“So, it appears Sam’s momentarily indisposed. Any secrets y’all want to know?” I make a silly face and hope this is no worse than entertaining the kids at Layla’s twelfth birthday a few years ago.
It’s quiet for a beat. “Come on, y’all. He’ll be right back. You’re not stuck with me forever.” They laugh.Phew. “So … questions?”
Someone yells out asking how long we’ve been together.
“Us? Like, Moose and me? We have been seeing each other musically for about a year. We’re un-biological siblings—twins, practically. What else? This is your golden opportunity. I could tell you about his parking tickets, his guilty pleasure music, favorite foods, what he got on his last literature quiz.”
Oh, sweet heavenly favor. They’re laughing.
I look at Carla, and she shrugs with wide eyes. Sam’s on the phone, but he doesn’t look upset. I’d be able to tell instantly. As long as everything’s okay, I guess I can hold it down for him.
“So … confessions? Comments? Complaints?” It makes me laugh when Jude says it, so I figure it’s worth a shot here.
“Well, fine. I’ll just spill. Sam drives like a very sweet maniac. I know there are a lot of gray Civics out there, but you should give them all a wide berth just in case. And he parks wherever the vibes feel right. Sidewalks don’t hinder him. Oh! And he has an unbelievable mental catalog of music. It’s nearly impossible to name something he can’t play. We bond over Bon Jovi, Needtobreathe, and George Strait, but he secretly loves Disney soundtracks.” Somehow, I still have rapt attention and laughter.
A girl yells out, “Favorite food!”
“Oh, right! Tropical Skittles and deep-dish pizza. Anything on the pizza. You could put the Skittlesonthe pizza.”
“How many instruments can he play?” a young guy shouts.
“That’s a good one! Who’s seen him on drums? Anyone?” They all cheer, so I was right. A lot of them already follow him. “I don’t know! Sam’s an incredible drummer. I’ve seen him play guitar, all sorts of percussion, bass, and piano. I think he’s mentioned violin, ukelele, and banjo. I haven’t heard him on banjo yet, but I really want to.” They clap, but he’s still not back.
He’s going to owe me. Big time.
Chapter 27
So What
“Do y’all know this song? This is as much as I can play.”
I strum a couple of chords and hear some whoops and whistles. I’m still on my own, so I go ahead and sing and they finally begin to join me on the chorus. I’m sure it’s only been about three minutes, not the three hours I’m imagining. But I haven’t panicked.
After an eternity that probably amounted to a total of thirty more seconds, I hear thecorrectpattern of notes strummed confidently. A much richer voice than mine fills the air when Sam plops down beside me.
Hallelujah.
I’m thrilled to give up the spotlight and take a back seat in the harmony where I belong. I glance at him, looking for any sign of distress, but he’s all boyish grins and sunshine. Business as usual. He picks back up as if it’s completely normal to leave your own show with an inexperienced babysitter.
Not suspicious at all, Sam.
We sing the rest of “Multiplied,”then he continues strumming chords in the same lazy way I did while he casually chats with his admirers.
“Thanks for watchin’ Lu Lu for me. She can be a real handful sometimes. Are we still having fun?” He pulls me up from the wooden block, and I hand his ginormous guitar over once he puts the other one back.
I notice Sam and Carla exchanging a thumbs-up, so I guess she handled whatever the problem was.
“Hey, Sammy, do ‘Love by the Lake,’” I tell him, leaning away from the microphones. It’s the perfect time for him to work in some of his own songs.
“You know my song?” He looks at me skeptically.
“Of course I do.”
“Really?” His face looks like he got a puppy on Christmas morning … or like mine when Jude brings me a pretzel. My stomach clenches.
How ironic it would be ifthat’sthe stray thought that takes me out—not trying to play a song I barely know in front of over a hundred people. I have no idea how many are out here. More than I signed up for, that’s for sure.
I shoot him a glare. “Make me cry and I’ll never listen to it again.”
