Forbidden Serenade

Chapter Six

The week passed uneventfully. I waitressed at my brother Leo's restaurant during the day, and at night I bartended for my brother Logan in his restaurant. It featured an indoor and outdoor stage, and on the weekends, he would feature live music. At least he used to. He hadn't had a band in weeks.

On Friday, I dropped the kids off at the house I used to live in with my now ex-husband. He had kept the house in the divorce. I couldn't afford to buy him out to keep it. It didn't matter. I couldn't afford the home without him.

I cranked up one of my favorite pop artists, Melanie Sturms. I was singing one of her songs, screaming the bridge and oblivious to the world outside of my car. My phone rang, interrupting my car concert. With an irritated glare, I switched the music off and answered.

"Sorry to interrupt your karaoke," said the voice through the phone. It was my friend Callie.

My cheeks heated as I blushed. "How did you know about that? But more importantly, did I kill it?"

My friend's laughter trickled through the phone as I turned a corner. "You know you did, girl! I passed you a minute ago. The girls and I are going out for drinks. Come join us and put that enthusiasm to work."

Biting my lip, I was only a mile away from home. My bed sounded wonderful. Being a homebody had been my life since I had given birth to my first child at sixteen. "I'm actually headed home."

Callie was silent for a moment. I thought I might have lost the connection until she spoke. "To what, Riley? No one is waiting there for you, but your friends are going out for drinks. We'll be waiting for you."

She was right, and it only took me a few seconds to realize it. "Okay. Where are you guys?"

***

"Jack decided Robbie needs to play t-ball," Angie said, taking a sip of her Blue Hawaiian in the small bar. The garnish of pineapple and cherry added a touch of elegance to her drink. I made a mental note to try making one at Logan's restaurant before heading to the Hamptons.

My mind drifted away from the table where I sat with my friends, contemplating the Hampton house. The music from the jukebox faded into the background as I wondered about the details. Would it be a massive mansion? Who was the birthday person? Would I be handing out beers or mixing girly cocktails? I had no details besides Max, Leo's friend, working for this client during the summer months. Logan was picking me up on Friday for our flight, and I hadn't felt this nervous in a long time.

Blinking rapidly, I realized Angie was still talking. She was the sporty one in our group, running marathons and boasting a six-pack. With her light red hair and killer physique, she looked far younger than her thirty-two years. Robbie and she had exchanged vows in Hawaii six years ago. Their son, Jack, was only five and had already tried almost every sport. Robbie and James continued to be friends, bonded by their former glory days in high school sports.

"I don't care if he wants to play sports," Angie said. "Hell, let him try every damn sport out there. But do we really need to buy name brand everything?"

Callie nodded beside me, sipping her pink, fruity drink. "I can totally understand where you're coming from. You want him to experience everything, but rationally you can't mortgage your house to give him the opportunities."

"Exactly!" Angie's face lit up as if someone had finally listened to her.

I smiled at Callie. She always understood everyone. She had the biggest heart of anyone I knew. Kindness defined her. And smart. The woman held multiple degrees and had some high-paying job I didn't understand at a company in a nearby town. Little Muscatine, Iowa didn't have the large employment opportunities as our neighboring, larger towns did. Callie traveled to Iowa City each day for work. It was only about a thirty-minute drive.