“Jayson!” Chris called, jumping to his feet and crossing the empty stage to pat his nephew on the back. “It’s been too long, my boy!”
“How are you, Uncle Chris?” Jay asked.
“I’m terrific,” Chris said. “What are you doing here? Just wanted to see your uncle, I bet.”
“Heard you were on tour,” Jay said. “And I needed a break, so I figured I would meet you somewhere.”
Chris took a seat and patted the empty spot next to him, which Jay took gratefully. I lowered Aiden into his playpen and took the empty chair across from them. Rob was nowhere in sight, probably in the back talking on the phone to Marisol (who knew how long that could take) and Wade was tinkering with the speakers down in the pit.
“Yeah,” Jay sighed. “It gets too tense filming sometimes. We all just need a break once in a while.”
“I heard about you and that Parker girl,” Wade called up from the pit. “What happened with that, dude?”
“She dumped me,” Jay said with a shrug. “I wasn’t fulfilling her high maintenance needs anymore, I suppose.”
I stared at Jay, trying to determine if he and Ashlyn’s break up had affected him more than he let on. I had read about it, of course, so this news was no surprise. As I studied him, I saw no sign of repressed sadness or loathing in his eyes. In fact, he looked rather vibrant.
Or maybe it was just the way the light crew was testing out the spotlight from the balcony. Either way, he was here, sitting near me, and that’s all I cared about at that moment.
“I see you’ve met my nanny, Kacey Hart,” Chris said, turning his attention back to the guitar in his hand. He winked at Jay. “She’s a sweetheart, isn’t she?”
“No doubt about that,” Jay said, smiling with dignified politeness at me. I could have shriveled up and vanished into the floor as Wade and Jay grinned at me, oblivious to my embarrassment.
“Are you going to stick with us for a while?” Chris asked, to my great relief drawing Jay’s attention back to himself. Jay nodded.
“If that’s alright with you guys, that is.”
“Of course it is,” Wade called up from the pit. “I’m sure Kacey’s getting bored without anyone her own age to chill with. You came at the right time.”
This time, I didn’t even have time to be embarrassed. I was surprised to find a funny churning in my stomach at the thought of Jay joining our traveling bunch. No doubt in my mind that this was like a miracle come true, but I felt a near weariness in trying to be composed and proper around Jayson Porter for the rest of the trip. Around Chris, Rob, Wade, and the kids, I had finally learned to let loose and relax in front of them. I felt as though relaxing and being myself around Jay was bound to be a much more difficult task. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.
“Kace?” Chris said, his voice poking me back to reality. “Is that alright with you, if Jay travels with us?”
I looked over at Jay; stared into his innocent, almost pleading gaze. I forced a smile, not feeling alright about it at all. But what choice did I have? There was nothing I disliked about the guy . . . he had secretly been my soul mate for the last six years, and now I was getting the chance to be around him for a whole month. Any girl I knew would kill to be in my position . . . so what was my problem?
“Of course,” I said finally, that cheesy smile still glued to my face. “I don’t mind at all.”
“How are you, Uncle Chris?” Jay asked.
“I’m terrific,” Chris said. “What are you doing here? Just wanted to see your uncle, I bet.”
“Heard you were on tour,” Jay said. “And I needed a break, so I figured I would meet you somewhere.”
Chris took a seat and patted the empty spot next to him, which Jay took gratefully. I lowered Aiden into his playpen and took the empty chair across from them. Rob was nowhere in sight, probably in the back talking on the phone to Marisol (who knew how long that could take) and Wade was tinkering with the speakers down in the pit.
“Yeah,” Jay sighed. “It gets too tense filming sometimes. We all just need a break once in a while.”
“I heard about you and that Parker girl,” Wade called up from the pit. “What happened with that, dude?”
“She dumped me,” Jay said with a shrug. “I wasn’t fulfilling her high maintenance needs anymore, I suppose.”
I stared at Jay, trying to determine if he and Ashlyn’s break up had affected him more than he let on. I had read about it, of course, so this news was no surprise. As I studied him, I saw no sign of repressed sadness or loathing in his eyes. In fact, he looked rather vibrant.
Or maybe it was just the way the light crew was testing out the spotlight from the balcony. Either way, he was here, sitting near me, and that’s all I cared about at that moment.
“I see you’ve met my nanny, Kacey Hart,” Chris said, turning his attention back to the guitar in his hand. He winked at Jay. “She’s a sweetheart, isn’t she?”
“No doubt about that,” Jay said, smiling with dignified politeness at me. I could have shriveled up and vanished into the floor as Wade and Jay grinned at me, oblivious to my embarrassment.
“Are you going to stick with us for a while?” Chris asked, to my great relief drawing Jay’s attention back to himself. Jay nodded.
“If that’s alright with you guys, that is.”
“Of course it is,” Wade called up from the pit. “I’m sure Kacey’s getting bored without anyone her own age to chill with. You came at the right time.”
This time, I didn’t even have time to be embarrassed. I was surprised to find a funny churning in my stomach at the thought of Jay joining our traveling bunch. No doubt in my mind that this was like a miracle come true, but I felt a near weariness in trying to be composed and proper around Jayson Porter for the rest of the trip. Around Chris, Rob, Wade, and the kids, I had finally learned to let loose and relax in front of them. I felt as though relaxing and being myself around Jay was bound to be a much more difficult task. I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.
“Kace?” Chris said, his voice poking me back to reality. “Is that alright with you, if Jay travels with us?”
I looked over at Jay; stared into his innocent, almost pleading gaze. I forced a smile, not feeling alright about it at all. But what choice did I have? There was nothing I disliked about the guy . . . he had secretly been my soul mate for the last six years, and now I was getting the chance to be around him for a whole month. Any girl I knew would kill to be in my position . . . so what was my problem?
“Of course,” I said finally, that cheesy smile still glued to my face. “I don’t mind at all.”