Jace (Kings of Country 1)

At five, she slipped from her hotel room and made her way to the buses. She ignored the questions on Sawyer’s face, left a note for Misumi to get her things from the hotel before they left, and barricaded herself in her sleeping compartment with her guitar and a bucket of Red Vines. Clementine roused herself long enough from her velvet doggy bed to climb up by her side before curling into a ball of white fluff that snored.

The knocking began around nine.

“Krystal, breakfast.” Emmy Lou was first.

“Headache,” she called back.

“Still?” Emmy Lou paused, whispering to someone. “Daddy wants to talk to all of us. You get some sleep and we’ll all have lunch together. Okay?”

“Fine,” she mumbled. With any luck, “all of us” wouldn’t include Jace.

“Mommy can’t face him, Clem.” She picked up her beloved pooch and held her nose to nose. “I did a very bad thing.” But she couldn’t say the rest of it out loud. Admitting she had feelings for Jace to anyone, even Clementine, wouldn’t change a thing. Better not to say the words out loud.

At eleven, the bus came to a stop.

“Baby girl.” Her father knocked on the door. “You take your medicine?”

“Yeah,” she answered.

“You okay?”

Maybe it was because she hesitated. Maybe it was because her daddy always seemed to know when she was upset. Or maybe it was because she hadn’t locked the door—but her father opened the door and peered inside before she could come up with a reason to keep him out.

He stood there, hands on hips, looking at her. “What’s going on, Krystal?”

She shook her head.

“Now I don’t believe that for one second.” He sighed, crossing the room to sit on her bunk. He offered Clementine a quick scratch behind the ear. “Had to pry Travis out of his bed this morning, nursing a powerful hangover. Found Jace asleep outside your hotel room door, but he’s a little hazy on the rest. And you’re playing hide-and-seek when we have business to discuss.”

“I’m not hiding.” She knew he was goading her.

“Then what are you doing?” He waited. “And why?”

She shook her head.

“Your head hurting?” He pressed his hand against her cheek.

“Not really.” Which wasn’t true. She might not have a migraine anymore, but getting zero sleep had left her with a dull ache.

“Think you can manage to sit and discuss the Austin Country Music Festival?” He paused, waiting for her reaction. “They’re looking for a host. Or two.”

He wanted her to be excited, she could tell. And, since it was her daddy, she did her best to smile and nod. “Oh?” She swallowed, pulling Clem into her arms.

“Come on, now. Emmy’s got your vanilla coffee thing out here waiting for you.” He stood, holding his hand out to her.

“Is Jace here, Daddy?” She had to know.

He stared down at her, an odd look on his face. “He is. Is there something I need to know?”

“No. Nothing. Nothing at all.” She shook her head. “I need a minute.”

“You’ve got five.”

Once he left, she splashed cold water on her face, twisted her hair into a sloppy bun, and tugged on a massive black sweatshirt that made her feel invisible. Her eyes were red and bloodshot. In general, she looked like hell.

“Not like there’s anyone to impress.” She flipped off the light, scooped up Clem, and ventured from the shelter of her dim bedroom into the overcrowded cab of the bus she shared with her sister.

“Here.” Emmy pressed the tall paper cup into her hands. “I’m sorry you’re feeling bad. It seems to be going around.”