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“What is it?”
“You need to call your sister.”
I frown. “You’ve spoken to Alexis?”
“In the middle of Small Town Girl,” she confirms with a nod. “I reminded her that you were on stage and promised to have you call her when all of the madness was over.”
“Shit,” I mutter, reaching for my phone. I’m not looking forward to this call. My younger sister isn’t my biggest fan. In fact, I’m not sure she’s a fan at all. We’ve never really gotten along, but I had hoped that would change when we became adults.
It didn’t.
I moved to Nashville to pursue my career, and she stayed in New Hope, married her high school sweetheart, and had two kids. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
It just wasn’t the path that I wanted for myself.
And Alexis has issues with that.
Here goes nothin’.
I take a long swallow of my water, then dial her number and put her on speaker. She answers on the second ring.
“’Bout time,” she says.
“I just got back to the green room. What’s up?”
“Daddy had a stroke.”
I stand, my hand covering my mouth. “What?”
“It’s not life-threatening, thank goodness, but it’s bad enough that he’s going to need some help for a while.”
“Done. Whatever he needs. I’ll hire the best,” I say right away.
“Your money won’t fix this,” Alexis snaps. “Jesus, why do you always think you can put a Band-Aid on everything with your damn money?”
“Lexi, I’m saying that whatever he needs, he’ll have.”
“He needs you,” she replies simply. “You need to come home.”
“Of course, I have a few days until the next show in Nashville. I’ll come home tonight, make sure he’s okay, and then—”
“No, Scarlett, you need to come home to see this through. He’s going to need someone with him all the time, and I have a husband and kids. For the last ten years, I’ve been here making sure he has everything he needs and helping to maintain the house while you’ve been gallivanting around the world. I’m the one who makes sure he’s eating a balanced meal every night and making sure his house is clean, and the yard is maintained.”
“I—”
“You jet him from state to state so he can be at your precious shows so you don’t feel so guilty for not coming home, but that isn’t going to fly anymore. I’m done, Scarlett. Get your ass on a plane and take some responsibility for your family.”
With that, she hangs up, and my jaw opens and closes like a dying catfish.
“I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Your sister’s just a joy.” Sue rolls her eyes and is already tapping on her phone. “I’ll cancel the last two shows and whatever interviews we have scheduled.”
“No,” I reply, shaking my head adamantly. “I’ll go home and see him, like I said, but I’m not canceling those shows.”
“Scar, your father had a stroke today. And as much as I don’t like Alexis, this is one time that I agree with her. Go be with your family.”
I get where she’s coming from, I really do. And I have every intention of going home and taking care of Daddy, but this is my family, too. The band, my dancers, my back-up singers, the crew, and the fans. They’ve been my family for more than a decade.
I shake my head again, but Sue stands firm.
“We’ll reschedule the shows for later in the summer. I’ve already got the crew working on getting us out of here, and I have you booked on a flight in three hours.”
“I hate red-eyes,” I mutter. “I’m not complaining. I know I need to get to him. Lexi didn’t even let me talk to him.”
The thought stops me cold.
Daddy had a stroke. Can he even talk? I’ve heard of stroke victims losing use of their extremities as well as their vocal ability. The severity of what’s happening really hits home.
This is my daddy.
The man who played the part of mother and father. The male who learned to put my hair in pigtails because I wanted to look pretty and went without so he could afford to get me the dress I’d been dying to have.
My face must show my turmoil because Sue puts a gentle hand on my arm. “Call him,” she urges me. “Your sister can’t stop you from talking to him.”
I nod, feeling tears prick my eyes.
“I just saw him last week. I flew him to the show in Miami.”
“And he loved it,” Sue agrees.
“Jesus, Sue. I haven’t been to New Hope since I was eighteen.”
“Well, I guess you’re going now.”
2
~Tucker~
New Hope, South Carolina.
Population 6,129.
I know every soul represented in that number. Not a single one of them drives the shiny red Mercedes that just went speeding by.
Seventy-five in a forty-five.
I flick on my lights and press on the gas, sending my cruiser flying past the city limit sign and the godawful billboard that sits directly behind it; the one declaring New Hope home to country music superstar, Scarlett Kincaid.
