I nodded. Molly hadn’t been acting like her usual self since I’d gotten back. “Yeah. I was going to ask you about it later.”

“Nate’s worried.”

I turned my attention to the woman beside me, waiting for an explanation.

Lia pursed her lips in concentration, not meeting my gaze. “He wanted to pull her from a couple of shows, give people a chance to latch on to another news story.”

I narrowed my eyes at Lee. “And why in the hell didn’t you do it?”

She met my glare, arching an eyebrow in attitude. “Because it would have been the dumbest thing to do. She would have looked guilty, like she was trying to hide.”

I shook my head, irritated. “Maybe that’s what she needed. It sure as shit would get her away from that.” I tipped my chin toward the front row, where stage lights were bright enough to show the angry faces of some of the ticket holders. “You think going out there to perform in front of people like that is going to help her?”

“It may not seem like the best idea, but women are vicious. If they smell fear, they’ll tear her apart. They might not like her, they may think the worst, but I’ll be damned if in the end they don’t respect her. I’m not letting her hide. I intend on having her seen, with me especially, as often as possible.”

My head snapped toward her, feelings of worry about her, feelings I shouldn’t have, hitting my gut. “You?”

“Yes, me!” Lee snapped. “They all want to say she’s fucking my husband behind my back, then I’m going to show them that there is one woman in the world who still trusts her.”

“Not a good idea.”

She put a hand on her hip and gave me a death glare. “And why the hell not?”

Responses like, “Because I agreed to do this believing you weren’t going to be around,” or “Because I can’t protect both of you, and you aren’t my focus right now,” were on the tip of my tongue when Molly finished her song, giving me a distraction. I watched as she smiled and laughed, playing her part, telling everyone how great it was to be here, and thanking them for their support. When she launched into another song, I took a deep breath and turned back toward Lee.

“You’re too close to this whole mess, Red.” I didn’t miss the flash of surprise in her eyes when I used the nickname that everyone else had for her. “You’re not seeing this like a manager, you’re seeing it like a big sister would. Your job is to do what’s best for her, not protect her. That’s why you hired me, remember?” I paused for a quick second, hoping she would see my point. “You put yourself in unnecessary photo ops with her, start being around her all the time, it’s going to look like you’re jealous. Or like you’re monitoring her. You’re not going to stop the rumors that way, you’re only going to make them worse.”

Understanding crossed her features. “I never thought of it that way.”

Nate wrapped his arms around her waist, coming out of nowhere and pulling her against him before I could respond. He held one fist out to me, giving me a smile. “I’m glad you’re back, Carson. I missed ya.”

I held my own fist up, bumping his in the familiar way we’d always done it, and offered him a small smile of my own. “Can’t say the same, Kelly.”

“Lying sack of shit.” He let go of his wife, only to grab her cheeks and kiss her before turning and running onto the stage, just in time for Molly to introduce him and the crowd to go nuts. “Hello, Michigan!” he yelled as soon as one of the roadies handed him a mic.

“Where are we going from here?” I had the schedule on my phone in my pocket, but I knew Lee would know it by heart.

“Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,” she answered without missing a beat.

“How far of a drive is that?”

She shrugged. “Three and a half hours, maybe. Four with traffic. I figured if we left the party by midnight, everyone would be able to settle into the hotel and still get plenty of rest. We’re there tonight and then after the show tomorrow night, too.”

“We’re not going to the party.”

“We’re not?”

I almost laughed at the surprise in her voice. “You are. Mols and I aren’t.” I moved my eyes back to the stage, watching the pair perform a song I’d seen a hundred times before, but all I could focus on this time was Molly. She looked defeated. “I’m grabbing one of the Suburbans and we’re going straight to the hotel.”

Lee sighed, nodding slowly. “That actually is a really good idea. She needs to rest.” Someone backstage called to her, and Lee held up a finger to make them wait. “I’ll text you the address. Shit! I… I, um…” Glancing away from me, she fidgeted. “You’re…” She cleared her throat.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, spit it out.”

Green eyes moved back to mine. “I only booked you one room. They’re suites, so you each have your own bedroom, but I didn’t want you to be surprised when you got there.”

I rolled my eyes, stepping close to her. “Lee, I’m supposed to share a room with her. Even when we’re in a Podunk little town and all you can book is a broom closet with two singles. Book it. I’m not letting her out of my site for the next five months.”

Lee only smirked. “Yeah, I think you’re going to have some trouble with that.”

“Oh, I plan on it, kid.” She shot me a sympathetic look and then hurried over to talk to whomever was calling to her.

Not a minute later, Mols came strutting off stage, grinning at me as I handed her a giant cool blue Gatorade and a dry towel. “Christ, I missed you!” She paused long enough to twist off the orange cap and down a large gulp. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she sighed. “Timmy never brought me anything to drink. Sometimes Nate would hand me what was left of his beer, but that’s about it.” I put my hand on the small of her back, meeting a section of bare skin, and pushed a little to get her moving. “I can’t believe you remembered!” She twisted around so she could see me over her shoulder. “Thanks.”

It wasn’t that big of a deal. “You need to stay hydrated and that’s one helluva workout you do on stage.” She tried to veer right, headed to what I assumed to be the room where everyone gathered after the show, but I steered her to the left toward the parking lot. “Hungry?”

“Famished.” The words came out in a confused rush. I knew from experience that Molly never ate before a concert. She was too nervous and didn’t want to throw up.

“Good. We’ll go grab something.”

“But you’re missing Nate’s show.”

It was a humid night, but nothing could compare to how warm it was under the lights on stage, and she shivered a little bit as we pushed through the back door into the parking lot. My eyes scanned the open area that had been reserved just for us, but all I saw was the crew, milling around and smoking as they relaxed for a little bit before they had to break down the set. It wasn’t anything glorious, and it was usually hard to get into, but I’d seen quite a few fans sneak past security to ambush Nate in lots just like this one.

I moved my hand from her back, wrapping my fingers around her bicep as I pulled her away from our bus and toward the cars. Opening the passenger door for her, I practically shoved her up into the seat, pulling the seatbelt across her, and clicking the lock into place before I slammed the door and hurried around the front to climb into the driver’s seat.

“Uh, where are we going?” she finally asked as I was waved through the flimsy security barricade and merged into traffic on the busy street.

“To get food.”

I felt her eyes on me. “You’re missing Nate’s show.”

“Your point?”

“Didn’t you want to see it?”

“Were you planning on going back out?”

“No, but you always watch his shows.”

I felt the smirk. “Because I had to. I’ve seen it a thousand times, kiddo. Now I only have eyes for you. Unless you’re on that stage, I could give two shits what’s happening on it.”

I flipped on my blinker as we approached the golden arches, and pulled into a busy drive-in lane, stopping behind a Wrangler full of teenage boys. Molly lowered the Gatorade and gave me a concerned look. “What are we doing?”