I backed away from the mic and turned around, exchanging a look with the drummer before we raised the tempo and let the music take over for the duration of the song. I chuckled to myself as I improvised around Mac’s own improvisation. I couldn’t imagine being an accompanying musician and never being allowed to be creative—God knew the men deserved it and were talented enough.

By the end of the song, we were met by cheers and applause, and I nodded at the crowd. What mattered the most was Camden and August being visibly excited to see me, something I hadn’t experienced in a long time. My ex had never been interested in coming to gigs.

I returned the guitar to its stand next to an amp, then retrieved the fifty I’d put in my back pocket earlier, and I shook hands with Mac.

“Have a beer on me, guys,” I said. “If you play anywhere else, I’d like to come see you.”

He grinned and was quick to hand me a business card with the information about their band.

“We comp at smaller gigs around town a few nights a month, that’s all.”

“I’ll look you up,” I replied. “Thanks, fellas.”

“Right back at you. You were right, you know. Your version stands out.”

I smirked and offered a two-finger wave, then stepped off the platform to rejoin August and Camden.

“Have I told you how amazin’ you are on stage? Christ—your voice, sweetheart.”

I grinned through a yawn and squeezed August’s hand.

“I liked his voice too, Daddy,” Camden mumbled sleepily from the back seat. “So much.”

I glanced at him in the sideview mirror and estimated he’d be dead to the world within five minutes.

The festival area disappeared behind us, and soon, everything went pitch black.

The silence was comfortable and much needed, but it was deafening too. Only the low rumble from August’s truck could be heard. After a day of so many impressions, it was unfamiliar. So were the country roads for this New Yorker. Life down here was different.

It’d grown on me a lot, though. I loved the peacefulness of it all.

The clock on the dash struck midnight, and it was officially Monday.

In one week exactly, I was going home.

“Penny for your thoughts?” August threaded our fingers together.

I cleared my throat and ran a hand through my hair. “Just thinkin’ I have exactly one week left.”

“Mm.” He nodded slowly and kept his eyes on the road. “A lot has happened already.”

Yeah. I hadn’t even begun to process most of it.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I’d have plenty of time to think back on this experience soon enough. For now, I wanted to live in the moment and soak up every minute I had left with August and Camden.

Chapter 12

The Heart