Fallen Idol (Love and Music in Texas Book 4) Read online

  Blurb

  What goes up must come down...

  Kyra Sanders had a promising career in country music in her teen years. She gained popularity and fame, riding high atop the the charts. Then one deadly accident changed things, sending her spiraling downward to the point she went into a hiatus from music.

  Six years later, Kyra's making her return to the music scene. With an album in the works and a new song on the radio, her career is back on track, until a call from Texas with news of an accident forces her to halt her plans.

  Matt Greer is working through the aftermath of his ex-wife's abandonment when she chose to leave him and their fourteen year old son to pursue her own musical dreams. He's had enough of troubled musicians and the havoc they bring to his life. Kyra surprises him in a good way, but it doesn't mean he wants anything to do with a singer who comes to town with trouble on her trail.

  It's hard to avoid each other in a small town, especially when their families are close. Matt should stay away from the woman who could lead danger right to their town, and it's possible she already has, but he can't help how drawn he becomes to her.

  The sparks ignite, but danger lurks in the distance, only getting closer as time goes on. For two people who want different things out of life, it's possible to find healing together...

  Fallen Idol

  By

  Nikki Lynn Barrett

  Copyright March 2015, Nikki Lynn Barrett, First Version.

  Acknowledgements

  A writer's journey is not one we take alone, and there are so many people to thank.

  To my husband, who is my biggest supporter. He edits, he listens to me obsess, he hears me whine and complain when the words don't flow or something doesn't go the way I want it to... He puts up with a LOT of quirks from this crazy writer. Thank you. A million times thank you.

  To my family, for the same thing. Putting up with my writer craziness! Your support is much appreciated.

  To my Crazy Lady Sisters - for everything!

  To my Passionate Kisses sisters - bestsellers for life!

  Melinda and Crystal. You might badger, but you keep me going!

  Nikki's Book Stormers, for giving me reason to change the name to aka Nikki's Book Badgers. I have the best street team!

  To all my readers - This dream isn't complete without you. I write the stories, but you love the characters just as I do and for that, I thank you wholeheartedly.

  Dedication

  In loving memory of my great grandmother. Ich Liebe dich.

  Praise for books by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  Baby Stetson

  Nikki reminds me of some of my favorite authors that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the print books. - Kristy's Reviews & Random Thoughts

  The Melody In My Head

  This book kicked butt. I laughed, I cried, I yelled at the characters. - Fairy Tales Do Come True, Just ask Any Romance Author

  The Key To My Heart

  In every book we see not only friends, family but a love through music that is impossible to not love. - Melena's Reviews

  A Masterpiece of Our Love

  I was intrigued by this book because it seemed to suggest something more than a simple love story. I was not disappointed when I read it. - Fiona's Book Reviews

  Just the way these two came together and came to depend on each other is unlike any other story I've read, but there were some pretty realistic aspects of it all that also pulled me in. - Fic Central

  A Masterpiece Unraveled

  With all the ups and downs, twists and turns and moments that made you hold your breath...this story was beautiful! I can't wait to read the last installment of this saga. Thank you for the inspiring story of love, passion, and destiny, Nikki. - Twin Sisters Rockin' Book Reviews

  The Secret Santa Wishing Well

  "This story will truly lift the reader's spirit and open the heart for this wonderful holiday of giving and love. THE SECRET SANTA WISHING WELL is definitely a page turner but be sure to keep some Kleenex handy as you will lose your heart to this fantastic little guy." - Fresh Fiction

  It touched my heart. There were times I laughed, cried and just awed by how this book came out. - Melena's Reviews

  Take my word for it grab this book or any other by this author, get the tissues ready and fall in love with her books like I did. - Racing To Read

  On the 12th Date of Christmas

  The author has created characters that touch you deeply and you never want to let go of them. - Racing To Read

  Although this is a hearty Christmas romance, it's still full of anger, pain, suspense, family betrayal, loved one mistrust.! Definitely kept me on my toes and wanting to not put my kindle down, so I could get to the bottom of the story. - Endless Reading

  Chapter One

  Kyra Sanders could think of at least a thousand better times and places to hear her comeback single on the radio for the first time than on her way to Texas to see her parents after an accident. But as fate would have it, the deejay proudly announced her song just as she passed a sign for a town called Harmony's Echo, Texas. The name registered in her mind, but she couldn't place why it sounded so familiar. Kyra listened with caution to the radio as her song was introduced. What were they going to say? This comeback single and record had a lot riding on it, especially after a long hiatus.

  "We've got a world premier for you today from Kyra Sanders. Yep, y'all heard correctly. Country music's teen sensation has grown up and is back with a brand new tune. Call and let us know what you think of What Goes Up!"

  The music began. Kyra turned up the radio, focusing back on the road, but her heart pitter-pattered in sync with the rhythm of the rain. And so it began. The announcement for her comeback record had come out a month ago, and the single was fresh on the airwaves this week. Kyra hadn't expected it today. If only she were back in Texas for better reasons, she'd feel more like celebrating.

  There'd been an accident. The phone call came in when Kyra was in the studio working on another version of a song, the last one to be tracked on her upcoming album. The one that took four years to create. The one she wasn't sure how fans would react to, considering she hadn't had an album launch since before that damn accident six years ago. So much was riding on this album. But with her mother in critical condition and her father's desperate plea, Kyra came home to Texas for the first time in years. She'd never stepped foot in Sunset Hills, the place her family resided in now, but she was still glad to be in her home state.

  Tears sprung in her eyes, which blurred her vision. If she didn't pull over right now she'd-. Too late.

  Crunch! Metal hit metal with a sickening thud after she skidded on the slick roads. She came to a complete bumpy stop as the second verse to her song began and her front end of the car collided not so beautifully with another car.

  Craptastic. No scratch that. Double craptastic.

  Not the best way to start out in Texas. She was already running late! Her brother and sister were waiting for her, and Kyra needed to get to them to find out the situation. She'd only heard bits and pieces. Accident. Critical condition. Her mind raced with all sorts of thoughts. She'd already been receiving threats and hateful letters. Kyra hoped for the best and that it was only an accident, nothing more.

  Cringing, she opened the car door, sans her cap and sunglasses, which she usually wore if she didn't want to be recognized. Oh well.

  The hood of her car was pushed up in an awkward bend. The car she'd hit got it far worse. Damn, damn, damn! The crushed back end reminded her of some of the scenes from that night. It was also a rainy scene. Lights flashing. Screaming. Panic and confusion.

&nb
sp; She blew out a breath, then counted to ten. No time for thinking about that night. Kyra was in the now. She had to focus on that. Maybe a drive to Texas wasn't the best idea.

  When the driver's side door opened, Kyra braced herself for impact, not that she'd blame the driver for being pissed. How did she always manage to get the worse case scenarios?

  When the driver approached her, Kyra stared in curiosity. She looked really familiar! Someone stepped out from the passenger side as well. Both had bewildered gazes on their face as they stared at the back of the car, then to Kyra's. Well, no one was throwing punches or screaming in anger yet. So far so good.

  "I'm sorry. The rain- the radio-" Kyra stumbled over her words. "Damn it!" She covered her face with her hands, wishing she was already at her destination.

  "It could be worse," the driver commented, smoothing back her frizzy blonde hair. She sounded a little upset, but nothing to the extremes Kyra expected.

  "Are you both okay?" Kyra asked in a small voice. She studied both women. Where had she seen them before?

  The taller blonde shrugged. "A little startled, but okay. We were just listening to the newest Kyra Sanders song on the-"

  "Blaine..." The shorter blonde tugged on her arm. She stared with wide eyes at Kyra. Yep. Recognized. Now if only Kyra could figure out why the two of them seemed so familiar. It boggled her mind. She hadn't left Nashville in so long, but she'd seen their faces before. On the news for something? But why?

  "Oh. My. God. You're Kyra!" Blaine screeched.

  Tell it to the world, why don't you? Maybe tell all the haters I'm here so they can finally make good on their threats.

  Whoa. Good thing no one could read her mind. She was tired, stressed, and her inner thoughts were pretty brutal.

  "Which means you're on your way home," the other woman said.

  "How do you know?" she blurted, eying both women suspiciously. With the comments and letters lately, she took nothing for granted. Everyone was under suspicion, in her eyes.

  Blaine closed her mouth and gathered herself. "My fiancé's cousin is friends with your family. I'm so sorry. Here I am, getting all star gazed, and you just want to get home. I'm an idiot."

  Someone climbed out of the backseat of the car. She pegged the boy to be in his early teens. "You're David's sister!" He shot a wide eyed look at Kyra. Long sandy brown bangs hung in his face, and she could barely see his eyes. The boy's nose was dotted with freckles.

  This whole thing made her uncomfortable. How was it everyone knew of her around here? Oh, right. Fame. Word got around. All these people knew her family, and so they knew of her through them. Wonderful. And awkward. She shifted her feet, feeling like she'd stepped in an alternate universe where everyone knew her, even though she was a stranger.

  "That would be me."

  "We should probably get off the highway." The other blonde pointed to the rows of cars at a standstill behind them. On cue, there were a few impatient honks.

  Blaine nodded. "Right."

  Kyra glanced back at her car, wondering how the hell she was going to make it into town with a messed up, dented hood. The storm was only just beginning.

  "We'll call my dad! He'll come with the tow truck." The boy pulled a cell phone from his pants pocket.

  Great. Just great.

  Welcome home, Kyra.

  "Pull off on this next exit, and we'll figure this out," Blaine suggested. Kyra agreed, climbed in her car, and closed the door. She rubbed her temples as she slumped behind the wheel of her damaged car and wondered just how much worse it could get. At least this was her vehicle and not a rental. But in the long run, was that really better? She followed them off the highway. By the time they stopped on the side of the road, the rain fell harder.

  Blaine, her friend, and the boy climbed out of their car again. Kyra rolled down the window as she killed the engine. It was making funny noises now.

  "There's a little diner right there we can go sit in and wait, if you want. Matt, my fiancé's cousin, has a tow truck and actually lives in Sunset Hills. I don't know too much about cars, but I know you shouldn't be driving yours like that in the storm. Matt can tow your car and take you home."

  "He's already on his way," the boy piped up.

  Kyra jerked her head in a quick nod. What else was there to do? She snatched her purse from behind her seat and gave a half smile. Then she pulled her cap out and set her hair up in a messy bun before putting it on her head. "Thanks. I'm really sorry, again."

  "It happens. I'm Blaine Grant, by the way. This is my friend Avery Bennett, and this is Andrew."

  The names sparked recognition in her brain. As Kyra climbed out of the car and subjected her body to the chilly rains, she snapped her fingers. "That's where I know you from!"

  Both of the woman stared at her blankly.

  Kyra closed the door. "I've followed your career for years, Blaine." Only recently had the woman stepped down from her dance career in Hollywood. She'd seen Blaine on a few different sets. She hadn't worked with her before, but always wanted to. Her ex-partner was somewhat of a jerk, and she'd only recently heard about the trouble he'd found himself in. Kyra tried hard to ignore the tabloids and news, especially since she'd been the subject of that kind of trash talk before, and in some places, still was.

  Blaine blushed. "Oh. Well, thank you." She led the way to the diner.

  She pointed at Avery. "I've seen you with Belinda Wainscott somewhere." An up and coming singer or something, she thought. Belinda Wainscott was only one of the biggest stars in country music, and she also had a handful of acting gigs. Kyra met her twice, but it was a long time ago. She'd been so awestruck to be in the presence of a legend that she hadn't made the best impression. It had been at the CMA awards when Kyra was up for best new female artist and won. Belinda was the presenter. Talk about a double shock. Winning the award and being hugged by Belinda.

  "Avery is Belinda's daughter." Blaine held the door open for everyone. Kyra gestured for Avery and Andrew to go inside first. That's right. She'd heard about that. Or at least, she heard Belinda connected with a long lost daughter. She'd just never recalled her name. The story had been circulating for about a year and a half now.

  "You've sang together somewhere, right?"

  Avery nodded. "On several occasions. My band opened a few shows for her."

  "Baby Stetson is awesome!" Andrew piped up. "You should see them play. David and I want to learn guitar."

  "You know my brother?" Kyra asked him, then smacked her hand against her forehead. "Duh, you already said that. What I meant was, you're friends with him?"

  "Yeah, David and I are good friends," the boy affirmed. "We hang out all the time."

  The four of them took their seats at a table. Kyra stared out the window, watching the drizzle of the rain and the cars passing by. Okay, so she was still a little paranoid. At one point, she thought she was being followed, but that was just her nervousness. This was the first time she'd left Nashville in six years. Why did she have to be so stubborn again? Oh yeah, because her manager and team didn't like the idea of her leaving, and to avoid hassle, Kyra drove off in the middle of the night and left a message. She wasn't going to let their hesitance stop her from coming to see her family.

  "Your new song is awesome, by the way." Andrew's compliment interrupted her thoughts.

  She glanced back at him and forced a halfhearted smile. "Thank you." So there was one out of millions who liked the new tune. Hey, she'd take it.

  When their host showed up, she requested a water and went back to staring out the window. When would Matt show up? As nice as these people were, Kyra was more than ready to get to her family. She hadn't seen David or Amy in years, unless you counted pictures. Going home always sounded like a good idea, but she wasn't ready to face her family. They'd put their lives on hold to move to Music City when she found her big break at fourteen.

  Regret swirled in her heart. Once she saw Mom and Dad, and of course her siblings, she could breathe a littl
e sigh of relief.

  *****

  Matt Greer approached the diner and grimaced when he passed Blaine's car. Andrew had been in that car with her and Avery when they were hit, but Blaine assured him right away that no one was hurt. So now he'd have to go in there, meet David and Amy's sister, and then tow her car back home, which meant she'd ride with him in the truck. Just what he wanted to deal with. A troubled musician. Nope, he wasn't looking forward to this ride at all. He bumped into his cousin Randy Hughes at the door of the diner.

  "Is everyone okay?" Randy asked. "Blaine told me they were rear-ended."

  "I don't know. I just got here. Blaine said they were all fine, but take a look at her car." Matt pointed to it, sitting next to another dented car which he gathered was Kyra's.

  Randy followed Matt's finger and muttered a curse. They both rushed inside.

  Matt's tensed muscles relaxed when he saw Blaine, Avery and Andrew sitting around a table. They were in good spirits as they laughed about something. They all appeared to be fine. His gaze landed on Kyra. She looked nothing like the album covers and posters. But then again, she'd been driving and just had an accident. She resembled her mother- the dark, wavy like hair, from what he could see of it as loose strands fell from beneath her white cap, and almond shaped green eyes. Even without being all dressed up with gobs of makeup and fancy outfits, Kyra was a looker. He liked the natural look. She was a little thin, but who was he to judge?

  Andrew waved at him. "Hi, Dad! Hey, Randy! See, told you I'm fine! Kyra is pretty cool! We just heard her song on the radio, too!"

  Kyra apparently didn't want the attention drawn to her, and she sank a little lower in her seat, cheeks flushing.