Page 10 of Summer Serenade
Quid pro quo.
That was the phrase his foster dad, who was a science teacher at the local high school, used all the time, including last week when they’d spoken.
No.Nash couldn’t trust a stranger. So-called friends had betrayed him to the gossip sites for a payout. Trusting Ivy would be stupid. Asking her to sign the NDA would be smart. His manager and lawyer would agree.
Now, all Nash needed was to see Ivy again.
That meant returning to the pub. He would listen to her sing and wait for an opportunity to approach her.
* * *
Later that night, Nash put on a beanie and picked out another graphic T-shirt. He probably didn’t need to go full-on hipster because his beard and sunglasses made him unrecognizable, but he wanted to do his part not to sully his reputation more.
As if that could happen going out to hear someone sing.
But R.J. had asked him to do this, so Nash wouldn’t quibble.
He snagged a stool at the pub’s bar. Sitting was more comfortable on his leg than standing near the exit as he’d done yesterday. Anticipation thrummed through his veins.
A drum kit and amplifiers sat on the small stage area. Those hadn’t been there last night. Was Ivy part of a band, too?
As if on cue, four men took the stage.
A knot formed in Nash’s stomach.
Ivy wasn’t performing tonight.
Swallowing hard, he faced the bar. No reason to watch now. The music faded into nothing but the bass line and drumbeat. Not country music but rock.
Not once had he imagined this scenario.
Which was stupid.
The thought she might be on tour, and last night her only show in Quinn Valley, had never entered his mind. It should have, because musicians toured.
Which meant she could be…anywhere.
Well, within a day’s drive. That was what Nash had done when he organized his own tours in the early days. He’d booked the gigs, driven himself from show to show, and hauled CDs and merch to hawk after the show. That was how R.J. discovered him.
Nash drummed his fingers against the bar.
He shouldn’t be bummed. He should be happy another musician was pursuing her passion.
Yet, a weight pressed against him, making him hunch his shoulders. If only he could say the bad posture was part of his disguise, but it wasn’t. This was because of disappointment.
He released a loud exhale that could have inflated a beach ball.
“Hi. I’m Maggie.” A pretty brunette with green eyes and a wedding ring that sparkled as bright as her smile stood behind the bar. “What would you like?”
“Soda water with a lime, please.” Anything stronger in his current mood would be a bad idea.
As Maggie placed the glass in front of him, she eyed him. “You look like you lost your best friend.”
“Not quite.” He half laughed, mostly at himself. Getting amped up over not seeing Ivy tonight suggested he needed more R&R. “I’ll be fine.”
Nash had no other choice. As he sipped his water, he listened to the band rock out on a song. Not bad, but nothing like last night. He stood, pulling out his wallet to pay.
A woman on the other side of the pub caught his eye.
