“Okay, we’re in this together, that’s what you want?”
“Demand is more like it,” she said casually.
“Then, we pretend that we’re a thing again. That way, I can be at your side. That way, I can at least attempt to protect you.”
She looked startled for a minute, and then as if she was about to protest.
But she didn’t. Instead, she smiled. “At least that way, maybe I can protect you.”
“Sure, cute, of course,” he said. “The point is we stick together and we have one another’s backs. How does that work for you?”
She nodded slowly. “There’s not a lot of time. I’ve made lists of everyone there—”
“I did, too.”
“But,” Sky continued, frustrated then, “we only have two more rehearsals and then the show.”
“Lunch.”
Sky’s face knotted in confusion. “Lunch? It’s past midnight, and you’ve just finished a nice big plate of cheese grits and shrimp and—”
“No. Let’s invite the guys to lunch.”
“Oh! Smart. Think they’ll come?”
“To the best of my knowledge, they have nothing else to do until the show. Brandon Wiley is the only other family member, and he’s here with Chris, so they’d be having lunch together somewhere anyway. Of course, every one of the guys—”
“We need the roadies, too,” she reminded him.
“They’ll come. It will be a free meal.”
“Okay, so...”
“Why don’t we send out an email invitation,” Chase said.
“We?”
He smiled. “Of course. We’re a thing, right?”
“I’ll write it or you’ll write it?” Sky asked.
“Doesn’t matter, we just need to get it out.”
Sky nodded, rose and walked from the kitchen to the dining room and back across to her office. She sat at her computer and started filling in addresses. “Okay, I have Chris, Mark, Hank, Joe and Brandon. Not sure I have all the roadies in my address book.”
“I’ll fill them in,” Chase said. “May I?”
She shrugged and started out of her chair. He was already sliding in before she could slide out. She moved quickly.
Chase entered the extra addresses and then a message.
Hey, guys! Rare opportunity! Lunch in the French Quarter—seriously! We’ll meet at Chase’s noonish, unless that’s too early for old rock stars.
“Your place?” Sky asked. “I thought you meant here.”
“My place is more convenient for those not living here—French Quarter.”
“Okay, whatever. But as for lunch...”
“Delivery. It will be great.”
Sky looked at him, nodding. A little blip caused them both to look at the computer screen. “An answer already,” Chase noted.
Sky stood to look over his shoulder. “Joe Garcia! He says he’s in. Excellent. And he gave us an LOL, telling us that old people have a tendency to be early risers!”
“We’ll have them all here, trust me,” Chase said. “And—”
He broke off. A dog was barking loudly enough to raise the dead. The sound was coming from somewhere nearby.
From right next door.
Chase leaped to his feet and hurried out of Skylar’s office to the front, throwing open the door.
He could swear he saw the gate at the front rattling. And the dog continued to bark. He hurried outside, looking just beyond the gate.
There was nothing. And the barking stopped abruptly.
“Chase!” Sky called, hurrying outside to join him. “Hey, people walk on the street. And that’s King from next door, a big old shepherd, but sweet as a baby. He’s—”
