Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  Blaine nudged Andrew, then spoke to him quietly. "I think we're trying to keep a low profile." Randy grabbed a chair and pulled it close to Blaine's before he sat down and took her hand in his. They shared a kiss. Recently engaged- as in two days ago, the pair were inseparable.

  "Oh. Oops. Sorry, Kyra."

  "It's okay," she said. Her talking voice differed greatly from her singing voice. "I know you were caught up in the excitement. I kinda was too, which was what caused me to crash into you guys."

  Ah. Should have figured. All hyped up for a new tune on the radio and wasn't paying attention. Matt scowled. "Do you need a tow, Blaine?" He focused his attention away from Kyra, hoping she didn't notice his foul mood. Matt wasn't sure how this ride was going to go, otherwise.

  "No, mine is drivable. It's a good thing I didn't pick up the stuff for the studio yet." Blaine sighed.

  "I'll pay for any damages to your car." Kyra's face was red again. "It wasn't the excitement itself of my song on the radio that made me lose control... I just got hit with a lot of feeling and missing my family."

  "I know what you mean. I totally get it," Blaine said softly. "I hope everything turns out okay for you all."

  "Whenever you're ready to head out," Matt commented gruffly to Kyra. "I can get your car loaded on the truck if you're waiting for food to arrive."

  Kyra's gaze snapped to him. "I just ordered water. I didn't want to put anyone out and make you wait. I appreciate this."

  "If you're hungry, you should eat something," he insisted, not sure why. He was more than ready to get out of here and get the ride over and done with. She seemed nice enough, but still. "Andrew, are you still staying another night with Randy and Blaine?"

  "If it's okay with you, I want to."

  Well damn. Now it left Matt and Kyra alone. "It's fine with me." He had already agreed to this. No reason to beg his son to come back with him just because Matt didn't want to deal with a simple car ride with a damn musician.

  Randy jumped to his feet. "I'll help you."

  "I can too. It's my car." Kyra reached for her purse and was about to stand.

  Matt waved her off. "If you give me your keys, we've got it."

  Her lips were set in a thin line. She seemed a little frustrated, but she pulled out her keys and handed them over. Matt blew out a breath as he exited the diner, Randy on his heels. Okay, so he'd been very short-tempered with her. Everyone probably saw right through him. Damn it. He should have been a little nicer.

  "You don't like her, huh?" Randy asked.

  He whirled around. "What makes you say that?" Yep, caught.

  "Your scowl. Your tone. Is it because of-"

  "Don't, Randy. It's just been a long day. I guess I should have been a little nicer. I was nervous because I didn't know if everyone was okay."

  "Hey, I know. I was concerned, too. I just thought- well, you know."

  Yeah, he did know. It wasn't a secret that Matt had some issues with musicians.

  Kyra Sanders was trouble. She'd had a killer career and it all went downhill after an accident. Matt watched her family struggle for years, and he'd never once met her. Until now. Okay, so he still had to deal with his feelings from his ex-wife abandoning her son so she could pursue music. Kendra had constantly reminded him of all she gave up when she ended up a mother at nineteen with Andrew.

  "Let's just get her car loaded. Storm's coming, and I want to be as close to home as possible before the worst hits." The faster he got Kyra back, the better.

  Randy acted like he wanted to say more, but he shut his mouth. Good. Matt loved his cousin, but the last thing he wanted to do was talk about his annoyance. It didn't help matters any that he'd heard Kendra's boyfriend got arrested for drug usage, and she'd been with him. She tried to call him this morning from the jail cell, begging for bail money. Right. As if he had it. Even if he did, why the hell would she think for a second that he'd bail them out?

  What a witch. Really? Abandon her son and think that when trouble hit, Matt was going to save her from herself? Hell no!

  Fury spiked inside, and he slammed the tow truck's door a little harder than anticipated.

  "You're pissed about something. What's going on?" Randy leaned against the truck. His brows furrowed.

  Matt sighed. "Kendra called me this morning. From jail."

  Randy's jaw dropped. "She's got nerve."

  "Exactly what I was thinking. I've been steamed over it all day. Oh, and she didn't ask a damn thing about her son."

  "How could she just..." Randy shook his head. "I don't get people sometimes. I'm sorry, Matt."

  "It is what it is, I guess. Just wish she'd leave me alone, unless she actually wants to talk to Andrew."

  Ten minutes later, Kyra's car was loaded and ready to go. Matt glanced at the skies as they darkened. Strange for Texas in early November, but the cold front was on its way, threatening sleet as the night arrived. Matt had a feeling he'd be busy all night. Good thing after all that Andrew was staying with Randy and Blaine again. He didn't need to drag his fourteen year old son in dangerous conditions.

  Matt and Randy headed back for the warmth. They were just about to reach the table when Blaine approached them. She carried a couple of white boxes, one of them she handed to Matt. "I know you want to get home before the storm hits, so Andrew picked out your meal to go." She handed the other to Randy. "This one's yours. You can eat it here or at the studio. I wasn't sure what you wanted to do, so I thought a take out box would work either way."

  Randy wrapped her up in a hug. "You're the best."

  "Thank you, Blaine," Matt replied. "I could definitely use this. It's going to be a long night. Thanks for keeping Andrew another night. The last thing I need is to have to to an emergency tow and drag him out with me."

  "No problem. We've been putting him to work at the studio, and he's actually liking it." Blaine grinned. "Just don't tell him I told you. He'd totally deny it. But I have pictures for proof."

  "As long as he's staying out of trouble." Matt took a quick peek over at his son, still sitting at the table with Avery and Kyra. The three were lost in conversation, and Andrew had a smile on his face. A year ago was a different story. Andrew was definitely making progress.

  Matt noticed a change in his son's attitude when Randy and Blaine started dating. He wished he could say his relationship with Andrew was better because they put their differences behind them, but it wouldn't be true. Matt owed a lot of gratitude to the newly engaged couple. There'd been a few times Blaine would come talk to Matt about something Andrew didn't want to outright say to him. He felt bad for Randy's fiancée being thrown in the middle of the family problems when they weren't even married, but he had to hand it to her. Blaine was a really good influence on Andrew. It made all the difference in the world.

  "He's been amazing. Really, he's a great help," Randy assured him. He slid his arm around Blaine's shoulders. "Call us when you get back safely. Depending on the weather, we'll bring Andrew home tomorrow afternoon."

  "Sounds like a plan," Matt said, feeling grateful for good family. His parents hadn't been around for years, but Randy was always there for him. He headed over to the table. Andrew glanced up at him.

  "Hey Dad! I think you and Kyra will have some good stuff to talk about when you take her home. I told her about the fun David and I have with Baby Stetson."

  Matt masked his annoyance about how much his son loved the music scene. Kendra's constant nagging throughout the years about how she missed out never affected Andrew the way it did Matt, but that was due to the fact that he tried to shield his son from his mother's resentment. Of course Andrew had a love for music. It had been in the family, and he was still around it. It was something Matt had to deal with, even through his dislike. Randy played keyboard for Baby Stetson, a popular local country band formed by Randy and his childhood friends Avery and Jameson, who was Blaine's brother. Even with his jaded attitude about musicians, Matt supported Randy and the band a hundred percent.


  "Looking forward to it." He plastered on a fake smile. "Speaking of, we should probably go. Your car is all set up. The storm is on its way, and rumored to be a nasty one." Matt fished Kyra's keys from his pocket and handed them to her.

  She nodded and readjusted her hair under her cap, glancing around warily. "Sounds good. I'm eager to get there. Thank you for the great conversation, Andrew. Avery, I'm looking forward to hearing your band."

  "Tell David hi for me." Andrew stood and hugged Kyra. She stiffened, but hugged him back. Then he hugged Matt. "Hey, Dad?" Not that he was complaining, but Andrew had been in a hugging mood lately. Unusual, but nice.

  "Yeah?" Matt took a step back to look at his son.

  "Drive safe."

  "I will. See you tomorrow. Have fun with Blaine and Randy."

  As Kyra followed him out to the tow truck, Matt overheard Blaine and Randy talking about getting her car home. He opened the passenger door for Kyra and was about to walk away, she reached out and touched his arm. "Thank you, Matt."

  At least she was sincere. Kyra wasn't snobby, at least so far. He liked that about her. He kept waiting for the big star attitude, and so far none. Kyra was kind of down to earth. "No problem. It's what I do." He shrugged it off.

  "What do I owe you for the tow?"

  He cocked his head to the side. "Let's talk about it on the road." The skies were darkening, and it wasn't near nightfall yet.

  She nodded. "Right. Sorry."

  Matt started up the truck, set his to go box on the seat between himself and Kyra, and began their trek to town.

  Chapter Two

  Kyra didn't do well with silence, especially when she had a lot on her mind. Too much silence created scenarios in her head that she didn't like. In her own car, she would turn up the radio and sing, something she always did when the lack of noise got to her. But this wasn't her car. This was Matt's tow truck, and for whatever reason, this man did not seem to like her at all! Maybe it was the storm. Maybe it was the fact that she rear ended a car with his family inside. Maybe she was overthinking things, because face it, that's what she tended to do.

  Either way, Matt wasn't much for conversation. He didn't even turn on the radio.

  Kyra leaned back in her seat and tapped out a rhythm on Matt's dashboard to a melody playing in her mind. She closed her eyes and wondered what things were going to be like for her 'homecoming'. Not that she could really consider Sunset Hills 'home', since she'd never been there. Her family moved to the small town about three and a half years ago. They'd moved around quite a bit after leaving Kyra alone in Nashville.

  "Will you quit that?" Matt asked, the irritation in his voice loud and clear. Kyra opened her eyes and stole a glance his way. Matt had his focus on the road, but he ran a hand through his brown hair, trying to keep it out of his face.

  "Sorry," she muttered. She clasped her hands together instead. Force of habit. Sometimes she just created rhythms without really knowing she was doing so. Somehow, Kyra needed to find a distraction. The latest hate letters ran through her mind. Coming out of a hiatus where nobody had seen or heard from her in years was one hell of a scary experience. The messages came in more, ever since the announcement of her new record. A few messages were encouraging, but many weren't.

  Go back to the hole you crawled out of.

  Fallen idol. You can't rise to the top again.

  You don't deserve your life, since you recklessly took someone else's.

  Brutal, hurtful, and eye opening. She knew this comeback would be full of mixed reactions, but Kyra hadn't expected how bad it really was.

  How long was the ride going to last? At this rate, it would take forever! Traffic crawled. The rain started, and it was steady, sometimes a little blinding. Okay, so she couldn't really blame Matt for being irritable. Her constant tapping probably added to his stress of getting through the storm.

  Five agonizing minutes later, Kyra started humming.

  "You like to make noise, don't you?" This time, Matt didn't sound as annoyed. When Kyra glanced at him, she was surprised to see his lips twitching upward in a small smile.

  She forced a laugh. "I really am sorry. I'm not good with quiet. I have a lot on my mind, and music calms me. I'm driving you up a wall, aren't I?"

  "It's less distracting than your nail drumming. I'm sorry, too. I know I'm a version of the Grinch this evening. I've got a lot on my mind." Ha! She actually got an apology from him? So there was a non-grumpy side to Matt, after all.

  "Sounds like we have something in common," Kyra mused. She removed her hat. She didn't need to wear it at the moment. Stuffing it in her purse, she moved her hands to her hair to smooth down the frizz. Damn rain made it out of control. She wasn't used to the new perm she'd gotten two weeks ago. In fact, she wasn't even sure she liked the new style, but her manager had suggested something different. "Having plenty on our minds, I mean," she added when Matt's brows rose. He focused back on the road. Kyra's phone rang and she retrieved it from her purse. She dreaded answering, fearing it might be her producer, manager, or someone in Nashville who wanted to hound her for something or tell her about another message. But it wasn't. Her sister's cell registered on the caller ID. "Hi, Amy. I'm almost there. I had a little problem."

  "It's David, actually. I just grabbed Amy's phone because it was nearby. You might have a problem getting to our street. The rain is worse here and the road's been washed out. It's pretty dangerous." David sounded so much older than twelve at the moment, and it made Kyra want to go home and wrap him up in a big hug.

  "Is it safe to cross at all?" Kyra's heart sped up. What was she supposed to do?

  In the background, someone spoke to David.

  "No, probably not. I really wanted to see you tonight."

  "We'll figure it out. If not tonight, I'll be there first thing in the morning," she promised. The call disconnected before she could say anything more. As she tried to call back, the connection was weak and full of static.

  "The rain is already bad there?" Matt inquired.

  "Yep. My brother says the road to the house is already washed out." Kyra squeezed her eyes shut. Well even if she'd flown, this would have still been a problem.

  "I was afraid of that."

  "Your truck isn't even going to get us through?"

  "I don't drive through flooded roads," he responded.

  "What am I going to do now?" She hadn't meant to ask that out loud. Kyra sounded like a young child, unsure of everything. Argh! Time to figure this out.

  "Tell you what. You can stay at my place. I probably won't be home half the night anyway. I'll be making emergency runs, most likely." Matt sure didn't sound happy about the idea. "I'll take you to your family in the morning. It's not a fancy hotel with room service-"

  Kyra rolled her eyes. "I don't care about all of that. Thank you very much. I guess you're one of those people, aren't you?" Really? She hated it with a passion when someone just assumed she needed top notch, high rated five star places or something. Just because she was famous didn't mean she had to have all that jazz. Jeez.

  "One of what?" Anger slipped into his tone.

  "Your comment. You're assuming things about me." Kyra glared at him.

  Matt puckered his lips together before he let out a sigh. "I did just do that, didn't I? Sorry. Really I am."

  "As long as you have a fairly comfortable place to crash and a bathroom, I'm set."

  He flashed her a small grin. "Yeah, I have that. Come on, I live with a teenage boy. I promise the place is clean, especially since Andrew's been with Blaine and Randy, and I haven't been home as much."

  "So, no Playboy magazines, dirty underwear, or empty beer cans left sitting around?" she shot back playfully. If he wanted to seriously assume about her, she could throw it right back, but at least she was joking. Mostly.

  "Oh, you're one of those people, huh?" He mocked her with a smile.

  "Takes one to know one."

  Matt chuckled. "You know, I think I kind of like you."
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  "As opposed to...?" Now that comment confused her a little. He didn't like her, without knowing her? Weird. Okay. Or maybe he'd done the assuming thing and pegged her for a snobby celebrity before he had a chance to really know a damn thing. She got that all the time. In fact, she should be pretty used to it.

  Matt didn't comment for a while. Tension increased within the small space between them. "As opposed to not liking you. Look, never mind what I just said. It was stupid." The same tone of irritation was back, but Kyra wondered if it was at himself this time.

  Didn't sound stupid, but it wasn't Kyra's business, so she left it alone.

  "Is your girlfriend or wife going to be upset with me staying there?" She hadn't even thought of it before when she cracked a joke about Playboys and beer. If he had someone, wouldn't he have told her when he made the offer?

  Matt nearly lost control of the truck. Was it because of the storm, or did her comment get to him? "I don't have either. It's only me and Andrew," he muttered with a bitter edge to his voice.

  Yep, she should have just shut up. And they'd just started to get somewhere.

  *****

  Well, that one was hell of a ride. Thank God it was mostly over. Matt pulled the tow truck up to the shop, eager to get out of the cab and get Kyra's car off the back. "Anything you need from your car, you can get as soon as it's parked safely. Then we'll head to my place."

  "Great. You happen to have a bathroom in your shop?"

  "Sure do." Matt tossed her a set of keys. "The black one is the bathroom key. Just go inside and head to the back." She barely caught them and took off. "Rhett! I could use your help out here!" he called to his twenty-something young worker, who'd been about to make his escape.

  Rhett groaned. "Damn. I was hoping to sneak home. You caught me."

  "Sure did. Just help me get her car off here, and then you can go. I didn't expect to have to drive to Harmony's Echo, but my son was in a little accident."

  "Oh shit! Is he okay?"

  "Yup. This car here took the brunt of the damage." Matt gestured to Kyra's Oldsmobile.