Chapter 20

Evan hadn’t been sure until the moment Charlie had stepped up to him and pointed that Riley would respond to his song. His heart still thrashed around inside his chest like he’d tried to remove it from his body against its will.

Singing so openly like that. With so much emotion. So much vulnerability.

Evan didn’t normally do that, at least not in public.

He pulled away from Riley and ran his hands through her hair. “I like this new color,” he whispered.

“We should get off the stage,” she whispered back. “So Amelia and Charlie can get married.”

Alarm moved through him. “Right.” He stepped over to Charlie and hugged him hard. “Thank you for letting me have a minute.”

“Love you, brother.” Charlie pounded him on the back, and Evan took Riley’s hand and they got off the stage. She tugged him inside a tent filled with other women, all of them sniffling.

“My friends at work,” she said, but Evan had met all of them before. “You remember them?”

“Of course,” he said, putting on his rockstar smile even though his hopes were falling, crashing, burning.

Riley would never leave Getaway Bay. Her perfect job that she was really good at. Her friends.

So he’d sung a pretty song and gotten her back, but it felt temporary. Carl’s voice in the back of his mind told him to be honest. Get everything out in the open with Riley as soon as possible.

For once, Evan was glad his brother liked to discuss everything to death before letting it go.

“Riley,” he said, facing her again. She was beautiful with that red hair, the fresh face. “I am in love with you, but I don’t see how our relationship can work with us as we are now.”

She sucked in a breath, her smile vanishing as easily as if he’d flipped a switch.

“Don’t say anything yet,” he said. “I know you need time to process things. I know you’re working. I’m back on the island through the New Year, and Carl and I are keeping the house here. But you have to know I won’t be here all that much.”

His throat hurt, and he needed a drink, but he had to say this first. “Carl’s quitting as band manager for Georgia Panic. We need someone who’s as detailed as he is. As meticulous in their professionalism. Who won’t take crap from anyone.”

“I’ll take the job,” Lisa said, stepping slightly in front of Riley.

Evan grinned at her, glad she’d said that, though he hadn’t even asked her to.

“No, I want it,” Charlotte said.

“Hey,” Shannon said. “I think I’m the most qualified.”

Evan wanted to hug all of these women. He couldn’t have planned this job offer more perfectly. He looked around at all of them, and it seemed like they’d crawled right inside his head, because they all looked at Riley simultaneously.

“I want you,” he said, clearing his throat. “I want to offer the job to you, Riley.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head. Pure panic paraded through him, but he remained still and silent. Riley always needed more time than him to make decisions, especially big ones. And this one was huge.

Her smile indicated she wasn’t telling him no. She just didn’t believe what was happening.

“It pays pretty well,” he said. “And you’d travel with the band. Be wherever the band is. Of course, you’d have to maintain a home somewhere…and I hear you have a great place with an amazing view of the nightly sunsets on the island.” He grinned at her. “Like I said, I know you need time to think about things. I know it would be a huge change for you. I know you’re working right now.”

He released her hand and fell back a step. “Heck, I have to go work right now.” He touched his palm over his heart and added, “After the wedding, I’ll be at my house. Come by anytime—if you want.”

And with that, he left the tent so he could watch one of his good friends get married. Doubts streamed through him, but he pretended like everything was right and had worked out. Of course it wasn’t. He knew better than most that pretty words were just that—words. Songs were just songs. Music was powerful for him, but Riley needed actions to tell her how he felt.

He’d tried to give her that. He was keeping the house—renting it for now—and he’d offered her the job. He’d said everything he needed to say.

Now she got to decide.

***

Charlie and Amelia’s wedding was beautiful, and it made Evan’s heart happy to see his friend so in love. The sight of their wedded bliss also reminded him of how much he loved Riley. He hadn’t seen her again during the wedding, but that was simply a sign of the professionalism of the staff at Your Tidal Forever.

He’d sung for the first dance, and he’d stayed through the cake cutting. He’d ridden his motorcycle home, his tuxedo jacket flapping in the wind.

Carl had been on the pool deck, wearing his swimming trunks and tapping on his phone. Evan took one look at him and said, “I’m changing. Be right back.”

“How did it go?” Carl called after him, but Evan just waved his hand. After he’d changed and sprayed himself with sunscreen, he sat beside Carl.

His brother said nothing, which was an open door for Evan to start the conversation. He took a deep breath, and said, “I sang the song.”

“And?”

“And she came out and we made up.” Evan smiled just thinking about that kiss. “I offered her the job. She’ll take her time to think about it.”

Carl let a couple of beats of silence go by. “She better hurry up, because I already have two dates.” He twisted his phone toward Evan. “This Getaway Bay Singles app is pretty slick.”

“Oh, you set it up already?”

“Yeah,” Carl said. “And I’ve already been messaging several people.” His phone chimed, and he turned it back toward him. “I’m meeting someone at the coffee shop where you met Riley. So you know, maybe it’ll be a good place.” He smiled at Evan, and Evan couldn’t remember the last time Carl looked so relaxed.

“Thanks for all you’ve done for the band,” Evan said, his emotions touching his voice again. “For me.”

“Of course,” Carl said, looking away from the phone. Their eyes met, and a quiet, brotherly understanding moved between them.

Evan sighed and leaned his head back. “I hope she shows up soon.”

“You invited her back here?”

“I told her I knew she had a lot to think about, and that yeah, I’d be by the pool later.”

Carl didn’t say anything, and Evan glanced over to find him completely engrossed in the dating app. Another smile touched his mouth, and Evan silently prayed that Carl could find someone as amazing as Riley to fall in love with.

The afternoon wore on, and Riley still didn’t show up. Worry began to gnaw at Evan. Maybe he’d asked too much of her, too quickly. She would be leaving the island where she’d lived for a very long time. Her friends. Her job. Her family on nearby Oahu. Her two cats.

No, the cats could come.

He practically dove for his phone, realizing he’d left it on silent during the wedding. But Riley hadn’t texted or called.

You can bring Sunshine and Marbles on tour, he tapped out quickly. Before he could second-guess himself, he sent the text and relaxed again. Or tried to. The wedding had ended an hour ago. Maybe longer.

Where was she?

Evan must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew, someone was saying his name, and a cool hand touched his face.

He startled and yelped, sitting up and swatting the touch away at the same time.

“Hey, it’s okay,” a woman said. “It’s just me.”

“Riley?” He blinked the exhaustion out of his eyes and focused on the beautiful redhead in front of him. It was her, and she was wearing the softest smile he’d ever seen.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said. “Carl said I could come out here.”

“Of course you can.” He looked over her shoulder for his brother, and Riley followed his gaze.

“He said he was meeting someone for coffee.”

“What time is it?” Evan asked, wiping his hand down his face. His skin felt too hot, and his stomach grumbled for food.

“Almost six,” she said. “I had a ton of work to do after the wedding. Sorry I didn’t text.”

“It’s okay.” She was here, and Evan could barely believe that. “So…where are we?”

“You know I can’t quit my job tomorrow, right? Hope needs to find someone else; I need to train them…” She let her words trail off, and that blasted hope started writhing in Evan’s bloodstream again.

“But you’re thinking about accepting my job offer,” he said.

“Have you talked to the band about it?” she asked.

“Absolutely,” he said. “And Carl is willing to stay on until you’re ready. He can train you right up too.”

“They don’t even know me.”

“I know you,” he said. “I’ve seen you work at Your Tidal Forever. You’re perfect for this job.”

“What if you, I don’t know, get sick of me?”

“Riley.” He took both of her hands in his. “That’s not going to happen. Maybe you didn’t hear the song? I’d ask you to marry me right now if I didn’t think you’d freak out and never speak to me again.”

Her eyes widened, and Evan chuckled. “See? If anything, I think it’s you who will get sick of me. I’m not easy to manage.” He knew that he relied on Carl for a lot. A pang of sadness hit him that his brother wouldn’t be with the band anymore, but he also knew Carl needed a shot at a more normal life.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that, actually,” Riley said dryly. She squeezed his hands. “I want the job, but I have a lot to do before I’m ready to leave the island. I need to figure out how to take care of my house while I’m not living in it. I need to tie up all the loose ends at work. I need to rehome the cats. I need to talk to my family.” She looked worried, and that was the last thing Evan wanted to do to her.

“You can bring the cats,” he said. “Hank travels with his dog.”

“I don’t want to bring the cats,” she said. “I think they’ll be too much trouble.”

“But you love the cats,” Evan said, drawing her into his chest. Her body was warm, and he inhaled the fruity scent of her hair. “I don’t want to make your life harder. I just want us to be together, and this was the way I thought it would all work out. I’m open to other suggestions.”

“Does Carl really want to quit?” she whispered. “I don’t want to take his job from him just because you want us to be together.”

“He wants to quit,” Evan said. “He’s on a date right now, because he saw how happy I was when I was with you.”

Riley snuggled deeper into his side. “I want the job, Evan. I just have a few things to take care of first.”

“I’ll take care of the cats on the road,” he said.

She giggled, and Evan sure liked the sound of that. “No,” she said. “I’m okay rehoming the cats. I love them, but I love you more.” She tipped her head back so Evan could kiss her, and as he touched his lips to hers, pure happiness filled him.

Riley kissed him back, the same passion that had always been in her touch present now. So their time apart hadn’t set them too far back, and Evan was glad about that too.

“Okay,” she said, pulling away. “I’m so hot. Do you want to swim?”

“Sure,” he said as she got up. He watched her peel her coverup over her head, revealing a bright yellow bikini that rendered him mute.

She struck a pose and said, “What do you think of this swimming suit?”