Up in Smoke (Hotshots 4)

“I sing to tell stories, and I’ve got a lot more stories in me. Give me a chance and I’ll make you proud.” He spoke to the camera and the judge, but really the words were all for Brandt. If Brandt was here because he felt something for him, then Shane was going to do his damnedest to make him proud. And he wanted to give this thing between them a real chance, even if that meant difficult decisions.

“Ah. A storyteller. Well...” The audience roared as he paused dramatically, eyes narrowing, voice somewhere between amused and scolding. “I suppose I’m curious. I’ll give you that chance, but I’ll be watching to see if you can deliver a show as well as you can write.”

Buzz. The sound of the judge smacking the button seemed to reverberate through the whole auditorium and right through Shane’s bones. He’d done it. Holy fuck.

“Thank you, sir.” He managed to scrape together enough oxygen to speak. “And the rest of you. Thank you.”

“And there you have it. Our first competitor with a ticket to LA.”

The host waved him off the stage, where the same PA from earlier directed him through the maze of cameras and people.

“Congrats.” She smiled up at him. “I bet the baby and your...guy are so happy for you.”

My guy. God, Shane hoped that he hadn’t fucked up everything that mattered with this win. “When do I get to see them?”

“We’ll need you for some more pictures in a while, but I can send another PA to bring them to you. I’ll see if the producer wants that reunion on film.”

“No camera. Please. My kingdom if you forget to ask that question.” He dug deep, trying to channel his inner Brandt, adding big eyes to his smile and conspiratorial nod.

“Okay.” Despite her no-nonsense demeanor, she blushed. Whoa. The charm thing worked.

He was still reeling from that and the whole advancing thing when a different PA led Brandt and Jewel down the hall to him. No cameras followed, thank God, and the PA left quickly, leaving him and Brandt staring at each other, almost as if it were the first time all over again. Strangers and old friends and everything else, all at once.

“Well. I did it,” he said, mainly because one of them had to say something and also because kissing Brandt senseless was probably a surefire way to draw the cameras.

“You did.” Brandt kept looking at Shane like he’d produced a handful of stardust along with the win.

Not kissing him was damn hard when he made Shane feel that special. Fuck it. He took a step forward, then Jewel made a sleepy noise in her sling. Oh, yeah. No squashing the baby.

“Did she sleep straight through?”

“Nah. She saw you kill it out there. So did I.” Brandt shook his head. “Damn, Shane. I thought nothing could top that timber song from you, but that one...”

“I wrote it for you guys. Didn’t know if I’d ever find the courage to play it.”

“I’m glad you did.” Brandt licked his lips like he too had kissing on the brain. “Man. If I wasn’t already crazy about you...”

“Yeah?” Shane had to laugh at the idea of wooing someone like Brandt, brash and fearless, with a mere song.

“Oh yeah. Told you. I’m falling for you.” Brandt’s gaze was so intense that Shane had to look away as emotion surged in his chest.

“Maybe you’re not the only one falling.” His voice was so soft, it was a wonder Brandt heard him.

“Good.” Brandt’s face softened like he knew what the admission had cost Shane. “I’m not sure I’m worthy of that song, but I’m sure as hell gonna try.”

“Me too.” This time he held on to Brandt’s gaze as tightly as he would his body if they were alone, an entire ballad playing out between their eyes. It was the same song that had been rattling around Shane’s brain earlier, the one that couldn’t decide whether it was happy or sad.

“Shane. I—never mind.” Brandt cut himself off as Shane’s favorite PA scurried back toward them.

Damn it. Whatever he’d been about to say, Shane wanted to hear it.

“Mr. Travis? They need you for some publicity shots with the judges.”

“Go ahead.” Brandt made a shooing motion. “We’ll keep. I promise. Take as long as you need. I got a hotel room nearby. I might go chill there with the diva while you take care of business. But after...”

“After,” Shane agreed, so many promises in that one word. The song in his head shifted again, back to uncertainty. He could see those opening lines so well, but he had no clue where the music went from there, how to keep it a love song, not some mournful tale of regret. However, he wasn’t giving up. He’d do whatever it took to find that elusive ending for their song.