probably ready to forget all about her. And who could blame him? She was a coward and an idiot.
Kenzie blinked back tears as she pulled out her phone and dialed her aunt. “Audrey, it’s me,” she said. “Is this a bad time?”
“There’s never a bad time for you, sugar.” Her aunt’s soft, Southern drawl was immediately comforting. “Is something wrong? Have you been crying?”
“No.” Kenzie sniffled. “Just allergies.”
“Mine always used to flare up this time of year, too,” Audrey said. “It’s been much better since I moved. Maybe you should come down to Florida.” It was the same request her aunt had been making for the past year and a half, ever since she left music behind and moved to Coral Gables with Eddie.
Every single time, Kenzie had said no, but now something changed. “That’s exactly why I called,” she said. “I need to get away for a little while. I thought I’d come see you.” She had to find something to occupy her time, and staying in Nashville would leave her with too many thoughts of Chase.
***
“I need to get to Boston,” Chase said, approaching the airline ticket counter. “As soon as possible.”
“Next flight to Boston’s not until tomorrow morning,” the agent said.
“Morning.” Exactly what he’d been afraid of when he’d hastily packed his belongings and rushed to the airport. “Are you sure there’s nothing else tonight? No red eye or anything?”
“No, I’m afraid not. The best I can do for you is Los Angeles. You might be able to catch a red eye from there, if you’re really that anxious to get out of here tonight.”
Los Angeles? It made no sense to go there first, then try to catch a flight to New England. It probably wouldn’t get him home much sooner than if he waited until morning to leave Nashville. But Chase didn’t want to spend another night in a city where all he’d be doing was missing Kenzie. No, the sooner he got out of Tennessee, the better. “Yes, I am. Go ahead and put me on the L.A. flight. I’ll figure out where to go from there.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
C hase eventually made it to Boston, and then back to New Hampshire, but by a far more convoluted route than necessary, thanks to his desire to get the heck out of Nashville. At least he was back, though. It was time to get to work. He’d even gotten a start on lyrics to two songs during the flight. Okay, so they were lyrics about finding love and then losing it. Whatever. He was known for being brooding, anyway, so these would totally fit. Now Chase just had to get Jordy back into the fold. So far his bass player wasn’t responding to messages, which did nothing to improve Chase’s mood. Was everyone shunning him now?
Instead of going straight home, he went by Colin’s house first. Taylor answered the door, holding her son on her hip. “Chase, you look like hell.”
He rubbed a hand over his weary face, certain her assessment was true. “Thanks, Taylor. I love you, too.”
“I know that,” she said with a chuckle. “Colin said you were down in Nashville working on a new song. When’d you get back in town?”
“I landed at Logan a couple hours ago and drove straight here. I flew all night. Nashville, Los Angeles, Boston.”
“Seriously? I know it’s not always easy to fly into New Hampshire, but surely there are more direct routes than that. What are you running from this time?” She opened the door wider. “Come on in, I can fix you something to eat. Colin’s at the hospital.”
Chase decided to ignore the comment about running from something. “Of course he is.” It was one reason—but far from the only one—why Chase had chosen to follow a different path with his life than the one expected of him. “So you’re not working today?”
Taylor shook her head. “It’s Saturday, and I work for the state. That’s not always a good thing, but it usually means free weekends.”
“Oh, right... sorry. In my line of
Kenzie blinked back tears as she pulled out her phone and dialed her aunt. “Audrey, it’s me,” she said. “Is this a bad time?”
“There’s never a bad time for you, sugar.” Her aunt’s soft, Southern drawl was immediately comforting. “Is something wrong? Have you been crying?”
“No.” Kenzie sniffled. “Just allergies.”
“Mine always used to flare up this time of year, too,” Audrey said. “It’s been much better since I moved. Maybe you should come down to Florida.” It was the same request her aunt had been making for the past year and a half, ever since she left music behind and moved to Coral Gables with Eddie.
Every single time, Kenzie had said no, but now something changed. “That’s exactly why I called,” she said. “I need to get away for a little while. I thought I’d come see you.” She had to find something to occupy her time, and staying in Nashville would leave her with too many thoughts of Chase.
***
“I need to get to Boston,” Chase said, approaching the airline ticket counter. “As soon as possible.”
“Next flight to Boston’s not until tomorrow morning,” the agent said.
“Morning.” Exactly what he’d been afraid of when he’d hastily packed his belongings and rushed to the airport. “Are you sure there’s nothing else tonight? No red eye or anything?”
“No, I’m afraid not. The best I can do for you is Los Angeles. You might be able to catch a red eye from there, if you’re really that anxious to get out of here tonight.”
Los Angeles? It made no sense to go there first, then try to catch a flight to New England. It probably wouldn’t get him home much sooner than if he waited until morning to leave Nashville. But Chase didn’t want to spend another night in a city where all he’d be doing was missing Kenzie. No, the sooner he got out of Tennessee, the better. “Yes, I am. Go ahead and put me on the L.A. flight. I’ll figure out where to go from there.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
C hase eventually made it to Boston, and then back to New Hampshire, but by a far more convoluted route than necessary, thanks to his desire to get the heck out of Nashville. At least he was back, though. It was time to get to work. He’d even gotten a start on lyrics to two songs during the flight. Okay, so they were lyrics about finding love and then losing it. Whatever. He was known for being brooding, anyway, so these would totally fit. Now Chase just had to get Jordy back into the fold. So far his bass player wasn’t responding to messages, which did nothing to improve Chase’s mood. Was everyone shunning him now?
Instead of going straight home, he went by Colin’s house first. Taylor answered the door, holding her son on her hip. “Chase, you look like hell.”
He rubbed a hand over his weary face, certain her assessment was true. “Thanks, Taylor. I love you, too.”
“I know that,” she said with a chuckle. “Colin said you were down in Nashville working on a new song. When’d you get back in town?”
“I landed at Logan a couple hours ago and drove straight here. I flew all night. Nashville, Los Angeles, Boston.”
“Seriously? I know it’s not always easy to fly into New Hampshire, but surely there are more direct routes than that. What are you running from this time?” She opened the door wider. “Come on in, I can fix you something to eat. Colin’s at the hospital.”
Chase decided to ignore the comment about running from something. “Of course he is.” It was one reason—but far from the only one—why Chase had chosen to follow a different path with his life than the one expected of him. “So you’re not working today?”
Taylor shook her head. “It’s Saturday, and I work for the state. That’s not always a good thing, but it usually means free weekends.”
“Oh, right... sorry. In my line of
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