Page 2 of Tracing Holland

And there it is.

He taps the edge of the snare three times, our signal that he’s ready, and I nod, even though I know they can’t see me in the shadows.I take my stance, left hand locked on the neck of my guitar, right hand clutching my pick.I do one last scan of my pedal board to make sure everything seems on and ready to go.And then, the steady tick of the click track jumps to life in my ears.Tick.Tock.Tock.Tock.Tick.Tock.Tock.Tock.Casey gives us two full measures before a live count with his sticks.

1-2-3-4.

Explosion.

“Hey,we’re all heading over to Saxon after we clean up.You in?”Casey asks as we hover around the table of snacks in the green room.

“I don’t know.Who’s going?”I ask, grabbing a bottle of water from the ice bowl.I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the hem of my t-shirt and twist the cap off my bottle.

“Um, just us I think.Maybe some of the others.I didn’t ask.Does it matter?”

I shake my head.“I guess not.”

“Molly is going to meet us there.”

I don’t even have to see Casey’s face to know there’s a giant grin.I can hear it in his voice.I can’t help but return it.“That’s great, Case.Are any of your other siblings meeting up while we’re in Houston?”

He shrugs.“I don’t know yet.Just Molly tonight.I might try to set something up for tomorrow with a few other locals while we’re here.I want them to meet Callie.At least Nate and Abby.”

“Molly’s gonna love her.”

“Hell yeah, she will.Hey, come though, ok?”

I sigh.I know I should, I’m just reluctant to make a promise I might not keep.I’ve done enough of that in my life.“Where is Callie anyway?”I ask, changing the subject before he can force an answer.

“I think she’s with Holland,” Casey replies.“They’ve started hanging out since the tour rehearsals.”

I smile, not surprised.It’s hard not to want Callie around once she inserts herself into your life.“Did you catch any of their set?’I ask, finishing off my water.

“Whose?Tracing Holland?”

I nod.“Their rehearsals looked great.She’s got a good thing going.”

“Yeah, I think Callie stuck around to watch them.”

I almost laugh.“Of course she did.”

Casey grins.“She’s loving every second of this.You should have seen her this afternoon when she first saw catering.”

This time I do laugh.“Let me guess, she went all fangirl on the mini quiches and selection of flavored teas?”

He snickers and shrugs.“What are you gonna do?You know how she gets with her tea.”

We quiet as the door to the green room bursts open with an explosion of female laughter.

Callie spots us and heads over with a huge smile.“You guys were amazing!”she cries.Casey gets a kiss, and I get a tight squeeze around the waist.

“Thanks.Are you having a good time?”I ask as she lets go and returns to Casey.

She gives me a look, and I can’t help but smile.“What do you think?”

“Callie’s right.The encore was killer.Love the new stuff.”

I glance over at Holland and return her polite smile.“Thanks.”

I can feel her eyes on me and look away quickly.I know what she’s thinking.It’s the same thing all of them think.Now’s the part where I act like an ass.I don’t blame her.I’ve never done anything to make them think otherwise.But she doesn’t say another word, which comes as a relief.My few interactions with Holland Drake have always been painfully polite.

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