“Lee?” Jordan smiled and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.?
I gave a weary shake of my head. “Yes, there’s something absolutelyundeniable about Lee. There always has been. But it’s more than that. As a whole, they’re reliable, consistent, you know?” I shrugged. “I haven’t felt that kind of security since before my parents died.”?
“Well, I think you have your answer,” he said, hopping off the stool and gathering his boxes and bags. “But just because you have your answer doesn’t mean you have to make a decision right away. Let it play out and see what happens. Speaking of reliability, has Dane even called you once since he’s been at trial?”?
I shook my head. “He’s been busy, I know. He’s sent me a few emails, though.”?
“Magnolia, we make time for the things and people that are important to us. If he wanted to, he would. Don’t forget that.”?
Just then, the door to the bar swung open and in walked Lee, guitar slung over his back like he’d just strolled out of a music video. He had on a white button-down, sleeves rolled up like he was about to fix someone’s car, and a pair of fitted jeans that didn’t need any fixing at all. His baseball cap was turned backward, wild curls spilling out like they had a mind of their own. For the first time since he’d come back to Savannah, my stomach did a full somersault at the sight of him.
And for once, seeing him didn’t fill me with that familiar rush of nerves or send my mind spiraling. Instead, it felt like a small but vital piece of me was quietly sliding back where it belonged, like the first sigh of relief after holding your breath for far too long. The chaos that had followed me around for years seemed to ease, and for the first time in forever, I felt a sense of normalcy creeping back in, like maybe, just maybe, everything was starting to fall into place.
“I just wanted to stop by and drop my guitar off. I have my amp and some other things in the car. And to see if you needed any help for tonight,” he said, his tone flat and almost bored.?
“See what I mean?” Jordan picked up his boxes and made his way to the door, shooting Lee a smile and a nod as they crossed paths. “See you tonight, y’all. Can’t wait!”?
Lee made his way to the bar and swung his guitar off his back, watching me closely. The atmosphere shifted, tense and charged, and I could tell something was off before he even spoke. Maybe things weren’t sliding back into place after all.
“What’s wrong, Lee?” I asked before he could begin. I’d known him almost my whole life, and I knew, beyond anything, when something was eatingat him. And something surely was.?
“I need talk to you about something, and I have a feeling it won’t go over well with you, and so I’m just going to say sorry upfront. Okay?” He wrung his hands together and locked his eyes down on his lap so they wouldn’t meet mine.?
“What did he do?” I asked, point blank, crossing my arms over my chest and bracing for the worst.?
“Who? What?” Lee finally looked up, and his shoulders relaxed for a second. “Oh, Dane? No, nothing. At least as far as I can tell. Wait, he still hasn’t called you?”?
“We’ve emailed a few times. It’s fine. What did he do, though?”?
Something washed over Lee’s face. Was it fear? Remorse? I couldn’t tell. He was hiding something, though. I knew that much.?
“Nothing. It’s nothing. It’s just… I’m seeing someone, Maggie. She’s coming tonight. Ryan’s picking her up from the airport now.”?
My heart dropped into my stomach, and I had to lock my knees to keep myself upright. There was no way I could let him see how shocked I was by this—no chance in hell. But the bile creeping up my throat and the sudden urge to start swinging at him were both dangerously close to bubbling to the surface.
“That’s wonderful!” I shrieked, scaring myself and making Lee jump. “I cannotwait to meet her!”?
“Why are you yelling?” He wrinkled his face at me while my blood pressure rose to critical heights.
“I’m probably just nervous about… tonight,” I lied through my teeth.?
All I could envision was this gorgeous, golden-haired set of legs in cowboy boots—like the dozens of women I had seen when I stalked his Instagram—showing up and knocking out the entire bar with her million-watt smile, mouth full of carefully placed veneers lubed up with Vaseline.?And then frumpy old me, skulking behind the bar in an O’Malley’s tank top and cut-off shorts, reeking of stale beer, cheap whiskey, and bankruptcy.?
“Oh.” His shoulders dropped, and he looked a little more calm now that me screaming at him wasn’t a direct result of the bomb he just dropped on me.?“Don’t be nervous. It’s going to be awesome. Ryan and I have some great covers, some new stuff to toss in, and the chart toppers from my albums. We’ll make some serious money tonight. That’s the most important part.”?
And, right on cue, my wide range of emotions came flying to the front, and I did what I always do when I’m nervous to the gills.?
I immediately started crying and snotting.?
Lee jumped up on his chair and dove over the bar, putting a hand on my shoulder. “What the hell is wrong?”?
I lied again, sweeping my arm across the bar, gesturing to the decorations and setup. “I just wish your brother was here to see all of this.”?
“Me too, Maggie. He’d be really proud of you.” He took a step back, and the second he took his hand off my shoulder, it felt like someone ripping a blanket off me in the middle of the night, leaving me cold and vulnerable.?
I observed him for a minute. Something felt off about the whole thing; the air between us was different.?I didn’t spend every waking minute in his orbit like I used to, but something wasn’t right. He wasn’t telling me the whole story. “Do you need any help getting your stuff out of the car?” I finally asked after blowing my nose into a cocktail napkin loudly, breaking the silence.?
“No, I’m good. Thank you, though.”?
