Page 46 of Places I've Never Been

“Hey, that’s kinda cool,” Brandon said. “Hang on a sec.” He crossed to the keyboard and tapped out the basic melody asif it had been his all along. Then he added chords to it until the sound was full and real.

Mattie nodded along as Brandon added another verse with a bridge to join them together. It sounded a little high toned, not edgy enough. “Try it a third lower. This should sound rougher, I think.”

Brandon nodded and shifted his hands.

“Let’s do it again,” she said. “Cooper, jump in when you think it fits.”

Brandon started the opening he’d cooked up while they were talking.

Flynn found the beat.

Then Mattie started to sing, and Adam joined her. His harmony fit neatly beside her melody and gave it the desperate push that she’d been looking for. When they reached the end of the verse, Brandon and Cooper continued with the basic melody, adding flourishes until it spiraled out of control and ended up sounding like the theme song toTheAddams Family.

“Okay, clowns, let’s run it again.” Adam made a wind-up motion with one hand. “Remember, LT has a date to get to.”

Mattie giggled. Writing songs with these guys reminded her so much of writing sessions with her sisters that it made her want to laughandcry. She hadn’t had this much fun with music in a really long time.

Chapter Twelve

Adam realized a month wasn’t going to be enough time with Mattie after their first jam session with the guys, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. Plans to sweep her off her feet seemed too rushed and pushy, but if he didn’t let her know how he felt soon he thought he might explode.

When she suggested they take a day off to do something as a group, he’d enthusiastically agreed, even though he’d rather have her to himself. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable when she was finally starting to relax. They all settled on a tour of the island by Jet Ski, which he thought at least gave him a chance to experience something with her besides music, even if they did it while surrounded by the rest of the guys.

He walked up to the personal watercraft station with Brandon and Flynn with a growing sense of suspicion. A white storage shed with paddles, vests, and various equipment leaning against it sat on the dock. Down below, Jet Skis with racing stripes and flames bobbed up and down with the waves.

He counted six, but there would be seven, possibly eight,people riding, not including the guides. The math didn’t add up.

One of the dock workers, a woman in her late forties named Bayo, approached him with a friendly smile. “Good morning, Mr. Adam, Mr. Flynn, Mr. Brandon. The weather is perfect for a day on the water. Nassor and myself will be with you as guides for the day. That is him, with the white cap.”

She indicated a twenty-something with braids, a face like Denzel, and arms built by heavy lifting. Nassor waved at them in acknowledgment.

Adam shook Bayo’s hand. “We’re looking forward to it. Are there more Jet Skis? I think we have eight.”

She glanced at Brandon, then back at Adam with a knowing look. “Ah, it will be fine, I think. Some ride two by two, yes?”

Adam pictured himself sharing a Jet Ski with Mattie and realized exactly what his friends had planned. He didn’t know how Mattie would feel about being so close to him, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. She finally trusted him to not treat her like the last guy. He didn’t want to ruin it.

He glanced at Brandon. “What are you up to?”

“Me?” Brandon blinked with feigned innocence.

Flynn bumped into Adam’s shoulder on his way to talk to Bayo. “What’s the speed limit on these things?”

The two of them walked toward the end of the dock, out of earshot.

Adam watched them, then studied his brother’s expression. “Seriously. What did you do?”

“I worked hard on a new song, that’s what. We all did. We deserve a day off. And we deserve to spend it on Jet Skis.” Brandon pointed at the first one, a one-seater with bright red flames along the sleek black body. “And I deserve thatone right there.”

Adam took in a breath of patience. “Brandon. This isn’t helping.”

Brandon raised an eyebrow. “Helping what? Your sudden obsessive need to pretend you don’t like your high school crush? Please. It’s absolutely helping. Did you see her face when I suggested we go Jet Skiing today? I’ve never seen that shade of pale.”

“So?”

“So, that means she’s scared and she needs a big, strong man to cling to. It’s like taking a girl to a horror movie, only it’s three dimensional and with actual sharks. She’ll stick to you like a barnacle.” Brandon patted him on the back. “You’re welcome.”

Adam clenched his jaw to rein in his frustration. “Dammit, you guys have to stop this. I told you, I have to keep it hands off around her.”

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