paparazzi. “You must have some idea, Teagan. Who did you tell?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Well, I haven’t talked to anyone. Someone in your family must have let it slip.
Maybe Riley.”
“She wouldn’t do that. None of them would do that. They know how much your privacy means to you.”
“Sure they wouldn’t. You’d be amazed what an easy buck will make people do.” Teagan’s face flushed and he cursed his harsh words, but he couldn’t shake the idea that someone in the Collins family had betrayed him. He was surprised by how much that thought hurt.
“My family isn’t like that,” she insisted. “How do you know it wasn’t your manager? He was pretty pissed off when you said you were leaving the band.”
“He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“He’s the one who sent you to Baltimore.”
“A hotel in Baltimore, yes. He has no idea I’ve been staying here the last week.”
“Your friend Rod knows about this place. He was here with you,” she said.
“Rod wouldn’t betray me.”
“Oh right. You can say that about Rod and I’m supposed to accept it at face value, but when I tell you my family didn’t tell anyone—”
“Dammit, Teagan. No one else knew I was here. Fine. Let’s say for argument’s sake it wasn’t your family. Who else could it have been? Mrs. Tibbs?” 84
Ruby Tuesday
“She didn’t recognize you. I’m sure of that.”
“Fine. One of your pop’s old cronies. One of the men watching the contest.” She shook her head. “They don’t know you’re still here. As far as they’re concerned, you went back to your hotel the night of the contest.”
“Great. Well, that really narrows it down, doesn’t it?”
“Holy fuck city,” Riley said, stomping into the room with a police officer behind her. “Hell has officially broken loose outside.” Sky lifted his hand, gesturing to the stranger in their midst. “Well, look,” he said, unable to hide the sarcasm in his tone. “Riley’s brought home someone else who isn’t supposed to know I’m here.”
Teagan walked over to him angrily and for a moment he was torn between guarding his ears or his balls. She was truly pissed off. “Aaron is a friend, you asshole.” Aaron stepped over to him with his hand outstretched. “I’m Aaron Young. I’m a friend of the Collins family. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mitchell. I’m a big fan of The Universe.”
Sky shook his hand, though his anger hadn’t abated. “I assume Riley called you in to disperse the crowd out there. I should tell you—”
“Actually, she called me to help get you out of here. Those cameramen won’t move until you do.”
“I’m not sure how they know I’m here. I’ve been quite diligent about remaining out of sight.”
Riley stepped forward, pointing out one of the living room windows. “One of the assholes down there managed to sweet-talk his way into an apartment across the street.
He has a pretty good shot taken with a long-range lens of you and Teagan working on the couch in here. The jig is definitely up.”
Pop came up the stairs and Sky could see weariness in the old man’s face. “Shooed everyone out and locked the restaurant,” he said. “Impossible to serve folks food and 85
Mari Carr
drinks with the crowd growing outside. Noise was unbearable and everyone was scrambling to get in. We were in danger of breaking the fire code for the number of people allowed in the place.”
“I’m sorry, Pat,” Sky said. “I didn’t mean to disrupt your business.” He knew in his heart of hearts the old man hadn’t given away his location to the press. Teagan’s pop was one in a million. He’d listened to their work in progress each afternoon, offering genuine advice and kind encouragement. He tended to look at Sky as if he’d offered his daughter the moon on a platter and he knew exactly how much her father wanted to see Teagan succeed in the music business. He wouldn’t jeopardize her
Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Well, I haven’t talked to anyone. Someone in your family must have let it slip.
Maybe Riley.”
“She wouldn’t do that. None of them would do that. They know how much your privacy means to you.”
“Sure they wouldn’t. You’d be amazed what an easy buck will make people do.” Teagan’s face flushed and he cursed his harsh words, but he couldn’t shake the idea that someone in the Collins family had betrayed him. He was surprised by how much that thought hurt.
“My family isn’t like that,” she insisted. “How do you know it wasn’t your manager? He was pretty pissed off when you said you were leaving the band.”
“He doesn’t know I’m here.”
“He’s the one who sent you to Baltimore.”
“A hotel in Baltimore, yes. He has no idea I’ve been staying here the last week.”
“Your friend Rod knows about this place. He was here with you,” she said.
“Rod wouldn’t betray me.”
“Oh right. You can say that about Rod and I’m supposed to accept it at face value, but when I tell you my family didn’t tell anyone—”
“Dammit, Teagan. No one else knew I was here. Fine. Let’s say for argument’s sake it wasn’t your family. Who else could it have been? Mrs. Tibbs?” 84
Ruby Tuesday
“She didn’t recognize you. I’m sure of that.”
“Fine. One of your pop’s old cronies. One of the men watching the contest.” She shook her head. “They don’t know you’re still here. As far as they’re concerned, you went back to your hotel the night of the contest.”
“Great. Well, that really narrows it down, doesn’t it?”
“Holy fuck city,” Riley said, stomping into the room with a police officer behind her. “Hell has officially broken loose outside.” Sky lifted his hand, gesturing to the stranger in their midst. “Well, look,” he said, unable to hide the sarcasm in his tone. “Riley’s brought home someone else who isn’t supposed to know I’m here.”
Teagan walked over to him angrily and for a moment he was torn between guarding his ears or his balls. She was truly pissed off. “Aaron is a friend, you asshole.” Aaron stepped over to him with his hand outstretched. “I’m Aaron Young. I’m a friend of the Collins family. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mitchell. I’m a big fan of The Universe.”
Sky shook his hand, though his anger hadn’t abated. “I assume Riley called you in to disperse the crowd out there. I should tell you—”
“Actually, she called me to help get you out of here. Those cameramen won’t move until you do.”
“I’m not sure how they know I’m here. I’ve been quite diligent about remaining out of sight.”
Riley stepped forward, pointing out one of the living room windows. “One of the assholes down there managed to sweet-talk his way into an apartment across the street.
He has a pretty good shot taken with a long-range lens of you and Teagan working on the couch in here. The jig is definitely up.”
Pop came up the stairs and Sky could see weariness in the old man’s face. “Shooed everyone out and locked the restaurant,” he said. “Impossible to serve folks food and 85
Mari Carr
drinks with the crowd growing outside. Noise was unbearable and everyone was scrambling to get in. We were in danger of breaking the fire code for the number of people allowed in the place.”
“I’m sorry, Pat,” Sky said. “I didn’t mean to disrupt your business.” He knew in his heart of hearts the old man hadn’t given away his location to the press. Teagan’s pop was one in a million. He’d listened to their work in progress each afternoon, offering genuine advice and kind encouragement. He tended to look at Sky as if he’d offered his daughter the moon on a platter and he knew exactly how much her father wanted to see Teagan succeed in the music business. He wouldn’t jeopardize her
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