“Nolan!” Tucker shouts in glee as he crosses over to my side of the entrance. “You made it.”
Nolan tugs his sunglasses down his nose to reveal his sparkling eyes. “You called, I came.”
“Oh my God, Nolan,” the man in the passenger seat says with a tight laugh.
Pushing his sunglasses back up, Nolan smiles a perfect rockstar grin. “Where can I park? I need to grab my guitar out the back. Did you bring yours? I amnotplaying alone.”
Tucker grins. “It’s in my car.”
“Hell yeah. You hear that, Sunshine? We’re making music tonight.”
Laughter flows out the windows as Nolan navigates the car to the parking lot. Nobody at the festival right now knows that the biggest rockstar on earth is parking and ready to playa live acoustic set for them. What world am I living in right now? A notoriously reclusive rock star is at the lantern festival for what’s basically a private show and my boyfriend is going to be on stage playing with him? I have to be dreaming.
Tucker grabs my hand and drags me toward the parked Mercedes. Despite my own fame, I’ve never been really good at meeting other famous people. I normally get nervous and ramble, making a fool of myself without even trying. But something about Nolan Hastings doesn’t inspire rambling or nerves. The blond guy with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen comes around the car to firmly shake my hand.
“Benji,” he says in greeting. “My friend Jackson wanted me to tell you that he lost a hundred dollars the second year you won the Super Bowl. He bet against you.”
I can’t help but snort. “A lot of people did. I was young with too much to prove to lose.”
Benji’s grin is breathtaking in its honesty. “That’s exactly what Jackson said. He said he should’ve known better.”
“Now I have four Super Bowl rings.”
“Only four?” Nolan asks curiously as he rounds the car to grab his guitar case out of the back. His voice is a hint sarcastic, but also honest to the core. I’ve never heard someone accomplish both at once.
“Oh my God, Nolan,” Benji says, smiling. “Four is a lot. It’s like four Grammys for best album.”
Nolan sighs dreamily, eyeing me up and down carefully. “That’s a lot. Are you single?”
Benji grunts, probably in some form of jealousy, but stays quiet.
Nolan grins. “I’m married to this stud.” Nolan hooks athumb toward Benji with a crooked smile. “I just like to rile him up.”
Benji blushes hotly and rubs his left hand over his mouth, revealing a wide platinum band on his ring finger. I slide my gaze over to Nolan and notice a matching band. What an amazingly well-kept secret. I’ve been a Nolan Hastings fan for over a decade and never knew he was married, let alone to a man.
“I’m private,” Nolan says as if reading my mind. “And Benji is mine. I don’t like to share him. Ever.”
“I can understand that,” I empathize.
Nolan’s gaze cuts between me and Tucker, who is standing a little too close to me, his jaw set firmly. “Show me the stage. I want to do one of these lantern things first though, yeah? I have wishes to make.”
“Do you?” Benji asks softly as we make our way toward the small stage set up close to the shore. “What sort of wish could you have?”
“Remember that time in Ibiza when you?—”
“SHUT UP!” Benji interrupts with a rumbling sort of laugh. They make eyes at each other, whispering softly as Tucker leads them toward the stage. Nolan quietly sets his guitar down, runs a hand through his wavy black hair, then takes a slow breath.
We’re all quiet as we head toward the shore, where River stands about to make the speech that’ll lead to the lanterns filling the sky. Hundreds of people dot the shore, lanterns and markers clutched in their hands, the promise of something on the horizon. Tucker’s hand curves into the pocket of my jeans, a steadying presence against an overwhelming moment.
River stands up on a picnic table with a megaphone. His smile is radiant, but his hands tremble with nerves.
“He hates public speaking,” Tucker says nervously.
I cut a look toward Tucker. “Should we do something?”
“He practiced a lot,” Tucker reassures me.
I hum and lean against Tucker’s side, enjoying the weight of him against me.
