by Mari Carr
That feeling grew when Rory spotted them and smiled. She peeled herself away from the crowd to come over and greet them.
“Hard to believe we were joking about the finale just a few weeks ago and now here we are,” she said, lifting her beer to Hunter in an unspoken toast.
He nodded. “As I recall, you were mixed up about the outcome.”
Rory rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Guess we’ll see who was mixed up tomorrow night. I just wanted to take a minute before everything goes crazy with the finale to say it’s been a pleasure competing against you. You’re an amazing musician, Hunter, and I seriously hope we have a chance to perform together sometime.”
Hunter reached out to shake her hand. “I’d love to play with you, Rory. Been a huge fan of yours for years. Still have quite a few Road Rebels songs in my playlist.”
Ailis noticed Rory’s smile faded a bit when Hunter mentioned her former band. She’d mentioned they’d split up after a breakup between her and the guitarist, Eddie. Ailis couldn’t help but wonder if Rory was nursing a broken heart or if she missed her band. Going solo wasn’t an easy thing. Ailis could remember her dad telling her how hard it had been to split from The Universe. She believed that was true now, as she saw his over-the-top excitement about the reunion tour.
“Hey, Hunter!” Tris called out from the bar. “Come grab this Guinness I poured for you before it gets warm.”
Hunter walked away, leaving Ailis alone with Rory.
“You doing okay?” Rory asked. “I was worried when I heard about the hit-and-run.”
“I’m fine. My skin sort of looks like some tie-dye experiment gone horribly wrong, given all the different shades of bruising, but the soreness is gone.”
“I’m glad. I was just talking to Les about it today. I still can’t figure out if the man was warning me to be careful or telling me he was on to me.”
Ailis laughed. “That sounds like Les.”
“So he really doesn’t have a clue who’s behind any of it?”
“No,” Ailis sighed. “My uncle Aaron is a Baltimore cop, and he’s been investigating, but no leads so far. Everything has been so random. I think it’s hard to conclusively tie any of it together.”
“At least Leah got her dog back,” Rory said.
“Seriously? I didn’t know that. When?”
Rory grinned. “The asshole who stole him tied him to a bike rack outside some dive motel on the edge of the city. The night manager heard him barking and called the number on the dog tag.”
“Let me guess, the motel had no cameras.”
“You got it.”
“Do you think whoever it is gave up and that’s why they dumped the dog? The finale is between you and Hunter and neither one of you is behind this, so it’s game over, right? The bad guy lost.”
Rory tilted her head. “Why are you so sure it’s not me? I mean, it’s not, and I’m wicked glad you believe me, but still…I’m one of the few no one has tried to sabotage.”
Ailis shrugged. “I just know it’s not you. You don’t think Hunter is involved, right?”
Rory shook her head vehemently. “Hell no, Hunter’s a good guy. There’s no way he’d stoop to cheating. Besides, there’s no way I’d suspect him after that hit-and-run. The guy worships the ground you walk on. He’s not about to put you in harm’s way.”
Ailis felt her cheeks flush. “I’d hardly say he worships the ground I walk on.”
Rory’s eyes narrowed incredulously. “You’re kidding, right?
Ailis glanced around the room, then leaned closer, speaking some of the things that had been bothering her lately. “Win or lose in this competition, Rory, I think we both know Hunter’s going far in the business.”
Ailis’s fondness for the woman grew even more when she didn’t hesitate to agree. “Absolutely. He’s phenomenal.”
“He has no idea what that lifestyle is like.”
The sudden understanding in Rory’s eyes told Ailis she’d found a good person to confide in. “You grew up on the road, Ailis. You know the lifestyle takes its toll. Nothing feels real or solid because we’re building this city on a stage every night, then tearing it down hours later, taking off and building it somewhere else the next night. It’s hard to keep sight of what’s real and what’s make-believe.”
“Is that what happened to you and Eddie?”
Rory nodded slowly. “He loved the lifestyle and I fooled myself into thinking we had something special because we had that in common—the band, the travel, the crazy schedule. I thought we were kindred spirits. Then I found him in bed with three groupies one night.”
“Oh. Shit.”
Rory laughed. “Yeah, no kidding.”
Ailis couldn’t help feeling like she wasn’t getting the whole story. Rory didn’t seem particularly sad about Eddie’s unfaithfulness. “So what happened?”
“I took off. The Road Rebels broke up the same day Eddie and I did. Now I’m fighting like hell to fly solo.”
“It looks like it’s working. Your fan base is growing by the minute.”
One of the things Ailis liked most about Rory was her ability to be both self-confident and humble. “Maybe. One minute you’re on top in this business and the next you’re rock-bottom. I have to admit, sometimes I feel queasy riding these damn waves. I wonder what it would be like to walk out of the ocean and just sit on the shore for a while.”
“The shore is nice,” Ailis said, recalling her desire to put down roots in Baltimore when she was younger. Now she found herself missing the waves.
“What’s worrying you about Hunter, Ailis?” Rory asked.
“I just got out of a long-term relationship with a guy who liked what I could do for him more than he liked me.”
“And you think the same thing is true of Hunter?”
Ailis shook her head slowly. “No. I don’t.”
“You’re ahead of the game, Ailis. You’re going into this relationship with your eyes wide open, completely aware of what you’re facing, both in the lifestyle and with the man. You can guide him through all the bullshit that comes with fame.”
“Excuse me,” a young woman said as she stepped next to Rory. “Could I have an autograph?”
“Thanks for the talk,” Ailis said. “I’ll leave you to it.”
Rory turned to visit with one of her fans while Ailis quietly slipped away. She joined Hunter and her Pop Pop at the bar, both of them surrounded by lots of regulars of the pub.
The crowd at Pat’s Pub, infamous for their love of sports and betting—not necessarily in that order—had been wagering on Hunter’s chances of winning since the first show.
Ailis had even placed a bet herself, swearing from day one that he was going to win the whole thing. She’d gotten amazing odds.
Pop Pop lifted his Guinness to her as she sat down.
“So proud of you, my little Ailis. You and Hunter have turned the city on its ear.”
She leaned over to kiss her grandfather on the cheek as Hunter said, “Thanks, Mr. Collins.”
“No need to be so formal after all this time, son. Call me Pat, or even Pop Pop.”
Her grandfather winked at her, making it completely obvious that he preferred the latter. Pop Pop resided on Team Hunter and made no bones about it.
“Hey, Pop,” Tris said, tilting his head toward the back of the pub.
“Oh good. They’re here. Got a surprise for you, Ailis,” Pop Pop said, turning around and gesturing toward the door that led to her apartment.
Her eyes widened when she spotted her parents walking out. “Oh my God!” She grabbed Hunter’s hand and pushed her way through the crowd.
“Mom! Dad!” They reached out as she approached, engulfing her in a huge three-person hug. “What are you doing here? I didn’t think you were getting back for another week.”
Dad lifted her feet a few inches off the ground. Her dad gave the world’s greatest bear hugs. “We wanted to surprise you, sweet pea. We came to see the finale of February Stars.”
> Hunter groaned. “Damn. No pressure there.”
Ailis laughed. “You two remember Hunter, right?”
Dad shook his hand. “Of course we do. Our paths have passed a few times this year.”
Mom and Dad had been home—in Baltimore—more than they’d been away the past decade, but with the pending Universe Reunion tour, that time had grown less in the last year as they embarked on a grueling promotional tour including interviews and scattered engagements throughout the States.
Her mom gestured at an empty table with a reserved sign and they all sat down. Most of the folks in the pub tonight were regulars who’d known Teagan and Sky for years. As such, her parents could usually spend at least an hour or so unmolested before word got out they were in the house and the paparazzi and local fans descended on the place.
Dad thanked Tris for the pint he delivered, then looked at Hunter. “We’re looking forward to hearing you sing.”
Padraig and Colm approached the table, slapping Hunter on the back. “You’re in for a treat, Uncle Sky. Hunter is killer on the guitar,” Padraig said, his slurred words alerting Ailis to the fact her cousin was probably already a few pints into the celebration.
“You’re going to take the whole competition,” Colm added. “Which pains me to say because I stand to lose money.”
Hunter laughed. “You bet against me, huh?”
“Didn’t have much choice. Ailis wasn’t going to, and besides,” Colm glanced toward the front of the pub, “that Rory Summit is not hard on the eyes. Or the ears.”
Padraig rolled his eyes. “My conservative, stick-in-the-mud bro here is starstruck.”
Colm shrugged off the jest good-naturedly. Even though they were identical twins, apart from their looks, there was precious little similar about the brothers. “We’re all really excited for you, Hunter. Seriously. You deserve to be in that finale.”
“Thanks, guys. I’m not sure it’s sunk in yet. I mean…” Hunter’s words faded away, drawing Ailis’s attention to whatever had caught his eye.
That was when she saw Rhonda standing near the table, looking at Hunter.
She panicked briefly, concerned Paul was with her. While her dad, cousins and uncles were completely lax when it came to Hunter, there was no way her ex-boyfriend was going to venture in here unscathed. Mercifully, Paul was nowhere to be seen.
Padraig and Colm made themselves scarce in the face of the potential scene—not that Ailis fooled herself into thinking they wouldn’t hover nearby in hopes of hearing everything.
Rhonda approached the table, never once looking in Ailis’s direction. All her attention was focused on Hunter.
“Hi,” Rhonda said shyly.
“Hey,” Hunter said. Ailis noticed his voice lacked the anger he’d displayed the first time they’d run into their exes. Which meant either his hostility was toward Paul, not both of them, or like her, Hunter had moved on.
“Congratulations,” she continued. “I won a ticket at work to see the show last week. I was blown away.”
Hunter nodded slowly. “Thanks.”
“I was wondering if,” Rhonda hesitated and glanced at Ailis for the first time before facing him again, “wondering if I could talk to you alone for a second.”
Hunter frowned, clearly unhappy with her request. “Rhonda—”
Ailis saw the dark circles under Rhonda’s eyes, and realized she needed to clear the air with Hunter as much as Paul had with her. While Paul’s attempt had been fairly lame, it had actually proven to Ailis that she was completely over the guy.
“I think that’s a good idea,” Ailis said to Hunter. She recalled all the late-night texts she’d taken in Rhonda’s stead when he’d been drunk and brokenhearted. The last one had been sent less than five months ago. So yeah. There were things that needed to be said, a chance for both of them to get some of the bad feelings out, so that he could move on once and for all.
Hunter sighed, and Ailis realized he didn’t want to talk to his ex-fiancée. “Ailis—”
“Hunter,” she repeated, in the same mimicking tone. She winked at him, hoping to prove to him that she wasn’t jealous or worried. She trusted him. The fact that Rhonda had braved the lion’s den to find him told Ailis she was desperate, and not likely to back off until she’d said her piece.
“Fine,” he said at last, rising. “I’ll be right back.”
Hunter and Rhonda walked toward the front of the pub and Ailis lost sight of them in the crowd.
“You’re in love with him,” Mom said when Ailis finally turned her attention back to them.
Ailis didn’t answer that, still not quite ready. “He’s going to be famous.”
Dad nodded. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure that’s exactly where he’s headed, with your help.”
“Tour managers travel,” she said, not because that bothered her as much as old habits died hard.
Her father chuckled. “Sell that to somebody else, baby girl. White picket fences don’t make a home. People do. And you know that.”
While her dad saw through her excuse for just what it was—bullshit—her mother took it to heart. “Was your childhood that bad?”
Ailis felt instantly guilty. Mainly because the idea that she’d suffered on the road was so preposterous. While there were parts of the lifestyle she abhorred—paparazzi at the top of the list—there were a million other things that made it wonderful. She’d had the best childhood any kid could have asked for. “Of course not. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, Mom.”
Her mother still looked concerned. “It’s not the first time I’ve heard you say it. I know your upbringing was far from normal, but I always thought—hoped—that it was something you would look back on fondly.”
“I do. I swear I do. I wouldn’t trade one second of my childhood. Honest. I think my comments were just based on the typical kid philosophy of wanting what I couldn’t have. I saw all the aunts and uncles and cousins living here, seeing each other every day, and I thought that was what I wanted. I’ve had it now for the past ten years and it’s great. But it’s not better. It’s just different.”
“You know you can have both,” Dad said. “Buy yourselves a house here and set up a travel schedule you can live with. That’s what your mom and I ended up doing.”
“That’s probably what I’m going to do as well. I’m always going to need some Baltimore time. I’m not sure I can go completely cold turkey on the Collins clan. They’re too much fun.”
“That they are. So your confusion is based on more than traveling for the job,” Mom said.
Ailis nodded. “Yeah.”
“You’re not still hung up on Paul, are you?” Dad asked.
She shook her head. “I’m not hung up on him, but he was sort of the issue.”
Mom reached across the table and grasped her hand to hold. “What do you mean?”
“I was invisible in that relationship, a nonentity. And as much as I’d like to blame Paul for that, it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I followed blindly, taking a job at that marketing firm because it was here in Baltimore, which is where Paul wanted to live. I didn’t like that job.”
Her mom smiled. “I know.”
“It’s like I couldn’t make a move without considering how it impacted him. If it would suit him. This past year, I’ve been trying to figure out who I am, and I’m struggling. Next thing I know, Hunter is in the picture, and now I’m afraid…”
“You’re going to stand in his shadow.”
Ailis nodded.
“Take Hunter out of the equation, Ailis. What’s your dream job?”
The answer to that was simple. “What I’ve been doing the past two months. Working with Hunter on his image, his songs, his performances. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed being in that environment. It energizes me, challenges me. It’s fun.”
“Even if that means you’re facing life on the road again?” Dad asked.
She grimaced. “I played that card because Paul would never have considered t
raveling with me. Or having a wife who was away from home so often, hanging out with musicians. I said it so many times over those six years he and I were together that I think I started to believe it.”
Dad took a sip of her beer. “Les has been waiting for the green light on this, ready to bring you in as a partner in hopes that you’ll take over when he retires.”
While her dad looked pleased with the turn of events, Mom’s expression was pensive. The conversation was about to get a lot harder because her mom never hesitated to ask the really hard questions, a habit Ailis suspected she’d inherited from Pop Pop. “So, we have the work front and living situation settled. Guess it’s time for the real question. It sounds to me like you didn’t like the person you were when you were with Paul.”
Ailis shrugged one shoulder. “Not sure I even classified as a person.”
“You and Hunter have been almost inseparable for the last year, isn’t that right?”
“Yeah. He’s my best friend.”
“Why?”
Ailis frowned, searching for the right words. “He makes me laugh. He forces me out of my comfort zone. He says the sweetest things to me and I know they aren’t lines. I know he means them. When he looks at me, he sees something special.”
“Something worth being seen,” Mom said.
Ailis considered that. “Yeah.”
“He doesn’t sound like the kind of guy who would let a woman hide in the shadows.”
“Maybe he wouldn’t, but what if I—”
“Ailis,” her mom said. “You’re one of the smartest people I’ve ever known. A quick study. And on top of that, you’re a lot stronger than you realize. You’ve learned from your experience with Paul. You’ve grown. You’re too smart to make the same mistake again and too strong to ever let another man run roughshod over you.”
Ailis let the words sink in, and she realized she’d been a fool. “I overthink stuff, don’t I?”
“Oh God, yeah,” Dad muttered. “Took us six car dealerships and eight weeks to buy your first car for you. I thought you’d never pick one.”
She laughed. “There were a lot of factors involved in that. Safety, gas mileage, coolness equation, what color to buy.”