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“You get a lot done?” Thatcher unlocked the vehicle and opened my door for me.

“Yeah, but there’s still a lot to do. We recorded two songs today, and I’m not sure about the second one.” Something about it seemed off to me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for it today? Maybe I was embarrassed that I’d spilled my guts for the world to hear, or maybe it was too sappy for anyone to appreciate?

“That song I just heard, where did the lyrics come from?” Thatcher moved into the merge lane to get on the PCH toward the beach.

“Those are my lyrics, but River helped me finesse them. He said the song reminded him of when we were all on the bus together and Kit was driving our equipment in his semi. As I remember, River only rode on the bus with us a few times after Kit joined the team and we needed to work out part of a song. After they met, he always wanted to ride with Kit.”

I glanced at Thatcher to see the corner of his mouth twitching. Did he not believe me, or did he think it was corny?

“What a nice sentiment. Those two seem to have fallen for each other pretty fast. Where’d they meet?”

Giving Thatcher the CliffsNotes version of River and Kit’s relationship, I explained how Kit was supposed to be our babysitter while on tour. I even told him about the pot and the shitty concert we had to give a second time because we’d fucked it up the first time.

“Hardy seemed to always find a way to procure pot, regardless of where we were. It was like he had a network of folks he could call. Hardy’s sister is married to the owner of the Baltimore Shuckers football team. That’s how he came to be in the band. Sandy went to Baltimore to interview for a coaching job, and he discovered Hardy and his awesome drumming skills. Sandy’s brother Marshall is our former manager, which is how Skyler met him. That’s a story for another day.”

I was overwhelmed by a sense of loss, and instantly, tears stung my eyes as I thought back to the day Sandy showed up with Hardy Boyer. Sandy was eager to whisk Sky back to Illinois, so he brought a replacement drummer to get Sky off the hook.

We all liked Hardy immediately, and Sandy got his happily ever after. Unfortunately, Hardy never would.

“You miss him, I’m sure. How is it with Skyler playing instead of Hardy?”

Thatcher took our highway exit and made the right toward Pie-zano’s Pizza, pulling into the parking lot and finding a spot. When he turned off the Jeep, he turned to me and offered a sympathetic expression as he waited for my answer.

“I think if it were anyone else playing, we wouldn’t have been able to get into the studio so quickly. Sky played with us when we were just starting the band. And Uncle Tony playing bass for us was a surprise I didn’t expect. I’ve known him since I was born, so it’s easy to trust him with our music.”

A single tear slid down my cheek, but before I could wipe it, Thatcher’s thumb reached out and caught it. His hand lingered on my cheek for a moment longer than necessary, and even after he moved away, the heat remained.

I tamped down my emotions and stared at the neon sign over Pie-zano’s. “What do you like on a pizza?”

Thatcher chuckled. “Anything except pineapple and sardines.”

After nodding, I hurried into the restaurant and went to the bar, ordering a supreme pie with pineapple on half for me. They had a wood-fired oven, so I knew it wouldn’t take long.

A minute later, Thatcher stepped into the restaurant and found me waiting at the bar. “I wasn’t thinking. I should have come in with you.”

He looked at the bartender and flashed that gorgeous smile. “What would you like to drink, Jordan?”

“A, uh, Crown and 7-Up, please.” It wasn’t something I drank often, but it seemed like the perfect night to indulge. The company was exquisite.

“And I’ll have a Woodford Reserve on the rocks, please.” He winked at the female bartender, and she grinned at him in return before she slowly walked away. There was a lot of sway in those hips.

“You have quite a way with the ladies,” I teased.

Thatcher grinned. “And there’s not one bone in my body that is interested in her or anyone like her, so don’t worry about that.”

I giggled as my heart sped. “Worry? Why would I worry about who you’re interested in? You told me you were gay. I just wondered if you were in a relationship or maybe have an ex you aren’t over yet.”

Thatcher’s expression showed surprise for a moment before his gaze settled on the bar top. “Can I ask you why you give a shit about my relationship status?”

My throat closed at his words. Did I have the guts to tell him why I wanted to know his relationship status? Yes, I did.

“Because I’m very, very interested in you for more than friendship. You’re nothing like any man I’ve ever met. Could you…? Could you ever be interested in me?” Before Thatcher answered, the server brought over our pizza box.

He swigged down his drink. “Let’s table this discussion until we get home.”

I sucked mine dry through the small straws and followed him out to the car. What was going to happen when we got back to the beach? I was giddy with anticipation.