“Why?”
He swallowed, stepping forward to run his fingers through her hair. Their gazes locked and held. The way he looked at her—unflinching and intense—had her pulse racing. “You know why.”
No. No, she didn’t. Nothing her far-too-imaginative brain could come up with made any sense. The other options, the ones that made her heart swell with hope and want, were too unrealistic to believe. No matter how much she might want to believe…Jace, caring about her—really caring about her—was terrifying. Deflecting was what she did best. “There aren’t any reporters around, Jace.” She rolled her eyes and tried not to hyperventilate.
“If you’re not prepared for the answer, you shouldn’t ask the question.” His hand settled on the back of her neck as he stepped forward to kiss her. She should move away, turn her head… Instead, she put her arms around his neck.
A kiss goodbye was not a big deal. Or a few gentle, soft, lingering kisses.
“Dammit.” He was pulling her close then, kissing her until holding on to him was the only thing keeping her on her feet. “I’m gonna miss you.” And he let go.
She stood, frozen in place, as his boots carried him farther away. When he climbed into the truck and started the ignition, she kept waiting for him to stop, to look her way and wave goodbye. He didn’t. He and Luke and that massive truck drove down her driveway and disappeared around the bend.
Clementine barked and ran around in a circle, tail waving like a poof-topped flag. Krystal scooped her up and held her close. “He didn’t say goodbye to you,” she whispered, preferring anger to this…this ridiculous sadness she was feeling.
“I’ve got a few pictures that might help you two deal with your separation.” Travis was looking all kinds of pleased with himself. While everyone else had the common decency to give them a moment alone, her brother remained—to tease her without mercy. Why hadn’t she noticed?
Right, because she’d been too caught up in Jace to know or care if they had an audience of a thousand. What was wrong with her? She knew better than to put herself in this position. To put Jace in that position. Right here, in front of her house, with her mother and who knows who else looking for some tidbit of information to be used against her. If she wasn’t more careful, Jace would definitely fall into the to-be-used-against-her category. “Travis.” She snapped, so wound up she didn’t know what to say or think. “I’m warning you, I’m not in the mood.”
“I hate to break it to you, Little Sister, but that’s pretty much your mood every day.” He draped an arm around her shoulders.
“Why are you still here?” she grumbled.
“I dropped this.” He held out his lucky pocketknife. “Wasn’t after more pictures or anything. Not saying I didn’t get a few.”
Her eyes were burning and her throat felt tight, so she glared up at him.
“I’m teasing.” But he wasn’t smiling now. “Come on, Krystal. He didn’t know. Daddy thought he was staying with us—pretty sure Jace did, too,” he said, leading her to the house. “Luke called when you were still getting dressed. If it makes you feel any better, he didn’t look too happy about it, either.”
It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t. But, somehow, it did. She stared up at her brother. “Really?”
Travis stopped, his expression shifting. Sheer incredulousness widened his eyes. “Holy shit.”
She frowned, pulling away from him and hurrying toward the front door.
“You have got to be kidding me.” He was fast, running to catch up with her. “Krystal.” He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “You realize Momma will eat him alive if she thinks this is real.”
“It’s not.” She nodded, trying again—with all-too- forced conviction. “You know it’s not.” It was. It is.
Travis started laughing. “I don’t know who I feel sorrier for: you or Jace.”
She yanked free, tucked Clem close, and braced herself for the reunion with her mother.
* * *
“I don’t need all this.” Jace looked around the fully furnished apartment a few miles from the studio and about twenty minutes from Austin.
Luke chuckled. “You need to stop thinking like that. It’s not all about need anymore.”
He glanced at his manager. Luke Samuels was a decent enough guy but there were times Jace knew they’d never
connect. Luke had never wanted for a thing. Jace had learned to make do without wanting. “I’m not wired that way.” Jace opened the refrigerator. “Who did the shopping?”
“Wheelhouse hired a personal shopper.” Luke didn’t bother looking up from his phone. “Tomorrow is booked solid so try to get some sleep tonight.”
Luke rattled off his itinerary. Studio, lunch meeting with a cologne company, studio, and Austin Country Music Festival mixer. “Did you get all that?” Luke asked.
“Yeah.” He nodded. Luke had been downright crabby since they’d left the Kings’ place. It wasn’t like Jace had made his feelings about Krystal a secret. Then again, Luke hadn’t kept his feelings a secret, either. “Might want to look these over.” He pulled some magazines and newspapers from his ever-present messenger bag and spread them on the marble kitchen counter.