He’d had 14 straight top tens, 9 of which went number one, in a short five-year span. It seemed nothing could stop him. His rugged country boy looks, his sexy baritone and his self-depreciating demeanor sent him straight to the top of the world.

He had abruptly cut his tour short last year to spend time with his wife. Rumors flew about trouble with in his marriage. He had married his high school sweetheart the day she turned 18, he was only a few weeks older. Three months ago his record company announced that his wife had succumbed to a long fight with breast cancer at the age of 31. The public hadn’t seen or heard from him since.

Suddenly there he was, at Ian’s front door, three sheets—no make that five sheets---to the wind and barely being held back by three full-grown men. “Miss Tippy!” he slurred and did something slightly resembling a walk to Tippy and hugged her. “Me and Colton had a couple of small beers. I don’t remember this part of your house. Did you just built it?”

“Yes, Jimmy, while you and Colton were having a few beers, the boys and I built a whole new wing. Do you like it?”

“Yes, ma’am” he nodded and pointed at Ian. “Who this?”

Ian stuck out his hand, “I’m Ian Justyn, Tippy and Colton’s neighbor. It’s nice to meet you.”

Jimmy fell forward and threw his entire six foot three body weight onto Ian’s shoulders. “Gawdang, boys watch yerseffs. You tripped me.” He pronounce tripped with two syllables.

“Why don’t you come over here on the couch Jimmy?” Ian offered.

“I’ll get some coffee.” Tippy offered and shot a look at Carlton who was white with silence. “Earl Wayne! I will deal with you later.”

“Who the hell is Earl Wayne?” Jimmy hiccupped.

“Uh, that’s m’Dad” Reece offered.

“Mom always calls him by his real name when she pissed at him.” Jesse added.

Jimmy nodded his head, “What’s she pissed at ya for Earl Wayne?”

“I’m afraid I let a buddy have a little too much to drink. Course, it didn’t help that while I was nursing a beer, he was sneaking shots of bourbon.”

“Ooh, bad buddy…bad buddy…is it just me or iss it hot in hyere?” Jimmy started unbuttoning his shirt and unzipping his pants at the same time.

“Here let me open the windows.” Ian said.

Carlton jumped in, “I’ll do that, you just see if you can keep him from getting naked…again.”

“Again?”

“Yeah, I’ve given up.” Carlton threw back the curtains and twisted the latch.

By the time Ian had turned back around. Jimmy was standing up with his jeans down around the tips of his boots, and was struggling to get his hands out of the inside out shirt hanging from them. Reece and Jessie were struggling not sure which way they should help.

Jimmy stopped in mid struggle. “Oh Gawd! I need to use the bathroom. Where’d you boys build the new one?”

Reece had managed to get Jimmy’s hands free. Ian slung one of his arms around his shoulder and helped waddle Jimmy to the bathroom as quickly as he could. Amazingly, Jimmy’s cowboy hat managed to stay on the entire time, until the moment he bent to the commode and vomited. At which point and time the hat was the first thing to