As his phone began to ring, she could feel doubt creeping in. Wouldn’t it be better to tell him about her singing career when they could talk face-to-face? But, no, she couldn’t put this off any longer. Not when he’d made it clear how vital it was that he trust her.

The phone rang again, then again, and again, until his voice message came on. Megan sighed. She couldn’t tell her whole story on voicemail. “Conner,” she said, “I need to go back to Nashville for a couple of days. Call me and I’ll explain.”

That was the best she could do. Now she could only hope that Conner would get the message and call her back.

Bringing up her computer, she searched for, found, and booked a late-night flight. Amarillo, the nearest major airport, was almost two hours away by car. That meant she would have to leave soon. But Conner should still be able to call her.

She wouldn’t have to take much. There’d be plenty of clothes and other necessities in her Nashville apartment. The only things she really needed to pack were Lacy’s.

Laying the wig, the makeup box, the jeans, boots, jacket, and Stetson on the bed, she began arranging them in Lacy’s suitcase.

* * *

Conner stood in the ranch driveway, cursing as he stared down at his cell phone. He had just climbed out of the Jeep when he felt the phone, which he’d silenced for the movie, vibrate in his deep pocket. As he’d pulled it out, his fingers had lost their grip. The phone slipped out of his hand and had sunk into a deep mud puddle. By the time he’d fished it out and wiped it with a handkerchief, it was as dead as the proverbial doornail.

Could it be salvaged? He’d heard of tricks like leaving the phone in a bag of rice to dry it out. He would try that, but meanwhile, whatever the call had been about, he’d lost it. He could only hope the call hadn’t been important. Until he could either fix the phone or buy a new one, he was out of touch and out of luck.

* * *

Like a Christmas tree with ten million dazzling lights, the city of Nashville glittered in the darkness. Crowded into the van with the rest of the band and their gear, Megan, dressed as Lacy, could feel her heart slamming against her ribs. The adrenaline rush, coupled with an aching sense of anticipation, was as heady as a drug. Tonight could make or break her music career. If the right people noticed her, she could be on her way to stardom—or this could turn out to be just another night, and another show.