“Don’t judge, Big City. We’ve got some talent in this town,” Sophie teased.
“How much talent can you have since this is the first karaoke night since I moved here?”
“Shut up.”
Sophie signaled Hazel the server and ordered two beers and the nachos and cheese sticks as promised.
“Listen, Soph, tonight’s on me.”
Sophie waved the offer away. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re here to cheer you up and how can we do that if you’re paying?”
“I’m serious,” Harper insisted. She sighed. “I’m actually leaving tomorrow. Shaking off the dust of this little town.” The joke stuck in her throat.
“What are you talking about?” Sophie choked the words out. “You can’t leave! You have a life here. You’re family!”
Harper shook her head. “Not anymore, Soph. It hurts too much to be here. And I’m sure it’s not comfortable for your brother to have me here.” She still stumbled over his name.
Hazel returned and mercifully dropped off two beers.
“Harper. You can’t go!” Sophie slammed a hand down on the table. Harper reached across to steady the bottles.
Sophie kicked back in her chair, shaking her head. “No. Nope. You’re not fucking going.”
Harper smiled. “I’m really going to miss you, you stubborn freak.”
Sophie set her jaw in a painful reminder of her brother. Harper had seen the look often enough. It was the “no discussion, decision made” look.
“I’m not going to miss you because you’re not going anywhere. And you’re a stupid jerk for even considering it.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “If you pout it’s just going to ruin the ‘best night ever.’ Why is it so packed in here anyway?” Glancing around, she noted that Remo’s was standing room only. “I can’t believe karaoke pulls in this kind of crowd.”
Hazel interrupted again with two baskets of food. “You two want plates?”
“No thanks, Hazel,” Sophie said with a wave. “We’re just going to pick out of the baskets like classy folks.” She shoved the nachos at Harper. “Eat before you waste away.”
Harper rolled her eyes and sampled a nacho. Her stomach just wasn’t into it. Sometimes she was scared that even if she moved on, the hole, the ache would never go away.
“I gotta pee,” Sophie announced, jumping from her seat. “Save me some nachos.”
Harper watched her friend weave through the crowd. She was going to miss that woman like a limb. Sophie’s boundless energy and her fierce loyalty would never be forgotten. She hoped that they could still be friends, even from a distance.
Harper nibbled on a cheese stick and tried not to mope until Fred took the skinny stage.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to karaoke. Tonight we’ve got a very special theme for you. Let’s see if you can figure it out.”
He exited the stage to the hoots and applause from the crowd. Harper nibbled on a cheese stick and settled back in her seat to watch the show.
The house lights dimmed, and as the first group took the stage, Harper’s eyes widened. “Is that Frank?” she hissed to no one.
Sporting a fresh haircut and his cleanest Garrison button down, Frank was accompanied by Beth, Aunt Syl, and Georgia Rae. They were all in sunglasses.
He grabbed the mic. “Yeah, okay. This one goes out to a very dear friend of ours, Miss Harper Wilde.”
The crowd cheered. Stunned, Harper looked from side to side. What was going on?
There was no one to ask, because the crowd erupted when Frank belted out the first few bars of “With a Little Help from My Friends.”
She knew she was gaping, but couldn’t help it. Frank’s gravelly voice was certainly a departure from the Beatles, but he wasn’t bad. And when the ladies joined in as the chorus, her heart lifted for the first time in weeks.
Frank moved back so the ladies could croon in unison.
Harper put her hand over her heart. They were telling her they loved her.
The feeling was mutual.
She joined the rest of the crowd with thunderous applause when they exited the stage. One by one, the ladies stopped at her table to plant a kiss on her cheek.
Frank was last in line. “I’m glad you’re my friend, kiddo,” he said gruffly.
“Frank —” she just couldn’t get the words out. So she hugged him, hard. He patted her on the back awkwardly and disappeared as soon as she released him.
Fred was back on the stage calling for quiet. “It’s gonna be an old-school night, folks. Put your hands together for our next act, Sonny and Cher.”
Harper gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth as Aldo and Gloria took the stage in matching tie-dye t-shirts.