“Jay? Babe, can you hear me?”
“Yeah, hey! Just barely. I’m backstage. I’m playing a show in half an hour.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. I’d forgotten he had a show today, too.
“I just wanted to inform you that the dude on the left is going to kick yourassfor excessive Ari Friedrich jokes if you keep it up, Goodman. You hear me?”
I love you, I wanted to say.I will never love anyone but you.
“My feelings for Ari Friedrich are not a joke,” I teased instead. But I couldn’t help adding, “I can’t wait to hear all about your show. Both your shows. Call me later?”
“Yeah. Always. I just, um… I was a little nervous, and I never get nervous. I wanted to hear your voice. Ask how your flight was. Thank you for hijacking my phone and adding every single citizen of Whispering Key to my contacts. That kind of thing.”
“I figured, since I knew your passcode…”
“Yeah. And ’cause you knowme.”
I absolutely didnotclasp the phone to my chest like a Victorian woman with a love letter. No matter what airport security footage showed.
“I miss you,” I blurted. “So much. And you’re gonna do awesome today.”
“I hope so. I’m trying out a new song today. Something I just wrote. So it’s really important.”
“Uh-huh.” Andfuck, I was so pissed I was going to miss it. “You gonna sing the song for me later?”
“You know I will.”
“Is it about me?”
“They all are, babe.”
I sucked in a breath that burned my nostrils. Had he ever calledme“babe”? I was pretty sure he hadn’t. I could also definitely get used to hearing it.
“Gotta go, Rafe! I’m the middle act in the lineup tonight, and the opener already started.”
I had a lot of other things I wanted to say. Like, “When you’re done with this show, get your ass to the island or tell me where to meet you.” But the man had a show to play, so I figured I could save that for later.
“Later, then?”
“Definitely. I have a surprise for you.”
And just like that, I was almost whistling as I went down the escalator, despite the fact that not a single damn Keyster had called me back.
When my phone rang again from a Sarasota number, I answered it.
“Rafe Goodman?”
“Yeah, speaking.”
“This is Officer Hood from Sarasota PD. I’m calling to offer you a ride—”
I started laughing, right there at the foot of the escalator. “Oh, my God. Did Jay put you up to this? Was this the surprise he was talking about?”
“Pardon?”
“Oak, for real. You’re a great friend to Jay, but you could get in trouble if you keep doing this. Besides, things are good between us now. No kidnapping required.”
“Who’s Oak? Sir, I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m Officer Rob Hood, and I was asked to give you a police escort to—”
