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Lush
It was indeed so good he could have eaten eight pieces. She
01
seemed to glow when people loved her food and he knew it was
02
because she loved to take care of people. Loved it when what
03
she created made folks happy.
04
He wanted to help clean up but she refused. He sat around
05
with her friends drinking beer and chatting while she and her
06
crew got things ready for the following day.
07
Adrian watched Gillian as she laughed with Jules and Daisy.
08
“Hard to break in to a long- term group.”
09
They were letting their guard down around him. He should
10
probably send fl owers to Gillian for that story she told about
11
Paddy and the photographer. Until that moment they’d only
12
known him as the guy with a beer in his hand and his face in
13
cleavage.
14
Damien shrugged. “They don’t know me. I get it.”
15
“Doesn’t make it any easier while you’re dealing with it.
16
They’re good people. Close to each other. You’re doing fi ne. Mary
17
is an awesome woman. You have good taste. If it helps, they
18
didn’t like me much at fi rst either. I was a dick, handled things
19
wrong. But they want her to be happy and from what I can tell,
20
you make her happy. They’ll relax once they get to know you.”
21
“I like her. She makes me smile. How’s Miles liking his new
22
school?”
23
“So far it’s just been orientation stuff. He starts for real on
24
Tuesday. But already the Kid’s kicking ass. He’s not the only son
25
or daughter of a musician there, which makes it a little easier.
26
The school knows how to deal with security in a way his other
27
school wouldn’t have. Not that it was bad, just not their norm.
S28
I feel better with him there. Safer. After this tour he’s thriving
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
in a new way. Making music is now a much larger part of his life
02
and he digs it.” Adrian paused. “You were right to suggest it. Right 03
to suggest he get more specialized education.”
04
“Your kid has mad talent. No surprise really, given who his
05
parents are. I’m glad it worked out.”
06
“He’ll miss his old school, I know. But I’m thinking this is a
07
good new start for him.”
08
“How’s life now that the tour has ended?”
09
“I’m still getting used to it. I mean, we had the house built, I
10
made a record, we got married, had a short honeymoon and went
11
directly on tour for a few months. It’s really only now that it feels 12
real. I’ve seen a lot. Done a lot. But when I’m with Gillian and
13
Miles, I’m
home
.”
14
Adrian’s gaze moved to Gillian again, a smile on his face.
15
Mary came out from the kitchen and they all moved to leave.
16
17
18
They went back to her place and talked until long after mid-
19
night. He was going home the following day. She didn’t ask him
20
to stay any longer and he wanted her to. She didn’t push for any
21
more than he’d already given. But he wanted her to.
22
He’d thought about it pretty much the entire trip back home.
23
Especially after the conversation he and Adrian had had. He’d
24
known Adrian for a long time. There was a big, soul- deep change
25
in his friend.
26
Mary had already changed the way he thought. Part of it was
27
that he couldn’t fi gure her out. Which was unusual and maybe
28S
part of her appeal. But he doubted it. She didn’t have an agenda.
29N
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Lush
It kept making him nervous. And then he’d realize how fucking
01
nice it was that he didn’t have to constantly worry about it.
02
He’d had a few longer- term relationships before, mainly
03
before they broke big. But women usually wanted to spend time
04
together. Mary had a busy life and when he left that afternoon,
05
she hadn’t dug around about when she’d see him again. In fact,
06
he’d been the one to say he’d call her soon.
07
And then the appeal of moving on to the next city and there-
08
fore not having to worry about anyone wanting more from
09
him than a night or two wasn’t enough. He wanted more. The
10
tour was over, his life would have some quiet moments, and he
11
realized, quite clearly, that he wanted to spend that time and
12
energy pursuing this thing, this possibility of a thing with Mary
13
Whaley.
14
He stopped in Portland to grab doughnuts and coffee. His
15
mother was of the opinion that Folgers was just fi ne and any
16
fancy crap he bought was a waste of money. He never knew any
17
different until they’d started to make some real money and stop-
18
ping at gas stations for seventy- fi ve- cent burritos and ulcer-
19
creating sludge wasn’t their only option.
20
Now he knew and now, as his mother said, he was a bit of
21
a coffee snob. He had his favorites and was sure to have it when
22
they traveled.
23
Mary had Kona coffee in her pantry. He smiled. Showed
24
what good taste she had. He should take her to Hawaii. So they
25
could have it fresh.
26
It was late enough that he didn’t catch too much traffi c, and
27
by the time he got through Portland, he started coming home.
S28
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
The road changed, the sights became more familiar. The river
02
glittered.
03
He’d been all over the globe. But nowhere else made him feel
04
like coming home the way Hood River did.
05
06
07
When he pulled over the last rise and saw the land he let go of
08
his last bit of stress. This was his. He’d run over these hills, chas-09
ing things, running from a pissed- off older brother. Later they’d 10
ridden horses and ATVs. There’d be activity at fi rst light in the
11
morning. The pears were close to harvest.
12
His window was down and the scent of freshly cut grass and
13
alfalfa hung in the air. The lights were on in the main house, he
14
noted as he passed. He’d stop at his place fi rst and wander up
15
to see his parents once he’d cleaned up.
16
The porch light was on at his house. He smiled. Probably Ezra,
17
who lived closest. Damien’s house would be on the way back to
18
Ezra’s and he’d have stopped to turn it on because Damien was
19
returning. There was something to be said about your family
20
leaving the porch light on so you could fi nd your way home.
21
The garage door made that horrible squeal when he opened
22
it though. He sighed, something to look at. The next day or
23
maybe the day after. The house had been aired out, he noted
24
when he came in from the garage. He fl ipped the lights on. His
25
bags had been dropped in the living room. Paddy had left a note
26
saying his drums had been taken up to the barn.
27
A shower fi rst. He stopped by the fridge and peeked. He
28S
grinned as he grabbed an ice- cold beer and cracked it open.
29N
There was milk and butter, yogurt, cheese. He knew there’d be
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fruit, something never in short supply around there. Bread sat
01
on the counter. His mother, most likely.
02
After a shower he changed and grabbed his bike. He could
03
have walked. It would have taken him about fi fteen minutes,
04
but he preferred to ride his ages- old Schwinn over instead.
05
Ezra and his dad sat on the front porch drinking iced tea.
06
“Thought I heard a car earlier.” His dad gave him a hug when
07
he came up the front steps. Ezra followed.
08
“Just got back. Took a shower, had a beer, looked at the mail,
09
put the mail back in the pile and came over here. What’s up?”
10
“Nothing much. Just talking about tomorrow. Just need to
11
check the fruit. Looking pretty clean this year. Probably have
12
another week or so before we need to harvest.”
13
“I’ll be around to help.”
14
His father nodded. That’s what you did when you lived on
15
a family farm. He and his brothers would go away and do their
16
thing, but when they were home, they helped. It was hard work,
17
but it was honest work. It built character, and his father liked
18
to say it kept them out of too much trouble.
19
Ezra sat again, stretching his legs out. His big brother topped
20
six and a half feet. Because he worked the way he did, he was
21
solid muscle, a lot like their father. He’d let his mustache and beard 22
grow back, and when he was out on the back of a horse with a
23
cowboy hat on, he looked like a cigarette ad from the 1970s.
24
Right then though, he looked like a guy who’d most likely been
25
up since fi ve.
26
He wanted to talk with Ezra about Mary, but now wasn’t
27
the time. He still needed to think on it himself.
S28
“I’m going in to check on Mom. I’ll be back.”
N29
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Lauren Dane
01
“She’s in a good mood. The babies are here.”
02
Vaughan had two kids that had resulted from a very short
03
marriage three years ago. She’d crumpled under the weight of
04
being married to a musician and had divorced him about two
05
months after Kensey, their youngest, had been born.
06
But to her credit, she’d agreed to settle in Gresham so they
07
could share custody. She had a part- time job while she fi nished
08
school. Vaughan paid her support and all her bills. Mostly out
09
of guilt, but he had a lot to be guilty over. And he loved his kids 10
without a doubt.
11
His support enabled her to be home with the girls and it kept
12
her reasonable about how much time the girls spent with them.
13
It didn’t erase the fact that he wasn’t there every day for his kids, 14
but he was trying.
15
Damien grinned at the thought of the little dynamos. Vaughan
16
wasn’t the only one who loved those kids. His nieces were awe-
17
some little girls.
18
Inside the house, the sound of giggles drew him toward the
19
huge kitchen where his mother was standing at the island
20
while the girls sat nearby coloring as their daddy looked on.
21
“I thought I heard there was a monkey infestation. I see
22
there is. I’d better run.”
23
The girls saw him and jumped down, running to him.
24
He scooped them both up into a hug, kissing their faces.
25
They laughed and so did he.
26
“When did you get back?” his mother asked once he put
27
the girls down and they scampered back to their dad and their
28S
crayons.
29N
His mother had not been pleased when Vaughan and Kelly
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had decided to split, but it was clear she approved of how he’d
01
handled the situation since. It wasn’t perfect. But the girls would 02