Page 78 of Rowdy Hearts

She laughed a little, probably at the look on my face.

“Ex-boyfriend,” she said. “Who I hate, by the way.”

“Good. I hate him, too.’’

Another smile. “He was a total sleaze. Of course, my mom loved him. She thought I was crazy to want to break up with him. I think she actually tried to set him up with my sister when we broke up.”

Maybe I didn’t want to know, but I had to ask. “Do I know this dickhead?”

She laughed and now I couldn’t help but hear Mabel Ann. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t recognized her before. Hell, a child had figured out who she was, and I hadn’t.

“I’m sure you do. It’s Lucas Downs.”

My mouth dropped open as my brain stuttered. “You dated Lucas Downs? The lead singer for Panda Babies?”

The five-member boy band had been a flash in the pan, but they’d made one brilliant song that had become an instant softrock classic and was a staple on every grocery store playlist. Lucas had gone on to have a few minor hits of his own before he’d traded music videos for television and became a midlist star on a hit streaming show.

I hadn’t realized I’d stopped in the middle of the trail until she grabbed my hand and tugged to get me moving again. And didn’t drop it when we continued to walk. So I twined my fingers around hers, felt hers tighten around mine. I didn’t plan to let go.

Then something occurred to me.

“Is he?—”

“No, he’s not Krista’s dad.”

Her tone of voice made it clear she didn’t want me to ask the obvious next question. So I kept my mouth shut and let it go. I wanted her to trust me enough to tell me who it. I just had to be patient.

If she stayed.

“So what happened at the concert that made you run?”

The trail had started to become a little steeper and a little rockier, so we had to start paying more attention to our footing.

“We were backstage at the theater. I was putting my makeup on, and Lucas walked into the dressing room like he owned the place. My mom acted like he was a long-lost relative, but I’m sure all she saw were dollar signs.” She shook her head, her gaze still on the trail in front of her but her mind definitely back in that theater dressing room. “Lucas and I dated for a couple of years, starting when I was seventeen. By that time, ‘Broad Street’ had been canceled because Denee had left in the last season and so did the original showrunner and no one else could carry the show. After that, I had trouble landing roles. I wasn’t the cute little kid with the laugh that made everyone smile. I was an awkward teenager with bad skin and an attitude. My mom was making my life miserable. I just wanted to go to high school and be a normal kid, but my mom… She was never satisfied, always wanted more. I think she was afraid of everything crashing down around us again. That there wouldn’t be enough money. As I got older, I realized underneath that drive of hers was fear.”

“I can see where it’d be hard to believe everything’ll be okay when it hadn’t been before.”

Sadness tinged Tressy’s smile. “Yeah, but as a teenager, all you see is your mom wanting more and more. And I just kept pushing back.”

I could see where this was going. “How old were you when Krista was born.”

“Twenty-one. When I was twenty, I told my mom I was going to college in New York and to deal with it. I look back on that now and think how awful I’d been to her then. I had this mental image of her as my jailor, keeping me from all the things I wanted to do with my life. Now that I have Krista, I realize my mom was doing what she knew best to keep us from living on the street again.”

“So when she approached you about the concert, you said yes.”

She didn’t answer right away, her gaze taking in the scenery around us. And it was gorgeous out here. The leaves were turning brilliant shades of orange and red and yellow. Most still hung on the branches, but there was a coating on the ground that made the trail a mosaic of color. Bird song floated through the trees, and I heard the faint rush of water ahead.

“I didn’t at first. I tried to tell her Tiff would shine brighter if I wasn’t there. I didn’t want to take away any of the spotlight from her. And I’ve stayed away from any kind of performing for years and concentrated on building my agency. It’s just not me anymore. But my mom thought having me there would bring in a different audience.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“She promised me I wouldn’t have to do anything other than make an appearance and sing one duet with Tiff.”

“So you sing, too?”

Her lips curved in a lopsided grin. “I can carry a tune. Tiff has a much better voice than I do, but she’s never been able to really break out. She’d rather be doing Broadway but Mom…”

“Let me guess. Your mom thinks she’ll make more money singing…what? Pop? Country?”

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