Adeline waited on the red stone step outside the front door and gazed up at the gigantic beams that supported the carport high overhead. Under other circumstances, she’d happily hide away in a place like Havenridge. The property was peaceful, the building luxurious. How many bedrooms must the place have? A dozen?
Too bad Gannon had filled so many of them.
She’d never imagined what his life was like behind the walls of his own house. Not only was Harper a surprise, but she also hadn’t put enough stock into the rumors of Matt’s drug addiction.
Did she truly know Gannon? And did she have what it took to live in his world? Yesterday, she would’ve insisted yes to both. Today, her attraction to him had been replaced by uncertainty, and this trip into town wouldn’t be long enough to sort it all out.
A black car with tinted windows came down the drive, turned under the carport, and stopped before her. Adeline pulled her purse over her shoulder and stood as a man in black pants and a gray polo got out. “You must be Adeline.”
“Hi.”
He came around to her side of the car, and Adeline saw the gun holstered at his waist. Armed security? Another surprise.
“I’m Michael.” He opened the back door for her and waited until she was in before returning to the driver’s seat. “Where are we headed?”
“My house.” Since talking to Gannon, she’d gotten a call that the fire inspector would be arriving in half an hour to determine the cause of the blaze. She’d texted Chip, and he’d also promised to stop by to advise her on whether she needed to open a claim with her insurance company for the damage.
After those meetings, she’d pack more belongings to take with her, but where should she stay? Was it necessary to remain at Havenridge and have an armed guard driving her around?
The car slowed as the gate came into view. The crowd had multiplied to about twenty people—five of whom were Olivia and company. Most onlookers didn’t hold fancy cameras, but many did have cell phones. At the sight of the car, they strained to see around each other.
The gate rolled open, and Michael steered through much the way John had last night, slowly progressing, though a couple of women, probably in their twenties, came right up to the windows. So did a man with a camera.
Michael accelerated.
The window tinting would’ve prevented any photos, but Adeline would be fair game when she got out at her house. Good thing she’d chosen to bring the dress and had taken time with her hair and makeup.
She leaned forward. “Do you think I’d be in danger at the house?”
“Caught a couple people trying to climb the fence, but no one’s gotten by us yet.”
Her house didn’t have a fence, so Michael must be referring to Havenridge. “Teenage girls?”
“No, men in their twenties. One of them shouted the whole way back to his car about how he’d be the best thing to happen to Awestruck, that they needed him as a second guitar.”
Second guitar. Fitz’s old role.
“And your gun? Have you ever had to use that?”
“Only in training. And Afghanistan.”
A soldier who’d seen combat.
“Thanks for serving.”
“You’re welcome.” He didn’t so much as glance in the rearview mirror and clearly wasn’t looking to get into it any further.
She hesitated to return to her point. How silly would the concern for her safety sound to someone who’d been in a war zone? “I’ll be okay at my own house, right? If people are only interested in Gannon and the band, and if the fire was accidental, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“At best, careless trespassers caused the fire, and carelessness on that level can be as dangerous as malice.”
“Oh.” So the danger was more serious than she’d hoped.
She watched as they passed Lakeshore’s outlying businesses. She was stuck at the cabin, and the proximity would be make-or-break for her and Gannon.
Could she believe him about Harper? Did she want to? Because if their relationship got back on track, she’d still have to figure out how to deal with fans lighting her house on fire, Matt, and who knew what other problems.
Michael turned onto Main Street. They passed two blocks of shops and restaurants and then had to slow for pedestrians who were crossing to Superior Dogs.
Her stomach lurched. “Oh no. Can we stop here?” She angled to see how much of a line waited while Michael parallel parked with expert precision. She hopped out, ran over, and opened the trailer door.
Startled, a teenage boy froze, hands in the till. Equally surprised, it took her a moment to connect the short, dark hair and light brown eyes the boy shared with Asher. This was his nephew, Noah. Asher glanced away from the sizzling grill as Noah went back to counting change for a customer.
Had he replaced her? She gulped. “I’m so sorry. I completely overslept, and there was so much going on I forgot to call in.”
Asher gave her an understanding smile as he used tongs to rotate the cooking brats and hotdogs. “The fire’s all anyone’s talking about. I assumed you wouldn’t make it in. You’re okay?”
“Yeah.” She eyed Noah, who was taking another order.
He braced his hands on the window as she had so many times. “Want to upgrade that to a brat? Only fifty cents more.”
As the customer agreed, Adeline bit her lip. A kid could do her job as well as she did.
“Don’t worry.” Asher chuckled. “He knows it’s temporary.”
“I’m glad you have help.” She forced a smile. “I’d stay, but I have a meeting with the fire department.”
“Good. Get to the bottom of it.”
“I don’t suppose you’ve heard anything helpful. Did anyone mention seeing something?”
Asher plucked a hotdog off the cooking space and plopped it into a bun. “I’ve heard a lot of theories but nothing I’d call credible.”
Asher would have to hear news directly from Joe Cullen or the fire inspector to consider it believable. Asking him to repeat anything else would be a lost cause, so she put her hand on the latch to leave.
Noah finished with the customer and jotted the order down on the list for Asher. “Someone asked if you did it yourself to get out of paying for the work the neighborhood association wants.”
“As I was saying”—Asher handed the boat with the hotdog to his nephew, who hustled back to work—“nothing credible.”
“Who said that?”
Asher shook his head. “No one you need to worry about. Go meet the inspector. It’ll all be sorted out.”
With the authorities, yes, probably, but they were no longer the only concern. Everyone knew how much of a struggle the repairs were. Though she’d accepted help, nothing had been completed yet, which could add some credibility to the gossip. If a tabloid got hold of the rumor, they could run with it. Everywhere she went, she’d be the woman who’d chosen arson over getting a better job and paying for her own home upkeep.
“Okay, so you know the lighthouse song?” Matt held the neck of his bass guitar with one hand and pushed the other into his hair until his fingers tangled. “I have an idea.”
Gannon fought for an expression that didn’t show his exasperation. Matt could have a good idea—he used to offer them all the time and had even written a few of their songs early on—but they’d been in the studio for hours, and Gannon needed to get out.
Harper had been smart enough to leave while he’d talked with Adeline. The actress’s things were still in her room, though, so she meant to come back, and when she did, Gannon would kick her out for good. He’d rather complete the task before Adeline returned. If she returned.
He’d asked security to notify him the moment either woman pulled up to the gate, but he’d feel better if he could go keep an eye out himself. “Will this idea keep?”
Matt passed his wrist under his nose. “Sure, I guess.”
“Let’s come back to it tomorrow, then.”
John shook his head and exited the studio. The drummer had been extra quiet all day, a sign that he disapproved of Gannon’s choices last night. But how could Gannon have known how it would turn out?
All he could do now was try to fix it.
“So, um …” Matt ducked out from under the shoulder strap of the bass and set the instrument aside. “Look, I wanted to talk to you.”
Who was this and what had he done with Matt? Gannon could only wait to see what the man had to say and hope that in the meantime, security would alert him to any developments.
Matt passed his hands over the thighs of his jeans. “I think you’re right, man. Things, um, have gotten a little out of hand, and maybe I want to get clean.”
Gannon stared. Matt was a wreck, his need to beat addiction broadcast in every move he made, but he’d been nowhere near ready to admit that last night. “Why?”
His fingers disappeared into his hair again. “I had a come-to-Jesus moment, you know? I don’t wanna—well, there was that cop last night. That was a close one, right?” He chuckled uneasily. “I was standing here today thinking it’s time. Time to get serious. To pull my weight again and that’s gonna mean cleaning up, so I thought you should know.”
Just like this, God?
Matt had always done everything suddenly.
“You’ll go back to rehab?”
“Ah, well.” Matt cringed. “We’re all here, and I know I’ve made bad choices, but I thought this place could be my rehab.”
Okay. Maybe this wasn’t the change Gannon had been waiting for. “You’ve been using here the same as anywhere else.”
“I’m done now. Here on out.” He lifted his hands parallel to each other as if to indicate the straight and narrow. “I’ve done this before, remember? Work will help distract me, and this way, the album doesn’t have to wait on hold for weeks.”
“Detox will be brutal. You won’t be in any shape to rehearse. Will you be able to play next weekend?”
“I’ll manage. It won’t be as bad as me leaving for a month. I’d miss the show then for sure. And, I mean, are we even still going to be here a month from now?”
No. Summer would end, and Awestruck was due in the studio to record an album Gannon still hadn’t written—unless he could supplement what he had with the songs about Adeline.
“If I fall off the wagon, you can check me into rehab yourself.”
“It’s one thing to say that now and another to follow through when the time comes.”
“Then do something else to me. Have me thrown in jail. You’ve wanted to do that forever.”
“If I wanted that, I would’ve left you with the officer last night.”
But Matt’s suggestion did reveal an option. Gannon could stop protecting him if he went back to using. He could even take it a step further, do what his mom had suggested all those weeks ago and fire Matt. But given everything Gannon had been forgiven for, wasn’t he obligated to show mercy?
“Won’t matter, anyway. I’m done. Cold turkey. Alcohol too.”
The near miss with the police officer last night wouldn’t have been enough to inspire a sincere change, and maybe this wasn’t sincere. But on the chance Matt would surprise him, Gannon didn’t want him failing. “Stay close to me or John, so you’ve got backup when it gets bad.”
“Or Tim. Or just here.”
“No. With me or John.” Not that Gannon wanted to be saddled with Matt right now, but the cravings would be intense, and as Tim had pointed out, Matt had a golden ticket—he could get whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted. Tim might even arrange the delivery for him if it meant keeping the performances and the recording schedule on track.
“What’s up with John, anyway? The way he was acting, you’re lucky you don’t have a drumstick through your eye.”
Gannon opened the studio door and motioned Matt through. “Let’s hope he feels more charitable toward you.”
On the way through the great room, Gannon scanned the couches. Tegan was there, but no Adeline.
She rose. “I need a minute with you.” Her chunky necklace and black short-sleeve sweater reminded him she’d gone to work today. Teaching. She hadn’t looked this tense when she’d left.
On the other side of the patio doors, John was doing something on his phone as the trio of dogs trotted off onto the grass. Tegan’s and Bruce’s presence suggested Adeline hadn’t left permanently, unless Tegan’s tight expression meant she was about to break bad news on Adeline’s behalf.
He pointed Matt toward John. “Go tell him what you told me. I’ll be out soon.”
Tegan lowered herself to her seat and folded her hands. How long had she been sitting here, waiting for him?
He sat across the coffee table from her and laced his hands together. “What can I do for you?”
“I need to thank you for letting us stay here.” Her tone was formal with undertones of disapproval, maybe even aggression. The treatment he’d expect from an interviewer bent on blowing apart everything he stood for. She kept her gaze level, no gratitude cracking her serious expression.
“It’s the least I could do.”
“I agree.” She kept her voice as even as her eye contact.
He waited. No sense guessing what had angered her and speaking to the concern preemptively. If he guessed wrong, he’d give her more ammo.
“The fire inspector told Adeline today that the ladder was pushed through the window. The fire could’ve been accidentally caused by the cigarettes, but the man you sent with Adeline told her something about carelessness being as dangerous as someone who’s out to get her, so she feels like she has no option but to stay here.”
Gannon would have to make sure that guard got a raise. “I’m happy to put you up in a hotel, but I’d rather know you have good security, and this is the only place I can guarantee it. You’re both welcome here. If this is about the damage—”
“It is about damage. To Adeline. She called and begged me to stay here with her because she doesn’t want to face this place alone.”
So she was upset. He’d rather talk this through with Adeline than with her proxy. His bet? Adeline had no idea what Tegan was up to and might even be angry her roommate had stepped in. But if Tegan would confront him, she’d also speak against him to Adeline, straining things even more. “I’m telling Harper to leave as soon as I find her.”
“That doesn’t solve the problem. Every time I see Adeline, she’s reeling from some monumental change between you and her. And that’s sad because I see her a lot, and this isn’t who she is. One minute she breaks out the bass for the first time since I’ve known her, the next she’s crushed and begging me to stay here as if her life depends on it, all because you’re toying with her.”
“She played her bass?”
“Is that the only thing you heard?”
“If you don’t realize how good a sign it is that she played again, you don’t know her or our relationship well enough to judge. You might know Adeline as someone who works in a stuffy office and serves hotdogs, but she’s been burying her talents, pulling into herself instead of thriving.”
“And you think the way you’re treating her will somehow help her realize that?”
So Tegan wanted more for Adeline too. At least they had that in common.
“Harper shouldn’t be here, but if Adeline played again, my showing up in her life hasn’t been a complete waste, and if you think I would willfully hurt her …” He wanted to tell her to find another place to stay, but that would only work against him. “It’s a good thing you’re here, so you’ll have a front-row seat to see how much that isn’t the case.”
“Maybe you wouldn’t willfully hurt her. But it’s like that bodyguard said. Carelessness can be equally dangerous.”
Anger stretched tight in his chest, about to snap. “How long have you been her friend?”
“A few years.”
“And you only heard her play bass once?”
Her silence answered.
“Then my being here a few weeks has done something for her that years before haven’t.” Years Tegan had been in the picture. Did he need to spell that out for her? “I’m not perfect, but I’ll do whatever it takes to help Adeline live with the living again.”
“Live with the living?”
“Adeline can fill you in. I have other business.”