met?” Quinn joked. “I remember you said you play Tucker's music better than you do Kyra's.”
“If you're gonna say that to him, you should answer whether you've improved on my songs, or you if still play Kyra's better.” Tucker taunted his wife.
Matt burst into laughter. His son was red in the face.
Andrew's response surprised him. “Actually, I've been working on my own songs.”
“Really? So ya sing, too?” Tucker's interest was genuine, and it only aided in Andrew being a little more embarrassed. “You wanna play something of yours?”
“Umm, no. I've been practicing one of yours big time, though.”
Tucker strummed his guitar, and Andrew followed suit. Quinn and Kyra stepped back and let the two be front and center on stage.
“Sing it with me, Andrew!” Tucker said into the mic before the first verse.
Matt held up his phone, keeping the focus zoomed on Andrew and Tucker, recording at the best possible angles. He zoomed out a few times to also catch Kyra and Quinn.
Skyrocket (Love and Music in Texas Book 6) Page 11
