Page 94 of Goalie Interference

“Strings today?” Diane asked when I arrived at the store.

“I think it’s time.” I was nervous, though the pressure I felt was mostly from me. No one was perfect with their first or second build.

Diane brought out my guitar from the back, and I grabbed a package of the brand of strings I preferred.

She encouraged me. “You’ve got this.”

My hands were trembling as I strung it up. Then I started the tuning process. I set the tuner on the head of the guitar, and one by one got them vibrating correctly. E-A-D-G-B… I was finishing the last E when the door to the shop opened.

I blinked in confusion at seeing my father standing inside the doorway. For a moment my mind shot off at a tangent, wondering if Cash had told Dad I was building a guitar and he’d come to see it. Something in my chest gave a little lurch.

Diane turned to face him. “Ryder. This is a surprise.”

“Hi, Dad.”

Dad’s head turned to me and his brows lifted. “Sophie?”

That thing in my chest fell. Of course he hadn’t come to see my work. He had no idea I’d be here. I really knew better.

“Are you here to see your daughter?” Diane asked.

Dad shook his head. “No, I came to talk to you. Should I come back later?”

He frowned, and despite what he said showed no signs of leaving. When he glanced at me, I was obviously supposed to leave him to talk to Diane.

I set my guitar on the table, ready to slip out back to the office, but Diane put a hand on my shoulder. “Anything you want to discuss you can say in front of Sophie.”

Dad shot me another glance, but since Diane was keeping me in place, decided to ignore me. “I won’t bore you with polite chitchat. There’s a rumor going around that you’re considering closing up shop.”

I tensed. Had Cash told him? If so, how much?

“Why would that matter to you?” Diane asked.

Dad stepped up to the counter. “String Theory is an important part of the Austin music community. I hate to think of losing something this essential.”

“Important?” Diane asked.

Dad shrugged. “Is that because I’m not one of your clients? I went to Conrad when I first started out, and he’s always done well by me. But if he wasn’t available, you’d be the next luthier on my list.”

“How flattering.”

I wasn’t sure Dad caught the edge in her voice. Diane was not Ryder’s biggest fan. He was older, and conservative, and not welcoming to newcomers. The way he’d mostly ignored me hadn’t made her any fonder of him.

“You’re good. I’m happy to tell anyone.” Dad leaned against the counter, hands in his pockets.

“So are you here just to find out if your second-choice luthier will be around if Conrad isn’t available?”

He shook his head irritably. “A lot of people depend on you in this business. I was hoping, if you were thinking of closing up, to either convince you to keep on for the sake of the music community or to make sure there’s someone around to keep String Theory going.”

Diane’s arms crossed. “Not that this is really any of your business, but I’d like to clarify before the rumors go any further. Your gossip is partly correct. I am retiring, within the next couple of years. But I have a successor picked out and I’m working on getting her to agree to take over.”

Dad blinked for a moment. “Is she good? You’ve set a high bar for anyone who comes after you.”

“She is.”

“You’re sure?”

Diane’s eyes had narrowed to slits. “Is your skepticism because I’m using a female pronoun, or because you don’t think I can actually choose a competent luthier to take over?”

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