“YOU’RE THE FOURTH CALLER. CAN YOU NAME THE artist and the year the song hit number one?”
Brad’s heart was beating so loud in his chest he could hardly hear himself think. “Brooks and Dunn. And the year was . . . 2005.”
“That’s right. We’ve got a winner. Hold on, young man, and we’ll get some more information from you.”
While music played through the telephone, Brad stared at his best friend, Charlie Regal. I won, he mouthed in disbelief.
He’d never won anything before in his life. Not anything like this, anyway. Tickets for four to a three-day outdoor country music festival to be held that coming summer in Utah. Meeting the artists, T-shirts, and more.
When Brad was finally off the phone, he and Charlie raced up the stairs to the laptop computer in his bedroom. In no time at all, he pulled up the website for the music festival and scrolled through the list of artists. There were a couple of major names among them. The others he would have to check out.
“Can you believe it, Charlie? We’re gonna get to see these guys in person. We’re gonna get to meet them.”
“We?”
“Are you kidding?” He punched his friend in the arm. “Of course you’re going with me. You and two others.”
“Your dad and Penny.”
Brad shrugged. “I don’t know. It isn’t Dad’s kind of thing. And besides, he’ll say he hates to ask someone to take care of the livestock while he’s away for several days. Penny might be interested. She likes country music. I’m just not sure she would want three days and nights of it.”
“You think our folks will let just four of us guys go? You know, without a parent along.”
“Sure. Why not? We’re seventeen. I’ll almost be eighteen. We’ll all be seniors.”
“You know my mom,” Charlie said with a shake of his head.
Yeah, Brad knew Mrs. Regal. She’d always been on the overprotective side. Charlie griped about it often, and Brad thought he had good reason to complain. His own dad was strict, but he gave Brad freedom. Enough freedom even to make mistakes he could learn from.
He laid a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “We’ll ask a couple of older friends then. And we’ve got four months to work on her. By the time of the festival, she’ll be glad to have you out of her hair.”
They laughed and then both turned their eyes back to the laptop screen.
August was never going to get here fast enough.