of the electric guitarist or the way the moody, mournful notes he created with such ease bypassed her verbal level of understanding and went straight to the heart of melancholy and longing.
“ Well?” Christian prompted Seth after several songs.
Seth remained immobile, seemingly deep in thought. Megan understood that Christian was asking his friend’s opinion, but she couldn’t comprehend the amount of tension seething beneath the one word question. Why was Seth’s opinion about the blues guitarist’s performance so important? Unknowingly, her eyes turned anxiously to Seth’s stark profile.
“ You’re right,” Seth finally said without an ounce of inflection. “But you know my style is completely different—“
“ I can make it work. We can make it work. Just give it a chance,” Christian said.
Seth turned back to face them as a new set began. His gaze locked with Christian’s for a tense moment before he gave a small shrug.
“ If you say so, I’ll trust your word. God knows I’ve put my faith in you before and it’s always worked out.”
A broad smile broke over Christian’s face.
Seth’s dark eyes briefly settled on Megan, and then flashed enigmatically at Christian. Christian turned to her, a concerned expression on his face. She was surprised when he brushed a tear off her cheek tenderly.
“ Why are you crying, honey?” he asked, clearly bewildered.
Megan raised her hand to her cheek in equal amazement. “I-I didn’t know I was. I guess it was the music,” she said lamely. She swallowed down embarrassment as both men continued to study her with puzzled concern.
Had it been the music? She had been moved by it, but she honestly couldn’t say if it was that, or the unspoken undercurrents of emotion between Christian and Seth that had created her reaction. She licked her lips nervously. “I, uh, need to use the lady’s room.”
Christian stopped her with a firm hold on her upper arm. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
He finally let her go when she laughed and nodded her assurance, but he still looked doubtful.
Megan stared at herself in the bathroom mirror and mentally asked her reflection why she had reacted so strangely. Something about the two men’s communication in those moments—both spoken and unspoken—had moved her. Seth and Christian were obviously very close.
She’d washed away the remnants of her tears, but her cheeks were still flushed. Probably from the wine, she reasoned. Even though she’d only had three or four sips of it, that stuff was strong.
She felt calmer when she returned to the table. Harvest Moon had just finished up a set and announced that they were taking a brief break. Megan hesitated, and then walked staunchly forward when she realized that Emilio was sitting at the table, and that the three large men were in deep conversation. Emilio stopped talking abruptly when he saw her approach and a guilty expression flitted across his rounded features. Megan could well have believed Seth’s utterance of a moment ago when she took in the appearance of the other two men. Christian and Seth may not be blood brothers, but their deadpan expressions were identical when they looked up at her.
Irritation and embarrassment flickered through her. Christian really needed to work on his poker face. It was obvious they’d just been talking about something secretive before she arrived.
Emilio patted her forearm kindly as he rose to make a place for her. “Now, don’t you worry, Miss Megan. The blues are mighty powerful stuff. If you sat through that first set and grinned like a clueless airhead, I’d be downright worried about you. Yes ma’am.”
Megan’s irritation evaporated when Emilio took her hand in his oversized grip and squeezed. She smiled when she looked into his grizzled countenance. His big eyes widened and he shook his head with exaggerated befuddlement.
“ Lordy be, Chris. Where’d you find this girl? She’s packing some powerful stuff
“ Well?” Christian prompted Seth after several songs.
Seth remained immobile, seemingly deep in thought. Megan understood that Christian was asking his friend’s opinion, but she couldn’t comprehend the amount of tension seething beneath the one word question. Why was Seth’s opinion about the blues guitarist’s performance so important? Unknowingly, her eyes turned anxiously to Seth’s stark profile.
“ You’re right,” Seth finally said without an ounce of inflection. “But you know my style is completely different—“
“ I can make it work. We can make it work. Just give it a chance,” Christian said.
Seth turned back to face them as a new set began. His gaze locked with Christian’s for a tense moment before he gave a small shrug.
“ If you say so, I’ll trust your word. God knows I’ve put my faith in you before and it’s always worked out.”
A broad smile broke over Christian’s face.
Seth’s dark eyes briefly settled on Megan, and then flashed enigmatically at Christian. Christian turned to her, a concerned expression on his face. She was surprised when he brushed a tear off her cheek tenderly.
“ Why are you crying, honey?” he asked, clearly bewildered.
Megan raised her hand to her cheek in equal amazement. “I-I didn’t know I was. I guess it was the music,” she said lamely. She swallowed down embarrassment as both men continued to study her with puzzled concern.
Had it been the music? She had been moved by it, but she honestly couldn’t say if it was that, or the unspoken undercurrents of emotion between Christian and Seth that had created her reaction. She licked her lips nervously. “I, uh, need to use the lady’s room.”
Christian stopped her with a firm hold on her upper arm. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
He finally let her go when she laughed and nodded her assurance, but he still looked doubtful.
Megan stared at herself in the bathroom mirror and mentally asked her reflection why she had reacted so strangely. Something about the two men’s communication in those moments—both spoken and unspoken—had moved her. Seth and Christian were obviously very close.
She’d washed away the remnants of her tears, but her cheeks were still flushed. Probably from the wine, she reasoned. Even though she’d only had three or four sips of it, that stuff was strong.
She felt calmer when she returned to the table. Harvest Moon had just finished up a set and announced that they were taking a brief break. Megan hesitated, and then walked staunchly forward when she realized that Emilio was sitting at the table, and that the three large men were in deep conversation. Emilio stopped talking abruptly when he saw her approach and a guilty expression flitted across his rounded features. Megan could well have believed Seth’s utterance of a moment ago when she took in the appearance of the other two men. Christian and Seth may not be blood brothers, but their deadpan expressions were identical when they looked up at her.
Irritation and embarrassment flickered through her. Christian really needed to work on his poker face. It was obvious they’d just been talking about something secretive before she arrived.
Emilio patted her forearm kindly as he rose to make a place for her. “Now, don’t you worry, Miss Megan. The blues are mighty powerful stuff. If you sat through that first set and grinned like a clueless airhead, I’d be downright worried about you. Yes ma’am.”
Megan’s irritation evaporated when Emilio took her hand in his oversized grip and squeezed. She smiled when she looked into his grizzled countenance. His big eyes widened and he shook his head with exaggerated befuddlement.
“ Lordy be, Chris. Where’d you find this girl? She’s packing some powerful stuff
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