Page 75 of Living on the Edge

My gut tells me no.

“Do you think you’ll have the energy to go for a walk?” I ask her. “We’re not far from the arch, and it’s pretty at night.”

“I’d love to,” I say. “I think I’ll be fine as long as we don’t walk too fast.”

“I can walk slow.”

I take care of the bill, and we step out onto the street.

She looks around and smiles.

“I’m really lucky,” she says softly.

“Lucky?”

“That I get to do this. That I got to be on tour with you guys. Even if it’s coming to an end, look at all the places and things I got to see… I’ve never traveled much as an adult. I went on tour with my dad as a kid, but he didn’t have time for tourist stuff, so it was just hotels, arenas, and concert halls. This is different.”

“Want to take some selfies?”

“Sure.” We make our way to a spot where we can get the arch in the background and do a handful of shots. Then she steps away from me and starts recording a video.

“Hey, guys! Sorry I’ve been quiet but I had a sinus infection, a double ear infection, and a ruptured eardrum—but I’m feeling better so tonight I took a walk around St. Louis. This is my first time seeing the arch… isn’t it gorgeous? Thank you to Angus Jeffries for showing me around!” She turns it off and smiles at me. “When we get back to the hotel, I’ll edit the video and still shots of our selfies. Then I’ll post.”

“Wow, you come up with stuff on the fly?”

“It’s not rocket science.”

“Yeah, but it’s still pretty cool.”

“I’ve been doing it for four years, so it’s second nature now.”

“Well, maybe with some help from the band, we can help you get to the next level.”

There he goes being nice again.

I don’t know why it’s so unnerving when he does it. Like I don’t want to see the good sides of him because I already like him too much.

Even when he’s being an ass.

And I’m not sure what to do about it.

Chapter22

Ryleigh

We walk slowly backto the parking garage where we left the car, with Angus pointing out iconic restaurants and other notable places around the city. It’s almost like being on a date, and I catch myself reaching for his hand multiple times. I stop just in time, but I’m almost positive he noticed. Or maybe that’s just more wishful thinking.

I’m sorry our evening is over, especially since tomorrow we’re hitting the road early to head to Nashville. Another place where I haven’t spent much time. I was there as a teenager with my dad, but I saw the Grand Ole Opry and walked around downtown for about thirty minutes before meeting up with Dad’s friends for dinner. That was the extent of my experience there.

Maybe I’ll be able to see something once we arrive, but it’s a four-hour drive and then we have to get ready for sound check. If we get up early, we could be there by late morning, which gives me a few hours to walk around. I don’t know how Angus feels about that, though.

“Tired?” Angus asks as we get on the elevator.

“A little, but it was nice to get out. Thank you for a wonderful evening.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Do you think I could ask for one more favor?”

---