I chuckled as Stephanie turned three shades of pink. She was pretty, with beachy waves and an embarrassed smile. She laughed it off and elbowed her friend, which would normally have done it for me, but for some reason, I wasn’t one bit interested.
“If Jack’s a mountain man, does that make me one, too?” Leo came up beside us and winked at me.
He seemed to be trying to be funny, because he considered himself a nerd, which didn’t typically go hand in hand with a tough, ax-swinging man of the wilderness.
“That depends,” I mock-pondered. “Do you live on a mountain?”
Leo’s smile was pure sunshine. “I do.”
“And do you do mountain man things? Ruggedly cutting wood? Throwing tree trunks? Looking into sunsets as you traverse rocky outcroppings?” I asked, watching the girls next to us as they waited for Leo’s response.
He shrugged. “I’m really good with a GPS.”
I patted him on the shoulder. “Might not count, buddy.”
“Damn.” Leo grinned before he took a drink of his beer. But the women I’d been talking to looked at him with stars in their eyes. That guitar playing had an undeniable effect on people. So did his voice.
“Artists are hot, too,” Stephanie soothed, moving on from flirting with me. Her friend also angled her body toward him.
Leo had a certain kind of appeal that drew women to him. He was a much better catch than the guy who didn’t want a relationship. At least he believed in that sort of thing.
Leo’s eyes widened. “Oh, well, I mean. I’m not going to argue with that.”
Hazel snorted beside him, joining the group and gathering herself as everyone stared at her. “Leo’s great at a lot of things.”
“He’s great at board games.” Autumn sidled up beside her as Jamie hugged her from behind. “Ooh, and he’s in a one-man band.” Was she trying to kill his game?
Lily had a puzzled expression. “A one-man…”
“He’s got a full set of instruments he plays all at once. Like Bert. FromMary Poppins.” Autumn lifted her beer in cheers.
Hazel burst into giggles.
Leo looked proud. “Don’t even lie, Ms. Matthews. We all know you had a thing for Bert.”
“I would never lie about that.” She and Autumn started giggling again.
It was then that I went around the room to count how many of us were sloshed. I was feeling tipsy after our dinnercelebration. Then there was Chase and Jamie, who were listening to Lamar tell a story; he waved his arms wildly and nearly knocked Luis over as he carried a tray of drinks. No one would ever accuse Starlighters of not knowing how to have a good time.
I tried to find Sawyer, Emerson, and Felicia to make sure they were doing all right, when my eyeline landed on Nat, whose cheeks were flushed as she spoke to a guy in a band tee and cargo shorts. Her eyes darted across the room as if she were looking for someone to step in before she caught my gaze.
Without telling my feet to move, I found myself in her vicinity.
The man leaned in to talk to her over the din of chatter. “I just love your account. I’ve been following for years. Are you here to do more footage? Do you need a guide?”
Nat smiled politely. “Oh, I’m actually?—”
“Taking a break from working.” I popped in. “She’s on a vacation.”
Nat gave me a look but nodded. “That’s right.”
“A vacation from your vacations?” He chuckled. “What’s that like?”
A flash of annoyance passed over her features, probably because he made it sound like she didn’t have a job. “I keep it low key. I mostly spend time with friends and my boyfriend.”
Ah, so she wanted to get rid of him. I put my arm around her shoulder, and she tilted her head against my chest. I hated how much I liked that, but I could probably thank the booze.
“Are you visiting too?” I asked him.
