Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
“Unbelievable!” my mother roared. I pulled the phone away from my face so that her shout wouldn’t rupture my ear drum. “Did you block my number? I’ve been calling every day. You’re lucky I didn’t contact the FBI.”
“I’m glad you didn’t overreact,” I grumbled sarcastically, eyeing the time on the microwave.
Danny and the guys would be home soon. I had chili going on the stove, ready for them as soon as they walked through the door. The sun was already down and I’d started a fire.
I’d written an entire song today, one I was actually happy with. That was a record for me.
“It’s not overreacting when my daughter is missing, blowing off commitments, and acting completely unlike herself. Where the hell are you, Tracy?”
“I haven’t blown off a single commitment, and I told you where I was.”
“Your tour starts next week.”
“Right. Next week. Which is why I’m calling now.”
I wished I hadn’t had to switch my phone back on, but the time had unfortunately come. I stared at my fuzzy-sock-clad feet as my mother continued to drone on.
“That is just ridiculously irresponsible. I can’t believe this. I didn’t raise you to run off with some boy.”
I blew out a breath between my sealed lips, letting them flap to distract myself.
“I already spoke to Corey, and he said everything was in order as far as the label is concerned. I’m booking my ticket out to Nashville tomorrow.
I’ll be there before they need me. I’ve arranged everything. There’s no issue, Mom.”
“You spoke to Corey? No one called me.”
The front door opened and Danny waltzed through. He was by himself. He kicked off his boots and brushed the snow from his coat before slipping it off and hanging it up in the entryway. His cheeks were still flushed from the frigid temps outside. My smile spread when he started walking toward me.
“Mom, I’ve got to go.”
“You better keep your phone on this time, Patricia. I mean it. No getting caught up with that boy.”
Too late, I thought, as I pressed end on her call.
“Was that your mom? I’m sure it was a pleasant conversation,” Danny said, leaning down to place a kiss on the top of my head.
“Oh, always. Where are Jaylon and Barrett?”
“They stayed behind to get some dusk shots.”
“You didn’t want to stay with them?”
“I had more important places to be,” he said as he joined me on the floor. He wrapped his arms around me, his back to the fireplace.
“You’re freezing.” I let out a small shudder before I nestled into him.
“And you’re warm.” He tucked his cold face into my neck, and I let him snuggle into me.
“How’d it go today?” I asked, cautiously. As if I made too sudden a movement, he’d bolt.
As if on cue, I could feel his body freeze against mine. “It was good. Took a bit of a tumble on the back side. There were a lot of hidden rocks and shit. Broke one of my skis.”
I swiveled so I could see his face. “You broke a ski?”
My voice sounded shaky. I hated it.
His eyes scanned mine. “Just took a gouge out of the bottom of one. It isn’t repairable. I’ll just have to use my backups. No big deal.”
“Right. Sucks, you lost your skis.” I let out what could only be described as a strangled laugh.
“Uh huh.” He said it slowly, watching every movement of my face. Waiting for me to overreact, to worry about him. It was exhausting trying to pretend like I wasn’t.
I wished he’d just let me care about him.
Just because I was concerned for his safety didn’t mean I’d ever ask him to change who he was.
When would this eggshell phase end? Theoretically I’d only been here ten days.
Even though I felt so strongly for him, we were still relatively new, still getting to know each other—our reactions, how each of us operated.
It would just take a little more time. He’d let me worry eventually. He had to.
“I have to book my tickets for Nashville,” I said, pouting.
“No.” His arms tightened around me, and my heart very nearly exploded.
“I wish I didn’t, but I’ve got to get back and prepare before my tour starts. We’ve got a few days of rehearsal with the band, and then opening night in Nashville.”
“Tell them you can’t go. You’re mine, and I need to keep you.”
Butterflies everywhere.
I smiled sadly. “Unfortunately, contracts don’t quite work that way.”
He grunted, burying his face in my neck and nipping the sensitive skin there.
“I was wondering…” My voice trailed off. I was nervous to bring this up. Damnit Trace, grow a pair.
His face lifted away from my neck, and I instantly missed it.
“What?” he asked.
I licked my lips. Spit it out. “I guess I was wondering what the plan is. When I might see you next.”
His eyebrows lifted. Was he surprised I was asking that? Oh no. Was it possible he wasn’t on the same page? Was I being a freaking idiot again?
“Why are you nervous right now?” he demanded, grabbing my hand.
“I just…we haven’t talked about everything. Or anything, really. And I’m not sure…” Damnit. My words failed me again.
Danny stared at me like he wasn’t fully comprehending. Then determination flashed across his face. “We’re figuring it the fuck out, that’s what’s happening.”
Relief poured through my veins. “Really? I know you have a lot going on here.”
He gave a disgusted shake of his head. “What? No. That doesn’t mean we aren’t going to figure this out.”
“So, you might come to one of my shows…” The hope I heard in my own voice was almost painful.
He shifted forward and gripped my neck, thumb caressing my cheek. “Trace, there’s nothing I want more than to hear you sing. You can’t keep me away.”
I leaned forward and kissed him. His mouth roamed over mine, staking his claim. When we broke apart, I was still smiling.
“I have to leave in three days.”
His forehead pressed against mine, his eyes squeezed shut. “Then I’ll go with you.”
Was it my imagination, or did that sound more like a promise to himself than a promise to me?
“You will? You could always come to another leg. I’ll be in Denver next month, and then—”
He shook his head. “No, I can’t wait that long. Besides, we still need a few more snowstorms before we can film some of the tougher back terrain. I can spare a week. I’ll go with you to your first few shows, then come back here. Then the rest, we’ll figure out as we go. How long is the tour?”
“Just two months.”
He nodded, licking his lips, deep in thought. “Two months. We’ll see each other as much as we can manage, and then maybe we can go somewhere after. I can see your place, or you can come back here. Or I can show you my spot in California. It’s just an apartment. Nothing fancy, but—”
“That sounds perfect,” I interrupted, a little shell-shocked that this was so easy. I’d wanted him so badly for so long, and now I actually had him. It was all almost too good to be true—everything I had wanted to hear but was too nervous to hope for. Danny was stepping up.
I wasn’t even surprised. I always knew he had it in him. He was loyal at heart and stronger emotionally than he gave himself credit for.
Then he kissed me again, saving me from my racing thoughts.
The front door opened, but Danny and I didn’t pull apart. Jaylon and Barrett stepped through the door, kicking boots off and hauling a bunch of filming equipment.
“Got a sick avalanche shot,” Jaylon said, looking like a kid on Christmas morning. “We were about to pack up, and it happened out of nowhere. Some animal must have triggered it.”
“Avalanche,” I gulped as Jaylon brought a camera over to us and threw himself on the couch, bringing his hand down so that the camera was at our eye-level.
I could feel Danny’s attention on me. I knew my eyes were too wide. That my voice was pitched too high.
Jaylon scrolled for a second before pressing play. They had been standing near the base of the cliff when a rumble started. Snow broke off on one of the distant peaks and came cascading down the side in a single sheet.
I swallowed, but my throat was dry. “That’s kind of scary,” I breathed, eyes glued to the screen. “Does that happen often?”
Danny’s grip around me loosened slightly.
Jaylon, oblivious, nodded. “Oh yeah. Especially in this area. A bunch of amateur backcountry skiers and snowboarders trigger stuff all the time by being idiots.”
“It’s really not that frequent.” Danny’s tone was firm.
Jaylon jerked his head up as if sensing the tension. He looked between Danny and me. “Right, no. I just meant it’s not crazy rare or anything.”
He didn’t have to say any more. I might not have been raised near these mountains, but I also wasn’t an idiot.
I knew avalanches happened. I knew how dangerous they were.
I also knew Danny was prepared and responsible.
He had all of his certifications, and he knew what actions to take in an emergency.
But when I glanced back at his face, he wasn’t looking at me anymore. His mouth was set in a tight line.
Jaylon sat back up on the couch, moving toward the kitchen. “I just thought it’d be a good shot for a transition scene or something.”
“Damn, it smells good in here,” Barrett said, walking into the kitchen without taking his snowpants off. He lifted the lid off the pot on the stove.
“Chili is ready. Help yourselves,” I said absentmindedly.
Danny got up from behind me and reached down to help me up, but something felt off in the action. He’d been all about me a second ago. Now his eyes were a million miles away.
“Hey.” I squeezed his hand. When he looked down at me, I asked, “You okay?”
“I’m fine.” He kissed my forehead and moved into the kitchen to talk with the guys as they served themselves and started digging in.
I joined them, finding my usual seat next to Danny. We ate and chatted, but that something was still off. I kept trying to catch Danny’s eye, but he avoided my gaze.
Everything felt more distant than it had a minute ago.