Her thoughts scattered.Run. Stay. Hide.
Heart hammering, she froze in the alcove as Reed said something about a break before the next performer took the stage. With more people up and moving, she had time to bolt. Down the hall, past the restrooms, and out the back. Her friends could find her at home. Talk to her tomorrow.
She could be home in ten minutes, relieve Grace and Cal, and kiss her daughter.
His daughter.
Did he know?
Suddenly, the steel and stubbornness that had kept her going for the last seven years flared up. She wouldn’t run. Not tonight. Not while she was alone, her daughter—their daughter—safely out of sight.
In the alcove, her friends surrounded her with joyful abandon, a reprieve she feared wouldn’t last much longer.
“You were amazing!” Charity declared. Willow pulled her into a hug and Hazel gave her a high five.
“Seb’s getting drinks for everyone,” Holly declared. “You deserve champagne.”
Scarlett glanced that way and Seb waved from his place at the bar. “Not the best idea when I need to get home,” Scarlett muttered. Behind her friends, Cooper was closing in. Suddenly a drink sounded like the best idea.
“We’ll drive you home,” Holly explained. “Cut loose for at least one drink. Levi is our designated driver tonight.”
“Pardon me.”
And the reckoning arrives. Scarlett closed her guitar case, hiding the cringey reaction as his voice cut through all the others.
Hazel elbowed her. “Your first fan club moment.”
If only. Bracing herself, she turned and realized the futility of the effort. He was still as intriguing as the first time she’d laid eyes on him. Back when she was infatuated by his command ofa lecture hall and his ability to distill complex mathematics into accessible concepts.
The past flooded her, one memory after another, rendering her speechless as she waded through the thrilling moments they’d shared. Seven years ago, she’d fallen in love with his mind first, though the rest of him had been equally tempting. A forbidden first kiss in a place not unlike this one.
“You’re the barista.” Cooper gave Willow an easygoing smile. “Thanks for the recommendation.”
“You’re welcome,” Willow replied. Levi slipped an arm around her shoulders, staking his claim. Not that Willow had eyes for anyone other than her fiancé. “Scarlett’s a good friend. I’m sure you enjoyed her performance?”
She felt it like a touch when his gaze landed on her again. “I did. You have a remarkable talent. You play as if you’ve spent a lifetime in a Nashville studio.”
He’d said that last bit a long time ago, the first time he’d heard her play. She’d been goofing off with a few friends on a sultry summer evening and he’d wandered over to join them. “Thank you.” Where had her bravado gone? All the courage and determination that had carried her from the moment he’d left for the perfect job seemed to be unreachable. She hefted her guitar. “If you’ll excuse me?—”
“One second,” Cooper shifted just enough to present a challenge.
“Here we go!” Seb muscled his way in with a tray of drinks. “A Floradora for our favorite musician and refills for the rest of us.”
She took the pink beverage topped with mint from his tray and her friends grabbed their drinks in turn.
“To Scarlett!” Seb lifted his pilsner.
With another cheer, everyone toasted her performance. “Y’all are too silly.” Scarlett shooed them out of the alcove. “We needto sit down for the next act.” There had to be a polite way to separate Cooper from the group.
“Oh, look!” Holly said. “Cora replied to the video I sent.”
Scarlett considered knocking the cell phone to the floor, but it was actually her phone in Holly’s hand. As her friends gathered around the device, Cora’s sweet face filled the screen. “Way to go, Mom!” Wearing her purple jammies with fluffy white sheep, she gave Scarlett a standing ovation and a big cheer.
Why wasn’t she in bed?
“I promise I’m going to bed now. I’ll be asleep in a minute. But kiss me when you get home anyway.”
While her friends commented on Cora’s enthusiasm, Scarlett was watching Cooper. Taller than nearly everyone else she knew, he’d easily seen the video from where he stood.
