Gabi’s gaze dips before meeting mine again. “I did, but I didn’t believe it.”

“That makes you one of very few. I wasn’t even there when it happened. But his fans will never believe it. They want me to be the villain in this story.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that. You’d think being married to a rock star would be great . . .” She glances at my eye again. “But obviously everything has its drawbacks.”

I nod. “The press and the fans are still crazy, but I’m hoping they won’t track me back here. At least, for a little while.”

“No one will hear you’re home from me. Cross my heart.” She draws an X over her heart like we used to do when we were younger.

“I appreciate that.”

“Enough of that and on to business.” Gabi lifts my chin with two fingers and surveys my face. “Let’s get this covered up and make you so damn hot that Lincoln Riscoff won’t know what the hell happened to him when he sees you.”

I freeze at the mention of his name. “You know about . . . that?”

“I don’t think there’s a single person in this town who doesn’t know about him objecting at your wedding. It’s the stuff of legend.” She pauses to take a breath. “I’m sure everyone would love to see you snake him away from that bitch who thinks she’s got her claws into him now. We can tell she’s nothing but a gold digger, but for some reason, Mrs. Riscoff seems to approve. I was definitely betting on her keeling over if Lincoln thought about getting engaged to another woman who didn’t meet her standards.”

Another woman?

“He was engaged before?” I have no idea why my brain latches onto that piece of information, but clearly, it’s demented.

Also, how did I not know Lincoln was engaged? Oh, wait, because I’ve been pretending Lincoln Riscoff and the entire town of Gable didn’t exist for ten years while being wrapped up trying to make sure Ricky’s career continued to skyrocket.

“Almost, but then she got caught in bed with his brother, so she didn’t get a ring.”

“What?” My exclamation bounces around the room.

“It was scandalous. Mrs. Riscoff ended up in the hospital from chest pains, but that old bat is never gonna die, if you ask me. She’s determined to see the next Riscoff heir being born before she leaves this earth.”

I have nothing I can say to that statement, because holy shit, I did miss a hell of a lot. I swallow my shock.

“Here, scoot forward on the chair. I’ll tell you the story while I work.”

Part of me wants to say I don’t care, but who am I kidding? Of course I want to hear this. It’s pretty much impossible not to want to know everything that happened in my absence involving Lincoln.

As Gabi smooths primer onto my face, I ask, “And the gold digger this time is Maren something?” I ask like I didn’t commit the name of the woman Cricket almost ran off the road to memory.