She brought the song to an end, hitting an F instead of a C. She’d been concentrating so hard on the chord changes that she hadn’t made eye contact with the crowd, and she seemed startled when they began to applaud. He waited for her to flee. Instead, she moved closer to the microphone and said softly, “That song was for my friend, Mrs. Garrison.”

People in the audience began calling out for more. Dean smiled, and so did Blue. Riley stuck the guitar pick between her lips and retuned. With no regard for copyrights or the secrecy that always accompanied the release of a new Patriot song, Riley slipped into “Cry Like I Do,” one of the songs he’d been working on at the cottage. He couldn’t have been prouder. At the end, the crowd clapped, and she went into the Moffatts’ “Down and Dirty.” He realized her song choices were based more on whether she thought she could manage the chord changes than the song itself. This time when she finished, she said a simple thank-you and handed the guitar back, ignoring the crowd’s demand for an encore. Like any great performer, she was smart enough to get out while they wanted more.

Dean reached her first and stuck to her side as people gathered to compliment her. Riley had a hard time meeting anyone’s eyes. Mrs. Garrison looked as smug as if she’d been the one doing the singing. Blue couldn’t stop beaming, and April kept laughing.

Riley wouldn’t look at him. He remembered the e-mail he’d sent Dean when he’d been trying to understand why she was so secretive about her singing.

Figure it out for yourself, Dean had said.

At the time, he’d thought Riley was afraid he wouldn’t love her if she didn’t sing well enough, but he understood his daughter better now. She knew exactly how well she sang, and she wanted something entirely different.

As the crowd began to drift away, more people openly stared at him. Someone snapped his picture. A middle-aged woman edged over to him. “E-excuse me, but…Aren’t you Jack Patriot?”

Dean had seen it unfolding, and he immediately appeared at her side. “How about giving him a break?”

The woman flushed. “I cain’t believe it’s him. Here in Garrison. What are you doin’ here, Mr. Patriot?”

“It’s a nice town.” He glanced past her to see Nita and Blue guarding Riley.

“Jack’s a friend of mine. He’s staying at my farm,” Dean said. “I know the thing he likes most about Garrison is having some privacy.”

“Sure, I understand.”