“Once, she found me when I needed someone to and helped me find a direction. I’ll forever be thankful for that.”
He saw the memories come and go across his friend face.
“I’m glad you had someone, Cub.”
“Me too.”
Mr. Hope took the microphone back. “First up is Mikey. His friend Deano who was meant to perform with him is sick.”
There were a chorus of “oh nos.”
“I heard you been helping Mikey out,” Annabelle whispered.
“A bit. Both him and Deano.”
“Now I can see that upsets you all, but someone has stepped in to help our boy tonight. He will play guitar only, and Mikey will do the rest. Put your hands together for Mikey and Shay.”
Mikey looked nervous as he walked out with Shay, who had a hand on his shoulder. The boy stood at the microphone set up on a stand, and Shay sat behind him with what looked to be Deano’s guitar.
The crowd murmured, but Ryan didn’t hear anything negative; then Mikey started playing with Shay, and everyone fell silent.
“They’re good, right?” Cubby whispered.
“Real good.”
“I thought it would be country music, seeing as we live in the country,” Jed said in a stage whisper. Annabelle elbowed him hard to shut him up.
“I just hope he doesn’t breed,” Cubby muttered, shooting Jed a dark look.
Mikey looked good in jeans and a black long-sleeved T-shirt. Ryan found Branna and Jake in the crowd. They were both looking a bit misty-eyed.
“Our boy is growing.” Annabelle sniffed.
His voice was good—really good, Ryan thought. Shay played along in the background, happy doing what he loved. When the song ended, applause erupted. Mikey flushed with color.
Jake and Branna got to their feet and kept applauding until Mikey and Shay left the stage.
“Well now, that is going to be a hard act to follow,” Mr. Hope said.
Ryan made notes on his pad as did Annabelle. Jed drank his beer, and Cubby looked pensive.
Next up was a trio of elderly white-bearded men. Each held a banjo.
“I don’t recognize them,” Ryan said.
“The Handover brothers. They live on the other side of the valley. They travel, playing when they need money,” Cubby said.
Each wore overalls and a T-shirt, and they could play a hell of a banjo. Ryan was soon clapping right along with the rest of them. Jed got out of his seat and danced around the table, making everyone laugh until he tripped on the table leg and landed on one of the Finlay brothers.
“Just an accident, Mitch. No need for retaliation,” Cubby said, rising from his seat.
Mitch Finlay scowled, but just righted Jed and pushed him back in the direction of his seat.
“If they found a single brain cell in that man’s head, I’d be surprised,” Cubby said.
Ryan enjoyed every performance. He applauded along with the crowd, then wrote on his score card after each entrant.
His instincts seemed to know the exact moment Faith entered the room. His eyes would follow her. Ryan caught glimpses of her thighs and breasts if she leaned over, and he was really glad he had a table covering his groin.