Gloria patted his arm.
Beale rolled his eyes and grinned at me. “Chet’s finishing up his last song. Fortunately, it’s his electric-jazz version of ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ so it’s gonna be a minute, but you’ve gotta come now.” He pulled at my shoulder. “Toby’s waiting over there.”
“We’ll stow your bag!” Gloria called as I jogged away.
The town green by the carousel was packed with listeners reclining on blankets, chatting and laughing, while a few little kids ran around playing tag.
Beale forged us a path through without any trouble, though, which was the definite upside of having a younger brother who was half again as broad as me.
“What’s the big rush?” I demanded as he rocked to a stop by the left side of the pavilion stage. “Chet’s set’s almost over, and everything went well, it sounds like.” I paused. “I mean, as well as an electric-jazz version of Stairway played by a man whose brand is techno-countrycansound.”
“Oh, no! Everything’s great. I just… like hanging out with you,” Beale said lamely. He pulled out his phone and shot off a text before leading me up the stairs to the left side of the stage. “I wanted to spend time with my favorite brother.”
“Since when am I your favorite?” I lifted one eyebrow. “Did you and Gage have a falling-out?”
Beale smiled a genuine smile. “Don’t be silly. I love Gage, but you know you’re the one we both look up to.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “I’msoglad things worked out with you and Jay.”
I frowned. “How’d you know that?”
Beale’s eyes widened. “I mean. It was obvious. Wasn’t it? When you asked us to text him and say we weren’t upset?”
I stared at him harder, and predictably, Beale swallowed and began to stammer. “Or Jay may have… said so? On the chat?”
My lips parted in shock. “He told the whole chat? Not just you and Toby, and Gage, and Fenn and Mase, but…”
“But all of us,” Beale confirmed. “Dad. Uh… Jonquil? Littlejohn. Lorenna.”
“Lorenna! No, no, no! She’s the biggest gossip on the Key!”
“Yeah, I know,” he agreed. “Everyone knows it.”
My heart started to pound. “Did Jay mention that everyone should keep their mouths shut? Did he swear them to secrecy?”
Beale frowned. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’tthink?” I demanded. “Let me see this text chain. Jay was obviously distracted and forgot. He doesn’t want anyone to know about us. Shit. If a reporter ever heard about this, it could fuck everything up, Beale!”
“Rafe, chill. Deep breath. It’s gonna be fine, I promise.” But he handed his phone over anyway, opened to the chat. “The reporter dude is nice.”
“Reporter dude?” Had my dad hired someone? Had he heard the news? The blood in my veins turned to ice. How was I going to explain this to Jay? How could I make this right?
“The reporter dude the next act brought with him,” Beale specified. “Just look and see.”
I ignored him.
“Look and see,” he repeated, nudging my arm.
I scowled. “I couldnotcare less about the next act, Beale.”
I’d gotten to the part of the text chain where Jay asked for a meeting, when Beale grabbed the phone from my hand.
“Rafe,” he said, nudging me again, tilting his chin toward the stage. “Look and see.”
I looked up alright, solely to tell him off… but then saw Jay step out of the right wing onto the bright lights of the stage.
He was all lean muscles and low-slung jeans, bright green eyes and a wicked smile. The secret dream of my teenage heart and the only man I’d ever love. When he looked over at me and winked, I swear my heart stopped.
“How?” I whispered.
