"Sounds like you were busy anyway, so it is what it is."
"No, baby girl, you know what I was doing? Do you really want to know?” I'm thrown off by the baby girl nickname. Again, I really like it, but I thought maybe it was just a fluke last night.
"It doesn't matter."
"Apparently, it does. I spent the last week calling every girl I had an open understanding with and telling them not to expect to hear from me again, because I was in a relationship. I wanted to make sure to close every door of my past, before we walked down this road." He leans forward on the table and takes one of my hands in both of his.
"We?"
"Yes, we. Your brother has always been stubborn. He doesn't take words at face value; he expects them to be backed up with actions. So, I can tell him, until I'm blue in the face that I've changed, and that I’ll treat you right, or I can do it and prove it with my actions."
My mouth literally falls open, because this is so not how I expected this conversation to go. I thought I'd get a lecture about drinking and not making a scene on their tour. I go off on him for ignoring me, and we'd move on.
Our food comes, and it gives me a welcome break to gather my thoughts, but Dallas beats me to it.
"After the tour, we can talk more, okay? Now, I don't like the idea of you being a third wheel. Tell me you have better plans than that, after we leave here."
"I guess, it's back to plan A. I'll head back to the bus and watch some TV, or maybe, work on a client website I hadn't planned to start, until we got home. Can't hurt to get a head start. What are your plans?"
"I have a meeting at two with Mitch, and then maybe, I’ll join you. Downtime sounds really good right now."
For the rest of lunch, we talk and catch up from the last week, and just like that, it’s all behind us, and suddenly, I can't wait for this tour to be over for an entirely different reason.
Chapter 12
Dallas
Today, is the last show of the tour. I am ready for it to be over, because that means we go home, and then Landon heads out for his sponsorship deal and the meeting with the charity he's helping. He will be gone for two weeks. That's two weeks I get Austin to myself. It's all I've been able to think about. Making plans, things I want to do with her, and places I want to take her.
Our last stop on the tour is Memphis, Tennessee, and this show is an earlier one than normal, so it's before dinner. It's still a packed show and judging by the sound check, it will be a great one.
We’re all getting ready for the show, and Austin has been chatting with Ivy a bit, but her eyes always find mine every so often, and when she finds me watching her too, her face lights up with a huge smile.
The last few weeks of the tour we found ourselves falling into an easy routine. Landon would get up and make all three of us breakfast. We'd all sit and talk and use that as our catch-up time from the day before. Then, we'd go our separate ways.
If it was an off day, Austin and I would go with Ivy and Dom and explore. If it was show day, I'd go with Landon and oversee everything and get ready. Then, I’d meet up with Austin again for sound check. After each show, we'd head back to the bus and watch TV, until Landon got back, or until she started to fall asleep.
As much as I love the routine, I’m ready to be home and start a real routine and relationship. I want to have something solid with us, so by the time her brother gets back, I can show him, instead of telling him.
Showtime.
We head out on stage, and the screams and cheers are deafening, and I know my smile is as big as Landon's. I don't even have to look over at him. He starts hyping up the crowd, which he's really good at it, and we start singing.
As with every show, every song I'm singing is to Austin. I guess, it's been that way on all the tours, even if I never admitted it to myself.
The first part of the show passes so fast, and before I know it, it’s time for Austin to come on stage. Landon introduces her, and the crowd cheers. As she steps out on stage, I’m frozen in place.
She’s in a light blue off the shoulder dress with long flowy lace sleeves. She has on brown cowboy boots and a large brown belt at the waist of the dress. Her long, dark brown hair is falling down in waves over her shoulders, and I don't think I've seen her this dressed up since prom.
She walks over and hugs me, like she has every show. This time I pull out one of her earpieces, so I can talk to her.
"You look absolutely beautiful, baby girl," I tell her and watch the pink coat her cheeks. I love that I can still make her blush.
I don't want to let her go, but I know she’s heading over to give Landon a hug too, before we start singing. Like it does every time she’s on stage, the crowd falls away and we sing to each other. Her eyes focus on me and mine on her.
Landon asked me why we stare at each other, when she’s singing. I told him she needed someone to focus on, so the nerves from the crowd didn't get to her, and it would be plain creepy
