“Uh oh. Drake’s in trouble with his babysitter,” Landon said, with a grin.
“Come on. We’re headed to the French Quarter for a good damn time,” Stone said. “See ya there!”
“Right behind ya!” Drake said.
“We need to get you back to your room. The guys might be able to tolerate a night of drinking, but you’ve already had six beers on stage,” I said.
“So? I’ve drank twice that just to wake myself up,” he said.
“Well good for you. But you still have a tour to do and an interview to give tomorrow before we head out. You need to get some rest.”
“I think I’ll be just fine, Delia.”
“Drake, I’m trying to help you here, and do the job I was hired to do. Just get back on the bus. I’m headed there, too. So you won’t be alone. Just tell the guys you aren’t feeling it.”
“But I am,” he said, with a grin. “Unless you’re offerin’ me somethin’ better.”
“I’m not. I’m simply doing what’s best for your career. You need to be sober for this call-in interview with the radio station before we head out to the last tour date.”
“It’s just one drink. I’ll be fine.”
“One drink will lead to two, and two will dip into four, and soon you’re stumbling back onto the bus black-out drunk with some floozy on your hip.”
“That make you jealous?” he asked with a grin.
I shook my head and bit the inside of my cheek. He was acting like a petulant toddler. All he wanted to do was get a rise out of me, and it wasn’t going to work. “If you insist on going, then I insist on following. I’ll be the biggest pain in the ass you’ve ever seen in your life. I’ll fuck up every drink order and block every hookup you try to make. Or you can come back to the bus and get a good night’s sleep. Your choice,” I said.
He stared at me for what seemed like an hour before giving me a curt nod. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”
With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off. I followed behind, trying hard not to pump my fist in victory.
CHAPTER 17
Drake
The sun was threatening to crest the whole of New Orleans when I finally made it back to the bus. I didn’t know where the fuck Landon and Stone were, but I wasn’t feeling well. I leaned against the door and somehow managed to get it open, then I crawled my way into the bus. I reached my foot out and stumbled trying to shut the door when a groan caught my attention.
I pulled myself upright and saw Delia asleep on the table right where I’d left her the night before. I’d let her think she’d won that round, but once she fell asleep, I was gone. I met up with the guys on Bourbon Street and partied my ass off like I’d wanted to in the first place.
I leaned against the kitchen counter and studied her angelic form. The sun that began to rise over the landscape of New Orleans cast a wondrous glow along her skin. I wanted to lean in and kiss her. To lick my tongue all the way up her arm and capture her lips once she tried to complain about it. That woman was so damn cute when she was angry, with her red cheeks and her scrunched up nose. I’d piss her off just to watch it happen.
My head felt heavy and my stomach felt like it was on fire. I’d drank too much with the guys. Way too fucking much. Delia had been right. One drink wasn’t just ever one fucking drink.
Damn it. Why the hell was she right?
I stumbled back to my bedroom and passed out. I remembered kicking one of my boots off before sleep took me under. I dreamed of running around in the pasture with my father as Momma sat on the porch with Elsie. I dreamed about the times my father taught me how to repair the tractor Paul and I were now working on. I saw my mother, her face smiling as she cradled me in her arms. She always did that when I was sick.
She would probably do that now.
I saw Elsie lea
rning to read for the first time. My father being patient with her while Momma cooked red beans and rice in the kitchen. I dreamed of the smell of homemade biscuits and gravy and the blackberry pies my sister and I used to eat until I was sick to my stomach. I blinked and found myself under a tree, my head in my Momma’s lap as she ran her fingers through my hair.
“You see those stars?” my mother asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “I do.”
“They’re big giant burning balls of gas, baby. Billions and billions of miles away.”