Page 83 of Country Music Cowboy

“I didn’t tell her.” Sawyer’s lips pressed flat. “I just left.”

“Fucking secrets.” Anger damn near choked Travis. “I guess we have more in common than just our father.” He held his glass up.

Sawyer tapped his glass to his. “A messed-up family and a lying mother?” He nodded.

They sat in companionable silence, devouring the food and finishing off their drinks.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” Sawyer said, looking pained.

“Let me guess? About Loretta?” Travis ran a hand over his face. His heart already hurt; might as well rip it open and let it bleed out. “I’m pretty sure I already know.”

“She hasn’t come right out and said it yet, but I know why she’s holding back. I’m hoping, in time, she’ll come clean so we can fix things.”

Travis frowned, a flickering hope returning. “If she hasn’t told you how she feels, I’m not throwing in the towel. She’s worth fighting for.”

“I know.” Sawyer nodded. “Why do you think I’m doing this? I’ll figure out the truth soon enough.”

“What if the truth is she doesn’t know?” Travis wiped his fingers on a napkin. “I don’t have much experience with this sort of thing, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to lead with your heart and, sometimes, the heart isn’t as forthcoming as you’d like.”

Sawyer was frowning now. “What are we talking about?”

“Loretta,” he snapped.

“And what your mother has on her?” Sawyer asked, his gaze narrowing.

“No…” He paused. “Wait. What?” He shook his head. “My mother?”

“That night, in her dressing room?” Sawyer waited for him to nod. “CiCi had just left. From the look on Loretta’s face, I knew something had happened, but she wouldn’t tell me anything.”

That night… The night everything had changed. Hismotherwas the reason?

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Just when he thought he had a hold of his temper… Why was he surprised. This was his mother. His mother who seemed hell-bent and determined to make everyone as miserable as she was. “What did she do tonight?”

Sawyer glanced at him from the corner of his eye. “Tonight?”

“I was headed to her room when I saw the two of you leave.” He waited.

“CiCi wasn’t involved.” Sawyer reached for a cheesy fry. “Donnie Gram is in town. He was arrested for public intoxication and called Loretta to bail him out, then caused a scene on the steps of the jail and got hauled back inside.”

“She’s back in her room?” Travis asked, debating whether or not to check on her. He wanted to—more than anything. Sawyer, his sisters, his mother, his father… They could all wait.

Chapter 15

Loretta woke up with a headache and felt nauseous. She hadn’t slept much—she couldn’t. Every time she closed her eyes, the whole horrible mess at the police station was waiting to replay in her head. She rolled onto her back and pressed her hands to her eyes. She’d crawled on top of her bed, fully dressed, and fallen into a restless sleep.

She had a handful of text messages and two voice mails but before she could face the fallout from last night, she needed a shower and some coffee. Lots of coffee.

The shower helped.

The coffee did too.

But the voice message from her father had her pouring more coffee and taking some pain medicine too.

“I don’t want your tickets or your backstage passes. You think that’s going to make up for last night? For embarrassing me that way? I’m ashamed of you, Loretta. Ashamed that you’re my daughter.”

Margot’s message was next. “Hey Lori-girl, give me a call. This mess with Donnie is all over the place and we need to come up with a press release. Call me when you’re up and moving.”

Loretta picked at her biscuit then gave up, calling Margot on FaceTime.