Page 33 of Passion’s Song

April cringed. She tried not to bring up Damien’s older brother. She knew it was a difficult subject. But Kurt had been closer to her older brothers’ ages, so it made sense that Jason would ask about him.

“He’s doing better,” Damien answered with less difficulty than April would have first assumed. “Stubborn, as usual.”

“No one expected that to change,” Jason said with a laugh. “Thanks for coming over, man. It’s been too long.” Her brother stopped short. He looked back and forth between April and Damien. “Wait a minute,” Jason said. “Are the two of you here together?”

April’s stomach dropped. She didn’t like the cagey smile slowly forming at the edges of Jason’s lips. April swore if her brother embarrassed her in front of Damien she was going to make Shelby a widow.

“Are you ready to eat some barbecue?” April asked Damien, pretending that she hadn’t heard Jason’s question as she turned to the table set up with several chafing dishes just to the right of the cake table.

Jason, the big idiot, just continued flapping his big mouth.

With laughter in his voice, Jason said, “You mean to tell me after all these years of April pining—”

Oh, God.

“Jason! Where are the forks?” Shelby called, stopping her brother from plunging April into what was sure to be one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. Although she feared he had already said enough for Damien to glean what he’d been about to reveal.

She was hesitant to even glance his way, but she couldn’t resist the pull. She was sorry she did. By the look on Damien’s face she could tell he’d figured out exactly what her bigmouthed, idiot brother was about to blab.

“Do you want some potato salad?” April asked, plopping a huge dollop onto his plate. “Shelby makes the best potato salad.”

Please don’t say anything, she silently pleaded.

Goodness, what had she been thinking, bringing him here?

She quickly filled her plate with food she no longer felt like eating, and made it out to one of the many folding tables her brother had set up in the backyard.

Damien followed behind, taking the seat next to her. When April chanced a glance his way, he was studying her with a curious look in his brown eyes. She forced herself to eat so that if he did bring up Jason’s statement, she wouldn’t be able to answer. But then, just like the true blessing her sister-in-law had always been, Shelby came over to their table just as she and Damien were finishing up their barbecue.

“Where’s the baby?” April asked her as Shelby took a seat.

“I just put her down for a nap.”

“Will she be able to sleep with all this noise?” Damien asked, gesturing to the crowded backyard.

“Honey, when it comes to that baby’s rest, she doesn’t allow anything to get in the way.” Shelby turned to April. “Are you still playing at that place on Gravier tonight? A couple of Jason’s friends were asking about it.”

April nodded.

“You’re playing tonight?” Damien asked.

Shelby answered for her. “She plays with this electro-soul group. You haven’t heard them before? They’re awesome.”

“It’s no big deal,” April said, waving off her sister-in-law’s bragging.

“Don’t listen to her. It’s a huge deal. She always draws a crowd when she plays,” Shelby said. She jumped up from the chair. “Dammit! I forgot I have bottles boiling on the stove. Jason broke the bottle steamer yesterday.”

“Do you need help?” April called after her.

She waved a hand in the air. “No. This is what I get for allowing Jason to touch things.”

Chuckling, April shook her head as she stared at Shelby’s retreating form.

“So, where are you playing tonight?” Damien asked, peeling the edge of the label on his bottle of beer.

“It’s, uh, this little lounge on Gravier Street in the Central Business District. It’s pretty neat. Styled after a London social club.”

“What time?”