Willow tried to hide her trembling thumb, but what was the point? She tapped the icon and opened the app.
“Haircut’s on the house, by the way,” Casey blurted out. “And not just because I feel partially responsible.”
Willow still didn’t follow Ash on social media,but it didn’t matter now because she’d been tagged in whatever the post was, which was why she was getting notified of all the reactions and comments.
Then there it was. Not only was it a photo of them from their impromptu performance the night before, but it was a photo of a moment Willow thought they’d shared only with the small crowd in the tavern…the kiss. And the caption of the photo simply said, “Together again. Just wait to see what we have in store for you next.”
The comments went from excitement and encouragement to posts that gave her déjà vu from years before.
wmstanfan:i knew it was an Easter egg!!! SOOOO stoked for this!
morgansminions:happy for wm if she’s happy but still don’t trust AM.
cntrylvr:YASSSSS
annabash4life:And…now we know the real reason behind the divorce. Why am I not surprised? Hope they call the duet “The Other Woman.”
Willow sniffed back the threat of tears and then gazed up at the other women who were all giving her pitying looks. She shook her head and squared her shoulders. “Ash had nothing to do with this. How could he have? I was clearly devouring theman for all to see when the photo was taken.” She turned her attention to Casey. “And you collected phones from all the patrons, right? So I don’t understand how this is even possible.” She knew they had no control over what patrons didafterthe show. But those would be personal posts from accounts that likely didn’t have a lot of reach. Plus,Meadow Valley takes care of its own. Casey had said those exact words. This wasn’t adding up.
Casey cleared her throat. “I did collect phones from thepatrons and my line cooks…” she began. “Drew, Hank, and Isaac are great kids. They’re all seniors at Meadow Valley High School, and I’ve known them all their lives. But it gets so damn hot in that kitchen, so we usually prop open the back door on cooler nights to get some fresh air circulating for the line crew.” She blew out a breath. “The boys are huge fans, and they admitted to leaving the kitchen unattended for a few minutes while they popped up front to watch.
“I think someone snuck in through the back and then blended into the crowd. I’m so sorry, Willow. Whoever it was somehow knew about the pop-up and…” Casey’s eyes turned glassy and she ran a finger under her suddenly damp lashes. “Did you see the second image?”
Willow felt sick. She hadn’t even noticed the second dot beneath the post, an indication to swipe in order to see what came next.
She swiped.
Instead of an image, she saw only a black screen with a green, wavy shape moving across the screen. An audio track. It took another few seconds for her to register what she was hearing…the raw recording of their yet-unfinished duet.
Chapter 27
Ash found her in the bedroom packing her suitcase, but Willow didn’t look up even when she noticed him lingering in the doorway.
“Going somewhere?” he asked, daring to sound playful at a time like this.
She let out a bitter laugh, doing her damnedest to hold on to the anger to keep from falling apart in front of him. “Yeah. I’m going to hole up in my bus near the fairgrounds for the next couple weeks before the festival.”
“What?Why?” Ash strode into the room—was he limping?—and stood so close she could smell the sweat on his skin. His brothers had obviously put him to work today, and it pained her not to ask him about it. To hear how he likely bonded with Eli and Boone and hopefully got closer to the family he hadn’t seen in years. But everything was different now. Or maybe it had never even changed in the first place.
She took her time as she finished folding her last pair of jeans before laying them neatly on top of the rest of her clothes and zipping up the case. Then she finally dared to tilt her head up and meet his eyes.
“Oh my god! What happened to you?” She instinctively reached toward the small cut on his cheek but then snatched her hand away.
“What?” he asked again, still seeming confused. Then he lightly touched his cheek. “Oh,” he continued. “Nothing. Just a little roughhousing with the boys.” He laughed, but then his brows furrowed. “Yourhair.” He lightly brushed his fingers over her new bangs and smiled. “You’re beautiful, you know that?”
She shook her head and took a step back.
Ash let out a nervous laugh. “No, you’re not beautiful, or no you don’t know that you’re beautiful.”
Willow groaned. “Ash! Stop,please. I know, okay?”
He ran a hand through his hair, making it look wild and unkempt like it had earlier that morning. Was it really the same day she’d woken up next to him after the best night she’d ever had onstage…or off?
“Knowwhat, Wills? Jesus, you’re freaking me out.” He took a step toward her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me what’s going on, and I’ll fix it, okay? Whatever it is, I’ll take care of it.”
She crossed her arms and took another step back, stopping short as she bumped into the wall.
Ash stepped with her, not letting her go, so that now she was both physically and emotionally pinned.
