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“She made me come over here to talk to you. She was too nervous. Would you talk to her? It would make her day,” Eric says.
Isabella speaks before I can. “Listen, we’re just here for the barbecue. I’m sure there will be plenty of time for us to –”
“Heard, heard,” Eric interrupts.
I have half a mind to tell him not to talk over my wife. And then I remember she’s not my wife.
“She’s been keeping up with all the news. You know, the accident, your marriage. Congratulations, by the way,” he adds.
Who needs gossip rags when you have Eric Finnerty airing all your business when you’ve been having a totally average conversation?
“And the tour! Big tour coming up, right? Worldwide?”
Not the tour. Not right now.
I feel Isabella’s eyes on me. Searching.
Eric goes on. “You wouldn’t happen to have an in so we can get tickets before the LA show goes on sale?”
I force a smile. “I’m sure I could get something worked out for you.”
Isabella moves her hand from my knee. I want to yank it back, pin it to my knee. Tell her nothing has changed. Not a thing.
“Papa!” Leo’s voice calls out above the party din. He rushes over and throws his arms around me, snuggling his face into my arm. He’s been in the pool and is soaking wet but I don’t care that he’s making my clothes damp. “Watch me jump, watch me go down the slide.”
“I’m watching,” I say, my voice strained.
Leo scampers down to the pool deck. Isabella doesn’t even yell, “Walk!” after him. She’s gone mute.
Eric finally raises his hands. “Won’t keep you. And Redford, if you’re approached by a tall blonde, just know that’s my wife. No funny business,” he jokes, except it’s not a joke, it’s a poorly veiled threat.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about that,” I say. Akira and Andrew laugh. Small respite from the tension in the air.
Leo waves from the top of the slide at us. I wave back limply before he disappears into the curling funnel tube.
“Tour? Musician?” Andrew asks.
“Yeah,” I say. “Was trying –” I laugh humorlessly. “Was trying to keep it quiet, but –“
Akira glares after Eric. “People ought to have more respect than that. You know?”
I say nothing. Isabella says nothing.
No one says anything until Andrew decides to speak again.
“Hard on your son? When you’re gone?”
Isabella unfreezes. “You have no idea.”
In an instant, the happy family I thought I could have slips out of my grasp.
Chapter 16
Isabella
I feel nothing and everything at once.
The second I heard the words “world tour” I realized all my dreams would never be a reality.
