I hug her. “I’m the mom. You come to me with your problems. Not the other way around.”
“Is something going on with you and dad?”
“Nope. Not a thing.”
She scuffs her feet and her lip pouts out. “Are you going to miss him?”
It feels like I can’t take a breath. Like I’m drowning in pain. But I smile through it. “Maybe a little. He’s a good guy.”
“True.”
Neither of us say anything else until we hit the park and I see the girls sitting together, some of them with their men. Ruth waves her arms and I wander over.
“Chris got us these great seats,” she giggles. “Some of the guys are still pouting about it.”
“He’ll be leaving soon. I think they can handle it for now.”
Ruth’s sharp eyes lock on me and I glance down, pretending to fiddle with my things, stretching out my blanket. “You’re going to miss him, aren’t you?”
“It’s been wonderful seeing him but we don’t work. He’s a big star. I’m a small-town mom. I write books. I have a daughter.”
“You both have a daughter. And the fact that you write books means that you can go with him. You’re not tied down. Why don’t you see if you can work this out?”
“It’s too much. Maddy needs stability right now.”
She huffs. “Maddy’s smart as a whip. She could study on the road. Just don’t rule it out.”
I nod but before I can say anything, I see Chris’s manager stalking up to us.
“You,” she hisses. “What are you doing? You think that it’s okay asking him to give up his whole life to be with you?” Her dark eyes slide up and down, a cynical twist to her hard red lips. “He’s got so much going for him and you’re about to ruin all of it.”
I shake my head, shocked.
“Yeah, go ahead and act all innocent. You and that kid of yours are trying to drag him down to your level. I’m not gonna let that happen.”
“No…I..” But she’s stomped off. My stomach sinks like a stone.
I turn to the girls who study me sympathetically. “I can’t let him do this. It’s not right.”
“It’s his choice. If he wants to be with you and leave the music scene…well, that’s his decision.”
“I need to talk to him.”
I run backstage looking for him. I spot him with his blond head bent over the guitar tuning it.
“Chris!” His head pops up and a smile wings across his lips.
“Hey, baby!”
I don’t let him say anything else. “Just so you know, this isn’t going to happen. Just stay on tour. Live your life. You can come back and see Maddy but I’m not interested in being with you. Just do us both a favor and move on.”
I turn and run before he can say anything, my eyes blurred and blind from the tears running down my cheeks.