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I walk into the Pikes’ family room. “I hope you don’t mind. Your mom let me in.”
“Not at all,” Rory says.
“So what’s up, baby cousin?” Brock asks jovially.
I scoff at him. “Babycousin? I’m only two years younger than you are.”
“Still, the four of you—the awesome foursome—are the babies of the family.”
“Okay.” Better not to give Brock too much crap. After all, I need his and Rory’s support if I’m going to go on the tour.
“So, I was wondering…” I look around the Pikes’ family room. A lot smaller than ours but homey. “You know I graduated early, right?”
“Yeah, that’s amazing,” Rory says with a smile. “Congratulations.”
I return her smile with a broad one of my own. “Thanks. Anyway… I would love to see Europe. And you know I’m a big fan of your band, Rory.” I pause for a split second but then decide to rip off the bandage. “I’ve already made arrangements to go to England with Donny and Callie for the two weeks that they’re going to be there. But I’d like to stay on. Go with the band. So I was wondering if maybe you needed an assistant or something?”
Rory scrunches her forehead. “I haven’t really thought about that. I’m not sure we have it in our budget to pay you.”
I raise my hands in front of me. “Oh my God, you don’t need to pay me. You know we all have plenty of money.”
“Bree,” Brock says, “if you want to go on the tour, just ask Rory. You don’t have to make up some baloney about being her assistant.”
“Well…I’d like to be helpful.”
“Nonsense,” Rory says. “We’d be thrilled to have you along. Maddie will be coming along with Donny and Callie as well. Mom thought it would be a great opportunity for the four of us siblings to see the UK together.”
I clap my hands together. “That’s wonderful. If Maddie goes, she and I can room together.”
Except…then I won’t have a place to be alone with Jesse. But I’ll worry about that later. Having Maddie along on the tour will give me some leverage. She’ll want someone her own age around to hang out with. Or she will, once I tell her how fun it will be.
“Yeah, of course you could.” Rory smiles.
“But,” Brock says, “Maddie didn’t graduate early. She has to get back by the end of January to start her second semester of her last year of college.”
“Right… Well, if you just tell me all the places you’re staying while you’re on tour, I’ll book a room at the same places.”
“You’ll have to have your own room,” Rory says. “I’m the only woman in the band, and of course I’ll be bunking with Brock.”
“Right.” Brock gives her a sultry stare.
I hold back a sly smile. That works just perfectly for me.
“So you’re okay with me coming along?” I ask.
“Sure I am,” Rory says. “But I’ll have to ask the guys.”
An idea pops into my head. “What if I went along as an influencer? Or your social media manager? I have a pretty large following on Instagram and some of the other apps. I could take photos and give the band some great publicity.”
“Brianna,” Brock says, “the band is already getting great publicity. They’re opening for Emerald Phoenix.”
I sigh, biting my lip. I can’t tell the truth—that I’m going on the tour to get Jesse Pike to fall in love with me.
What if he doesn’t?
Well… If he doesn’t…I come home. I come home, patch up my broken heart, and take my place at Dad’s side in the orchard.
But I have to try. And if it doesn’t work out, I get to see some amazing concerts and a lot of Europe.
