Sarah
Bill took my bag and handed it to the steward. “What made you decide to fly home? I thought you were so into tour bus life.”
I sat down in the beige leather seat and said, “The tour’s basically over and I’m just ready to be home.” No chance in hell was I gonna tell Bill about Horse.
He looked at me quizzically. “But what will the band think?”
“Oh, Billy, give it a rest,” Kat snapped. “She performed like a goddess tonight. Give her a break.”
Any other time I would have laughed at her scolding him, but I didn’t have any room for giggles right then. The steward approached Kat. “Can I get you anything, Ms. Bennett?”
Kat smiled. “Maybe a ginger ale?”
“Coming right up.” She turned to me. “Anything for you, miss?”
“No, thank you.”
Bill asked, “What’s the flight time to Bozeman?”
“Just over two hours in the air, sir.”
“I think I’ll lie down,” Bill said. “I’m exhausted.”
Kat winked at me, and under her breath said, “Because he performed, obviously.”
I gave her a half-smile.
“Don’t tease me,” Bill said. “You know how tired I get when I’m anxious.”
Kat smiled at him. “I know, baby. Go lie down. I’m just gonna talk to Kick for a bit.”
As always, my brother was reluctant to leave Kat’s side, but we were all on the same plane for Pete’s sake, so he relented.
Once he was gone, Kat sat down in the seat next to me and said, “What the hell happened? You look terrible and I know enough to know that before my set, there was no way Horse was gonna send you home on my airplane.”
My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped open. How did Kat know about me and Horse? Flustered, I looked down at my hands and searched for something to say. “I… ugh…”
Kat spoke again, taking one of my hands in hers. “He didn’t tell me. If that’s what you’re thinking. I sussed it out and he knew I did. And in his own way, he let me know that he genuinely cared for you, so I’m gonna ask again… how did you wind up on my plane?”
My skin felt tight. I kept taking breaths but it took effort, like there was a boulder on my chest. I hadn’t had this feeling since my momma died. I was so sad. How was I going to be without him? Kat’s hand on mine was warm and kind. In a lot of ways, she was the only woman I ever got to be truly close to. So I let my guard down and felt the wetness of tears building in my eyes. “It’s so stupid,” I said. “But it’s bad. I can’t fix it.”
“Can’t fix what?”
“I slept with him,” I said matter-of-factly.
“Tonight? While I was performing?” Kat said, flabbergasted. She looked so shocked I couldn’t help but let out a sad laugh.
I shook my head. “No, this afternoon.”
Kat quirked her head at me. “I’m confused. You were both fine since then.”
I looked away, not wanting to say this part out loud. “He found out something about me that made it not fine.”
Kat sighed. “Why are you being cryptic? I’m not going to think less of you, Kick. Like you’re always saying, you are a grown-ass woman. You have a right to forge your own path.”
“I don’t say ass.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
I shrugged. “I was a virgin.”
“Really?” She was genuinely startled.
Frustrated, I said, “Why is everyone so shocked? I mean, you of all people know what I have to contend with. There isn’t a guy within a hundred miles of Conway, Montana, who would mess with the Morgan brothers’ kid sister.”
“Oh, God.” Kat laughed. “Kick, that’s so tragic. I’m so sorry. I’ll help you. We’ll get ’em to back down.”
“Doesn’t matter anymore,” I lamented.
“Shit, right. Where is my brain? Horse found out you were a virgin and what? Why was that an issue?”
“Because I didn’t tell him.”
She mouthed, “Oh.”
“I wasn’t worried about it. It didn’t matter to me. But apparently, I am naïve and don’t know that when a woman loses her virginity, it has to be all romantic-y not hot and heavy and crazy intoxicating in a dank closet.”
“Really?” Kat said, picking up on the details. “In a dank closet?”
“Not exactly, it was the meter room.”
“Oh,” she nodded. “I’ve been there.”
I laughed. “You have? In the meter room?”
“Well, not that meter room, but a meter room or two. Your brother can’t always make it back to my dressing room.”
I covered my ears. “Oh my goodness, stop, I don’t want to know.”
“So, he lost it?” Kat asked. “Got mad at you for keeping your virginity a secret?”
“I guess. But it was something more complicated, like maybe he thinks I deserve better, which is stupid.”
“Boys can be stupid,” Kat said. “Maybe he’ll come around.”
I shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?” she asked.
I shook my head. There was nothing else to say so I just sat there simmering in my sadness.
“Do you want me to make you feel happy?” Kat asked.
I didn’t think that was possible, but I shrugged and said, “Sure.”
She took a deep breath. “I have a secret.”
She paused and I waited for her to continue.
She put her hands on her tummy and said, “You’re gonna be an auntie.”
Instantly, I glowed, grinning from ear to ear. “Really?”
She nodded. And suddenly, just like she said I would be, I was laughing and crying happy tears. Life was funny, constantly tearing you to shreds and giving you blessings at the same time.
* * *