He nodded.
"There are plenty of country musicians in Austin, Colton," Leah said. "It just takes a while to find the right crowd."
"Are you two in with the right crowd?" He looked so hopeful that Amanda almost didn't have the heart to tell him he singing to the wrong choir.
"Well, Amanda's dating a rock star," Leah said. "Maybe Shade can help."
"He sings in a metal band," Amanda reminded her.
"But he probably knows someone who knows someone. Or something."
Amanda shrugged. She wasn't going to volunteer Jacob to get this guy noticed. She didn't even know if Colton was any good. Heck, she didn't even know if he sang or played an instrument. He could play a washboard or a jug and sing like a strangled goose for all she knew.
"Don't put her on the spot," Colton said. "I'll get it figured out."
"So do you sing?" Leah asked.
Amanda wasn't sure if their friendship could survive them both dating vocalists. In her experience, front men were high maintenance.
"I do my best to sing," Colton said. "And I'm not bad on a guitar."
On second thought, Colton wasn't anything like Jacob, who had an ego that spread across the entire state of Texas and the self-confidence to back it up. Colton was self-deprecating. But perhaps with notoriety came swagger. Jacob had plenty of both.
"I'd love to hear you play," Leah said. "Do you write your own songs?"
"That I do."
They now knew what Colton was doing in Austin and maybe why he'd looked lost earlier, but that information still didn't explain why he hadn't held Leah tight on the dance floor. Her friend was definitely giving off the right signals. Perhaps the guy was blind. Or gay.
"So was your trip to Austin a recent decision or a lifelong dream?" Amanda asked.
Colton flushed and lowered his head to shield his face with the shadow of his cowboy hat. He reached for his beer and drew it toward himself before lifting it and taking a long swallow.
"Don't mind her," Leah said. "She's naturally nosy."
Nosy? Amanda preferred the term curious.
"It's all right," Colton said to the froth in his mug. "I was content to stay in Miami, get married, raise a family, and work for a living, but my girl . . ."
Leah and Amanda cringed at each other across the table.
". . . she broke it off with me. Said I was meant for bigger things."
Leah slumped in her chair, and Amanda couldn't blame her. It was obvious that Colton was pining for the woman who'd sent him packing.
"Why didn't she come with you?" Amanda said, her curiosity-okay, fine, her nosiness-getting the better of her.
"Said she wanted a settled life." Colton took another draw off his beer. "Not with me, I guess." He shrugged, his expression hidden in the shadows of his hat brim.
Leah touched his shoulder. Was she willing to be his rebound girl? Amanda had to advise her against that. Maybe Leah could mend Colton's heart-she was definitely nice enough to do it-but eventually she'd have to stop falling for these sob stories and find a man who could make her happy. Still, Amanda wasn't sure that she was the best person to offer relationship advice these days. She was sleeping with her sister's ex-husband, after all.
"Someday I'm sure she'll regret sending you away," Leah said.
Or maybe telling Colton he was meant for "bigger things" had been the woman's way of getting rid of his ass, Amanda thought. She'd dated too many toads to assume any man was a prince. Leah had dated her fair share of toads as well, but she always expected them to be hiding a prince beneath the slime and warts. Leah never shied away from cleaning them up and patching them back together. She actually seemed to like doing it, no matter how many times it resulted in her heart being broken.
"You're awfully sweet to me, Leah," Colton said.
"And you'd better be sweet to her, or you'll have me to deal with," Amanda said.
Leah scowled at her.
Recognizing her limit, Amanda slid her glass to the center of the table. When she started to get combative, she knew it was time to lay off the liquor.
"You two have been friends for a long time, haven't you?" Colton asked.
"Since we were toddlers," Leah said. "Our moms made us play together even though I didn't understand English. Amanda used to take all the toys."
Colton laughed. "I can see that happening."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Amanda asked, giving him the evil eye.
"I was happy to share. Amanda always sticks up for me," Leah said. "It wasn't easy being the only Asian in our class, you know."