frustration and hopelessness in her voice. “Did your manager run background checks on everyone connected to the tour?”
“Of course,” she said, turning back to face him again. “And nothing came up. No huge red flag with a previous assault or a history of being an abusive asshole around any of my people. But at the time, we were touring with a couple of other bands and were headquartered in Nashville. We didn’t have access to the names of everyone around, and then there was the possibility that the boyfriend was some local guy who followed the tour.”
“You get that often? Folks following the tour?”
“Oh yes, and most of the time they’re harmless. It’s not that cliché female rock groupie that you see in the movies either. I have everything from older couples to bikers and college kids following my concerts from state to state.”
“And no one stood out to either you or Madge?” Shelby’s face was a mask of misery.
“I was too busy to notice.”
Mike resisted the tug he felt. He refused to go and give her the comfort she so clearly needed. But denying himself was hard. Instead, he stayed in character and asked questions. From his seat. “Did you question Rebecca? Ask her if she’d seen anything or heard anything her mother said before she left?” A quiet sob escaped the woman standing so rigidly in front of him.
Another tear took the same path as the first one, and she crumbled.
Mike’s resolve left him in an instant, and he couldn’t keep away from her, from the heartbreak written all over her.
And then she was in his arms.
He swept her up and carried her back inside. Her whole body shook, but she stayed quiet, holding in the tears and trying not to touch him, even though her body was plastered against his. He carried her to her bed and sat with her still in his lap. Just like he’d wanted to do earlier. “I’m sorry about your friend, Shelby.”
She took a deep shuddering breath. “I just wish I knew what happened. For myself and for Rebecca.” She pulled away to look into his eyes, not even seeming to realize she was in his lap. “That little girl hasn’t spoken a word since I had to sit her down and tell her that her mom was missing. In every way except blood, she’s like my own daughter. She even used to call me Mama Two,” she said, holding up two fingers. “Not until she was about three did I started having her call me Aunt Shelby. Abby deserved to be the only one being called Mom.”
“And knowing for sure that she’s dead will help you both?”
Shelby jerked out of his arms and almost jumped off his lap in a violent objection to his words.
Not that he’d said them harshly, but just saying the word out loud was enough. She’d used the words missing and disappeared, but she was hiding from the truth. Her friend was likely dead.
“What I feel doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is helping Rebecca. I helped raise her, and I love her almost as much as Abby does . I have to keep her safe, and we have to know what happened.”
Does, not did. Stubborn to the end. But she had changed. She’d grown up while she’d been off getting rich and famous. That she valued someone other than herself was clear. Her feelings showed in the way she talked about her friend, the sincere regret that she didn’t make time for her. And in the love shining through her eyes when she talked about Rebecca. Even Madge had a piece of her heart.
“Then I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to either of you,” he said. And he meant it. Nothing and no one would hurt a little girl who was mute in her sorrow over her missing mother. “Just realize that you may never know what happened to Abby. And that’s something you’ll have to face sooner or later. For both your sakes.”
“I’m sorry about all of this, Mike.”
He shrugged. “I’d do it for any of my friends.” Shelby looked like she wanted to say something but he got a text just then. He read
“Of course,” she said, turning back to face him again. “And nothing came up. No huge red flag with a previous assault or a history of being an abusive asshole around any of my people. But at the time, we were touring with a couple of other bands and were headquartered in Nashville. We didn’t have access to the names of everyone around, and then there was the possibility that the boyfriend was some local guy who followed the tour.”
“You get that often? Folks following the tour?”
“Oh yes, and most of the time they’re harmless. It’s not that cliché female rock groupie that you see in the movies either. I have everything from older couples to bikers and college kids following my concerts from state to state.”
“And no one stood out to either you or Madge?” Shelby’s face was a mask of misery.
“I was too busy to notice.”
Mike resisted the tug he felt. He refused to go and give her the comfort she so clearly needed. But denying himself was hard. Instead, he stayed in character and asked questions. From his seat. “Did you question Rebecca? Ask her if she’d seen anything or heard anything her mother said before she left?” A quiet sob escaped the woman standing so rigidly in front of him.
Another tear took the same path as the first one, and she crumbled.
Mike’s resolve left him in an instant, and he couldn’t keep away from her, from the heartbreak written all over her.
And then she was in his arms.
He swept her up and carried her back inside. Her whole body shook, but she stayed quiet, holding in the tears and trying not to touch him, even though her body was plastered against his. He carried her to her bed and sat with her still in his lap. Just like he’d wanted to do earlier. “I’m sorry about your friend, Shelby.”
She took a deep shuddering breath. “I just wish I knew what happened. For myself and for Rebecca.” She pulled away to look into his eyes, not even seeming to realize she was in his lap. “That little girl hasn’t spoken a word since I had to sit her down and tell her that her mom was missing. In every way except blood, she’s like my own daughter. She even used to call me Mama Two,” she said, holding up two fingers. “Not until she was about three did I started having her call me Aunt Shelby. Abby deserved to be the only one being called Mom.”
“And knowing for sure that she’s dead will help you both?”
Shelby jerked out of his arms and almost jumped off his lap in a violent objection to his words.
Not that he’d said them harshly, but just saying the word out loud was enough. She’d used the words missing and disappeared, but she was hiding from the truth. Her friend was likely dead.
“What I feel doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is helping Rebecca. I helped raise her, and I love her almost as much as Abby does . I have to keep her safe, and we have to know what happened.”
Does, not did. Stubborn to the end. But she had changed. She’d grown up while she’d been off getting rich and famous. That she valued someone other than herself was clear. Her feelings showed in the way she talked about her friend, the sincere regret that she didn’t make time for her. And in the love shining through her eyes when she talked about Rebecca. Even Madge had a piece of her heart.
“Then I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to either of you,” he said. And he meant it. Nothing and no one would hurt a little girl who was mute in her sorrow over her missing mother. “Just realize that you may never know what happened to Abby. And that’s something you’ll have to face sooner or later. For both your sakes.”
“I’m sorry about all of this, Mike.”
He shrugged. “I’d do it for any of my friends.” Shelby looked like she wanted to say something but he got a text just then. He read
Similar Books
