What-ifs danced through his mind on an endless track, and he finally dozed off as the first hints of sunlight peeked through the camper’s blinds. He woke a while later to a minor miracle.
Danielle had somehow brokered a peace agreement between Tyson and Bobby—something she kept insisting she’d do—because the pair was sitting together on the couch talking likethe old friends they were. Trey blinked hard at them, positive he was seeing things.
“The zombie awakes,” Tyson said. “Hey, man.”
“Hi.” Trey stared.
“Don’t worry, you’re not drunk or seeing things.”
“Are you sure?”
Bobby chuckled. “I admit to being a stubborn son of a bitch but Ty is still my friend. Can’t fault him for wanting a home base closer to him, or for having a crush.”
A surge of protectiveness made Trey sit up straighter. “Crush?”
“Come on,” Tyson said, all smiles. “Even a straight guy can appreciate the maximum hotness that is Dominic Bounds.”
Mine.
Trey resisted the urge to stake his claim on Dominic. Tyson didn’t have a chance in hell, and Trey didn’t want to piss Bobby off until after Unbound. “He’s definitely got an exotic look,” Trey said instead.
“And some kind of family crisis.”
How the hell did Tyson know about—oh. Bandmate. Lincoln probably told his crew why Dominic disappeared last night.
“Dude, that sucks,” Bobby said. “He leave?”
“Yeah, Linc took him to the train station last night,” Tyson replied. “Didn’t have much detail, just something happened with one of Dom’s sisters. Should be back today though.”
The toilet flushed, and an instant later Danielle emerged from the bathroom at the far end of the camper. Her gaze zeroed in on Trey. “Oh look, he is alive.”
Trey flipped her off, then glanced at his phone. After noon. His stomach gave a mighty rumble. He rolled off the bed and padded his way to the bathroom to relieve the sudden and urgent need to piss. Also to get away from the conversation about Dominic. He knew better than anyone what washappening with Dominic’s sister, and he probably wouldn’t be able to keep that off his face.
So he peed, then took a shower. The quartet headed for the food tents, Trey tagging along because he needed a distraction until he heard from Dominic again. The day was less hot than the previous two, cloudy with a tiny chance of rain. They got burgers and fries from the booth of a local Maryland favorite.
Tyson led them to a table where Lincoln, Benji, and Joshua were already eating, and somehow they all made peace long enough to share a meal. Benji, Tyson, and Danielle made most of the conversation, while Lincoln glowered at his food and frequently checked his phone. Probably waiting for an update from Dominic, just like Trey was. He didn’t pay a lot of attention to the sound of the groups taking the stage, only vaguely aware that the country category was performing that afternoon.
Long after the food had been consumed, and polite banter turned to actual friendly conversation, Lincoln’s phone made a noise. He studied the screen, his mouth twisting. “Dom’s not coming back until tomorrow morning,” he reported.
Trey’s stomach plummeted.
“Roxy’s not okay?” Benji asked.
“Didn’t say, he just wants to stay home another night.” Lincoln put his phone away, his expression tough to read.
Trey would bet every dollar he had—which wasn’t much—that Lincoln knew the reason for the darkness in Dominic’s voice last night. Lincoln was Dominic’s best friend and had been for a long time. He had to know.
Not that Trey could ask without outing their relationship to Lincoln. Trey wasn’t ready for that. But he could make an effort to connect with Lincoln. Pretend he didn’t know anything about him or his friendship with Dominic.
“Roxy is his sister?” Trey asked, knowing full well she was.
Lincoln met his gaze, and Trey startled at the intense gray-blue of his eyes. “Younger sister, yeah. Dom’s real tight with his family. When something happens, they rally.”
“He’s lucky to have family like that.”
“Yeah, he is.” Lincoln’s eyes flickered with something—jealousy, maybe? “Occasionally, his parents even take in strays.”
“Like stray dogs?” Danielle asked.
