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“It’s not the same.” He shakes his head. “It’s not the same.”
“It’s going to take a bit for this to all sink in.” Fee cradles Zane’s head when he crumples against her. “Our family has so much healing to do. It’s hard to fathom that Ty…”
“Fucking Carter.” Zane bolts up and smashes his fist against a table to stop her from saying the thing that has ruined LTZ. We all jump at the loud sound. Repercussions from the night before, no doubt.
Realizing that he’s startled us all, Zane’s chin hits his chest, wild, dark curls hide his eyes. Connor takes a step toward his bandmate. Slides his hand up Zane’s back. “Aye. Feckin’ Carter.”
Zane peers up from under the curtain of his hair. Shakes his shoulders out as he straightens back up. He loops an elbow around Connor’s neck and raises his other hand in a fist. “Fucking Carter,” he yells at the top of his lungs.
Just like that, I know he’s going to be okay. It might take a while, but he’ll get through it.
As for Fee? The sadness behind her eyes is just a little deeper. She says tiredly, “We should let them get their kids, Zane. I’d like to pick Mia up from my mom.”
“Yeah. I’m ready.” Zane holds his hand out to her. She takes it. We follow them out. Luckily, the news cameras left hours ago when all activity ceased. I don’t even want to know what was reported. Or how far this story has spread. I have enough bad publicity as it is, this is simply going to fuel the fire.
Fee and Zane get into Carter’s fancy Audi and speed off. We both wave. When the car disappears, I look up at Connor. His expression is unreadable.
“Well, in the light of day, what do you think about all of this?” I slip my hand under his arm.
Worry creases his brow as he examines me. His eyes flick around my face before he shakes his head. “It’s hard to believe that both of our professional lives have blown up in the span of a couple months.”
“I guess we’re in the same boat now.” I squeeze his bicep, disengage myself and move toward the passenger side of the car.
“Maybe we should take a page out of Fee and Zane’s book and hide out in Belfast for a while.” He toes the asphalt with his black boot. “At least we can lick our wounds in a place without paparazzi.”
“I have a better idea,” I say as he buckles himself into the driver’s seat.
“Aye?”
“Let’s buy a house here.” I turn in my seat to face him. “Somewhere gated. With security. We can’t keep staying at the town house. I’d be surprised if we don’t pull up to news vans out front.”
Connor glances over at me, his brow knits together. “Bollocks. You’re right.”
I turn toward the window. We don’t say much on the way to Connor’s folks’ house as the reality of the latest setback permeates the air.
The quaint little storefronts in Columbia City whoosh by, replaced by industrial buildings leading to the back roads to Capitol Hill. I’m beginning to know my way around Seattle now. At least to and from Connor’s most-visited locations. When the scenery changes and we’re in the middle of what looks to be an old-growth forest of evergreens, I whirl around.
“Where are we going?” I grab Connor’s wrist.
He flashes me a toothy grin. “Thought I’d show you a house that has some significance to me.”
I cock my head, puzzled as he parks on the street across from a beautiful old craftsman. Connor taps into his phone and stares, seemingly waiting for a response. When his phone pings he nods and gets out. Trots to my side of the door and opens it for me. “Where are we?”
“This is Carter’s house. The neighborhood is called Madrona. All of us have keys and codes to the alarm, Zane just confirmed Carter’s never changed them.” Connor leads me down a walkway to a carved wood door. He pulls out his key ring. Jiggles them until he finds what he’s looking for.
I’m not certain why I’m here, but I figure Connor has a reason. The house is beautiful in a traditional way. Beige walls. Thick crown molding. Custom hardwood floors. Impeccable decorating, even if it’s a bit dated. I can’t help but gape at the rock memorabilia lining Carter’s walls. I’ve seen Limelight play and liked them, but they were never on my radar until I met the LTZ guys. Well, until Carter allowed Kris and I to hitch a ride with LTZ on his private jet to Australia.
Connor stands beside me. “I can’t tell you how many hours we all spent here when we were starting out. I was so starstruck. Can you imagine? One minute I was running the family construction company and hating my life. The next, I’m in a band with Carter Pope’s son.” He sighs and touches a picture of Zane and Ty when they were teenagers. “Two of Carter Pope’s sons.”
“Why did you want to show me Carter’s house?” I smile at a picture of Limelight posing in front of the old Mission. The toddler in a stroller must be Zane.
Connor spreads his arms wide. Turns leisurely in a circle, taking it all in. “This is what I always dreamed of, Mae. A house on the lake. A place to raise a family.”
“It’s a beautiful house.” I look around with a fresh perspective.
He grabs my hand and I barely keep up with him as he crosses the living room to the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Look.” He points to the view of the lake, which is accessible across a vast lawn.
“Do you want to buy a place in this neighborhood?” I clasp his big hand with both of mine.
