Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  Blaine nudged Kyra, and she leaned over to hear what she had to say. "Hey, Avery just texted me and wants to know if you want to come up and sing with them about halfway through the show."

  She froze. This crowd was huge!

  Matt leaned over to find out what was up. Kyra explained to him what Blaine just asked.

  He gently stroked her cheek. "You've got this."

  She smiled, loving Matt's encouragement. Only he knew her fear right now. "Thank you," she whispered, leaning in for a quick kiss before responding to Blaine. "Yeah. I'd love to."

  "Sweet! This is going to be an epic show!" Blaine tapped a text into her phone.

  "Are you ready for some country music?" The announcer was back. Cheers erupted around them, and Kyra joined in. She reached for Matt's hand and twined her fingers with his. She was definitely looking forward to the band. "Here they come! Make some noise for Baby Stetson!"

  Lights dimmed. The drumming began, fast, furious, and upbeat. The crowd clapped along with the beat. Figures appeared in the low lights. The spotlight lit a man with a guitar, and he started to play.

  "I think we need to crank up the music. What do you say?" A female's voice crooned in the microphone. It must have been Avery. Then a blond in a Stetson hat darted across the stage, standing in between the guitarist and Randy. "Let's hear it. I want to know you're ready!"

  A good upbeat song began. Kyra found herself head bobbing and moving back and forth with the beat. Then Avery sang. By the time the chorus came around, Kyra knew she'd come across a fantastic band. The raving was well warranted! Jameson and Melody sang back up with her, and their harmonies blended well.

  Each song they sang had a lot of emotion. Then they slowed it down, and Jameson took the lead. Kyra was fascinated. Leaning over to whisper in Matt's ear, she couldn't contain her excitement. "I love them!"

  He grinned. "Thought so. They're a hidden talent."

  Not for long if she had her way about it. Though it made her wonder. If Avery was Belinda's daughter, why weren't they showcased more? Either way, this band had major talent. Wonder if she asked Mark if he'd let her take Baby Stetson on as her opening act.

  "I can't wait to see you up there singing with them. Just know I'm right here in the crowd rooting for you. Nothing to fear."

  Kyra had plenty to fear, but Matt's confidence was uplifting. "When they call me up, will you walk me to the stage?"

  "Absolutely. I'll hold your hand the entire way." He pressed his lips to hers.

  She mouthed a thank you to him, then rested her head on his shoulder while Baby Stetson slowed it down with a second ballad.

  A few songs after that, the moment arrived. Avery flashed a wide grin at the crowd. "So, what would you say if I told you we had a special guest out in the audience tonight?"

  Shouts of approval rang out. Kyra's stomach clenched. This was it.

  "Okay, good response. And you don't even know who it is yet! Do you have a guess?" Avery walked the front of the stage. Various people shouted names. Kyra heard George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and Belinda Wainscott.

  "I have a guess!" Jameson strummed on his guitar. "It's Keith Urban, isn't it? I don't know if I like that idea, because that guy can outplay me on guitar any day."

  Avery laughed. "You guys are all wrong!" She stood by Jameson now. "But I like the idea of you and Keith dueling in a guitar jam. What do you think, Melody?"

  "No, no. You can't ask me that. I'm a fan of Keith, but I'm engaged to Jameson. I'm staying out of this one." Melody walked up to the front of the stage, standing on the other side of Jameson.

  "We have some serious discussions for later." Jameson grumbled at Melody.

  "I know who it is." Chris piped up. He still sat behind the drums. "My sister used to play her CDs on repeat and run around with a hairbrush, singing her songs. Now she gets a chance to sing with her on stage."

  By this time, the crowd roared with laughter.

  "Melody is gonna kick her brother's ass for that one!" Blaine giggled. "I can't wait to watch!"

  "Really, Chris?" Melody screeched at him. Her face was a little red, but she still smiled. "Remind me to get you back. I'm going to let it slide this time, because we have Kyra Sanders here tonight!"

  Man, how did they have time to put that skit together? Kyra was impressed. She was surprised when there wasn't any booing in the crowd. She'd expected it. In fact, the cheers were wild and booming.

  "Melody's right. Kyra Sanders, our favorite teen sensation, is making her comeback, and I for one am excited to share the stage with such a mega talent. Kyra! Get on up here!" Avery beckoned.

  "Kyra, Kyra, Kyra!" The crowd chanted, including Blaine, Lucas, Andrew, Daisy and Matt.

  She jumped up, hoping her shaken legs would cooperate. Matt kept his word and held her hand all the way to the stage. The applause was so loud! "Good luck. You've got this." Matt hugged her, then claimed her lips for a sweet kiss before he darted back to his seat. Kyra stepped up on the stage and swallowed her nerves. She could do this. She'd been on bigger stages. If she could handle this crowd tonight, her tour wasn't going to be a problem. Avery handed her a microphone.

  "Well, that was one hell of an introduction! Hey Melody, a real microphone is so much cooler than a hairbrush, isn't it?" She carefully walked around to the backup singer and gave her a hug. The girl was almost as shaken as Kyra was, but for different reasons.

  "So now that we have Kyra up here, it's time to pick a song." Avery moved close to the two, holding out a hand for a high five. The spotlights followed.

  "I wish I knew more of your music. Y'all are fantastic!" Kyra praised.

  "Well thank you. Oh, and I sang your songs in hairbrushes, too," Avery admitted.

  "Sing Something Bad!" someone from the front row shouted.

  "Something Bad?" Avery exclaimed. "That's a rockin' song. What do you think, Kyra?"

  "I'm up for it. Question is, do you want to channel Carrie or Miranda?" Perfect song. It was a fun one to sing. "My vote?" Kyra pointed at Avery. "You can pull off some Carrie notes."

  Avery shrugged, still smiling. "All right. Ready when you are."

  So far, so good. Kyra ignored the butterflies, closed her eyes for a second, and pictured Matt's face. He was right. She had this. She could still do this.

  So she did.

  The crowd loved it! She paraded along the front of the stage, belting out the song with Avery. They had a blast. An absolute blast! Wow, she'd forgotten how calming the stage was, even with the nervous feeling dancing around before and somewhat during. This was what she lived for. The roar of the crowd, the beat of the song.

  Kyra Sanders was back!

  The song ended, and all she could hear was the cheers, the applause, and the whistles. So maybe her return to the scene wasn't going to be as horrible as she anticipated.

  "That was way too much fun!" Avery threw her head back and laughed. "How about one more song? One of yours?"

  "Encore!" shouted much of the crowd.

  "Who can resist a crowd yelling for an encore? Sure, why not? Hey Melody, why don't you pick the song?" Kyra asked.

  "Me? Oh um, okay." Melody seemed caught off guard. "It's a slower one, but one of my favorite ballads of yours to sing. Can we do Heartless?"

  Of all the songs, she had to pick Heartless. Kyra nearly threw up. That song was the one she'd sang when the first outbreak of chaos hit. The same night people threw things at her on stage after the accident. She hadn't been able to listen to or sing it ever since.

  Sweat poured down her face, most likely from the heat of the spotlight and the way she'd been working the stage with Avery, but hopefully no one else would pick up on the anxiety.

  It was just a song.

  This was a new crowd. She'd be fine.

  Kyra swallowed the lump in her throat and cleared it. "Heartless it is. Lead the way." She gestured, hoping by letting Melody start that she'd be able to clear her head before she had to jump in.

  The
world spun around her, and the lights seemed brighter. Black spots filled her vision as the band started the music to the old familiar tune.

  I can do this. I can do this.

  The roaring crowd overwhelmed her.

  Melody's soft, sweet voice singing her lyrics brought Kyra back to years ago.

  She had to get out of here. The anxiety hit. Oh shit, she was going to pass out on stage. Damn! "I'm sorry, excuse me," she said into the mic before she set it down, almost falling over. She kept her composure and darted off stage, knowing that Avery, Jameson, and Melody gaped at her. Melody was still singing, even though she stumbled over the words for a second.

  Unsure she could make it back to her seat, Kyra ran the other way toward the back until someone grabbed her.

  "Let go!" She screamed.

  "You need to stay off the stage. Your time in the spotlight is over," a low, unrecognizable voice muttered near her ear.

  "Stop!" she shouted again, kicking behind her at the person.

  "Hey! Hey! Leave her alone!" someone shouted.

  Whoever had a grip on her let go, but he shoved her hard. She hit the ground face first. Pain exploded in her head and all around her face. Her body was weighed down with fear and anxiety. The sounds all blended together, and she couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on. Someone lifted her to her feet. She shouted, trying to get away.

  "Hey. It's me. I've got you."

  Matt.

  "I couldn't do it. I couldn't stay during that song. I don't- I'm not sure I can do this." She sobbed against his chest. Strong arms surrounded her as Kyra broke down.

  Chapter Twenty

  When Kyra ran off that stage, Matt knew she'd been hit with a paralyzing fear. He knew it the moment she broke out in a sweat at the mention of Heartless. There was something about that song. Andrew had turned around with a horrified look and pointed, then Matt bolted. He didn't get to her in time.

  The band took an intermission, or at least that's what the announcer made it out to be, and everyone crowded behind the stage to check on Kyra. The person who'd attacked her, or attempted to, got away. Even with the stupid bodyguards that were supposed to be there for her protection, the unknown figure had darted through a crowd and disappeared.

  Now, forty-five minutes later, Baby Stetson exited the stage again. The staff at the event moved Kyra away from the public eye and had taken her to a private room. Other than a few scrapes and a mouthful of dirt, Kyra was fine physically, but mentally was a different story. She sat huddled in Matt's arms, not saying much after talking to security about the person who'd approached her.

  "Let's give her some space," someone said, ushering out the crowd of security and other staff that had gathered to check on her.

  "Melody Roland from the band wants to talk to her," Matt heard someone say.

  "It's fine," Kyra said softly.

  "She's clear."

  Melody and Avery both ran in.

  "You guys, I'm so sorry." Kyra sat up and pulled away from Matt.

  "Are you okay? What happened?" Avery asked quietly.

  Kyra sighed. The room emptied, other than the four of them now, though Matt knew a security officer stood guard right outside the door. "Okay, the song you picked of mine to sing reminded me-" She sucked in an emotion filled breath.

  Matt took her hand in his and held it, wishing he could take all her pain away.

  "After the accident, I had a breakdown. I was singing Heartless when I was booeed at. Fans, or ex-fans, started throwing stuff at me onstage. Then, as I was ready to leave, someone tried to hurt me. Tonight, the anxiety hit and I wanted to get off the stage before I had a full blown attack. I'm sorry. I thought I could do it."

  "Oh geez!" Melody cried. "I had no idea!"

  "I know you didn't. It's not your fault. Sorry I caused some distress at your show."

  "We're just glad you're okay. We would have come back sooner, but they pushed us to finish the show." Avery was apologetic.

  "It's okay. Everyone's in a frenzy trying to figure out who came after me backstage. I think they wanted the show to go on to keep the panic level down." Kyra blinked away tears.

  Matt's phone rang. He hesitated, but it could be Andrew. He moved away from Kyra.

  "Is Kyra okay, Dad?"

  "Yeah bud, she's fine," Matt replied quietly.

  "Someone said she was attacked!"

  "It was just someone trying to run from something." The lie was too easy, but Andrew didn't need to be included in the panic right now.

  "Where are you?"

  "We're in an office right now, just checking Kyra over."

  "Okay. Hey Dad, Randy wants to talk to you."

  "Hey. I'm with Blaine, Andrew, and Daisy. How's Kyra?"

  "She's... okay," Matt said, looking back at her. Kyra was lost in conversation with Avery and Melody. "Right now she's calming down. Melody and Avery are here."

  "And the other thing?"

  "The person who came after her? They got away. We don't know anything else. She's not hurt bad, just very shaken up."

  "Tell you what, why don't Blaine and I drop Daisy off at home and keep Andrew. If you need to stay with Kyra, then you do that as long as you need to. We'll take Andrew to school in the morning if that's what it comes down to."

  "Thank you, Randy. I appreciate it, and I'm sure Kyra does, too."

  "All right. We're going to go ahead and take off then and get them back. Keep me updated."

  "Will do. Thanks." They hung up, and Matt moved to sit with Kyra again. "Andrew's worried about you. Randy and Blaine are dropping Daisy off and then keeping him with them. Do you need anything?"

  "Other than my sanity back and to know who that guy was? Yeah, maybe to know this isn't going to be on the pages again." Kyra groaned. "This is just the hit I don't need."

  "Hey, if Blaine and Randy have Andrew, I can get you two a place to hide out for a bit," Avery offered. "You can stay at the inn. I'll get you in without anyone knowing you're there. My parents run an inn in Harmony's Echo. I'm sure if even one person recorded tonight's show, you might be newsworthy."

  "I'd like that. I need to let my family know that I'm okay. With everything going on...' Kyra stopped and sucked in another sharp breath. "Damn it. This makes it more real."

  "I had no idea. I mean I heard things, but I don't pay much attention to the media. I know how they can be," Avery said softly.

  "No, it's fine. I was okay until that song. I haven't been able to handle crowds," Kyra admitted. "Matt's been helping me, but tonight was different."

  "Okay. I'll call my parents and let them know you're coming and to use another name. It's a good break for a bit." Avery and Melody left the room reluctantly.

  Matt stood in front of Kyra, taking her hands in his. "I wish I'd gotten to you sooner."

  "Then the person might have hurt you, too." Kyra's eyes were moist with tears when she peered up at him. "I thought I had a victory tonight. Now I think I made things worse."

  "Shh." He pulled her close and held her against him. "You can't help that a memory hit you."

  "I'm afraid of the trending and the Youtube, and Mark is going to kill me."

  "Kyra. Stop," Matt pleaded, hating how she beat herself up over something beyond her control.

  "The night you took me to the open mic night was one of the best. I felt free. I had my life back. Tonight on stage with Baby Stetson, I felt that at first. The crowd was enthusiastic. I thought I had this in the bag. The familiar tune started, and it took me back." Kyra shook her head with a fierceness. "What if I can't do this any more? What if it's the end? There may not be a comeback. My label will probably sue my pants off and then some for breech of contract. I'll be the laughingstock-"

  Matt didn't know what else to do, so he pulled her in his arms, held her close, and kissed her wet eyelashes. "No. That won't happen."

  "How do you know?" she almost screeched. Poor woman was hysterical. Tonight really put things in perspective for her.

 
"Because you've made it this far."

  She shoved at him, then smiled through her tears. "You have to say things like that. You're a father."

  "Hey!" he protested, loving that at least she laughed. "You can't hold it against me that I'm positive thinking just because I'm a father. So not fair!"

  Someone rapped at the door before it opened. "Okay, there's a room waiting for you guys." Avery poked her head in. "Y'all let us know if you need anything while you're there. Matt, you remember where the inn is, right?"

  "Yes, I remember. Thank you, Avery. Has it calmed down out there?" He wasn't looking forward to going out in the crowd with Kyra in the state of mind she was in.

  "A little. I think the night is winding down now that the event itself is over, but a lot of people are sticking around to find out what the commotion was about. I saw Blaine and Randy take off, so at least Andrew and his friend are safe and out of here."

  "Good."

  "Okay, well I'd better go, too. Just wanted to give you a heads up. The room is on us, so don't worry about anything. Melody feels horrible about it, and she's really shaken."

  "Please tell her not to. I didn't even know it would happen," Kyra said. "Thank you for everything. Avery, your band is amazing. You have a phenomenal talent. If I still have a tour next year, I'd love to take Baby Stetson as my opening act."

  Matt thought Avery was going to pass out or hyperventilate right there. She was usually so calm and collective. Matt almost laughed out loud. "Seriously?" she squeaked out.

  Kyra stepped out of Matt's arms to face Avery. "Yes, seriously. You guys blew me away. You write your own stuff?"

  "Yeah. I write a lot of lyrics, and many times I write with Jameson and Melody, or one or the other." Avery took the Stetson off her head and brushed back loosely fallen hair off her forehead. "Thank you, Kyra. I'd better go now. Oh! Security says they'll drive you on their cart to your car when you're ready to get out of here."