Can't Get Over You (Fortune's Island, Book 2) (25 page)

TWENTY-ONE

Zach found twelve million other things to do in the space of time between Friday night and Sunday afternoon—besides tell the guys that the record producer who was coming to hear them play was the same guy Zach had decked.

The band hauled the equipment into The Love Shack an hour earlier than they had to, taking special care during the sound checks and setup to be sure everything was perfectly acoustically balanced. They ran through snippets of a couple of songs, practicing the set they were planning on performing this afternoon.

When they were done, Duff came over to Zach. “I think we should open strong,” he said. “Lead with ‘You Are The Everything,’ then move into the cover songs.”

Singing that song would be painful, but maybe those emotions would come through and add that little extra something to the song. What was the old saying about suffering for your art? That was what Zach felt like he was doing every time he sang that song—the first he’d ever written for Jillian. “Yeah, okay.”

“You ready?” Duff asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Zach attempted a grin, but it fell flat. His gut was churning, and he already felt like he couldn’t breathe—and Ethan hadn’t even shown up yet.

Duff’s gaze narrowed. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Man, this is my future on the line, too. So don’t hold out.”

Zach drew in a deep breath. “I may or may not have…punched Ethan Reynolds in the face.”

Duff stepped back and let out a long string of curses. “You
what
? Why the hell would you do that?”

“I didn’t know it was
that
Ethan Reynolds. I didn’t know his name at all. I only knew he was the guy kissing Jillian. They were out on a date last week and I reacted before I thought.” Zach let out a long breath. He had a million regrets, a million things he wished he could do over, and that punch was right at the top of the list. “I’m sorry, Duff. I had no idea who he was.”

“So this guy, who holds our careers in his hands, has been dating Jillian, and now hates your guts?”

“Probably.”

“Well, that sucks.” Duff rolled his eyes. “What the hell are we supposed to do?”

“Our jobs,” Zach said. There really wasn’t any other option besides doing their best at the audition. Musicians were known to be a little crazy, and maybe that was what Ethan would chalk the whole thing up to. Hopefully. “Let’s just hope we perform well enough that he forgets all about the rest.”

Duff’s gaze strayed to the drums, guitars and amps, all set up and ready to go. He was quiet for a long time, tension lining his face, hunching his shoulders. “All right. But I seriously think you should consider wearing a paper bag over your head when you perform.”

Zach laughed. That was what he liked about Duff. He was the kind of guy who could roll with the punches and make the best out of a shitty situation. “Might not be such a bad idea.”

“I’m gonna go get some ice water and bring some back for you. Wet the whistle, make that voice of yours shine.” Duff gave his friend a quick pat on the back. “And you’re right. We’re talented as hell, and Ethan would be an idiot if he didn’t see that right off. I don’t want to sign with an idiot, so let’s hope he’s smart.”

“Thanks, Duff.”

“Anytime, dude. We got each other’s backs.”

Zach nodded. They’d been friends for a long, long time. The best friend he’d ever had. If there was one person Zach was grateful to have in his corner, it was Duff. “We do.”

The Love Shack wasn’t due to open for a couple more hours, but Grace, Whit and a sous chef had come in early to make food for the event. As Duff headed off to get the ice water, Whit ambled over to Zach and gave him a smile. “Good luck today, son.”

“Thanks, Whit. I appreciate it.” His own father wasn’t here—not that Zach should be surprised. Late last night, after one too many beers with the guys, he had texted his father and asked him to come to the audition. He hadn’t gotten a reply.

That was assuming Ethan showed up, and there even was an audition. If he was any kind of professional, he wouldn’t let what happened with Jillian get in the way, but Zach wasn’t holding out a lot of hope. He had punched the guy, after all, and that wasn’t exactly the best way to make an impression. The nerves in his gut quadrupled.

“You guys are talented,” Whit said. “Any producer who doesn’t sign you is a fool.”

“Thanks.” Zach grinned. Whit always knew the right thing to say, at just the right time. The other man’s confidence in the band eased some of the tension inside Zach. “Though I think you’re a bit biased.”

“Maybe so. But I’m also smart.” Whit tapped his temple. “And I know a good thing when I see it. My daughter does, too, even if she’s a little slow to realize it.”

Just the mention of Jillian caused an ache deep inside Zach. A thousand times, his gaze had gone to the door, hoping she would come to the audition. He’d picked his phone up ten thousand other times, looking for a
good luck
text or a reply to the one he’d sent her this morning. Nothing.

The best thing he could do—hell, the only thing he could do—was exactly what he’d told Duff. His job. The rest would either work out or it wouldn’t. Zach wasn’t normally a man given to praying, but today, he was going to take all the help he could get.

# # #

Carter showed up at Jillian’s apartment a little after one. He stood there, with his
don’t-hate-me
grin and his car keys in his hand. “You ready?”

“For what?” It was Sunday, and she had slept in late, then puttered around her apartment, doing laundry, dusting shelves. Anything to keep busy and keep her mind off Zach, Ethan and music.

“To go watch Zach’s audition,” Carter said. “And if you’re not too much of a scaredy-cat, get up on that stage and sing a little yourself.”

Yeah, well, she was a scaredy-cat, and she didn’t want to audition. Neither did she want to see Zach. Going there to support him would send a message she wasn’t so sure she wanted to send. And then there was the potential drama that could result from being in the same room as
Zach and Ethan. Better to stay home and scrub the shower tiles or something. Uh-huh. That was her plan.

Even if a major part of her ached to go watch Zach. To show him that she was behind him and knew he could rock this performance.

“How did you know Ethan offered me an audition?”

Carter came inside, and shut the door behind him. He followed her into the kitchen, where she poured two cups of coffee and handed one to her brother. “I didn’t know about that,” Carter said. “I thought you should create one of your own. But hey, if the record company guy offered you an audition, then you’d be totally insane not to do that.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know if I want a record contract.” She sat down at the small kitchen table and wrapped her hands around her warm mug. “I’m kinda happy here.”

“Which is why you broke up with Zach, enrolled in college, and changed your life.” Carter put up his hands. “Tell me I’m wrong, but those are all signs that point to wanting something more.”

“But this is Zach’s audition. Zach’s dream. I can’t go in there and make it mine.”

“Who says you’re taking over his dream? If The Outsiders are good enough, they’ll get a contract. If they’re not, they won’t, regardless of whether you are there or not.” Carter took a sip of coffee, then put the cup back on the table. “Either way, you won’t know if you don’t try.”

She hated that Carter was the logical one. Especially when she was an emotional mess who didn’t know whether to go right or left. “You’re right. Of course.”

He grinned. “And that’s why I’m the wiser older brother.”

Jillian laughed. “Okay, wiser older brother, riddle me this, then. Why are you here two weekends in a row? You took an actual vacation last weekend, then turned right around and came back here Friday afternoon.”

“I came back for Darcy’s wedding.”

Jillian arched a brow in disbelief.

“Okay, for Darcy’s wedding and…a little more vacation.” Carter got to his feet, dumped the rest of his coffee down the drain, then rinsed his cup. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve been feeling burned out and tired lately. And I’m giving Brian’s offer to open our own firm some serious thought.”

“That’s fabulous.” That would mean Carter was here more often, and even though her brother sometimes drove her crazy, she loved having him around.

“And that means, my scaredy-cat sister, that you have to keep your end of the bargain.”

“Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. I thought the deal was, I sing in public and you open your own business here. Not
think
about it. Actually take the leap.”

Carter shrugged. “My thing takes more planning. While yours,” he tick-tocked his keys back and forth, “is just a couple miles away. So go get dressed in something that doesn’t say you just rolled out of bed—”

“Hey!”

“—and grab your guitar and get in my car. Because you know you really want this opportunity. All you needed was a kick in the butt to go after it.”

She stood there a minute, having a staring contest with her brother. “I hate you.”

“Good. You should.” He grinned, because he knew he’d won the argument. “Now go get your crap together. I don’t have all day to sit around and wait for you. I have a few hours of my
weekend off left and as soon as I finish listening to your caterwauling, I intend to spend the rest of my time on the beach with some hot girl in a bikini.”

Jillian rolled her eyes. “You are incorrigible.”

“Aw, you’re so sweet. That’s what Mom says, too.” He gave her a little shove. “Now go.”

A few minutes later, Jillian was in Carter’s car with her guitar and a serious case of nerves. The two-mile drive to The Love Shack seemed to take forever and at least seventy times, she thought about telling Carter to turn around, pull over, forget about it. When they pulled into the lot, she saw her parents’ car and the van The Outsiders used for carting around their equipment, but no sign of Ethan’s rental.

Maybe he wasn’t going to show. Maybe this was all a waste of time. Maybe—

“I can see you rethinking this whole thing,” Carter said as they got out of his car and started up the walkway. “Let’s get inside before you have a chance to escape…uh, change your mind.”

Jillian laughed. “Remind me again why I put up with you.”

“You have to. We share our DNA.” He grinned, then opened the door for her. She stepped inside the building, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light inside. Jillian stowed her guitar by the door, then headed over to the stage to where Zach was bent over the amp, adjusting some settings.

“Hey,” she said.

He brightened when he turned and saw her. “Hey yourself. Did you come to watch our audition?”

“Sort of. I also came…” He’d know soon enough, so she might as well say it. “…to audition myself. Ethan overheard me singing one day and asked me to come in and sing for him this afternoon.”

“That’s great, Jillian. I mean it.”

“How do you do it? Get up there and sing in front of everyone?” She sat on the edge of the stage and drew her knees up to her chest. Zach lowered himself into the space beside her. Their hips met, a comfortable connection, the kind that came from spending years with a person and being used to being part of their space.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

“You’re creative. It comes with the territory.” She grinned.

“I agree.” He echoed her smile, then sobered. “When I get up on stage, I don’t worry about singing to all the people in the room. I don’t even focus on everyone. I focus on one person, imagine I am only singing to one person in the world.” His gaze met hers. “You.”

She looked away, overwhelmed by the intensity, the love in his eyes. “Zach…”

“Just sing to one person, Jillian. Let your heart speak through your guitar and your voice, and you’ll be fine. You’ll knock it out of the park.”

She drew in a long breath. “Maybe. I’m not sure I have the same passion for performing as you do. I mean, you live and breathe music. It wasn’t until the last couple years that I realized music…filled something in me. I could write a song and get all these feelings onto the page, and when I sang it, it was like letting them all go again. But now I really want to study what it all means, how it’s constructed. To learn about music before I do anything with it, if that makes sense.”

“I understand that. I think music is complicated and beautiful and something different to all of us.” He shrugged. “To me, it’s an extension of who I am. Like an extra arm or something.
Heck, most of my life is in my songs. Almost everything I’ve ever felt about you is in there, too.”

“Almost everything?”

He ran a hand through his hair and let out a breath. “There was a pain I felt when I realized I had really lost you that ran so deep and so raw, it was the one thing I couldn’t sing about. It’s still there, Jillian, right here.” He pressed at his chest. “And I can’t even begin to sing it out loud because I’d probably dissolve into a sobbing mess on the stage.”

Did he really still feel that deeply about her? The thought both thrilled and scared her. Maybe there was more left between them than she’d thought. “Oh, you’d never do that.”

He took her hand in both of his and held it tight. “I would. I meant what I said in the other song. The music doesn’t mean the same to me without you. Nothing does.”

“Zach—”

“I sold the Mustang to Harvey. Paid part of it to get your car fixed the rest of the way—”

“You shouldn’t have—”

“Already done. I made enough to buy a practical junker and then put the rest of the money into the bank. It’s not enough to buy a house, or even a corner of a house yet, but I’ll be saving more as we go along.”

She heard the word
we
, and for the first time in a long time, it didn’t scare her as much. “You sold your car?”

He nodded. “And I have an interview on Monday to work construction. Even if this audition works out, there’s no guarantee I’ll make enough money to support us. I want to be sure of my future, and a job is the best way to do that.”

“But, Zach, what about your band and—”

He turned to her. “Nothing matters to me as much as you do. I was really slow to learn that lesson, but I know it now. I want you more than I want a record deal or a sports car.”