Cold Shadow (Cold Country #2)(49)

"Hey, Quinn, are you going to play us something, or just sit there tuning your instrument?" one of the deputies shouted just as the food arrived along with several dozen more people. Kids and wives, by the looks of them, and a few townspeople drawn to the sound of laughter and music and probably rumor that their reclusive town superstar was in attendance.

"What do you want to hear?" Quinn shouted back, hitting the strings forcefully, the sound loud enough to draw the attention of everyone around. "McCorkle, damn is that you? What's it been, man?"

"Too effin' long, Anders. Since summer after graduation." The deputy smiled, his eyes fairly dancing knowing that Quinn remembered him. "You should get out more, man, we miss you around here."

Quinn sat stunned for a moment, pink infused his cheeks. Drew had never seen him at a loss for words before. "I will. Come out to the house, bring your kids. Emma would love to have someone to play with."

"You got it." Deputy McCorkle wrapped his arms around a very pregnant blonde woman, his smile genuine. "Play The Unforgiven."

"Who did that?" Quinn shouted back but his fingers were already strumming the melody.

"Metallica, the summer after graduation, man, how can you not remember that? Bet we drank enough-" McCorkle looked over at Nathan and stopped talking. Nathan would have been gone by then.

"I was crawling through mud and fricken barbed wire when that song came out. Up to my eyeballs in sweat and puke. Usually mine. I think I got my first tattoo that summer," Nathan shouted back, his laugh enough to alleviate the momentary pall.

"Hey, Nathan, sing. Come on, man, we want to hear you!" another deputy shouted, he'd apparently had too many beers.

"Oh, hell, no. Nate is not singing anything. God, people, the man is tone deaf." Quinn laughed, winking at Nathan before launching into the song, his smooth baritone suited for the heavy rock ballad.

When he was finished, someone else shouted out Skynyrd, followed by Simple Man.

"Come on, what's with all the rock? Don't you people like country?" Quinn protested, but his fingers were already playing.

As the sun set, several of the agents inside filtered out and joined the party, greeting Nathan with respect, and in a couple of cases, apologies. The songs grew rowdier as the night closed in, Quinn mostly just providing musical encouragement for a group sing-along. Natalie sighed happily and leaned back in Nathan's arms. "This is nice. We need to do this more often."

"What happened to the company picnics we used to have every summer?" Nathan sighed. "When did we stop being a community?"

"Long time ago, while you were gone. I don't know, those five years, everything just changed. I was what? Eleven or so when you came back. I don't remember like you do."

Drew felt like an eavesdropper listening to them talk. "I grew up surrounded by people, but nothing like this," he added.

"That's a shame. You would have liked it here back in the old days." Nathan had a faraway look in his eyes. "Hey, Nat, why don't we do something for The Fourth? A big Truman Steel thing, but for the entire town."



       
         
       
        

"Quinn will be on tour then, you know that, right?" She leaned her head back looking at her brother's face, and then over to Drew. It was then that Drew realized he and Nathan were staring at each other. Her eyes turned hard.

"He's scheduled to play in Nashville that weekend, but The Fourth is clear, he could make it." Nathan hadn't noticed their exchange as he yawned. "Damn, it's been one long, fucked-up day."

Drew looked at the time on his phone, nearly eight, still very early. But after the past few days of very little sleep, he was feeling every minute of it keenly. "Yeah, I drove all night just to get back here. I think I'm going to call it a night, go check in at the motel, and crash."

"Are you sure? You can stay with me and Quinn." Nathan looked over Natalie's head, his eyes held that spark that sent shivers throughout Drew's body.

"No, but thanks. With Morgan here breathing down my neck, it wouldn't look right … our past and everything. No offense." Drew stumbled over the words, mostly because of the accusation he saw staring at him from a set of identical eyes.

"None taken. I know this isn't your doing, Drew. Don't sweat it." Nathan shrugged, his attention once again on Quinn who was standing over by the drink barrel, a cold bottle of water in his hand. His gaze lingered on Drew making him shiver before he smiled and lifted the bottle in a little salute.