Page 50 of Captivating Mr. Second Chance

Laney was aware that Dean and his friends kept in touch through a group chat, much like she did with her girls, so it didn’t take long to get Gabe up to speed on everything, and he knocked his shoulder into Laney’s. “Still killing the game, eh?”

“Trying,” she mumbled while Ethan curled his fingers around her neck, claiming otherwise.

“No, she’s killin’ it. She’s a magician with how she gets people to agree to give donations.” He snapped his fingers. “Magic.”

“Well, let me know what I can do,” Gabe said, and Ethan nodded before launching into questions about Gabe’s life in Boston.

After high school, he attended music school then accepted an associate professor position at Berklee and opened up his own school of rock. The whole time they caught up, Ethan found ways to touch Laney, his hand on her arm or brushing her hair over her shoulder. They were obvious familiar gestures that only someone who knew her well would make, and if Gabe noticed, he didn’t say anything.

Dean eventually found his way back to them with Hank in tow, and Laney smiled at them all huddled together, laughing and joking around.

“We should jam while I’m here,” Gabe said, and the others all heartily agreed, though their faces fell. The band was almost all back together. Patrick, the last member of their group, had died a few years ago from an opioid overdose.

Hank broke the quiet. “Remember when Patrick stole Ms. Rigle’s word of the day calendar? She flipped out and put the class on lockdown. God, that kid had balls.”

Laney studied the four men in front of her, grown from the four boys they used to be, best friends and bandmates, and missing a member of their tight-knit circle.

Dean and Laney had known Patrick since first grade, and he and Dean were pretty inseparable. Not to say the rest of the guys weren’t close with him, but Patrick and Dean had known each other for so long that when Patrick died, Dean was absolutely crushed. They all were, including Laney.

Patrick was a great guy, creative and daring, a genuine sweetheart.

And to see these guys together, she couldn’t help but be sad Patrick wasn’t there with them.

Dean raised his drink. “To Patrick.”

The group followed suit. “To Patrick.”

Finishing the last of her wine, Laney checked the time on her phone. It was barely ten o’clock, but she was exhausted from extroverting so much. Plus, she didn’t want to crash the party these guys had formed any longer. “I think it’s time for me to head home.”

Gabe jerked his head back. “Already?”

“Yeah. Been a long day.” Dean moved to get his keys and coat, but Laney stayed him. “Hang out for a while.”

He frowned. “How’ll you get home?”

She opened her rideshare app and put in the address, and when her driver’s picture showed up at the bottom of the screen, she angled her phone so Dean could see. “Cynthia.”

He pointed to the bar. “Why don’t you stay here, and I can take you home later?”

“Because you need time to hang out with your boys, and I don’t want to be out till all hours of the night.”

Hank raised his fist. “Let’s get wasted!”

Ethan palmed Hank’s face, pushing him away as he tipped his chin toward the stairs. “I’ll wait with you outside until your ride gets here.”

She hugged Gabe one more time. “In case I don’t see you again before you leave, I hope everything goes well with your grandmother and that your family finds peace with it.”

He kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Laney. Good to see you.”

Then she pointed at her brother and Hank. “No drinking and driving.”

“I’m done for the night. I’ll take ’em home if they get too rowdy,” Ethan said with an easy smile as he followed Laney to the door. She ignored Madison glaring at her from the corner and waved to JT and his crew on the way out.

Leaning against the building outside, Laney held her phone up to track Cynthia’s car.

Ethan gazed over her shoulder. “How long until she’s here?”

“Four minutes.”

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