Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  "And you? How are you?" Blaine studied him. He knew what she meant. How was he dealing with all of this, considering his stance on musicians and how he felt about Kyra.

  "I'm... I don't know. I'm tired, overworked, worried, and so much more. I've been friends with the Sanders' since they moved here. I didn't expect to feel anything for Kyra when she rolled into town. I don't want her to go. Even with all this drama, that woman is worth it. Andrew really likes her. Speaking of Kyra, she told me the other night before all hell broke loose that a rumor is flying around I'm using her to get Kendra back. Can you believe that crap?"

  "Once something is said, the media will spin it their own way." Randy took Blaine's hand. "Look what we had to deal with a few months ago."

  Matt remembered all too well. Randy had been suspected of attempted murder when Blaine's crazy ex-husband came to Harmony's Echo looking for her. Luckily, they caught the person who had done it, and Randy never had much of a problem other than dealing with the rumors spread around by story-hungry media people. Matt had been cautious around Blaine at first, since he didn't remember her that well from before she took off to pursue bigger dreams. He'd been wrong about her, and he was glad that was the case. Blaine was good for his cousin, and he enjoyed their friendship as well.

  "By the way, I thought more about your plans." Blaine tapped Matt on the shoulder. "We can use the dance studio. It's perfect. It can hold a good sized crowd, but it's not too outrageous."

  In the midst of everything else, that slipped his mind the past few days. "That would be great. I'm hoping this will help her fear of crowds, plus give her a little dream she never had."

  "You really care about her, don't you?" Randy asked, giving him a knowing smile.

  Boy, did he. "I do. I don't know what to do about it, either. She's going to go back to Nashville and will be on the road all the time." Even with her revelation that Kyra wanted to come back to Texas to live, there'd still be a lot of traveling. She wouldn't be here to even settle down until a year down the road. They weren't even dating yet, they were... well, whatever the hell they were. How could a relationship this new withstand a long distance?

  The idea of letting her walk away without giving it a chance didn't work for him, either. Stuck. He was stuck.

  "My thoughts? I know you're not asking for them, but you know me." Blaine jumped up on the counter, swinging her legs. "You've become a different person since getting involved with Kyra. You're happier. Not that you weren't before, but you know what I mean. You're also open to things you weren't before. I know you don't want to put yourself out there because of what happened before, and you have Andrew to consider, but from where I'm sitting? She's good for you."

  The bells over the door jingled. Everyone turned to see who it was. Rhett walked in. "Hey, you should turn up the radio. Kyra's doing a live interview."

  "What?" This took Matt by surprise. She'd mentioned recently that Mark had set up some interviews, but why the hell would he push it now of all times? He ran behind the counter and cranked the radio. Kyra's new song was playing. After it ended, the deejay announced a special guest was in the studio with him right now and introduced Kyra.

  "Thanks for having me on today!" She feigned cheerfulness. Matt picked up on that right away. Was this a spur of the moment set up? She'd been so content this morning when he left. He couldn't stand to leave her room last night, so he'd pulled the chair over and made himself as comfortable as he could. He didn't want to take the chance and have anyone walk in and see them in bed together.

  "Listening to the new song, I can tell it's a reflect on the last few years. Is the entire record like this?" the radio host asked.

  "It is. I spent a lot of time by myself writing new music. I wasn't sure if anything would make the cut for the record, but it's all heartfelt. This is probably my most personal record to date. I'm baring my soul on this entire project."

  Matt listened to her voice, wishing he could be there with her right now.

  "Recently, you were seen on stage with a local band. There's been some video of you running off stage in panic. Can you tell us about that?"

  Wow. Matt's anger spiked. He exchanged bewildered looks with Randy and Blaine. Their expressions matched how he felt.

  "How could the guy put her on the spot like that?" Blaine fumed. "Good grief!"

  Was this Mark's way of throwing her to the wolves? Matt didn't like this guy at all.

  "I-" Kyra's voice cracked.

  Silence.

  Matt wanted to drive down to that station and kick the deejay's ass.

  "This was not what I came to talk about today!" Kyra's voice held a note of panic.

  Matt grabbed his phone and dialed a number, not caring that this wasn't his place. He left a voice mail. "Taryn? This is Kyra's... friend, Matt. I need you to call me back and tell me more of your suspicions. I also want to know what you think of Kyra's manager, Mark. Please. This is important."

  *****

  This morning was a disaster. Kyra stormed out of the radio station, fielding question after question. Of all the damn things to ask at the interview, why did it have to be about her stint on stage with Baby Stetson? Mark swore to her that he'd keep those questions at bay, that he'd called the stations before and let them know what was best to talk about.

  Speaking of, he was calling right now. Kyra burst past the front desk and outside before she answered. "I suppose you heard the radio interview this morning?" she spat angrily.

  "Yes. I'm sorry-"

  "Damn it, Mark! I don't want apologies. I've got enough on my plate already, and then you pull this crap on me. I've got half a mind to come down there and kick your ass!"

  "Kyra-"

  "No. Just stop, okay? I'll call you back when I'm not so pissed. What was I supposed to do, announce then and there how much I'm afraid to get in a crowd? Way to shoot my tour down the drain!" She hung up before he got any words in. Forget him! Mark was doing more damage than good at the moment. Maybe he had good intentions, just maybe, but right now she felt blindsided. Betrayed. Humiliated!

  "Miss Sanders? Are you okay?" the bodyguard who'd escorted her to the station asked. He took off his dark sunglasses and peered at her with his piercing blue eyes.

  "I'll be fine," she muttered through clenched teeth. "Let's just go before the media mob arrives. Please." Glancing off in the distance, Kyra ducked her head and climbed in the car. Good thing she didn't drive herself this morning. With her lack of concentration and the anger running through her veins, no way did she even want to drive.

  "Where to, Miss Sanders?" The beefy man climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.

  A hundred different places flashed in her mind. Matt's shop, just so she could see him and take in some comfort from his presence. But he was busy. The man was at work, for Pete's sake! Or she could ask him to drive her far away from here so her family could be safe. Let the trouble follow her elsewhere.

  That was just fatigue and stress talking. She couldn't run away from her problems, and her family wouldn't be safer if she was gone.

  "Home, please," she finally said, slumping back in her seat. Her phone buzzed repeatedly. Kyra decided to ignore the tweets, messages, and alerts. She didn't want to see the fallout from this morning's disastrous interview. She felt like tearing apart that station, but she wouldn't. Of course that's what they wanted to know. Would Kyra Sanders be able to handle a tour?

  Truth be told, she wasn't sure.

  She still hadn't calmed down after making it home.

  "Kyra, you're going to pace yourself in a hole if you circle the room much longer," her mother chided gently.

  Kyra stopped mid-pace and faced her mom. "Sorry. I can't stop moving when I'm upset." She flopped down on the chair beside her and blew out a long, deep breath. "Hey Mom? If Amy had told you guys she wanted to pursue music, would you have done for her what you did for me? You sacrificed so much and took a lot of risks just for me to get to Nashville."

  Mom blinked a
nd reeled back. "We might have done things a little different, considering what we experienced with you, but we would have done everything in our power to get her what she wanted. I had no idea. None! Amy never expressed to us that she had a love for music. I guess I can understand her reasons for keeping it in, but I wish she hadn't."

  "I wish I'd known how much my popularity and downfall caused grief for the family," Kyra said in a somber voice.

  "Don't say that. We had to make major adjustments, sure, but you were destined for that stage. I think Amy's desire for music came later, not so much at a young age like yours."

  "You and Dad have both said things about trouble following you because of me. Is that why you moved so much?" She watched her mother's expressions carefully. Would she be honest?

  "Well..." Mom fought for the right words. "We did get a lot of hassle. Reporters and strange people wanting information on you and our lives so they could get a story. Especially after the accident. There were a lot of letters and a few incidents of vandalism. Mark said-"

  Kyra froze. "Mark?" Did he know of this and keep it from her when it had to do with her family? Suspicions of her manager only grew the more she learned.

  "Yes. Mark tried to keep it under wraps. He suggested the best thing to do was let you heal and keep the past behind you. He said you were in a fragile state of mind. Considering you pushed family and friends away, I figured he might be right." Sadness resonated in Mom's tone.

  "I didn't mean to push you away," Kyra whispered, a thousand different emotions jolting through her like electricity. "I didn't want anyone to see me that way. I was in a bad place." Understatement. She'd been a wreck. The following months after the crash had been brutal. Kyra wanted to die. She couldn't stand the nightmares, the blame, the looks. Then, when she pushed to finish out the shows, it only added to the pain she'd carried. Not remembering didn't help. Then there'd been the brutal reminders of death that night when she'd been charged and sentenced. Kyra may not have faced jail, but the harsh reminders had always been there. Taryn's comments from a few nights ago played in her mind. Her idea was so damn far fetched, but Kyra started to question the possibility of the events.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  It had become a routine to pick Andrew up from the Sanders' house. Kyra's parents swore they had no problem with Andrew staying there in the afternoon hours after school. He'd been helping them out since they were on the mend. Still, Matt carried a lot of guilt for invading their family time, especially with Kyra home and everything going on.

  Mr. Sanders let him in. "Come on in. We're having a mini concert." Matt cocked his head to the side, but caught on when the sound of the guitar drifted through the room. The family seemed to be making the best of the situation. They were spending more time together while waiting for news on this Brandon guy.

  "Thanks for keeping Andrew again."

  Mr. Sanders waved his hand dismissively. "You're like family. Andrew's a blast to have." He moved slowly, heading toward the dining room.

  Matt stood in the doorway leading to the room. His eyes were on Kyra. She sat on a stool, with Andrew and David surrounding her. Both boys held a guitar and were hanging on to Kyra's every word.

  "Here, Andrew. Do a series of chords like this," she instructed. Her back was to Matt. Waves of auburn reddish hair fell behind her back. He longed to move closer to her and thread his fingers through it. He didn't move. All he could do was watch the interaction between Kyra and Andrew.

  "Like this?" he asked, while strumming.

  "Just like that. See? You're getting the hang of it."

  "Jameson's a good teacher." Andrew beamed, then looked up. "Hey Dad!" His smile wavered.

  Kyra whirled around and met his gaze.

  "Don't let me interrupt. This is a good show. I want more," he said softly. Both Kyra and Andrew's expressions became more relaxed. He really had been that bad when it came to music and what Andrew wanted with it. It took having feelings for Kyra to realize it.

  "You want a lesson, too?" Her eyes twinkled. "I don't have an extra guitar, but we can share." She patted the empty stool beside her suggestively.

  Matt moved quickly. "Sure. Teach this old dog new tricks," he teased, settling on the stool.

  Footsteps approached from behind. Mr. Sanders was already in a chair next to his wife. Amy stood at the foot of the stairs. "What's going on?"

  "Just passing the time by," Mrs. Sanders said. "Why don't you join us? Maybe sing a song?"

  Amy hesitated. "I-I'm not sure."

  "Come on. The secret's out. Show us what you've got," Mr. Sanders prodded.

  Amy's gaze flicked to Kyra, still seeming unsure.

  "I agree. You pick the song. If you don't play guitar, I'll play it for you," Kyra offered.

  Matt was pretty sure Amy would turn it down. She had her hand on the banister. It twitched a few times before she inched closer to them. "Okay, sure. If I can borrow a guitar, I have a song I wrote."

  Kyra handed hers over and scooted off the stool. "Take the spotlight stool." She gestured, moving so Amy could take her place. Matt reached for Kyra's hand, hoping to bring her close to him. He slid off the stool so she could sit. Once she did, he wrapped his arms around her, taking in the sweet scent of peaches. While Amy fiddled with the guitar to begin her song, Matt kissed the top of Kyra's head, enjoying the fact that he had her close to him. There was so much he wanted to say, but right now he was very content holding her like this while their families were gathered around, bonding over music. Kyra leaned her head back and rested comfortably in Matt's arms. She fit so perfectly. She was made to be there.

  "Okay. I've never played this song in front of anyone before." Amy cleared her throat. "I'm really nervous about doing this."

  "Don't be." David piped up from beside Andrew. "We want to hear you." Everyone agreed.

  "Here goes." Amy strummed the guitar with a beautiful, haunting melody. Matt closed his eyes and pulled Kyra even closer. She reached a hand back and rubbed his arm.

  Amy's lyrics were beautiful. Everyone in the room fell in a silent hush. She finished her song and within a heartbeat, everyone clapped.

  "Why would you not tell us you can sing like that?" Mrs. Sanders exclaimed. "Amy, that was amazing!"

  Matt opened his eyes when Kyra shifted and moved out of his arms.

  "I don't even know what to say." Kyra faced her sister. "Amazing. I'm serious. You've got a beautiful voice, and that song gave me goosebumps."

  "I already told you why." Amy handed Kyra the guitar back. She moved off the stool. "I don't want to talk about this right now, if that's okay." Her voice came out softer this time around.

  "Okay. But I'd like to sit and talk music with you soon. And everything else. Please?" Kyra touched her sister's arm. Amy jerked away, but she didn't snap or yell at Kyra.

  "Yeah. Soon. Just... not tonight. If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to take a bath." Amy bounded up the stairs, and they heard a door shut soon after.

  When the phone rang, everyone stiffened. Mr. Sanders picked it up. He listened for a while, and his face paled. "Thank you for letting us know." When he hung up, he faced everyone, his lips set in a thin line. "Brandon's car was found abandoned in Eastern Louisiana." He glanced over at David and Andrew. Matt took the cue, as in 'He didn't want to say more because of them.'

  "Andrew, did you do your homework yet?" Matt shot his son a look that said 'Please go.'

  "I'll go right now. Want to keep me company, David?"

  The boys headed upstairs.

  "There's more," Kyra guessed.

  Her father nodded. "There was a body in the trunk. A female. They're working to identify her now."

  "That means..." Matt started to say.

  "He could be anywhere," Kyra finished. "And he's more dangerous than we first thought."

  *****

  The next two days flew by without any more word about Brandon's whereabouts or who the woman in the trunk was. Blaine and Randy offered to take Andrew and
David for the weekend. Kyra knew Matt was more than happy to let Andrew go and get out of town for a while, and her parents agreed to let David go.

  When Amy found out about Brandon's car and the girl, she broke down. Now she hid herself in her room, only coming out when needed or to talk to the police if they had any questions. It wasn't easy learning things like that about someone you spent a lot of time with in recent months.

  They were all on their guard. Mark continued to call with very little updates on his end. He was proving to be no help, and she was still pretty steamed over the interview the other day.

  Matt stayed with them every night, leaving for work from there every morning. She met up with him at the shop to see the progress, as he'd told her this morning that there was no sign of the nasty message on his wall any more. Now if only they could find the person that did this in the first place.

  He pointed. "See? It's gone."

  "And the cars? Who's going to pay for the damage? I heard someone say you were losing customers over this. Matt, this is your shop! This is how you pay your bills!" Kyra wished he'd let her help.

  "Two people. Two already pissed off people who always seem disgruntled with me, anyway." Matt's attempt at reassurance wasn't working with her this time.

  "I swear, I can have every car paid for-"

  He glowered, his beautiful eyes darkening as he approached her. "No. How many times do I have to tell you? You can't fix every car with your money, and it's not your place to do it."

  She reeled back at his anger. "I- I'm not trying to flaunt money. I feel bad at how much this is affecting you." Kyra spun on her heel and headed for the front door, trying to understand what the hell happened back there.

  "Kyra, wait," Matt called. He circled around her, taking her hands in his. "I didn't mean it like that, you have to know." He raised his hands, gently caressing her face. "Open mouth, insert foot once again. You shouldn't have to pay for damage because some idiot has a grudge. It'll get taken care of. Don't worry so much." He kissed her softly. "Thank you for the concern, but it's covered."