Darla walked across the pier and stood behind him, gazing over his shoulder. He glanced up to give her a quick grin then looked away to concentrate on his music. She sat down in the lawn chair next to him. He stopped playing.
“Sounds pretty.”
He grinned at her. “Pretty inspiration.” He leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. The whiskers above his lip tickled her skin, in a good way.
“So what made you keep the ’stache?”
“I thought I’d try it out for a while. Something different.” He outlined the rainbow of hair over his lips with both middle fingers. “What’d you think? Stay or go?”
She studied him with a smile. “I like it.”
“Then I’ll keep it.” A corner of his mouth slanted upward as he set the guitar aside and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. “Are you tired? Last night was a long one.”
“I’m okay. I’m just glad it’s over. For real, this time.”
Once the police arrived, they arrested a groggy Shane for two murders and two murder attempts before he was taken away in an ambulance. She and Eric were escorted to the station and were questioned for hours by the Texas investigators and the detectives in California via phone. They learned after surgery that Shane had confessed to the killings and remained in custody. As soon as he was well enough, he’d be returned to California for sentencing, and then to serve his time, which would probably be for the rest of his life.
Eric leaned over and took her hand. His fingers tightened around hers. He spoke in a voice no louder than a whisper. “What an adventure, huh?”
Darla was almost afraid to say anything else. She nodded with a sigh. “One I’ll never forget.”
He squeezed her hand again. “Thankfully, this is over and you can rest and actually enjoy your visit with your family.”
“When are you planning to leave?”
He remained quiet for what seemed like forever.
Somewhere inside she held on to a small hope he would change his plans about going now with everything resolved. Realistically she knew different and she dreaded hearing another good bye.
He glanced at her, his expression flushed. He inhaled loudly. “I’ve already phoned for a car to come pick me up. A driver will be here in about an hour to take me to the airport. I’m scheduled to talk with the detectives in California first thing in the morning.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could stop her next question. “And then?”
“Back to the UK and back to work.” He gazed toward the sunset and took another deep breath. “Blaine and I need to find us a new manager. I know it sounds callous, but we have to continue to move forward if we want to achieve our musical ambitions.”
Darla nodded. One of her mother’s favorite sayings was a person’s actions showed where their hearts were.
And there it was. He still planned on leaving her and he wasn’t coming back. Ever.
She wanted to be angry, but only sadness swept through her. Deep, desolate sadness.
Eric stood and picked up his guitar. “I should go inside and get my things. And I want to thank your parents for their hospitality.”
Without another word, she rose from her chair and led him up the walkway.
An hour later she was outside again. An unfamiliar car had parked in the drive. Her dad helped Eric put his things into the trunk. After they finished, he gave her father a final handshake and jogged to where she waited.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and nervously glanced about before he aimed his gaze directly at her. He didn’t need to speak nor did he need to say a word. He didn’t have to.
The look in his eyes told her this would be their final goodbye. “I’m usually good with words, but right now I’m at a loss.”
Darla choked and blinked away an onslaught of tears that seemed ready to attack her eyes. She merely shrugged and spun from him. His hand gripped her shoulder and circled her back to him. Arms around her, he crushed her body into his. For a few minutes neither stirred. Darla focused on committing the warmth of his skin, his male scent, and the power of his muscles against her to memory.
Eric gently pushed her back. He squeezed her shoulders tightly before he placed his lips against hers to softly kiss her.
He withdrew from her and shoved something into her hand, then spun around and walked to the waiting car without looking back.
Chapter 21
“I can’t believe you’re trying to talk me into this.” Darla twisted an errant curl around her finger.
“Raging Impulse is playing only this one reunion concert. We’ll never get this opportunity again.”
“The advertisements are everywhere, Steph. I’ve read it a thousand times. They’re participating in a benefit for drugs and alcohol recovery. They’re dedicating the performance in honor of Drake Mahoney’s memory. His family members are supposed to be in the audience. The press speculates the tribute will be amazing. Very moving.”
“And we should attend because of our connections to the band.” She held up two tickets. “Front row seats plus backstage passes. Extremely hard to get.”
“Fine. Then you go.”
“I am. You need to come with me.”
“Give me one reason why I’d want to.”
“First, because Blaine asked us to. Second, so we can celebrate. We haven’t done anything to mark you getting your new job. We could make a whole evening out of it. I’m thinking dinner and a limo ride to and from the performance.”
“Sounds wonderful, Steph. But I just don’t have time. You know I’m leaving for South America next week to—”
“I’m aware.” Stephanie rolled her eyes as she plopped down on the couch next to Darla. “You’re going to South America with a group of archaeologists to assist in identifying the subtle differences in the tiers of stratigraphy. In layman’s terms, how the layers of earth build up. Your presence will help them understand the variances between one deposit to the next, which allows them to grasp the way the past was buried. Icky, but I got it. What I don’t get is you don’t leave for another week. So seriously. Why won’t you go with me?”
Darla tapped a yellow pad that sat on her lap with the end of a pen. She’d been excited to work on her list of needed supplies after she discovered she would be making the trip. Until now. The realization she could be close to Eric Boyd again ripped away the enthusiasm for her excursion and turned her stomach into mush.
“I’m pretty wrapped up in getting ready for this expedition. The position is too important for me to mess up. This opportunity could open a lot of doors for me if I do a good job. My focus is on my project. I wouldn’t be any fun tonight because my mind will be somewhere else. We’ll celebrate when I get back.”
Stephanie’s appearance this morning with an invitation to go to Eric and the Raging Impulse reunion performance caught her off guard. Already aware of the concert along with the fact the group was in town, her secret plans were to take a long drive up the California Pacific Coast Highway to view some scenery, explore the quaint shops, art colonies, and spend the night at a bed and breakfast. Yes, she’d be doing this adventure alone, which was sad, except she couldn’t endure the idea of being in the same city as Eric Boyd. His memory and the time they shared resurrected too much pain.
Not that she revealed any of this information to Stephanie. They rarely spoke of Eric because she led her friend to believe the relationship had fizzled out while in Texas. She claimed their brief interlude to be a rebound thing for her and a fling for him. They’d said their goodbyes six weeks ago and she wouldn’t go through that agony again.
Stephanie flipped the tickets at her. “You realize I had to pull some major strings to get these.”
“Major strings, my ass. Blaine sent them to you.”
“Actually, he phoned me to make sure I was coming.” Stephanie smiled coyly. “He wants me to come backstage after the concert is over. Well, he wanted me to watch from the wings, but I want to sit in the audience and soak up the atmosphere.”
“I think it’s great you and Blaine managed to move your relationship to the next level despite all the turmoil.”
“We make each other happy.” Stephanie looked at the sizeable diamond on her left hand. “We’re talking about getting married next summer.”
“You two are definitely the definition of whirlwind.”
“What’s the point of dragging things out?” She shrugged. “When it’s right, it’s right. No use playing games. We’re in love and want to be together.”
“All fine for you, Steph. I’m glad everything worked out and I’m happy you found your soul mate. Eric and I are not anything mates. What I got out of this was the fiasco in Port Isabel ending with Shane McIntyre’s arrest for killing Drake Mahoney and Richard O’Conner and attempted murder for Mitchell and Eric.”
Stephanie shook her head. “That whole mistaking Finn for Richard was a strange one.”
“Yep. Finn cheated death twice.” Shane had not only mistaken Drake for Finn, he also didn’t realize the person lying in the bed was Finn’s brother, Richard. Apparently, Finn had disappeared with a girlfriend for several days, and because autopsy results weren’t completed, no one realized the misidentification until he returned.
“I don’t think the whole Raging Impulse saga will ever go away.”
“Me either. This is one of those things too far-fetched to believe. Yet it happened.” Stephanie looked at Darla. “You get to be smack dab in the middle of it all.”
“Don’t remind me. The rag mags have forever labeled me as Eric Boyd’s girlfriend. Whenever they rerun the story, which is a lot because of this performance I’m still referred to as his woman.” She pressed down on the pen, drawing circles in the paper’s margins. “I never was anything to him. We had one of his little good time affairs and then he was gone. And since he left? Nothing. Not a word.”
“Eric is the real reason you don’t want to go to the concert.”
At first Darla didn’t reply. She’d cut Stephanie off whenever she brought his name up in the past. But she couldn’t pretend any longer. “I’ve no desire to see Eric again. If you want the truth, he disappointed me. Or maybe I disappointed myself.”
Stephanie scooted closer to Darla and patted her on the arm. “The seats are on Blaine’s side of the stage. He’ll never know you’re in the audience. Plus, I made Blaine swear to not tell Eric you’re coming with me. So you’re covered in that area too.”
“What about the backstage passes? Blaine’s a nice guy, but I don’t want to deal with any of that.” She tossed the pen down. “I prefer not to see Eric in case he’s with his latest one nighter.”
“Wait for me outside. I won’t be long. Come on, Dar. This is a once in a lifetime event.”
“I’d rather listen to their band Spiraling UP. They’ve become huge practically overnight. With the exception of Finn, the lineup is the same too now Mitchell’s recovered and joined them as their drummer. I like the music better. The sound is more adult.”
“That’s another reason we need to go. Spiraling UP just released their new record. Blaine’s going to give us a signed copy. I can’t wait to hear it.”
“The music is good. Eric gave me a demo of their recordings right before he left.”
“You didn’t tell me he gave you anything.”
“You returned from Montana with a ring the size of an asteroid from Blaine, Steph,” Darla said. “A rough copy of songs hardly compares.”
“I don’t understand what the problem is. You’ve insisted all along you were never into Eric. He was only a rebound from the disaster with your ex. You barely speak of him. I’m getting he might be more. More than just a disappointment. Are you certain you don’t have feelings for him?”
“Our time together ended with such a letdown. It almost seemed like I failed at something, although I’m not sure at what. Because of these stupid—emotions, I’d rather not risk running into him.”
“You won’t.” Stephanie sneaked a knowing glance in her direction. “Though, if you’re telling me the truth and you aren’t into him, meeting up with him again shouldn’t be a problem.”
****
Darla sat in the front row of the packed stadium, nervously waiting for the band to take the stage. She wished she’d been more honest with her best friend. If she had, she might be on her way to her bed and breakfast by now. Or not. Regardless of any confession, Stephanie would insist Darla come tonight, telling her she needed closure. This was true. She wanted a resolution to get over her sentiments for Eric Boyd. She’d watch him from obscurity and put the past to rest. Her decision to attend was a good thing. After tonight she could move on.
The overhead lights slowly reduced. The coliseum’s beams dimmed lower and lower until they were in complete darkness. A wave of screams erupted from the crowd. Bright spotlights swung across the stage illumining a hazy mist rising from the platform’s floor. Strums of music vibrated over the speakers, pulsating within her veins. A flashing Raging Impulse logo dropped from the ceiling and settled behind the drum kit. Screeches from the audience grew louder before they exploded as an invisible announcer introduced the band.
The stage lit up highlighting Raging Impulse. Eric began the show by playing a rip and broke into one of the group’s biggest hits. Darla did her best to avert her eyes away from him except he was so near. She found his close proximity too tempting not to stare. In the beginning, she only allowed herself to take small peeks at him. Halfway through the first song, she’d locked her gaze onto Eric’s side of the stage.
He never looked better. He’d kept his mustache, although he’d styled his hair different. He continued to wear it longer and the new cut worked for him. The well-fitting jeans and tight sleeveless shirt showed the efforts of his workouts. But his appearance didn’t captivate her as much as his playing. Darla became mesmerized. He had a way of making the instrument a part of him. She sensed his passion. Sweat stained his shirt as he meticulously plucked away at the guitar strings and sang backup for Finn.
And after all the time of her mentally scolding him for his choices, tonight as she watched him, she got it. He projected a vibrant presence and he’d always stand out wherever he was. But up there, performing, he appeared truly in a place where neither she nor any women could ever compete. Darla’s moment of realization was sobering and liberating. And a painful one. After the show’s main performance, the group did two encores before they exited for good.