Finding the Dream (For the Love of Music #1.5) by Mia Josephs Page B

against the counter. Why him? Why now?
    Sierra came into view through the glass first. Her hair shone in the dimming light, and her smile filled her face. Her short dress skimmed her legs about mid-thigh as she turned to talk to a tall guy behind her.
    He knew the type immediately—more money than he’d let on. More privilege than he should have. Something in the way he walked and in the pressed shirt he wore… Just. Something. The guy’s gaze never wavered from Sierra’s face until she turned back away and then it floated down her body.
    Everything in Donovan stiffened. He wasn’t the kind of guy to get upset over guys checking out girls. He’d never minded if men looked at Alyson. Was it because he felt protective of Sierra in a brother-like way? Or was she turning him into someone he didn’t know?
    “I know, right?” Sierra laughed as she stepped in the shop and Donovan could see why the guy was staring. Mid-thigh sundress and heels that stretched her legs for miles.
    “That’s what I told him.” The guy laughed too loudly, and two others just like him—different colored polo shirts—followed her inside.
    Why had he pictured a group of girls?
    “Hey, Van!” She waved with childlike enthusiasm, and he once again saw her as the thirteen-year-old girl.
    Someone he really needed to protect.
    “These are the guys.” She gestured to each as they stopped in front of Donovan. “Brandon, Lane, and Cole.”
    He shook each of their hands before stepping back. “Hasmussen still teaching that class?”
    “Yes.” The guys groaned.
    He hadn’t thought to ask Sierra.
    “So, I hope this all works out for both of us,” he said. “Want me to show you around?”
    “I got it, Van.” Sierra half danced toward him. “It’s the stuff we set aside along the left wall, right?”
    He nodded.
    “And sidewalk sale? Maybe a tent?”
    Donovan shifted. “You might have to—”
    “Check with the city. We got it,” one of the guys said.
    Donovan nodded. “And your teacher is okay with this?”
    “He remembered you,” Cole said with a smirk.
    Huh. “Yeah. Me and Hasmussen didn’t always get along.”
    Brandon’s arms tightened. “He said you weren’t driven enough.”
    What an asshole.
    “And Hasmussen is teaching people how to run businesses, and I'm running a business.” Donovan shrugged.
    The guys laughed.
    “I’m guessing you’d rather him not know I offered you all a kickback?” Donovan asked guessing that Hasmussen would have put a fast stop to them earning money while working for a grade.
    “That’d actually be great.” And damn Brandon for sounding genuine.
    Donovan had no idea why he was defensive. About all of them. About the situation.
    “I can lock up. You close in a couple minutes anyway, right?” Sierra asked.
    He scanned the three guys. Sierra was fine. Of course she was, but he couldn’t shake the idea that he didn’t want her alone with them, and he was too amped about it to decipher whether it was selfishly for him, or for her actual safety.
    “I’ve got paperwork to do. You four plan away. Let me know if you need anything.”
    He took a step back and knew he’d immediately disappeared to them with the way they’d started to talk over each other. The thought of it ached in his chest. Was he not one of the young people anymore? Was he not important enough? He’d gotten used to Sierra’s attention—if that was even the right word.
    He was tired and over-thinking. His brain was addled after talking to Gavin. Knowing he was about to play on one of the biggest stages he’d ever played on, made him wonder what the hell he’d been thinking when he said yes.
    Donovan wandered back to the office he’d been half hiding in all day. He looked over numbers for August, and the store had done really well with the college students coming back to school, but winters were a lot slower, and he’d have to be careful with the thousands he’d pulled in.
    Flipping open his notebook, he itched to