“Okay, but one more dance,” Hailey begged, her tone admitting that she was starting to enjoy having Grant hold her close.
“Alright,” Grant laughed, giving in to her smile. “One more dance.”
Hailey rested her head against Grant’s chest, and they swayed back and forth, slow dancing to a hopping honky tonk song. Hailey was lost in the moment when Grant noticed Misty and Paul struggling to make their way through the crowd toward them.
“Hailey,” Paul called, breaking in on their dance. “Your dad’s here…he’s already busted Billy Wayne…we have to get out of here!”
The color drained from Hailey’s cheeks as she imagined coming face-to-face with her father.
Jack pushed his way through the unruly crowd of strangers from Memphis, snatching a beer from a freshman as his eyes searched the barn for his players. “Get on out of here,” he said sternly, “and tell your daddy to be expecting a call from me.”
“Let’s go out the back way,” Hailey pointed, grabbing hold of Grant’s hand.
“Hold on, we can’t leave without Emily and Jessica,” Grant said as he looked around frantically.
“Sure we can!” Hailey panicked. “They’re not stupid; they’ll find a way home.”
“What if he sees them?” Grant snapped.
“You don’t think they would blow our cover do you?” Hailey yelled over the music, though Grant could only hear every other word. “Think about it…if they get caught, and they don’t sell us out, they have slaves for life. I know how my sister thinks!”
“He knows they left with us,” Grant huffed.
“I can’t get benched, Grant,” Hailey insisted. “I would rather die than have my daddy find me here!”
“You don’t understand,” Grant shook his head. “I can’t leave here without Emily!”
“Why not?” Hailey panicked. “Grant, there are going to be scouts at this tournament! This is the biggest stage we play on all year! There will be teams from much bigger schools…legit competition!”
Grant grabbed Hailey’s shoulders. “I can’t leave them here, okay!”
“Sorry, y’all, but we’re out of here,” Paul shook his head frantically. “You should come with us, Hails! He’s being stupid! Let him fend for himself if he wants to risk it!”
Hailey tugged at Grant’s arm. “Grant, please,” she begged. “Let’s get out of here before my dad kills us both. My life is over if he catches me here!”
Grant ignored her, searching the crowd.
“When did you become so overly protective?” Hailey grumbled. “You can leave without Em!”
“I won’t leave them here,” Grant snapped.
“Why not?” Hailey begged. “They don’t have a basketball tournament to worry about!”
A man in his late twenties walked by holding a scantily clad girl across his arms. She was drunk, maybe nineteen, giggling and kissing his neck as he ducked them into a dark stable.
“I just won’t,” Grant said, glaring, then relief filled his face as the search ended, and he spotted Emily and Jessica near the front exit. “There they are!” he pointed, glancing in Jack’s direction before darting through the crowd, pulling Hailey behind him.
“Jessica, let’s go!” Hailey said, grabbing her sister by the arm.
“I’m not ready to leave yet,” Jessica insisted as she danced closer to her partner. She held a red cup in one hand as she waved the other in the air.
Grant took the cup from her and let it drop to the ground. “Come-on, Jess,” he urged, forcing her to come with him. “She’s with me,” he told the stranger, confidently daring him to challenge him.
“That punch was yuck!” Jessica exclaimed. “But he was so sweet; he kept bringing me more.” She tried to free herself from Grant’s nagging grip. “I don’t feel that great…”
Grant rolled his eyes. “Your dad’s here, Rockstar, let’s go!”
Emily followed behind. “Jack’s here?” she gasped looking back.
“Grant, I’m gonna be sick,” Jessica cried.
“What is wrong with her?” Hailey panicked.
Grant grinned. “Babe, she is three sheets to the wind…”
“Drunk?” Hailey exclaimed. “Is that what you mean?”
“I’m not drunk!” Jessica protested. “I’ve never had a drink in my life!”
“She’ll be fine,” Grant smiled at Hailey.
As Grant and the girls made it out of the barn, Emily was horrified to discover that a couple fellow partygoers had passed out next to the barn’s entrance.
“It’s okay,” Grant assured her as he put his free arm around her to shield her from the scene as they hustled past. “Let’s just get out of here!”
“Where are we going?” Hailey pointed across the field, her heart beating faster than it ever had. “Misty’s truck is gone! It was parked right there!”
As Grant and the girls darted through a row of parked pickup trucks, Jessica began feeling queasy. “Grant, I think I’m gonna be sick,” she cried. Hailey watched as Jessica knelt down and Grant gathered her hair in his hands.
