Page 29 of Sin

He nods. “I can do that.”

“Now, let’s start driving.”

“This might be a bumpy ride,” he warns me.

“Nah,” I say, unable to keep the heat from my voice. “The only rides I’ll ever take you on will be slow and smooth all the way.”

I have Cassidy drive us on back roads for a while until I’m convinced he’s ready for the open road. By the time we’re hitting Nashville’s city limits, I think he has a pretty good grasp of the basics, and though he’s gotten the hang of shifting gears, I haven’t removed my hand from atop his.

“You’re doing great.”

“As good as you did on your first solo drive?”

“Better.” I grin. “You haven’t totaled Jeff.”

He clutches the wheel and steals a glance at me. “You wrecked your dad’s Corvette?”

“Yep,” I admit, not wanting to relive much of that memory except for my accomplishment of demolishing my dad’s pride and joy. “Worth it, though. Mercer and I got to see Jonah and his band play before he got big. He opened for the Dropkick Murphys.”

“That had to be a great show,” he says. “I love his music.”

“Have you seen him play live?”

“I’ve never been to a concert before.”

I do a double take, but I can tell he’s serious. He’s been too sheltered at Bellmore. He deserves to be in a large raucous crowd listening to music so loud and so good you feel the bass in the beat of your heart and can’t stop your feet from dancing along. I want to be next to him when he experiences that, and I know just the concert.

“Tell you what,” I say in my best make-a-deal voice. “If you pass your driver’s exam, I’ll take you to see Jonah Reeves at the Freedom Festival in Lexington.”

Freedom Fest is the Appalachian version of Bonnaroo but with more moonshine. It was started years ago by a bunch of Lexington civil rights lawyers who happened to also be old fiddle players. They created an event to showcase bands with roots in mountain music, as well as to fund their legal passion projects. Jonah has played the festival every year, and this year, he’s headlining it.

His eyes pop wide, and I know I already have him reeled in. “Freedom Fest,” he says. “Really?”

I mainline his excitement, knowing that even if Jonah Reeves ends up playing finger cymbals and castanets the entire show, with Cassidy at my side, it’s gonna be the best concert I’ve ever attended.

Chapter 14

Cassidy

“I’ve arranged for you to meet with a reporter Thursday afternoon,” Gideon says, looking at me for the first time since we sat down to dinner.

Both Sin and I had received a text from Mrs. Fenton, the house manager, stating that Gideon expected us home for dinner at 7:00 pm sharp. Sin had cursed up a storm, but said he wouldn’t leave me to suffer it alone.

I wasn’t too upset about it. As much as a family dinner sounded awful, at least I’d have Sin’s company to help me through it. Plus, I was still flying high from my successful driving lesson, and Sin offering to take me to Freedom Fest with him if I passed my driver’s exam. He even used the term “date,” and though I know he was joking, it still made my heartbeat shift into fifth gear.

Then this afternoon, we were getting into Sin’s car for another driving lesson when his phone rang. I saw the name Oliver flash across his screen before he hurriedly picked it up and had a brief but intense conversation.

“Change of plans. I’m driving,” he’d told me, and then proceeded to break every speed limit to get home beforedumping me off at the front door and speeding away to meet with Oliver.

And here I am. Sitting with my martini-ed up mother and a pissed-off Gideon who ranted through most of dinner over Sin’s no-show until just now when he announced this interview.

I swallow my bite of pork chop and then take a sip of water. “Why would a reporter want to speak to me?” I ask.

“TheGospel Reviewis doing an article about my stance on family values and wants to spotlight my close relationship with my sons.”

Close?“I don’t think I can make it,” I tell him, happy I have a built-in excuse to refuse his request. “I have school on Thursday.”

“Make arrangements with your professors to miss your classes,” he orders. “I need your presence to divert focus off of Sin.”

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