"I can come back tomorrow, if you want me to." Randy stood in the doorway behind him.
"I think most of my guys will be back tomorrow. I appreciate the offer, though." Matt scrubbed the oil off his hands and ran them under the water for a third time before being satisfied enough. He turned off the water and dried his hands, then faced his cousin.
"How's Kyra?" Randy stuck his thumbs in his pockets.
"I don't know. I haven't talked to her since this morning. I dropped her off at the hospital, moved her stuff to her sister's car, and left. Andrew's been with her and the family all day."
"So she helped you last night?"
Of course, that was the circulating story of the day. Matt nodded and suppressed a sigh. "Yeah. She couldn't sleep. I'd hurt my ankle from slipping on ice. She was actually a great help. Kyra's... different than I thought she'd be."
"You expected high maintenance and snobby?" Randy guessed. "Not that I blame you, considering what Kendra's been doing. Nice to know Kyra's not that way."
"I know, I know. I judged before I should have." Matt flicked off the light switch. He waited for Randy to move, and they headed back toward Blaine, Lucas, and Jameson. "Thanks again, everyone."
After about ten more minutes of talking and joking, everyone was ready to leave. Matt turned off the lights, set the alarm, and locked up. The evening chill swirled around him. Randy and Blaine took off first, then Lucas and Jameson. Matt hurried to his car, eager for a little heat. He debated on calling Kyra, but he figured he'd just get to her place and not waste time on the phone.
Once there, he rang the doorbell. David answered moments later. "Hi, Matt! Come on in."
He stepped inside. All seemed calm, and oddly quiet. "Where is everyone?"
"Andrew's in my room. We're playing on the Playstation 3. I don't know where Amy is. She took off earlier. Kyra might be up in the tree house. She was teaching us guitar earlier, and I think she likes the peace and quiet."
Matt's brows rose. "You two let her in your boys only tree house?" That one surprised him. Both boys had sworn off girls being allowed in the tree house. They'd been insistent about that ever since it was built.
"I know, I know. Don't tell Amy. We'll never hear the end of it." David laughed.
"I'll keep your secret. I'm going to go say hi to your sister real quick, then I'll be back. You two can finish your game, then Andrew and I should probably go eat."
"Andrew ate with us. Kyra cooked dinner," David said as he thundered back upstairs.
That was nice of her. Matt headed for the back door and opened it. He heard the guitar first, then Kyra's singing. He stopped just before the tree and listened. Her voice held so much power and emotion, it was like she channeled the words straight from her inner core.
I can't turn the clock behind
The past forever haunts me
We don't have the power to rewind
She stopped, the last of her words choked up with emotion. Was she crying?
Matt quietly grabbed the sides of the ladder and made his way up. Kyra's feet dangled over the edge. "Hi there," he said, when he was close to the top.
She dropped her guitar pick and let out a small scream. "You scared the hell out of me!" Kyra scrambled to sit up, picked up her guitar, and glared at Matt.
"Sorry. I was listening to your song. Really pretty." He leaned against the tree house entry. "So you got a special admission, huh?"
Kyra laughed. "Yeah. Had to teach the boys a little guitar. I found it a fair trade. Your son is really good at it, by the way."
Matt hid a frown, but not well enough. Kyra's smile faded.
"Was that wrong?" she asked softly.
"No..." He drew out the word. Damn it, he did not want to have to explain this one.
"There's a but in there," she noted.
"You got room for one more up there? My legs are killing me, and I'd rather not fall off this ladder."
Kyra scooted over and moved her guitar. "Come on up."
He scrambled up, finally relieved to be off his feet. Matt killed the temptation to kick off his shoes. He wouldn't be here long. "Aren't you cold?" She was only wearing short sleeves and sandals. His gaze traveled along her body.
"No, not really." Then she shivered. "Okay, maybe a little. I lost track of time. I was thinking about... things."
"Like?" She seemed so upset. Matt wanted to know that she was okay.
A little squeak bubbled up from her throat.
"Kyra?" He sat up straight.
"Do you think that fire was accidental?" she blurted.
Matt straightened, giving her his full attention. Any traces of exhaustion were wiped away. "You don't think it was?" Had she heard something? How? She was only in town less than a day!
"My manager called me today. Apparently along with my usual hate mail, there was a letter along with a newspaper clipping of the fire."
"What the hell did it say?" Shit, had someone intentionally set the clinic on fire to get back at Kyra? And for what?
"You fuel my fire. It's a line from one of my songs."
The message could mean so many things. A line from her song signified something hateful.
"And of course, there's no grounds to go on, and nothing you can do other than let it play in your mind and put you in a state of panic," Matt finally said.
She nodded. "Pretty much. I would love to go talk to the investigators about it, but from what I heard, they still don't have all the information they need." She cradled her head in her hands. "Maybe I should stop everything. It was fine until word got out about my comeback. My family could be in danger!"
*****
Kyra sucked in a sharp breath after admitting her fears to Matt. She'd been sitting on this news all day. David and Andrew had sensed something was wrong, but no way was she going to tell the boys this news. Amy hadn't returned, which concerned Kyra, but her sister was eighteen and had a mind of her own. There'd been no one to talk to about this. It actually felt like a small weight lifted off her shoulders when she told Matt. She wasn't even sure if he know about the accident, let alone any of the details. He was close to the family, so had Mom and Dad confided in him?
"Is this... normal for you?" He chose his words carefully.
"What? Getting hate mail?"
He nodded.
"Kinda. Everyone has their opinions about me, but it's because of the accident that things really spiraled to hell."
"Tell me about it. I keep hearing about an accident, but I don't know anything."
"You don't know?" Her voice went low, just above a whisper.
Matt faced her. "No. I don't want to pry, but you're obviously afraid. I might be able to help."
Sure, because he really wanted to? Kyra bit her tongue to keep from making a retort. She'd heard Andrew earlier. She wasn't meant to, but he'd said something to David about why his dad disliked musicians. So that explained it. His ex-wife hurt him. That was why he had such a hot and cold attitude when it came to her. He'd disliked her from the start because she was a singer.
"Kyra." He moved closer.
She shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it, Matt! I've talked over and over again about the accident. Look it up if you're so desperate to know. I just- No. Leave it alone." She almost gave in. It would have been nice to let everything out and get it off her heart again, but she just couldn't find the strength to tell him the horrid and sketchy details from that night. Give the man more reason to dislike her? No.
Leaving her guitar up there, she scrambled down the ladder. Matt called out her name as he followed, but she didn't stop.
He caught up to her at the door. She struggled with the handle, and Matt put his hands on her shoulders, gently easing her to turn around. "Kyra. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push."
She didn't know whether to hug him or shove him away. Her body was torn with its reaction to him. "It's not something easy to talk about."
"I can imagine. Obviously it's tearing you up inside. Something majo
r must have happened. Was this the reason you fell off the charts for so long?"
Kyra pursed her lips, not giving an answer right away. "Yes. I took a break. I needed to. The accident took a physical and mental toll on me."
"Dad? I'm ready when you are." Andrew approached the doorway, staring at the two in confusion. "Are you okay, Kyra?"
She swiped at her face, hoping to hide the distress. "I'm fine."
Matt let her go and took a step back, but he never took his eyes off her. Was he still hoping to find a way to get her to talk? "Well, thanks for letting Andrew stay with you today."
"He's welcome any time." Good, so he planned to leave this alone. Or at least, for now.
"Look, I meant what I said before. If you need anything..."
"I appreciate it." She avoided looking up at him. Matt needed to leave now. Kyra wouldn't be able to withstand it much longer. She needed space. Breathing room. Less talk and reminders of the hell that she had a feeling was only beginning. It would be too easy to open up about the most painful parts of her life, but what if they led them to danger?
Chapter Seven
Kyra's father was much more responsive the next day. He was already sitting up when she approached his room with David and Amy. She wondered if her siblings would leave the room on their own so that she could ask her dad some questions about the fire. She wasn't going to push the subject if they didn't. In no way did Kyra want to upset her father, and she had a feeling asking questions would raise suspicion. The best thing she could do was wait.
“I love seeing the three of you together.” His voice was still raspy, but much better than yesterday.
“Hi, Daddy. How do you feel today?” Kyra said, approaching the bed.
“Hurts like hell, but hey, I'm a big boy.” The corners of his lips twitched. “I'm so glad you came.”
“I missed you. I should have come sooner, but...” She flicked her gaze to her siblings, only to find David was there, but not Amy. Her heart sank. “I'm sorry.”
“I know.” Dad had come out often right after the accident to stay with Kyra in the hospital after the crash. The breakdown was a different story. She'd refused everyone's visits. “Heard your new song.” He coughed, and it sounded horrible.
Kyra took his hand in hers and held it gently.
“Love it. So glad for your new CD.” Daddy closed his eyes.
Not everyone loved the idea of a new CD. Kyra shoved the thought from her mind and forced a smile. “You have to say that. You're my dad.”
“Do not. Might be a little biased, sure. But you're full of talent.” He gave her hand a squeeze.
“You get better soon. Once we bust you out of this place and you're better, we need to have some good, long overdue family outings. You, Mama, David, and Amy. We'll take a week and just have some fun before I have to put the finishing touches on everything,” Kyra promised, meaning it.
“Love the idea.”
Kyra moved to let David sit with Dad for a while, and then searched for Amy. She was in Mom's room and stood when Kyra walked in. “I'll go visit Daddy now.” She kissed her mother's cheek and brushed past Kyra.
“You can't avoid me forever,” she said quietly, but her words went unnoticed to her sister as she bolted from the room, leaving Kyra alone with her mother. Or maybe she could. Kyra ran her fingers along her mother's cheek. “Hi, Mama. I'm back.”
The room was quiet. Too quiet, other than her mother's machines. Kyra couldn't find the right words to say, so she sang softly, still keeping physical contact with her mom.
“That's my new song,” she whispered when she'd finished. “Sorry you didn't get a sneak peek of it. I know you were begging for one.”
Kyra glanced at the clock, then back to her mother. “You need to wake up, okay? I might be grown, but I need my mama. I'll come home more, too. I won't be so afraid any more. You gave so much love to my dreams, and I should have given back.” The fear of an intentional fire lit a torturous match within her body, and she broke down. Tears flowed. One fell and landed on her mother's hand. “I love you, Mama. Heart and soul.” Those were the words her mother had always said after I love you. Kyra used the inspirations of the phrase to write a song for her mother, and it ended up becoming one of her first number one singles.
*****
All night and all day today, Matt thought back to Kyra and how she wondered about the fire. He'd debated on and off about looking up the details of this accident she brought up but wouldn't speak of, but decided against it. Considering how much bullshit Blaine went through months ago with her ex spouting a bunch of lies about her which spread on the web and in magazines, he knew that if he looked up Kyra's accident, he wouldn't get the truth. He wanted the actual events, not someone else's truth. The Sanders' mentioned a car accident with Kyra, but never elaborated.
He would just have to hope she'd tell him.
But then again, why would she? Kyra didn't know him, and he didn't know her. He'd been so defensive when all she did was attempt to ask about Andrew's mother. Of course she wanted to know! And he'd shot that down right then and there. Matt couldn't expect her to talk about a horrible part of her past that obviously still affected her now.
“Hi Dad!” Andrew strolled through the doors of the shop at three. “Hey, the school is having a dance this Friday and we're still short chaperons. I was hoping maybe you'd agree?”
Matt stopped in his tracks. Did he just hear Andrew correctly? “You want to go to a dance?” This was a new one to him. His son hadn't really been interested in these types of things before.
Andrew's cheeks turned a little red. “Yeah. There's this girl I kinda like, and she wants to go, so I asked her. She said yes.”
“You want your dear old dad to hang out there while you are on a date?”
Andrew groaned. “Not really, but if the school doesn't get enough help, they'll cancel the dance. It's a tough choice.”
“So you want me there, but don't want me there,” Matt teased, pretending to be offended.
“No offense Dad! Really!” Andrew protested.
“How many more people does your school need for the dance to happen?”
“Four.”
Matt smiled. “Give me a few minutes. I might be able to find some others to help.” If Randy and Blaine wanted to repay him, he knew the way now.
After getting off the phone, he patted Andrew's shoulder. “I just scored you two more chaperons. Randy and Blaine agreed.”
“Sweet! Thanks Dad. Just don't hover over my shoulder too much, okay?” Andrew pleaded. “Maybe you could get Kyra to go and you can hang with her all night.”
Matt chuckled, thinking of all the ways he could potentially embarrass his son. “You just want to have Kyra there to impress your date, don't you?” Hang with Kyra at a school dance? Was Andrew crazy? She'd probably never be caught dead at one of those. Then again, he shouldn't be so quick to judge. Kyra surprised him in more ways than one already. Still, the idea of asking her to a dance was pretty intimidating. Matt couldn't believe he was contemplating this whole idea in his mind right now.
“No! Well, it would be a bonus. She does like Kyra's music. But I was thinking for you, not me. You and Kyra are cool, aren't you?”
Was Andrew trying to set them up? Matt looked away from him. “Of course we're cool. I'll ask her, but no guarantees. She isn't here for social reasons, Andrew.”
“I know, Dad. I haven't forgotten. But sometimes it's nice to take her mind off of things. She was really sad yesterday.”
After what she'd started to tell him last night, Matt didn't doubt it. “We'll see, okay?”
“Cool! Guess I'm going to head home and get my homework done. I just wanted to stop by and ask you about the dance.” Andrew picked his backpack up and slung it over his shoulder.
“When I get home, maybe we'll drop by and I'll ask Kyra, okay? I want to know how her parents are doing.” And he wanted to find out about the accident, if she'd tell him. It was more than simple curiosi
ty now.
“Okay. See you in a few hours.” Andrew waved, then took off.
The hours flew by the rest of the afternoon. Matt closed up shop before seven and cleaned up, then headed out to go pick up Andrew. He called to tell him he was on his way and to be ready. It only took ten minutes to get him and make it to the Sanders' house.
Andrew anxiously rang the doorbell. Matt listened carefully as he heard yelling from inside. Amy and Kyra, perhaps?
David opened the door, surprised to see them. “Hey! Come on in. Save me from my crazy sisters.”
Amy stalked past them at that moment, Kyra following soon after. “Will you please- Oh. Hey guys.”
“Just leave me alone. Don't you get that I don't want to talk about it? You aren't as all that as you think, Kyra!” Amy snapped before disappearing.
Matt felt bad for Kyra. This was how he and Andrew were about a year ago. Strained, tense silence filled the house, and he debated on what to say.
“Welcome to the chaos.” Kyra said, finally breaking the silence. “What brings you two by?”
“I wanted to find out how your mom and dad are.” Matt glanced back at the now closed door which Amy had run from and wondered about her. He quickly focused his attention back to Kyra.
Andrew cleared his throat.
Matt caught the hint. “I also was wondering what you're doing this Friday night.” Heat rushed to his cheeks. Hell, he hadn't expected to get slightly flustered, but the way his words came out made it seem like he was asking Kyra out on a date.
She gaped at him, then regained her composure. “Umm...”
“The school is having a dance, and we need a few chaperons!” Andrew piped up.
“Oh, the Fall Festival Dance!” David said. “Amy's been talking about it for weeks.”
“A dance?” Kyra's tone was quiet. Matt's first thought about it had been right. She wouldn't want to attend a high school dance.
“Yeah!” Andrew said. “I've scored a date. If it's canceled because we can't find anyone to help...”
“A date, huh? Is it your first?” Kyra asked with genuine interest.
“Yep.” Andrew grinned.
Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4) Page 6