Tangled Love on Pelican Point (Island County Series Book 3) (27 page)

And then I saw it—car after car driving off the ferry from the mainland. Crimson Strings was pulling them in and our little town could barely handle it. I waved and pulled onto the first vacant yard where someone was holding up a sign. The someone turned out to be Mr. Harten, our pharmacist. He looked dapper in his green sweater, grey tweed cap, and chinos. He came over to my car, and I nearly knocked him over in my excitement.

“This is incredible,” I said loud enough for him to hear. Mr. Harten was an older gentleman who didn’t have the best of hearing. Sometimes he heard what a person had to say and other times, he just didn’t.

“Quite a turnout,” Mr. Harten said, smiling and glancing down the road.

I pulled out a five, but he shook his head.

“Not from you, just everyone else.” He laughed.

“I’ve only seen traffic like this during our fair and the lavender festival,” I said in complete awe.

“It’s not every day a rock legend graces our town with a performance.”

My cheeks flushed and I just nodded in agreement.

“Better make your way over there.”

“You too.”

“Oh, we will.”

I started toward the park and continued on in absolute amazement.

My phone rang and I picked up. It was a call from Natty.

“You here yet?”

“Just parked. Where are you?”

“At the entry. This is nuts. Cole is losing his mind. He’s giving away Crimson Strings bumper stickers and buttons every time he turns around.”

I laughed. “Sounds about right. I’ll be there in a few.”

Another text came over from Anthony.

Are you here?

I giggled and texted right back.

Apparently, your band is kind of a big deal and parking is at a premium. I’m hiking my way over. See you in a few, Rock Star.

I spotted the temporary fences they put up around the park, and my heart rate increased as I saw the lines of people at the gates waiting to get inside. Food trucks lined the inside of the park, and a huge stage was at the far end of the park. It looked like a tiny matchbox from this distance.

“Sophie,” Jewels squealed, coming to hug me. “Is this not incredible? I can’t even begin to tell you all the good that’s coming from this. People are even donating to the library fund. Apparently, providing beer, wine, and good music makes people feel generous.”

I smiled, mesmerized by the crowds swarming the park.

“I’m kind of stunned right now,” I whispered.

“Well, Anthony asked me to find you and bring you to him. He’s in hiding for obvious reasons.”

I glanced around the park and noticed that most people were wearing some sort of Crimson Strings shirt or hat, and I giggled, realizing I really had no clue about what I was about to step into.

“You need this.” She handed me a special VIP pass and linked her hand with mine. She pulled me through the crowds for what felt like miles to two small trailers behind the stage. Several security guards lined the barricades surrounding the trailers, and she flashed a special badge. They gave a slight nod and let us through.

“Anthony,” Jewels called, knocking on the trailer door closest to us. “I have someone for you.”

Anthony nearly took the hinges off the door as he pushed it open.

“Okay, so I’ll just let you two be.” Jewels snickered, turning around to make her way back through the crowds.

Anthony’s gaze locked on mine, and I saw fierceness behind his eyes. I was now looking into the eyes of Anthony the rock star, and it totally pushed me over the edge as he pulled me into the trailer, his mouth kissing me all over.

“Aren’t you supposed to refrain until after the show?” I teased.

“That’s the rule for boxers, not singers,” he barely mumbled between kisses.

A loud knock at the door sounded in the tiny trailer. “Charlie and Mary have been seated in the VIP section. Ten minutes until show time,” Cole yelled.

“He’s so annoying.” Anthony laughed, but he continued kissing me, his hands quickly working to unfasten my jacket. I slid my arms around his waist and scattered my fingers under his t-shirt, feeling the coolness of his bare skin. I realized that every single time with Anthony seemed to outdo the last.

His fingers slid between my jeans and belly, and my breath caught as he trailed his kisses along my jaw.

“Is this what it’s like before every concert?” I breathed, tangling my fingers through his hair.

“First time ever, baby,” he whispered, and my body trembled as his fingers lowered.

“Three minutes.” Cole rapped on the door again.

“My one time to live the rock star dream, and my brother ruins it for me.” He kissed me softly and cradled my face in his hands.

“Well, I’m up to reliving the moment at any time.” I grinned, seeing the heat run through his gaze.

“Damn. I’m going to miss you.”

His words hit me like a torch to my heart, and I knew the burn would last longer than this relationship ever would.

“That was the most incredible thing to have ever hit Fireweed,” Natalie said, lounging on the back deck of my dad’s house. It was hard to believe that yesterday was in the low fifties, and today, we were expecting the season’s first snowfall. Natty wanted to be sure to catch the first flake, even if that meant us catching frostbite in the interim.

Cole was going to stop by with Anthony before he took him to the airport, and I was trying not to get depressed. I wanted to believe that a long-distance relationship with Anthony would work, but given his profession and our reluctance to meet in the middle, the odds weren’t working in our favor.

Regardless, I was still completely dazzled by Anthony’s performance yesterday. I fully understood how groupies came to be. They felt like the singer was singing directly to them, and that’s exactly how I felt with Anthony. I swore our eyes connected multiple times through each song.

“It was pretty amazing.” I pulled my coat tighter.

“How are you doing with him leaving?” Natty asked.

“Not well.”

“I’ve heard from Cole that Anthony’s invited you down to visit.”

“He did, but I don’t have time for that. Not with all the orders coming through and working at Loxxy and Island Bluff.”

“Does that mean you might not be able to help on Thanksgiving orders this year?” she teased.

“You need help, and I’m there in a second.”

She smiled and nodded. “I’ve done some of the calculations.”

“On what?”

“The orders you’re filling left and right.”

I dropped my gaze to the deck. “And?”

“You have more than enough reasons to stop working at Loxxy and Island Bluff.”

I shook my head. “Not if the orders stop coming in.”

“You need to believe in yourself.”

“I do. I believe that I can work at Loxxy, Island Bluff, and my Etsy shop.”

“You’re actually losing money by keeping your jobs at the hotel and restaurant.”

“How do you figure?”

“Lost productivity. I’ve broken it down, and you make more per hour on your signs.”

“But there’s no security in signs, and that’s worth a lot to me.”

Natty nodded, and her eyes caught something behind me.

I turned around and saw Anthony and Cole standing behind the sliding glass door. Anthony looked as incredible as ever. His beanie was pulled down over his head, and his low hanging jeans fit just right under his puffy jacket. I shot up from the freezing chair and slid open the slider, nearly knocking Cole over in the process.

“Hi to you too,” Cole laughed, stepping aside.

Anthony picked me up in his arms and carried me into the living room.

“This is turning out to be far more difficult than I imagined,” he whispered.

“Really? I’ve been imagining it to be pretty difficult this entire time.”

“You’ve got your phone all charged for Facetime?” he asked.

I nodded, knowing that wouldn’t be enough, and I wondered if he knew that too.

“Look at me,” he whispered, gently tipping my chin up. “We’re going to be fine. We’ll make this work.”

“I hope so,” I said softly.

“I know so.”

I kept my arms looped around his neck, trying to memorize everything about him—the way his brows so easily furrowed, how his lips curved, the lushness of his lips, the expressiveness in his eyes.

“You’ll come down to California before the holidays, right?” he asked, squeezing my waist a little tighter.

“As long as I can manage.”

He sank his teeth into his bottom lip and let out a frustrated sigh, and I felt slightly better knowing he was as unsure about this next step as I was. This wasn’t going to be easy.

Anthony nodded as Cole came back inside with Natty.

“First flake of the season, and it landed in my mouth,” she declared.

“And you’re how old?” I teased.

“Old enough to know that every single person should stop and enjoy the little things.”

“Did Natty tell you the good news?” Cole asked, but I wasn’t really listening. I just wanted to will Anthony to stay on Fireweed.

“No. What?” I asked absently.

“Two thousand people attended the concert. After paying for security and everything else, that leaves over sixty thousand dollars for your dad. That doesn’t even count the donations or sales on food and beverages. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out we’re tipping in at a hundred grand.”

My gaze flashed to Cole’s.

“Are you kidding?”

“Not even a little bit.”

“That would wipe out my dad’s bills and ensure his rehabilitation.” In complete shock, I turned my gaze back to Anthony’s. “Did you know?”

“I did, but Jewels wanted to be able to tell you the good news. Apparently, my brother is awful at keeping secrets.”

“Well, he’s in the perfect line of business then.” I smiled.

“A truer statement couldn’t be said,” Anthony agreed.

“I can’t wait for my dad to find out, and Mary will be absolutely beside herself. She was walking around all yesterday with a look of surprise permanently plastered on her face.”

“She did kind of have a funny look on her face.” Natty laughed.

“Depending on when you ran into her, it could have been because Cindy showed up.”

“No way,” Anthony said. “You didn’t tell me this.”

“It’s true. Mary said it couldn’t have worked out better if we’d planned it, which we kind of did. My dad was standing up with his cane, his arm wrapped around Mary’s waist, swaying to the music.”

“Perfection,” Natty whispered.

“It was, by all accounts. Cindy got so angry, she stormed out and threw her beer in the trash.”

“At least we got her money for the ticket to get in and for the beer tab,” Cole joked, wiggling his brows.

“I have to agree,” I said, glancing toward the kitchen opening.

Natty and Cole took a seat around the table, and Anthony’s gaze fell back to mine. I could tell there was something he wanted to tell me but was afraid to. My stomach tightened the more seconds that passed by without a word.

“The photographer came this morning for the house listing, but the agent already showed it to a couple yesterday.”

“How can he show it if it’s not listed yet?”

“He’s treating it as a pocket listing to gauge the interest.”

“And?”

“They loved your style.”

“That’s nice to hear.”

“They made an offer far above asking.”

My heart plummeted, and I quickly swallowed the lump in the back of my throat. Even though I knew this was coming, I guess I didn’t expect his move to be quite so final so fast.

“Did you accept it?” I asked.

“My agent said to give it a couple of days while he shows it to some other potential buyers.”

“Wow.”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Bet it’s a relief that you’ll get it off your hands soon.”

Anthony slowly released his embrace and placed a soft kiss on my lips as I held in my tears. I never in a million years expected this. I looked down at the floor and dabbed the wetness away.

“Is Sophie actually about to miss a guy?” Natty laughed. “This is definitely a first.”

“Fuzz just flew into my eye,” I mumbled, plastering a smile on my lips.

“Right. Sure thing.”

Anthony shook his head and chuckled. “If you need anything, Facetime me.”

I nodded.

“And keep an eye out for a tweet on Wednesday around six o’clock.”

“Can’t you just text?” I asked.

“Nah. This is cooler,” Anthony assured me.

“I think it’s only cooler when there’s an element of surprise,” Cole joked, his brows raising.

“Besides talent, I’m not sure which brother was meant to be the rocker,” Natty grumbled. “Cole’s got way more swagger than your guy.”

“Not even.” I laughed as Anthony gave me one more quick kiss. “Should I be prepared to handle another flood of orders?”

Anthony just smiled and shrugged.

The thumping of the cane echoed against the kitchen floor, and I glanced over to see my dad coming into the kitchen, cane in hand.

He stood in front of Anthony and held out his hand. Anthony immediately took his hand in his and shook it.

“Thank you, son,” my dad said.