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sides. She liked Damien’s brothers, really liked that they’d come
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to watch him play.
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Several songs in and they fi nally took a break. Adrian gulped
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down some water as he handed off one guitar for another.
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“Hey, folks, so I know this young musician and I convinced
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him to play a song or two with us tonight.”
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“Oh my god! They’re calling Miles out!”
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Miles took a deep breath, handed the big headphones off to
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his mother and put in an earbud- type thing in one ear as he
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headed out.
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She took Gillian’s hand, squeezing.
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And Miles walked on stage like he’d always been there. That
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shy, sweet toddler was something far more as the lights hit him.
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He blushed though, when the tech handed him his bass. Erin
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leaned in to kiss his cheek as he got plugged in.
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Adrian hugged him, one armed. “This is my son, Miles. You
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can hear him a little on the new record. He helped out in the
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studio. We’re going to do a cover. One of his favorites.”
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The chords sounded for Radiohead’s “Creep.”
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Mary moved to Gillian’s side, Jules on the other. Gillian
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cried, but they were good tears. Mary had her own, as did Jules.
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“Creep” had been the fi rst song Miles had learned the bass
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line for right after Adrian had come into his life. It was a special 26
song between the two of them. And for Gillian as well.
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Miles had been part of Mary’s life since he’d been an infant.
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To see him out there on stage, acting very much like his father,
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totally blew her away. Tears came and she made no move to stop
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them. This was her Miles. She’d changed his diapers. Had
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cooked French toast for him when he’d slept over at her house.
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He’d ridden his bike in her long driveway. Had cleaned out her
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pantry on more than one occasion. He was like a son and she
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really couldn’t be prouder of him.
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“That’s our boy.” Jules gave a whistle as the song ended and
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everyone applauded. Miles nodded his head, tipping his chin in
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a way she’d seen Adrian do dozens of times. In fact, the way
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Erin did. Those Browns.
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Gillian had found her special someone. Miles had the father
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he’d always deserved. What a beautiful time in Mary’s life to
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see her friends so happy.
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Until this tour, Damien and his brothers had tended toward some
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hard- ass partying after a show ended. But with Adrian, things
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had changed, and Damien hadn’t minded. If he wanted to party,
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there was always one to be had if they wished it.
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There was power in that. Seductive to have so many people
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at your beck and call willing and able to make your every desire
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a reality. But he’d done plenty of shots. Had banged plenty of
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women whose names he couldn’t recall. He’d done more things
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than he’d ever dreamed of back home on the ranch.
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And yet, he thought as he watched Mary hug Miles and com-
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pliment him about his performance that night, the simple things
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still made him happiest. And that was a powerful lesson.
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“Kinda fast, isn’t it?” Vaughan sidled up next to him.
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“Hm?”
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Vaughan laughed. “Her. You. You and her. It’s clear just by
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watching the way you are with Mary that she’s different. You’re
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different. But you don’t really know her.”
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“I know her. But I want to know more. Over the last few
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months I’ve shared more with her on the phone or via text than
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I think I have with any woman ever.”
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“I like her.” His brother shrugged.
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“Me too. A lot.”
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“Yeah, kind of obvious, that.”
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He grinned. “I know. I can’t help it. It seems silly to pretend
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I don’t dig her.”
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“She digs you too. But this life . . .”
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Damien nodded. “I know.” It was hard to have a relationship
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in the industry. So much temptation. And he knew without a
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doubt that Mary Whaley would not tolerate any nonsense with
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other women or with wild partying.
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“Dude, can you give her that?”
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“You think I’m so weak I can’t?” Damien paused. “I’m not
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asking her to marry me or anything. I like her. I want to like
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her more. I want to know her. I want a real relationship with
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her. I know it’ll be hard. But I’m not an idiot.”
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“I don’t think you’re weak. I think you love women. A lot.
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But I can see this one is different and that’s good. At the same
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time I want you to be careful with her. She’s a . . . well, she’s
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not what we’re used to seeing out here.”
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“All I can do is take it slow and step by step.” He could actu-
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ally stop seeing her now. End it nicely. It would probably save
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heartbreak. Maybe. But he wanted her. Wanted more.
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A year ago he’d have been so freaked out by the very idea
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he’d have never even looked her way again. But he’d already
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begun to get tired of that life. Of fast women— though not fast
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cars.
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He couldn’t help but think Mary Whaley was meant to cross
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his path exactly when she did. He was ready for her.
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He caught up with her once things had calmed down and they’d
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gotten back to the hotel. Adrian, Miles and Gillian had gone to
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bed, as had Erin and her family.
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He tapped on her door and she opened with a smile.
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“Wanna come take a walk with me. See New York this late?”
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She smiled. “All right.”
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He liked that she wasn’t afraid. New York City was, in his
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opinion, the most exciting city on the planet. He loved it there and 14
he dug that she didn’t hesitate to jump in and enjoy it with him.
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Though it was late, the path down by the river wasn’t deserted
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at all. Couples walked, people jogged, dogs walked their own-
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ers. He and Mary strolled, hand-in-hand, and he relaxed a little
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bit more as each minute passed.
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“I like being with you.” He sighed happily.
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“Thank you. I like being with you too.”
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“How’d you like the show tonight? Is this your fi rst time
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backstage?”
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“It was. I have to say it’s pretty amazing. I fi gured it’d be cool 24
and all. I love live music so much. I’ve seen many, many shows
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from out front. But so close, with all the activity that goes on
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behind the scenes? Amazing. I have so much more appreciation
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and respect for what you all do now. Plus, no tall guys blocking
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my view or spilling beer on my feet. That’s a win too.”
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He laughed. “Ah yes. Or the narrowly avoided puke incident
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that leaves you twitchy and nervous any time anyone else leans
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forward.”
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“Scars you forever.”
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“I’m thinking of buying a place here.”
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“Really? To live in New York full time? I mean, around tour-
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ing and all?”
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“No. I have a place in Oregon and that’s my home. But to
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retreat. Like after a tour when I want to stab my brothers in the
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face because I’ve been on a bus with them for months at a time.”
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“I totally get that. I mean, not that I’ve been on a bus with
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my brothers for months. I’d be in prison right now if I had. But
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sometimes you need a place to escape to for a while.”
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“Will you come out to our last show? I’ll send you tickets.”
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He hadn’t planned on asking, but now that he had, he was glad.
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“When is it?”
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“Little over two weeks from now. At the Gorge.”
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“I’ll have to look at my schedule. The end of summer has
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turned out to be pretty busy for me so I might have a job. But
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if I don’t, yeah, I’d love to. But you don’t need to fl y me any-
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where. I can drive to that. It’s only three hours. And, if you like 22
and you have the time, you can stay at my house for a night or
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two after. Or whatever. I know you have other things to do.”
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She fl ustered him. On one hand she’d invited him to stay with
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her. On the other she seemed so casual about his invitation. He
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didn’t know what he expected. But being off balance wasn’t
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something he was used to. Or confi dent about.
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He’d have to let it play out the way it was supposed to, he
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guessed.
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He squeezed the hand he’d been holding. “No. I’d like that.
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You can make me that soup. You did promise.”
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She laughed. “I did. And I will. For now, I’m so hungry.”
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“Do you like tacos? I know this place that’s open late.”
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“Who doesn’t like tacos?’
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H
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oney, I promise I will not break your business.” Jules
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patted her shoulder. “It’s one day. You’re fi nishing up
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the job before you leave, for goodness’ sake.”
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Mary knew all this. But leaving to go to the Gorge to see
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Damien had come so fast, and she worried.
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“If anyone calls, I’ll have my cell.”
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“No one is going to call because Daisy is handling everything
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should there be an emergency. Which there won’t be because,
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hello, one night. You’ll be back and everything will be fi ne. Go
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on and have a good time.”
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“
You’re
not going.” This was the fi rst time she’d ever put
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someone before her business when they weren’t sick or in dire
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straits. It made her nervous.
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“No. But my boyfriend isn’t in the band. And my business
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is different than yours anyway.”
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“He’s not my boyfriend.”
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Jules rolled her eyes. “Puh. Leeze. You turned away a job for
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tonight to do this instead. You never do that. He’s obviously
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someone to you. Plus, he’s sending a fucking helicopter to pick
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you up to fl y you to the Gorge. Guys like him don’t do that for
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casual fl ings.”
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The helicopter thing was pretty freaking awesome, she had