“I see. So I should have let you stay lost in the woods.”
“I wasn’t lost.” There was a stubborn set to her jaw. “Not exactly. I would have found my way out eventually.”
“Listen, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I had no idea you’d think I was a Sasquatch.” I chuckled at the word. I couldn’t help myself. It was absurd.
The blush on her cheeks grew deeper. “I knew you weren’t really a Sasquatch. It’s just that it was dark, and you’re so big and hairy.”
“Hairy?” I laughed. “Don’t you mean furry?”
A smile played around the edges of her mouth. “What can I say? It was an honest mistake.”
I ran a hand over my beard. Admittedly, I’d let it grow pretty damn long since our last tour. And my hair was nearly down to my ass. But a Sasquatch? “Guess I’ve been called worse,” I said, getting up off the floor.
Hell, the truth was I’d been called plenty worse.
Those dark eyes of hers watched me as I put the first aid kit away. With Damian here, I figured we’d be using it soon enough.
“Can I borrow your phone?” she asked, standing up. “I don’t have mine, and I need to get home.”
“I can give you a ride. I mean, we’re neighbors.”
She went quiet and seemed to consider my offer. “All right. Thank you.”
“Let’s go out back again. I need to tell people I’m leaving.”
We headed down the hallway, past all the moving boxes I had yet to deal with. I could pay someone to unpack it for me, but I wanted to do it myself. This was my first time buying a house, and I wanted the experience of living like a normal person for once.
It was cooler when we stepped outside. Everyone was gathered around the firepit, which had a large blaze going.
“Josh,” Dean called over. His noticed the woman beside me. “And I see you’ve rescued a damsel in distress.”
I glanced at Leah. She was watching him with an irritated expression.
“Her name’s Leah,” I said to him. “And it turns out you owe her an apology.”
“Me? What did I do?”
“It’s her door you were beating on last night.”
“No shit. That was your place?” He seemed chagrined. “Damn. Sorry. I got lost and went to the wrong house.”
Leah gave a brief nod. “I appreciate the apology. Just don’t let it happen again.”
There were a few raised brows at her tone. A couple people chuckled. I glanced at Leah and saw she meant it.
Firelight flickered over her features. There was something about her that caught my interest. She wasn’t beautiful, although she was attractive. It was her defiance. I liked how she didn’t take shit from anyone.
Tendrils of music began in me, starting the way they always did. Sometimes it was notes or a simple melody. Other times lyrics. And then sometimes, like now, it was just a feeling. But I knew that feeling.
I wondered whether I should take Leah home on my bike. The wind whipping over us both as we enjoyed the ride, her arms tight around my waist.
But then I shut that down quickly. “Let me grab the keys to my truck. I’ll be right back.”
Sometimes it was best to ignore the music.
When I returned, Damian was standing next to Leah, both of them eating s’mores.
“Here, Dad, I saved one for you.” He handed it to me in a wrinkled paper napkin that was still warm.
“Thanks.”
“Can I come along with you and Leah?” he asked. There was chocolate smeared on his face. His hands too. I was glad Charlotte agreed to let him stay with me for the summer. He needed a break. Hell, we both did.
“Of course.” I took a bite of the s’more. A smoky sweetness filled my mouth.
“Maybe I could see more of her animals tonight,” he said eagerly.
Leah licked chocolate off her fingers. I tried to ignore it, but couldn’t look away.
“It’s getting late tonight,” she said to Damian. “How about I give you a tour in a few days?”
“Monday?” he asked eagerly.
“Let’s do Tuesday instead.”
“All right, Tuesday. You won’t forget, will you? Promise?”
The desperation in his voice pained me. I knew Charlotte had a habit of promising him things and not following through.
“No, I won’t forget,” Leah said. “You can come by anytime. I’ll be home all day.”
“Brilliant!”
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “I’m going to tell people we’re leaving.”
I walked over to where Nalla and Dean stood near the fire. He had his arm around her waist. When I told them I was taking Leah home, Nalla’s amber eyes flashed over to her. I sensed disapproval, though I must have imagined it.
“Of course.” She smiled gently at me. Nalla had been a big help with Damian the past couple weeks, and I appreciated it.
“I’ll make sure these hoodlums don’t get too out of control,” Dean said with a grin.
I headed back over to join Damian and Leah. We walked around to the front of the house, where my brand-new black pickup was parked.
“Nice truck,” Leah said once we’d climbed inside the cab.
The sharp new-car smell surrounded us. I turned the engine over and listened with approval as it rumbled to life.
“Thanks. I just got it.” I shifted into Reverse and backed out of the driveway. Driving was a pleasure I’d nearly forgotten about. I’d never owned a truck before. I felt like a kid behind the wheel and had an impulse to blow the horn and floor the gas pedal.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what is it you do for a living?” Leah asked as I headed out toward the main road.
“What I do?” I glanced at her.
She nodded, and the cab went silent.
Even Damian seemed stunned. “You don’t know who my dad is?” He sounded incredulous. “He’s the lead—”
“I work in the music industry,” I said, cutting him off before he told her who I really was. I wasn’t sure why I didn’t want her to know. Not like she wouldn’t find out eventually. “I’m a… songwriter.”
“Really?” She turned to me. “You must be a successful one.”
“I do all right.”
“What kind of songs do you write?”
I shrugged. “Mostly rock music. Different projects.”
It wasn’t untrue. I was a songwriter. And not just for East Echo. I’d written songs for other bands too. I even wrote one for a superhero movie last year.
“Anything I would have heard?”
“Probably not. Is this your turn?” I changed the subject on purpose. “I’m still trying to figure out these back roads.”
“No, it’s the next one.”
I noticed how Damian was staying silent. He knew the score. He’d dealt with how invasive the press could be, how they wouldn’t give you a moment’s peace, and he’d been with me on more than one occasion when I was accosted by screaming fans.
In truth, fame wasn’t always as great as people made it out to be. When you were forced to deal with it a long time, it wore on you.
Don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t complaining about success. But there were drawbacks to it as well. Times when I had to fight for my privacy. It was the main reason I bought a house out here in the sticks.