“Never mind.”
“Brianna. I’m. Waiting.”
She blew out a breath. “Okay, fine.” She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Why did she think she could play a song she hadn’t finished?Too late now.
And yet when she started, the song flowed more smoothly than it ever had before. She filled in some of the gaps, improvising as she played. But then like always the song trailed off, still unwilling to show her its ending.
Brianna shook her head. “Told you it sucked.”
“The hell are you talking about?” Brock stood back up. “That was the best one so far. What’s it called?”
“You have no idea whatyou’retalking about.” She grabbed her fiddle case. “It doesn’t have a title. It doesn’t even have an ending.” She put her bow and fiddle away and reached for Brock’s hand to shake it. It was strong and warm, rough with calluses. “Thank you again.”Oh, God, should I say it? Yup. “For breaking my cherry.”
Brock laughed hard at that even as Brianna noticed a flush of red running up his throat and just touching his cheeks.Maybe there’s a bit of bashfulness in the badger after all. The idea of such a big guy with a strong personality like Brock’s suddenly showing a little vulnerability set butterflies off in her stomach. She found it hard to meet his eyes after that, so she looked at their hands, his still holding hers. He gave her hand a squeeze before letting go.
“Let’s get you back,” he said quietly.
While Brock went back for his shirt—darn it—Brianna put her fiddle into its case. She carried it with her left hand opposite of Brock, who walked on her right, between her and the river. She caught him looking out at the rushing water and glimpsed a trace of sadness in his expression that intrigued her. She knew next to nothing about him and realized she wanted to change that. She wanted to know what caused the deep creases around his eyes and what those eyes had seen. He looked older than her, mid-thirties while she was in her mid-twenties. He was ex-military—had he been around the world? Seen and done things that haunted him? Brianna had barely ever left Colorado; heck, she’d hardly left her little town of Lyons. She suddenly felt very young and unsophisticated compared to him. Was he humoring her? She thought they’d had a spark earlier but was she imagining that, as excited as she was about the workshop and competition? Or maybe she shouldn’t have played a murder ballad.
God, what is your problem? You’re supposed to be focused on the music, not some strangershe thought, then surprised herself when she asked, “What are you thinking?”
Brock turned and looked at her. “What?”
“You’re looking at the water so intently. What’s on your mind?”
He smiled then wiped at his mouth. “Nothing, I…okay, I have to tell you something.” They had reached the edge of the farm along the river. Music from the pavilion where the students would spend most of the upcoming week drifted over the water, louder and clearer. They stopped walking and Brock turned Brianna to face him. “I really,reallyliked spending this morning with you.”
“I hear a ‘but’ in there.”Now he’ll tell me I’m too young for him. Or God forbid, he just remembered he has a girlfriend. Brianna felt her heart speed up.
Brock smiled wider as he groaned and dropped his head. His hand went to the back of his neck and rubbed it.Yup. He’s got a girlfriend. I’m an idiot. At least he’s coming clean with me right now before anything more happens so we can do the ‘friends’ thing and then never speak or make eye contact again.“Like I said, I really liked spending time with you, and you’re an amazing fiddle player, which is the problem. I don’t want to mess this up for you.”
Brianna tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m part of the security team for the festival, but my boss and his fiancée are also friends with one of the judges. I would love to take you up on that coffee ASAP, but I don’t want to somehow—” He shrugged.
“You don’t want anyone to think that I’m hanging with you to influence the judging,” Brianna finished for him.
Brock looked relieved. “Exactly.” He gritted his teeth.
Brianna blew out a breath.No girlfriend! Now, just play it cool. “Well, I appreciate your honesty. Can I ask which judge?”
“Rachael Collins.”
That made Brianna suck her breath in again. Of course it would be the one musician she wanted to meet the mostandthe one who intimidated her the most as well. The woman’s music was soaring to the top of the charts alongside Casey Musgraves, Haim, and Phoebe Bridgers. Brianna had actually gone into Denver and bought a limited edition vinyl of Rachael’s debut EP to play on her uncle’s classic turntable just so she could appreciate her voice in analog. Rachael Collins and her story of fighting the odds to become who she was today was the whole reason Brianna had sucked up her misgivings and decided to submit the demo video.
“I have a hunch that I couldn’t have picked a better one, huh?” Brock asked.
“You could say that.”
Brock pressed his lips together and shook his head. “Figures.”
“Well, it’s not like I won’t be meeting her anyway. She and the other two judges are coming in tomorrow and they’ll be mentoring us this week right alongside the instructors. Everyone has a fair chance, too, since the first round of judging is listeners’ choice on the first day of the festival. The judges don’t vote until the last day.”
Now it was Brock’s turn to tilt his head and study her. “So, you’re saying Icantake you out for coffee this week without messing anything up?” That cocky smile returned to his lips.
Keep it together, Bri. Eyes on the prize, remember? You can’t just take him to your uncle’s coffee shop, especially now. “We’ll see how it goes. We’re both going to be busy this week, right? So, maybe we can meet up at one of the food vendors here?”
His eyes narrowed but the corner of his mouth quirked up. “If that’s how you want to play it, sure.” They exchanged numbers and then he reached for her hand. “I’m technically trespassing if I step onto the grounds today, so I’ll leave you here. But I want to say again that it has been one hell of a morning and that I will be shamelessly cheering you on.”
