“What do you mean you weren’t nervous?” Kate asked for about the fifth time. Tall and lean, Kate had the body and grace of a dancer. She also had a deep reddish tint to her brown hair, a fact that had piqued Griffin’s curiosity on more than one occasion. Kate had been a fixture at Pete’s for almost as long as Jenny, and she’d always thought it was weird that I never got stage fright.

I gave her a nonchalant shrug. “I mean just that…it didn’t make me nervous. Excited, sure, but nervous…no. Matt on the other hand, I think he emptied his stomach at some point.”

The image of my pale-faced guitarist heaving into a bucket made me laugh. Kate shook her head in disbelief. “It’s like you’re not human…like you’re an alien, rock god sent to Earth to—”

“Please you?” I interjected. My eyes roved the bar, searching for Kiera. Hopefully I’d be able to please her after her shift.

Kate snorted, and when I returned my eyes to her, her cheeks were flushed, and she looked flustered. “Uh, yeah…exactly.” Shaking her head, she said, “But no, seriously…you didn’t feel the slightest ounce of nerves? If it were me, I’d probably pee my pants.”

I laughed, then sighed. “I can keep saying it, Kate, but eventually, you’re just going to have to believe me. Performing doesn’t scare me.” No…pouring my heart out to the woman I loved, that was what had scared me. Everything else was simple, easy.

Kate looked like she was about to question me again, but the front doors opened, and the rest of my band walked in. I was grateful they were here. Kate could turn her endless questions on them. Matt would probably give her much more satisfying answers.

Once the four of us were reunited, the patrons of Pete’s broke into thunderous applause. All of the attention was a little bewildering. We played at Pete’s all the time, so most of the people here had heard us on multiple occasions. But I supposed the festival was a step up from the bar.

While Matt looked like he wanted to walk right back out of the bar, I lifted my hand in a friendly acknowledgement of their praise. Evan looked baffled but honored as he looked around. Griffin looked like the adoration was nothing short of expected. After throwing kisses to the crowd, he started making deep, dramatic bows, like he’d just conducted a symphony orchestra. Wanting him to show a little decorum, I slapped him on the back to get him to stop. He did, but his grin said he was still reveling in the moment.