Page 69 of Love on Tour
“And what if I do?” he said, looking directly at her.
“Seriously?”
“Never underestimate me, my friend. I studied marketing for two years before I was offered a publishing deal and left school. I can always go back and get my degree. And I probably will. But, hey, seriously, thanks for coming to get me. I called every one of those jerks and they either ignored it, slept through it, or had their phones turned off. I’d have sat there for hours.”
“It’s okay. You’d have done it for me,” Christine said, realizing she meant it. He probably would have.
“Yep, I would. Or at the very least, I’d have sent Matt,” Austin said, his eyes gleaming.
Christine’s stomach butterflied when she heard Matt’s name. “That sounds more like it,” she said. She drove out of the parking lot and onto the highway, heading toward Nashville.
“So, tell me. Who’s your favorite singer?” Austin asked.
“Promise not to laugh.”
“Depends. Are you going to say David Cassidy or the Bay City Rollers?”
“How would I even know them?” Christine asked.
“I don’t know. Some people grow up listening to what their parents liked. Maybe your mom couldn’t get enough ofThe Partridge Family,” Austin said.
“That’s the reason for who I’m going to name. My mom dragged me to every Willie Nelson concert she could find, and I fell in love with him and his music. He’s the number one reason I followed a career in country music. From my early teens, I was determined to one day meet him and work with a music company in Nashville. I used to go to every country concert our local theatre offered. I even saw Willie play there once when he did a private benefit for the children’s hospital.”
“Why in the world would I ever find that funny?” Austinasked, reaching into the back seat and grabbing his guitar. He strummed a chord and belted out the opening lines of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”
When the song ended, Christine shook her head and looked at him. “Austin, that may be the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me.”
He followed that up with “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” “Crazy,” and “On the Road Again.” Then he said, “I’d love to keep going, but your gas tank is on E. We need to stop.”
“Oh, shit. I was so busy listening I wasn’t paying attention.” They both held their breath as the gas light blinked and the mileage monitor dropped down to ten miles, then nine, skipping eight to go to seven.
“If I’d wanted to walk, I wouldn’t have called you,” Austin said, a grin teasing his face.
“I can’t believe I did this. I’ve never run out of gas. I’m always diligent.”
“I bet you are. You still have seven miles. Have faith.”
With five miles left to go, they saw a sign for gas at an exit two miles away.
“We’re going to make it,” Austin said.
Christine stepped on the accelerator, thinking if she ran out near the exit, she could drift closer on momentum. When she saw the turnoff, they both exhaled.
Austin jumped out of the car before she could put it in park. He didn’t think twice about pulling out his credit card and filling up her gas tank.
“I need a Starbucks,” she said when he was back in the car.
Austin asked Siri to find them one, then preordered their drinks and sandwiches. Ten minutes later, they were seated at a table. Austin took Christine’s ball cap, despite her complaints about unruly hair, and pulled it down low over his eyes.
“Embarrassed to be seen with me?” Christine asked.
“Trying to save your sweet ass from more harassment.”
Christine reddened. She should have known he’d never be embarrassed to be seen with her. “Thank you.”
“I’ve got your back. Never doubt that.”
“I don’t.”
