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Chapter One

My cowboy boots clomped across the pockmarked pavement as I weaved in and out of the rows of tour buses Screah the cra lot Roadies and technicians brushed pastfroaze over the dangling authorized pass around , nor did they ask if they could give me a hand

Intense June heat beat against ed the bare flesh aboveon the rolling suitcase behind ht side felt like it eighed doith lead

Rock Nation was one of the biggest music festivals in the country A hundred bands performed over three days, and the shows lasted around the clock Music fanatics camped out in the middle of the desert and somewhat recreated Woodstock Well, that’s just what I’d been told It wasn’t like I’d spent the last two days with thousands of stinky, ers I’d just come off a 737 from Austin, Texas, and hopped the closest cab to the arena

My only real interest in being at Rock Nation was seeing Jacob’s Ladder—the chart topping, Christian rock cross-over band The three members, Gabe, Eli, and Micah, just happened to bearound a parking lot in the middle of the desert

Sweating profusely, lost, and frustrated was not quite what I had envisioned when my brothers asked me to join theone around the country with theo But it was the first time I had to decide if the rootless existence of amy ass off, as my brother Eli claimed, for the label executives, I had been offered the role as lead singer The role was available because et married and join the seminary

After rollingsun, I peered at the buses Trust me, when you’ve seen one tour bus, you’ve seen them all Very few boasted the band’s naht noas faced with row after row of theht you could barely move between them

Peering at the windshields, I looked for the usual multicolored paper with the bus number For the life of me, I couldn’t re azed at Micah’s text Can’t co after the 4am show Pass will be at the box office Come on to the bus It’s 419 We take off at 9am with or without you

With a frustrated grunt, I shoved my phone back into my purse Most of the tiuess they thought since this wasn’t my first time at the rodeo, so to speak, I should be able to take care of myself Usually, they tried to treat me like I was still ten, instead of twenty-one

“Where the heck is bus 419?” I growled

“Yeah, just how much do you wanna see Blaine Bennett?” a voice asked over my shoulder

I whirled around to see a roadie grinning wickedly at a very scantily clad girl At the ainst him “Really bad,” she purred

Oh, ew It ay too early for this kinda crap “Um, excuse me?” I questioned

While the girl acknowledgedto you! I ”

The roadie gave a grunt of frustration before turning around His irritation faded a little as he did a pervy head to toe appraisal of ar?”

The girlher chance to see Blaine whoever he was because she stepped around the roadie and tried blocking his view of me

Craning my neck, I said, “Listen, I really need to find bus 419 I’ve got to find Jacob’s Ladder”