“Hmm. Wild Man? Crazy Charlie?” Charlie asked.
Skylar had a smile plastered on her face as she accepted hugs from the two of them, too. There was nothing wrong with Justin’s looks; he was a young, strong sixty-plus, but he tended to have a more serious demeanor, and she’d noted through many occasions that he was happiest when his wife was able to attend whatever gig they were working and that he worried about the right gift for her on any occasion. On the other hand, Charlie had dark brown eyes, almost platinum hair and a smile that made him alluring—except to Sky, it also made him appear a little...smarmy. If that was a word.
“You are a wild man,” Joe said simply. “But hey—”
“Hey, yeah, the invitation came from Sky’s email—to come to Chase’s house. So, hmm, should we assume some old fires have rekindled and we have a hunk, a hunk of burning love going on here?” Charlie asked.
“Charlie,” Joe murmured. “The kids...”
“Kids? Joe, they grew up!” Justin protested.
“My question is purely selfish. If the studly drummer is occupied with the luscious young singer, that leaves more adoring fans ready to pounce on a roadie just because he’s close to the band!” Charlie said.
Sky smiled and said, “Thank you. I think. Yeah, um, I mean, who knows? But...yes...we’re having this luncheon together.”
“You two are together?” Joe said, looking at them. He seemed surprised at first and then pleased. “Jake would be pleased,” Joe said softly. “Chase is a good boy—”
“Joe! These kids are both over twenty-one now and, from what I hear, leading full and responsible lives,” Nathan said, stepping back into the conversation. “Then again,” he added with a shrug, “you guys will be kids to Joe and the other oldsters as long as we all live.”
“True,” Chase said, setting his arm around Sky’s shoulders. “Guess what, Nathan. Hank calls you guys kids, too. He told me he used to call anyone under forty a kid, but now it’s anyone under fifty.”
“We’re going to miss Hank,” Joe said. “But! We want him better. The world is revolving again, and we’ve gotten so many offers.”
“And,” Charlie said, “let’s hope you’re going to take them. Have to stay relevant. I mean, we may all know you, Chris and Mark are older than dirt, but between us all, we caught some great acts last year! I saw the Stones, still amazing. I saw the Eagles, Def Leppard, U2 and more, but I believe putting the Sky into Skyhawk is going to be something amazing!”
“Hey,” Chris protested, “I may be older than dirt, but I have a full head of hair, dark bedroom eyes—if I do say so myself—and I can pass for...well, at least five years younger. Neither here nor there. Back to it. So... Sky?”
“I can’t promise a tour,” Sky told him.
“But she’s not not promising a tour, either,” Chase said.
“Well, cool, young McCoy. We believe Hank will be back,” Joe said, “but we all know you’re welcome for half the gig anytime.”
“Hey—and there, at the gate. Mark, Chris and Brandon!” Sky said.
Sky wanted this lunch; they needed the gathering. Or did they? Was it going to help any? They knew the players... Nathan, reserved, glad to be behind the curtain. Charlie, always out there, the guy to overdo things.
But did that make him...homicidal?
But something had happened. Chase had always known it; he had been working it, and maybe what had happened had turned him onto the path he’d taken as what now seemed to be the life of a perpetual student.
And she felt uncomfortable, standing there as they were.
“Hail, hail! The gang’s all here!”
“You’re here,” Mark said, looking from Nathan to Charlie to Justin. “You’re here. But tonight, we have our chance at the venue—”
“Are you kidding, man?” Justin asked. “We started last night, and we finished up this morning. All we need is Skyhawk up on the stage.”
“Sky and Skyhawk!” Charlie said, turning to look at her. His expression was serious, and his words were spoken with what seemed like real warmth. “Seriously, Sky. Your dad was always so proud of you. On stage and off. Someone asked him once what he wanted you to be when you grew up—a rock star, or maybe president of the United States. He said he just wanted you to grow up to be a good and decent person doing what you loved for a living, whatever that proved to be. He would be so proud.”
“Charlie,” she said softly, “thank you. That’s very sweet of you.” She turned to the others. “Come on, we’ve provided all kinds of our city’s finest choices. I mean we are a music city, and we are a food city! Let’s eat! We have jambalaya, crawfish étouffée and so much more! Let’s do this!”
“Fine!” Chris said. “Boy, and it’s as if he heard the dinner bell—here comes Brandon now!”
Chase moved ahead and did a presentation of all the dishes he had ordered, with Chris Wiley laughing and telling him it was a feast for kings—on paper plates.
“I have important work tonight. No time for dishes,” Chase explained. “Eight chairs at the table, but we can drag in the stools from the kitchen, or anyone can sit wherever they want to sit. Just dig in. It’s great to be together.”
“Let’s do a video chat with Hank, too, huh? Could we?” Mark asked.
“Sure, he has his phone,” Chase said. “I’ll try to reach him.”
He stepped into the kitchen area to make the call while the others grabbed plates and piled them high.
Sky waited for the others and realized she was standing back. To her surprise, Charlie turned to her and spoke softly. “Sky...”
“Yes?”
He looked pained. “I...I know how to work a stage. I know we weren’t blamed, and the fire marshal said there was a faulty wire, no one could have done anything. I just... I always felt guilty. As if there should have been something...that I should have seen something, that...”
“Charlie, stop, please!” she said, setting an arm on his shoulder. He was the wild one. The one who might have gone off the deep end at one time or another.
But she believed he was sincere. His eyes were filled with pain.
“Charlie, I know that you know wires, and I know you’d never have allowed anything bad up there. I know you loved my dad. Please, the pain of loss is bad enough. We never blamed you, my mom never blamed you.”
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “I appreciate your words. They help.”
