“I know, right? We’re going to the Hog Saturday night to watch your performance, and I was hoping you’d join us for a drink afterward.”

Madigan knew she’d probably see at least one or two of her brothers and cousins, and dealing with them was the last thing she wanted to do. But she was going to be performing anyway, and she needed to get past this ridiculous heartache. “Okay. One drink.”

“Yes!” Marly exclaimed. “I know just how to get you-know-who off your mind, too.”

“Don’t bother saying I should find another guy, because I’m done with all that. I’ve decided to fast-track the whole cat-lady thing, adopt a houseful of cats, and forget men altogether.” She pulled into the parking lot of LOCAL, doing a quick visual sweep of the parking lot, looking for her brothers’ truck and motorcycles, but the coast was clear. “Mar, I’ve got to go. I just got to LOCAL, and I want to see my grandfather before I start work.”

After ending the call, she gathered her things and made her way inside to her grandfather’s apartment. Her father answered the door, throwing her for a loop. How had she missed his vehicle? She’d been avoiding his calls, too, which wasn’t fair, but she wasn’t ready to have a conversation with him about the situation with Tobias. He was wearing a black T-shirt, worn jeans, and his black biker boots, which meant he hadn’t come from work, and he’d ridden his motorcycle. His expression was so serious, people would be intimidated, but not Madigan, because when he looked at her, all it took was a second for those ice-blue eyes to turn warm as a summer’s sky.

“Dad. Hi. I wasn’t expecting to see you.”

“Hi, darlin’.” He pulled her into an embrace. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m fine.”

He drew back, holding her by the shoulders. “That’s what you said when you came back from Spain. Then you hid out in your bedroom and emerged months later with an attitude bigger than Boston and a business plan. So, tell me, baby girl, are we about to lose you to traveling again, or are you conjuring up your next business venture?”

She was always floored by how well her parents knew her.

“Robert,” her grandfather barked from the other room. “Leave that girl alone, and let her come in here and give her grandpa a hug.”

Madigan smiled at her father as she slipped past without answering, but he snagged her bag from her shoulder. “Dad, that’s my work stuff.”

“Uh-huh.” He followed her into the living room. “Then you won’t mind if I take a look inside.”

She and her grandfather exchanged guilty glances.

“You think I don’t know you two are in cahoots?” Her father reached into the bag and pulled out a candy bar, waving it at them.