Chapter Six
Cassie woke early and arrived at the local hardware store at one minute past nine. She headed straight for the paint samples.
“Good grief.” Overwhelmed, she gaped at the countless paint pots and the sample sheets. Who knew white came in so many shades?
Luckily, an assistant came to her aid, and soon, she was on her way with two cans of cream paint, another of white, a paint roller and tray, tape and an assortment of brushes. June had given her two old sheets the previous evening when she’d said she intended to spend her day painting.
Her cell phone rang, and she pulled over to the side of the road to answer the call. Kevin. She considered ignoring the summons. No, dodging his calls was childish.
“Hey, Kev. What’s up?” She suspected he intended to push his agenda again for an overseas tour.
“Would you be interested in joining a summer vineyard tour for two concerts? One of their acts has pulled out due to illness. The venues are Matakana and Auckland, so the concerts are close to you.”
“But no one knows me here.” Did she want her two lives to intersect? That was the biggest question.
“You’d be a supporting act. It would be an opportunity for you to test your songs in a different market.” He dangled the suggestion like a juicy carrot. “And you could do me a favor by testing something in the pop genre.”
Actually, the idea of going in as a mainly unknown act appealed to her, now that she thought about it. Kev was right. She could test new songs and material, do some covers and stay far away from most of the Katie-Jo stuff her fans in America clamored for. “Just the two nights?”
“Yes, they’re hoping the lead singer will recover to finish the last two concerts in Napier and Martinborough.”
“All right. I’ll do it. Send me the details.”
There was a pause. “That was easier than I assumed,” Kevin said finally.
“You dangled the right carrot. I’ll do a few covers, two or three Katie-Jo songs and I have two new songs I might try.”
“You didn’t tell me you had new songs.” Distinctly accusing.
“They’re not the Katie-Jo brand,” Cassie said. “There is no point showing them to you when I know they’re not the direction you want for me. How come we were approached with this?”
“An old girlfriend.”
Cassie took in that info and rapidly backpedaled. “Stop. Forget I asked.”
“She was before you,” Kevin said. “We’re still friends and I always make contact at Christmas. I told her you were in New Zealand and she rang me yesterday. Gotta go. I’ll email you the details.”
Wow, she hadn’t seen that coming. Okay. So, she’d have to work out what to do in her set. She checked her rearview mirror and pulled out again. At least there were no cyclists hogging the road today. The sun shone with the promise of a hot day and not a cloud filled the blue sky.
Ah, summer in New Zealand.
Hmm, which songs would work best?She mentally riffled through her material as she drove sedately down the country roads.
The blast of a horn made her start. Heart thudding faster than seconds before, she checked her mirror and fear tensed her muscles. A large truck barreled up behind her, going way too fast. She steered to the far left of the road, her left tires going off the tarmac to strike loose gravel.
The truck kept coming. Closer. Closer. Closer.
She clenched the wheel, eyed the rearview mirror.
The truck nudged her rear bumper, and the impact shot her right off the tarmac. She gasped and attempted to muscle her vehicle back onto the road. A second shunt propelled her against the steering wheel before the seatbelt ripped tight against her chest. Her vehicle roared as her foot pressed the accelerator and bumped through a pothole. For an instant, she was airborne, then a heavy jolt struck as her rental plowed into a watery ditch, screeching and revving on impact. The truck driver blasted his horn again and sped past.
Cassie groaned as the seatbelt dug into her boobs.Ow!Her ribs throbbed as if she’d gone several rounds in the boxing ring even though the impact hadn’t deployed the airbags. The engine noise reverberated through her head, and she turned the ignition key to silence her growling rental. Soon only her harsh breathing broke the blissful silence. She repositioned her glasses and sat for a moment longer, breathing. Just breathing, before she decided what to do next.
Not another sound disturbed the country quiet. Not a friendly farmer. Not another vehicle.
A hard shudder jerked her body, and she fumbled for the door. It opened a few inches before hitting mud. Far enough to squeeze out, surely. She struggled, panic a hungry beast, feeding on her predicament. Her arms flailed, her breathing hoarse, then the truth hit her.
Seat belt.
