Page 67 of Making New Plans

“Thanks, man,” I said, surprised that he’d remembered, and drank some. The cider was warm and spiced with a touch of alcohol. It slid through my body, warming me from the inside out.

“Where’s your brother?” I asked Owen.

He waved his hand. “Oh, around somewhere. He only agreed to make an appearance to check up on recent adoptive parents.”

“He’s going to stay for our show, right?” Carter demanded.

Owen smirked. “He’s not exactly a country music guy.”

Carter looked thoroughly offended. He stabbed a finger at me. “What about you, Fancy Flannel? Or do you only listen to classical while sipping brandy indoors?”

I chuckled. “While I do love some DeBussy, I’m more of the hard rock type myself.”

Carter eyed me up and down skeptically. “No way.”

Chloe stepped closer to me. “I can vouch for that. And second it.”

“Traitor.” Carter scowled at us then whirled on Rose. “Well, I know you’ll appreciate us, Rose. And Gina, too. Where is she, by the way?”

Rose pointed somewhere in the distance. “Helping her uncle out with their cart. Dom’s over there, too. He definitely wants to see you guys play.”

“My man,” Carter said with a nod. He tipped his cup at Sarah. “When are we going on stage?”

Sarah checked her phone. “Five minutes. And would it kill you to remember the schedule yourself?”

Carter ruffled Sarah’s long brown hair, despite her squawking. “That’s what I have you for, darlin’. Let’s do this!” He crumpled his cup in one fist and tossed in a trash can.

Then he and Sarah headed for a stage I hadn’t noticed before. Mics, a guitar, and a drum set awaited them, plus some older guy who sat behind the drums. For a split second, I caught a hint of wistfulness in Chloe’s expression as she looked at the stage. But her face quickly transformed with a smile as she cheered for her friends. The crowd thickened as Carter and Sarah warmed up.

“Hey, guys!”

We turned to see Gina fighting her way through the crowd, a young boy following in her wake. She wore a monstrously furry coat that looked like she’d skinned a teddy bear and knee-high boots that added several inches to her height. The boy was dark-haired, dark-eyed, and serious.

While Gina said her hellos with hugs to Owen, Rose, Chloe, and even me, he hung back with wide, watchful eyes.

“Oh, Hunter, you haven’t met my son yet!” Gina exclaimed, pulling her son forward, beaming with a pride that was as genuine as it was strong. “This is Dominic, but we call him Dom usually. He’s twelve, loves basketball and the piano, and has the best grades in school.”

“Mom,” he groaned, rolling his eyes at her, but he flashed her a quick, dimpled smile before waving hello to me.

I nodded at him, not sure what else to say. Not that it would be a shock to anyone, but I didn’t hang around kids much and wasn’t sure how I was supposed to talk to them. Dominic didn’t seem to mind though because he turned his focus to the stage where Carter and Sarah were introducing themselves to cheers and catcalls. Owen whistled loudly.

When they started playing, my eyebrows lifted, and I shot Chloe a surprised look.

She grinned and rose up on her tiptoes to speak into my ear over the loud music. “Yep, they’re really that good. They don’t play together too often for some reason, but whenever they do, it’s a real treat for the town.”

I nodded and used her proximity to slip my arm around her shoulders, hugging her close to me. Her smile stretched wider, and she threaded her arm around my waist, linking us together. Our mingled warmth was better than the cider and the bonfires combined.

Sarah really did have an amazing voice, low and smooth. But when Carter joined her in his own mic and they gazed into each other’s eyes while they sang, I gaped at them.

Chloe laughed at my expression. “I think they’re the only two people that don’t realize they have something going on there. They only act like that on stage though. It’s some kind of magic for them.”

No kidding. This was a totally different Carter, all soft and charming. He looked downright approachable for once, and the way he was singing to Sarah had plenty of women in the crowd swooning. Sarah herself looked a little moony. Was that what my face looked like when I gazed at Chloe?

The thought made me stiffen slightly, especially considering that plenty of people were probably watching us. But I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from her. I wouldn’t be the one to do it. Not this time.

So, I hugged her closer, gossip be damned, and enjoyed the show.

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