Page 30 of Anything but Mine

ebrows.

Logan rolled his shoulders. Zeke always saw too much. It was one of the reasons he’d gone off the road for a while. He just wanted to get through this festival and maybe, just maybe, find a little love for his music again. He started around Zeke. “Can we just work?”

Zeke gripped his upper arm. “You need to let it go, man.”

Logan’s smile vanished. “We’re not talking about that.”

“If you’d just get over it—”

“We’re not,” his voice lowered as he crowded his best friend, “talking about it.” At Z’s clenched jaw, Logan swore. “She’s not here. Can we not make this about her for one show?”

“It doesn’t matter if Aimee is here or not. Yeah, she has a name. She’s a self-indulgent, spoiled rich girl, that’s all. Nothing special.” He tapped the middle of Logan’s forehead with his forefinger. “You never let her out of there.”

Logan jerked his head away. “We’ve got a setlist to hammer out.”

“You know she’s going to show up. Especially this show. She gets off on rattling you.”

He fisted his hands and paced away.

“You need to get over this shit, Lo. It’s fucking with everything. You’re the one giving her all the power.”

The bright sunny day faded as his vision fuzzed around the edges. “Back off.”

Zeke sighed. “You’re walking the edge and I don’t like it. Maybe if you actually let another woman into your life you’d be able to deal better. Have something else to focus on.”

Logan whirled back. “No woman needs to climb into the shitstorm that is my life and you know it. So leave it.” Shoulders heaving, he stared at the toes of his boots. Clear your mind. Empty it out and focus.

“You worry me, man. I don’t like to worry. It expends energy and cuts in on my drinking time.”

Logan huffed out a laugh. “Can we just table this? For just a few hours can I pretend I’m a normal guy?”

“I don’t know any normal guys that have thirteen musicians on speed dial.”

Logan grinned. “You do, too.”

“Not famous ones.”

“That’s because you keep sleeping with their girlfriends.”

“It’s not my fault—”

“I know, I know. You’re prettier.” He shook his head, but the winched muscles between his shoulder blades finally eased. Zeke could change the mood like a summer Texas sky. “Would you concentrate? Use those muscles you like to show off all the time.”

“You mean these?” Zeke shucked his shirt and tucked it into the back of his cargo shorts.

“Jesus. You’re going to attract attention.”

“I’m only doing what you said, boss.” Zeke hiked two hard-sided guitar cases onto one shoulder and headed for the barn.

He didn’t quite have the heart to tell Zeke that it was mostly men that were inside working. Then he heard Zeke’s voice. “Ladies. How are we this gorgeous and sunny afternoon?”

Logan dropped his chin into his chest and sighed. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he unearthed it to find a few text messages and another email from Izzy.

He had her cell number in his phone so he dashed her off a text to meet him at her earliest convenience for a copy of his setlist for her precious schedule.

I’ll be there at six. Think you can take a picture of it for me for now?

He grinned down at his phone and texted back.

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