After breakfast, Shelby jogs upstairs to grab her guitar while I walk outside to inspect Murphy’s truck.
“You sure you don’t mind me borrowing it?” I ask.
“It’s just sitting here. I’ll run it down to Lowe’s every now and then but you might as well use it this weekend if you need it.”
“Appreciate it, brother.”
“No problem.”
“You cool meeting up at Eraser’s place Monday?”
“Yeah, just text me when you’re on your way back.”
Shelby’s squeezing through the front door with her guitar case and I go over to help her. “Ready?”
“Sure am.”
We say goodbye to Murphy and a few of the other brothers before hopping in the truck and heading out.
“Wow, it’s so much prettier during the day,” she says, staring out the window. “And now I know what you meant about Texas having hills not mountains.”
“Glad I could show you around a little.”
“That’s one of my favorite things about being on tour. Seeing so many new places.”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I don’t have enough time to stop and appreciate any of them, but I’ve been trying to make notes of where I want to go back and visit one day.”
“What cities made the list?”
“Honestly?” She laughs. “Everywhere.”
“You might be singing a different tune come winter.”
“No doubt.” She stares out the window again. “I’d love to see snow, though. Like real snow. Not that slush-mush we sometimes get.”
“We get plenty of snow up here.”
She glances over. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to—”
“Trying to what?”
“I can’t leave my momma alone around the holidays,” she answers quickly.
Okay, I kinda understand. Although, Shelby’s twenty-two. It’s not unreasonable that she’d spend the holidays somewhere else. I’d say Lynn’s invited too, but something about Shelby’s mood seems to have shifted.
Maybe she’s nervous about the visit we’re about to make?
Ever since I listened to her sing “Empty Room” last night, I haven’t been sure how to bring up the topic of Shelby’s sister. I’ll leave it to her to decide when she’s comfortable talking about it. Her participation with Dream Makers could be related. Maybe that’s a safer topic of conversation.
“So, you do a lot of these visits?”
She turns to look at me. “I wouldn’t say a lot.”
Not much of an answer. We’re a few more miles down the road before I attempt another approach. “Are you nervous?”
“Not really.” She glances at the clock. “How far is the mall from here?”
“A little out of the way but not too bad. Why?”
“Can we swing by? I want to pick up a couple things.”
“Okay.”
Good thing she mentioned it when she did. I hang a quick left and slow my speed on the rolling country roads that eventually lead to the Stonewell Mall.
“You can drop me off and I’ll just run in.” She points to the big box electronics store at one end of the mall.
“Hell no.” I’m offended she thinks I’d let her run around a strange place she’s never been before by herself. All she needs is some dickhead from last night recognizing and harassing her while I’m sitting in the truck with my thumb up my ass. Not happening.
I back Murphy’s truck into a spot and help her down. “You know what you want?”
“I have an idea.”
The electronics store has seen better days. Guess most people order shit online now. But it doesn’t seem to faze Shelby. She heads to the middle of the store and picks up an MP3 player and a gift card. For a second she stands there, biting her thumbnail, her gaze roaming over the aisles.
“What else do you need?” I ask.
“I’m not sure.”
She ends up grabbing a pair of pink headphones before hurrying up to the register. When I offer the clerk my card, Shelby pushes my hand away. “This stuff isn’t for me.”
The girl’s barely making any money from this tour but she’s buying shit for a kid she doesn’t even know?
“I got it,” I assure her, shoving my card into the machine’s slot when the clerk gives me the okay.
“Rooster,” she sighs.
“We can argue about it later. We’re running late.” I grab the bag and take Shelby’s hand, hustling her out of the store.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Thank fuck Heidi gave us specific directions. Empire Med is huge. And although I recently spent a lot of time here when Murphy was in the hospital, I don’t think I would’ve found my way to the children’s wing easily. It has its own separate entrance a few blocks away from the main building.
I pull into a parking spot and hop out. While I’m unloading Shelby’s