He wipes his mouth with his sleeve and takes a long drink of soda. “Where the big trucks are. It’s by where the big trucks get gas.”

I rack my brain for a few seconds. There’s a truck stop beside the highway . . . but the only houses out there are run-down and mostly condemned. I tell myself he can’t possibly be crossing the highway alone to get here.

Can he?

“Can you tell me what your house looks like? Does it look like this one?”

His chair scrapes the floor as he backs up quickly to stand. “I gotta go. I’ll get in trouble if I don’t get home soon.”

I stand as well. “Can I drive you home? You could show me the way. That way I’ll know—”

“No,” he says, coming the closest to shouting as I’ve ever seen him. “My daddy doesn’t like people on his property. Says it’s trespassin’.”

“Okay.” I nod and walk slowly with him to the door. “You come back anytime, Liam. Okay? Tonight, tomorrow, whenever you want.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answers as I open the door for him.

After he leaves and I’ve composed myself a bit, I remember to check my phone and am surprised to see two messages from Dallas. One says to call when I can and the other asks what I think. What I think about what?

Jag texted and asked me if we could have dinner to talk. I assume he’s planning to ask Cassidy out and I find it mildly amusing that he’s asking me, queen of disastrous and impossible relationships, for advice.

I text Jag back and tell him to let me know when and where and then I dial Dallas, praying he doesn’t answer out of breath and totally gross me out and ruin my lunch break.

“Hey, Dix,” Robyn answers cheerfully. “Dallas just got out of the shower but I know he wants to talk to you. Hang tight.”

“ ’Kay.” My lungs finally take in air, something they’ve struggled to fully do since my brother went missing. “How’s the vacay?”

“It’s good. Amazing, actually. But, um, Dix, I’m going to say this fast because he doesn’t want you to know because he doesn’t want it to affect your decision but—”

“That Dixie?” I hear my brother call out in the background.

“Yeah,” Robyn calls back to him. “We’re gonna have a little girl chat. Go ahead and get dressed.”

“Thanks for that mental image of my naked brother. Lovely,” I say while making another sandwich.

“You’re welcome.” Robyn laughs lightly but there is still tension in her voice, “Listen, you did not hear this from me, okay?”

“It’s twins, right? I knew it!”

“Seriously I am going to cut you if you keep saying that.”

I take a bite of my PB&J. “If I say it enough it will eventually happen. Then you can name one after me.”

“You’re crazy.” I can hear the eye roll in Robyn’s tone.

“You love me. So what’s the top-secret news?”

Her voice lowers to an actual whisper I have to strain to hear. “The label released Dallas today. Officially. He’s reaching out to some other contacts in hopes that he can still cut his record one way or another, but it’s pretty up in the air right now, so he’s stressed. Even more than usual.”

My heart sinks even though I know he suspected this would happen. “Oh no. That sucks.”

“Yeah it does. Here he is with a pregnant wife and no job. He’s trying to play it cool and not worry me but I see it, the strain it’s put on him since we found out this morning. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads-up in case he’s moody or assholish in the near future.”

I can’t help but laugh because she totally gets him. “Got it. Thanks for the warning.”

“And just know that we love you,” Robyn says. “Whatever you decide is fine. If you’re not feeling the battle right now, we totally understand.”

“I’m guessing you’re referring to the battle of the bands competition?”

“Yeah. Wait, here he is, hon,” she says before explaining herself any further.

“Hey,” Dallas says, his deep voice booming through the phone much more powerfully than his wife’s.

“Hey yourself, Mr. Breeland.”

He chuckles at my comment. “Pretty much sums it up. So how’s it going back home?”

“Not quite as tropical and exotic as Costa Rica, but we make do.”

“It is beautiful here. Though not as beautiful as the girl I get to wake up to every day.”

Sheesh. “Who are you and what have you done with my brother?”

His chuckle warms my insides. Dallas and I may never have had the easiest life but we’ve known love and happiness. It makes my entire life to hear him so deeply overjoyed in love. It also makes me a teensy bit jealous but that’s my own hang-up.

“I’m still here. As much as I hate to do this, Dix, we’re running out of time. We have to confirm this practice gig for next week like two days ago and I don’t know what Gavin told you but I think this might be the perfect opportunity for us. One last shot, you know? It’s like . . . fate or something.”

I move my tongue back and forth to remove the peanut butter from the roof of my mouth and then take a big swallow of sweat tea.

“I’m thinking about it. I am. I swear.”

“Did you and Gavin talk about it?”

“Um, negative. Gavin didn’t say a word about any of that.”

My brother huffs out a loud breath of annoyance. “Of course he didn’t. Because that would’ve been doing something I asked. Ask Gavin to turn right and he’ll go left every damn time.” Now he sounds more like the overbearing bandleader I know.

“So . . . the competition?”

“We don’t have much time to rehearse, and Robyn and I have to get the nursery ready, but it’s two songs in round one, one song in round two, and an original if we make it to the final round.”

“And you really want to do this? What if you get a better offer as Dallas Walker?”

“Dallas Walker was a joke, Dix. You know me. I belong with the band . . . and honestly, so do you. But there’s more I need to tell you about the competition. Details I’d hoped Gavin would discuss with you,” Dallas adds. “And I don’t want you to feel pressured, but I’ve seen a few of the other bands performing and I think we have a decent shot.”

“Spit it out, D.”

“The contest is sponsored by Rock the Republic Records. First prize is a recording contract and a significant amount of cash.”

My chest aches at the idea of ruining this for him. This is why Robyn wanted me to know he might be a little nuts and why she mentioned that his label released him. The tabloids have had a field day with the Country Music Crooner Dallas Walker Walks Away from It All for Love headline and they’ve already sold the exclusive rights to the baby announcement and first photos, but like everything else in this life, that money will run out eventually.

Turns out babies are expensive.

I’ve told him repeatedly that even after the renovations to the house and the money I spent on equipment and licensing needed for starting Over the Rainbow, I still have royalties leftover from what Capitol paid for Better to Burn. But we are Larks and Larks are stubborn.

I want to be ready for this. I want to stand up there with my band and own it like I should’ve done in Nashville instead of letting a bitchy manager get in my head. But so much is still uncertain. This life, in this house, my meager existence, it’s safe. Safer than the road, than hotel rooms with Gavin and nights of watching groupies fall all over him. And truth be told, I like giving music lessons. I look forward to it and it makes me happy.

“It sounds like a huge opportunity, Dallas. I’m interested, but you know I have a lot going on with Over the Rainbow and—”

“Dixie, if we win this thing, you can have half the money to incorporate OTR and hire more instructors. If we tour, you could visit inner-city schools during downtime and give group lessons. I have thought about this and I don’t want to take anything away from you. I swear. I don’t even care about the money at this point. We’ll survive. What I want is our band back. I never should’ve walked away from it, never should’ve left you when you were hurting. I should’ve been there for you.”