AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh,” she said distractedly, nodding toward Zig. “Sure. Hi, Zig.” She bit her lip and tried to focus on Zig as he greeted her.
“So, you don’t mind?” asked Ethan.
She thought for a moment, trying to remember his question. “Oh, no, I don’t mind. Take the guitar. It should be there. I think I saw it this morning, in the closet, though you might have to dig it out from all those flannel shirts and old jackets my father stuffed in there.”
He grinned. “Yeah, he has quite the collection of flannel shirts. He even wore them when it was roasting, back when I first came.”
“That’s my dad, all right. The man with the flannel shirts.”
An awkward pause arose. Ethan nodded. “Well, I’ll just get the guitar, then.”
She nodded. “Let me know if you have any problems finding it.”
“Will do,” he said and turned, striding off toward the house, Zig following.
She stood there and watched his retreating back, still holding her plate of food, her head swirling with unanswered questions and unacknowledged feelings.
* * *
She watched her father sing into the microphone, his eyes shut, his face intent. He held his acoustic guitar slightly raised on one side, the strap holding it close to his chest, just as she remembered. After all those years, his fingers found the chords with effortless ease, and his voice retained its gravelly, earthy sound. Dylan crossed with Johnny Cash. Phil stood to the one side, his own guitar slung loosely, his fingers sliding around the frets, always easy in his manner. In the back, Stokey sat at his drums, sticks playing a laid-back rhythm. On the other corner stood Ethan holding Kate’s Martin guitar, now miked like the other instruments, while he offered discreet harmonies to the songs they sang.
So far it had been a mix of the band’s own songs and covers of others’. Everyone’s favorites. Their favorites. The reception had been enthusiastic, and despite her own mixed feelings of joy, anxiety, sadness, and trepidation, there was no denying it was special.
Tom came over to stand beside her, Tamzin joining him on the other side.
“They still have it, don’t they?” he said.
She gave him an amused look. “You mean despite Phil’s belly and Stokey’s bum knee? Not to mention Dad’s arthritic thumb?”
He chuckled. “Even with all that. They can still hold the crowd.”
“They can,” she agreed.
“It doesn’t hurt that Ethan is up there, either,” said Tamzin.
Kate looked over at Tamzin and frowned. “Sure, Ethan’s good, but my dad’s band can hold their own without him.”
Tamzin shrugged. “I didn’t mean they couldn’t, I’m just saying that eye candy like that which has talent to go with it adds a whole extra dimension.”
Kate looked away trying to pretend she hadn’t really heard the comments. She focused on her father instead. He was singing Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Just a Song Before I Go,”Phil and Ethan harmonizing. Though her father was sweating a little and his color might be a little pasty, his voice was strong and he was grinning out at the group. He definitely still had it. The Yankee heritage with a splash of Italian had given him looks that had only matured and now, with his eyes twinkling and his stage persona in full force, she suddenly thought that her own father might be the real eye candy right now.
“Hey, Tom,” came a low voice behind her. “Sorry I’m late, I got held up by a small emergency.”
She turned to see Simon Callington tap Tom’s shoulder. He nodded to Tamzin. “Hey.”
Tom turned around and grinned. A complicated fist bump session followed. “Pull up a seat,” he told Simon.
Kate watched Simon head off to search for a chair. He still had a full head of blond hair, but the sweatshirt and jeans did nothing to hide the fact that his once slim frame had broadened out into a more muscled and mature version of the Simon she remembered from high school.
A moment later he was back, a somewhat battered lawn chair in hand. He stopped short at the sight of Kate. “Wow, I didn’t see you there. Long time no see. How are you?”
“Good.”
Simon placed the seat on her other side and leaned forward. “No offense, Tomicles, but I see you all the time.”
Kate smiled inwardly at Simon’s old name for her brother. A nice bit of revenge for Tom using Katydid in front of Ethan. “You seem well,” she said. “What are you doing these days?”
He smiled at her, studying her carefully. Appreciatively. Kate blinked under his gaze and fought the urge to look away. Was he remembering her crush, or was it something more?
