“This crowd…” Adrienne shook her head. “I hope Nick will be okay.”
Mom bit back a laugh. “Of course he will. This is just the beginning.”
“Wait! What?”
Louise nodded. “They’re calling it the Caritative Concert Tour—first stop, the Art Academy Fundraiser.”
“Seriously?” Adrienne shook her head and fought back a smile. “And Nick didn’t tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought you knew.”
Adrienne felt as if the ground beneath her feet had turned to quicksand, and all her thoughts tumbled in a freefall with nowhere to land and nothing to stop her. She pressed her fingertips to her temples. “I didn’t know.”
Artie looked a little more presentable than on a typical school day because she’d swapped her paint smock and jeans for a clean white shirt and crisply ironed black pants. She took the stage, and the crowd erupted in wild cheers. Artie held up her hands, asking for quiet. The microphone squealed like an electric pig with its tail caught in a vise.
The crowd hushed.
Artie puffed out her chest. “Friends, students and teachers, thank you for joining us. Your participation here today demonstrates not only your generosity and thoughtfulness, but also your dedication to the arts.”
“Or their desire to see a hot rock star in the flesh,” someone called out behind Adrienne.
Rock star? Nick?
Morgan, a middle-aged woman who dressed like a 1980s teenager, poked Adrienne in the ribs. “I heard you got to touch his flesh. What was that like?”
As always, Adrienne tried to ignore Morgan. But Morgan, with her bouffant hairdo, bright makeup, and neon-painted nails was usually hard to ignore. Still, Adrienne turned her back on her and searched the makeshift stage.
If Nick was here, he had to be close by. Where could he be? She ruled out the porta potties, and the cars lined up behind the stage. Her gaze lingered on an RV. Maybe.
How was he feeling? She ached with worry for him. What if he couldn’t do this? What if he didn’t show up as he’d promised?
“As you know,” Artie said, “one hundred percent of your generous donations and ticket sales will go to the academy.” She paused and sucked in a deep breath. “We have a great show planned for you today, with some local talent.” Her grin widened.
“Where’s Nick?” someone in the crowd called out, interrupting her.
“Nick! Nick!” Someone else tried to start a cheer, but her voice died out when no one joined in.
A deafening cheer went up. Cameras flashed and women and girls screamed.
Adrienne had to stand on her toes to watch Nick climb from the back of a horse trailer. What if he saw the crowd and turned and slunk back into the trailer? She wouldn’t blame him—at all—if he turned and ran. But if he did, would he take her with him?
Her mom grabbed Adrienne’s arm so tightly it hurt.
He looked good but different. He moved with an easy grace that spoke of quiet confidence. His jeans sat low on his hips and he carried an acoustic guitar in one hand.
The crowd roared when he waved and smiled. His gaze swept over the park, searching. His smile deepened when his gaze met Adrienne’s.
Everyone looked at her, and she felt as if they were all holding their breath with her.
Grinning, Artie ducked her head and relinquished the microphone to Nick.
“Hello!” Nick said.
The crowd’s clamor died down.
“Where you been, Nick?” someone called out.
“Haven’t you seen the videos?” he called back.
