I’d dressed up, too, since my dad’s big comeback show was a special occasion. Shannon’s eyes had gotten that dreamy look when she saw me in the dark suit, the slim purple tie to match her dress.
There was a line out the door as people queued to get in, the historic building bringing an air of ceremony and importance to the event. Dad hadn’t performed in over two years, and tonight was the first of a stint of shows he had planned. He’d been busy the last few weeks creating his act and had even roped me into being a part of it. I hadn’t played to a live audience for a few months and was looking forward to flexing that muscle again. I wasn’t nervous to perform, but I was nervous about how everything was going to pan out. Dad and I had worked together on something big for the finale.
Interpol had been busy trying to locate Dixon. Up until very recently, he’d been a ghost. I hadn’t told Shannon yet because I didn’t want her involved. I didn’t want her having any part of it in case we got in trouble down the line. What Dad and I had done was unorthodox, to say the least, but it was a risk we’d taken together.
I just hoped my decision didn’t mess everything up because life hadn’t been this sweet in a long time. It was the simple things that were the best, like sharing coffee with Shannon in the mornings, eating dinner together as a family in the evenings before settling in to watch a movie, or teaching Zara some new songs on the guitar. Each day, I was blessed that Shannon had opened herself up to me, given me another chance, and I intended to spend the rest of my life ensuring she never regretted that decision.
I was also writing music again. My muse had returned, or maybe that was just Shannon. When she was around, I was always full of a million new song ideas. She had a way of sparking my creativity. Of course, most of them were about her. Kami and Angus seemed accepting that we were back together, though I suspected a lot of their positivity was down to the fact that there were songs for a new album.
“I finally told Lotte and Ozzie about Margie last night,” Shannon revealed, and my eyebrows shot up. Her friends had been enquiring about Margie’s sudden disappearance for weeks, but Shannon hadn’t had the heart to tell them that Margie had been lying to them for the entire duration of their friendship.
“How did they take it?”
“They drank a lot more wine than usual, let’s just put it that way.” Shannon blew out a slow breath. “It’s a big shock to find out that a person you thought was your friend really wasn’t. I still can’t believe she’s going to prison.”
Margie had been facing a ten-year sentence, but a deal had been struck. When her parents had found out what had happened, they’d immediately flown over to Canada to plead her case. They’d offered to pay back the money Margie had taken from her ex-employer, and the judge had settled on a two-year sentence, with a plan that she would be sent back to Ireland after serving her time.
I didn’t fancy her living back here any time soon, but Margie did seem genuinely repentant, especially since she’d given us all the information on the catfish victims. All hell had broken loose after I’d posted that video to my social media. Just as expected, the entire internet was rife with speculation, and the online drama had only just started to die down. After tonight, it might just start back up again.
“I think I just spotted the others,” Shannon said as she pointed to a private balcony box where Angus, Kami, and Roan were waiting. “We’re sitting next to them, right?”
“Yeah, my aunt and uncle are with Mam backstage,” I replied, directing us towards the balcony. Zara was staying over at her friend, Rhiannon’s, house tonight, which meant we hadn’t needed to find a babysitter.
The only thing casting a gloomy cloud over the night was Elias’ absence. I really thought he was serious about quitting gambling, but he was at the rehab clinic less than a week before he went missing. None of us could find him for days. I knew he was back gambling when I discovered the bag of casino chips I’d won that night at poker was gone missing from the glove box in my car. After that I’d had no other choice but to tell his parents what was going on. Two weeks later my Uncle Jack found he’d snuck into his and Aunt Lille’s house and was in the middle of stealing a bunch of valuables from their safe. I wasn’t sure how my uncle had dealt with him but he was back at the clinic now and hadn’t tried to flee again.Yet. Maybe the shame of being caught stealing from his own parents would make it stick this time.
I knew it was early days, and he could still backslide again but I planned to be there for him in case that happened. But it wasn’t just about being there for him on potential bad days, it was also about celebrating his small wins and progress. Given my past, I felt like I understood what Elias was going through more than most.
“Any idea what your dad’s planning for tonight?” Kami asked. “He usually has some big surprise up his sleeve.”
“No clue,” I answered, and Shannon shot me a suspicious look. Ever since I’d told her I was taking part in the show, she’d been quizzing me for details, but like I’d said, I didn’t want herinvolved, and if she knew what we were up to she’d insist on helping.
Kami narrowed her gaze. “You sure about that?”
“You know I can’t tell you anything. Dad had me sign an NDA,” I joked, although it wasn’t too far from the truth. My father was meticulous about keeping the details of his shows a secret until opening night.
“You’d better get going. I’m sure they need you backstage,” Shannon said.
“I’ll be back out once my part’s over,” I told her, bending to press a kiss to her lips before I left her sitting next to Roan and headed to the back of the venue to grab my guitar.
Shannon
“You look very nice tonight, Shannon,” Roan said after Jace left.
I peered down at the lacey fabric, and although there was purple silk under the lace, it was still technically a black dress. To be honest, it might’ve been the most ostentatious thing I’d ever worn, but it was a special occasion, so it was only appropriate that I dress up. “Thanks. It’s one of Matilda’s designs.”
“I’m glad to see you and Jace are doing so well,” he went on, and he seemed to genuinely mean it. I still sometimes thought about Roan’s feelings for me, whether I should ever try to talk to him about it, but I always decided against it in the end. That conversation would only lead to embarrassment and possibly create a strain between us. He knew that I was in love with Jace, so what good could come of hashing out an unrequited crush? Besides, he’d just started seeing the woman who managed the art gallery that sold his paintings, so whatever he might’ve felt for me, it was clearly in the past. He’d moved on, and I didn’t have to lose a good friend.
“Yes, things have been great. I’m very happy.”
Roan nodded, his gaze soft and accepting. Before he could say more, the house lights dimmed, and I noticed an old style, black-and-white numbers board above the stage displaying a sequence: 245632.95.
A ticking sound filled the space, and the numbers swiftly began to click down. A spotlight lit up, revealing Jay to the left of the stage. He stood tall and confident, wearing black jeans and a white T-shirt that revealed his heavily tattooed arms. My father-in-law was well into his fifties but somehow still managed to maintain the swagger of a much younger man. The audience went wild. He hadn’t even done anything yet, just stood there with an enigmatic smile on his face, hands clasped behind his back, and already he had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand.
Then, an acoustic guitar began to play the opening chords of a song. The stage lit up, revealing Jace on the right-hand side. He sat on a small stool, his guitar resting on his knee. I only realised the entire back of the stage was a giant screen for shadows when Jay stepped behind it, and Jace sang the opening lines to “Carrickfergus.”
I wish I was in Carrickfergus
only for nights in Ballygran
