AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eli looked doubtful, but then he gave a small nod and changed the subject to gossip about a band one of their friends was currently touring with as a substitute bassist.
By the time he’d eaten Billy’s not-too-terrible steak, Zach was feeling a little mellower. Apparently more so than Eli, who, when Billy wandered back into the house to watch TV, grabbed a beer from the small fridge built into the stand that held the grill. “You sure you don’t want one of these?”
Zach shook his head. “I’m good.” He tipped his head at the drink. “Are you meant to mix booze with your painkillers?”
Eli rolled his eyes. “I’m off the strong stuff now, Mom. I can have one beer.”
“It’s your liver,” Zach said.
Eli shrugged and opened the bottle. “So, you want to tell me what’s actually bugging you?”
“Who says?—”
Eli lobbed the bottle cap across the table, and it landed right where Zach’s fingers were drumming against the tabletop. His next reflexive finger tap sent it bouncing back toward Eli.
“That,” Eli said. “You only turn into a wannabe drummer when you’re stressed.”
Damn best friends. They knew all your tells.
“I’m supposed to be relaxing. So you have to tell me before you give me a relapse trying to figure it out,” Eli said, leaning back in his chair and propping his bad foot up on another. He looked pretty relaxed to Zach.
“You’re not that sick.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Are you really willing to risk it?” Eli smirked at him.
“Anyone ever tell you you’re a drama queen?”
“Not often.”
“Only because you look comparatively sane next to Billy.”
“Hell, everyone looks comparatively sane next to Billy. Except maybe Danny.” Eli lifted his beer in a toast. “To mad musicians.” He took a long swallow. “But anyway, back to you.” He gave Zach a smug “betcha thought I’d fallen for your change of subject” smile.
Zach contemplated trying to continue avoiding the subject. Eli could be as single-minded as Faith when he wanted something. It would be less hassle in the long run to just give in. “Leah came to see me earlier.”
Eli’s smile turned from smug to genuinely pleased. “Leah? How was she? I haven’t seen her in … well, far too long.” He paused for a moment, expression contemplative. “Wait, she got divorced, didn’t she? Is she single?”
Zach felt himself bristle. Tried to ease it down. “Strangely enough, the subject of her sex life didn’t come up.”
“Damn.” Eli sipped his beer again. “She was always gorgeous. Too bad she was kind of in love with you.”
Zach flinched, then tried to hide it and almost knocked over his soda. Eli had thought Leah was in love with him? That was crazy. And why hadn’t he ever mentioned it to him before? “Bullshit. Leah has better taste than that.” He’d never told Eli about what had happened on Leah’s eighteenth birthday. So he didn’t need Eli poking around the subject.
“Maybe,” Eli said. “So, is she still gorgeous?”
“Wherever your train of thought is going, I suggest you change tracks,” Zach said, the words far closer to a growl than he intended.
Eli’s brows lifted. “Why? You want to visit that station yourself?” He smirked at Zach, saluting him with the beer.
“No!” Zach straightened. “That station deserves better than either of us. And, in case it has escaped your noticed, that station is a Cloud Bay station. Not going anywhere. So she doesn’t need to be derailed by either of us.”
Eli held up his hands in surrender. “Okay. Kidding. Mostly.” He frowned at Zach. “Either of us? Does that mean the thought has crossed your mind?”
“No,” Zach said firmly. “Nor is it going to.”
“Okay, then I guess you should tell me the rest of the story. Like why your encounter with the fair Leah has left you so cranky.”
Zach blew out a breath. “Faith told her I was planning to record.”
