“Look, everyone, it sounds like Denton has been through a lot. He didn't mean no harm and wasn't hiding anything from us purposefully. Right?”
“Right,” I say back.
“So, tell us about the tour and where your head is at. We can work out the rest later,” he finishes.
I start to explain how Jake called the second day we were at the ranch and that’s when we got the offer. I didn't know at that time if it’s what I wanted anymore. I wasn't sure I could still picture myself living that life—the fame, money, and everything else that comes with it. I know it wasn't fair to hide it from them. I tell them so.
Johnny looks like he wants to knock the stupid right out of me.
“Dent, this was always the plan and everything we’ve been working for. Don’t let some chick get in your head and ruin it for us,” he says.
My jaw clenches at the way he’s talking about Sorrel and I need to think before I speak.
Very slowly I say to him, “This ain't about her, Johnny.”
He rolls his eyes at me like he doesn't believe me. Do I really blame him though?
“If he says it’s not, then I believe him,” Parker says.
I nod in thanks to him.
Letting out a long deep breath, I put my face in my hands. How did this all get so fucked up?
“We’re giving you until tomorrow, Denton, to make a decision. If we have to find a new lead singer, we will. This is what the rest of us want and nothing is going to get in our way,” Johnny growls.
I unclench my fists and lay my hands flat on the table. “I understand. I’ll let you know by tomorrow.”
The bar is quiet now and I push my stool out making a loud screeching sound. I bump my fist on the table and take them all in with genuineness
“I’m sorry, y’all.”
None of them say a word.
Before I leave, I take in the bar one more time, staring at the stage. Imagining what might be a new dream forming in my heart. I have a lot of thinking to do on the drive back to the ranch.
My mind is a scrambled mess. Sorrel and I have just started something and how would it look if I just took off on a tour now? She would never forgive me for gaining her trust and then taking off. But she has to understand this isn't just about me and what I want. I have other people to think of here and this is about their livelihood. This tour would be life-changing for all of us.
I press my foot harder on the throttle. I have to get back to the ranch and get all of this off my chest.
Could I do another year on the road, chasing the dream that has consumed my life for so long? But then there’s Sorrel. Strong, stubborn, and fiercely tied to this land that is nothing like the flashy world I know. The way Sutton looked at me this morning when she caught us together, the quiet support she offered us—it hit me hard. These women aren’t just part of some story I would write about and turn into a song. They’re my people now.
Can I really do this? Leave the tour behind or slow down? Could I live without the roar of the crowd and the adrenaline of the stage? And how could I ask Sorrel to share a piece of me when I barely know how to hold it myself. Hell, if there’s even a piece left. Performing takes everything from me.
I grip the steering wheel harder winding around the mountain now that overlooks the Saxxon Ranch. I want to give Sorrel what she deserves—peace, safety, and a life worth holding on to. I could see it in her eyes—she believes in me, even if I’m not sure I deserve it.
Maybe there’s a way—split the time, bring the tour closer to her, slow down enough to actually live. But the tour is calling—loud and relentless. Not figuratively but literally as I look downand see my agent Jake is calling again. I can’t keep ignoring him. I answer this time.
“Hey, Jake, what’s up?” I ask casually.
“Denton! What’s up, man? Really? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for weeks. I thought you went MIA at that dude ranch or something. Not fucking cool, man, that’s what’s up.”
“It’s not a dude ranch,” I say flatly.
“Whatever you want to call it, I don’t care. It’s time to make a decision, Denton. Are you signing this contract or not?”
Fuck me. I thought I would have until tomorrow. I thought I’d be able to talk to Sorrel about this first. What the hell am I gonna do?
“Listen, the guys said I had until tomorrow and I need to talk to my girl?—”
