Page 117 of Just Between Us

Sorry, kiddo, but he’s mine.

Rhonda walks us around, showing Liam all the changes she’s been able to make from donations. They’ve increased the amount of instruments and even walled up one area. The start of what will eventually be a mini recording studio can be seen through a window.

“And you still don’t know who the donations are from?” Liam asks.

“Not a clue. They come from an LLC with a name I didn’t recognize. Either way, I’m grateful.” Rhonda pauses, pinning Liam with a look. “Does this mean you’re back?”

Liam scratches at the back of his neck. “I dunno, Rhonda. I’d like to be, but?—”

“But what?”

Liam opens his mouth to speak, but she puts a finger up.

“Let me finish. If you genuinely don’t want to help out here anymore, that’s one thing. I’ll respect that. But if you’re doing this out of some sort of misplaced self-flagellation, well, that’s just silly. There’s work to be done here, and you’re great at the job.” Lowering her voice and talking from the corner of hermouth, she adds, “Between you and me, you’re the best volunteer we have.”

“At least I still sent money.”

Rhonda shoots him a withering look and he winces.

“Look around us, Liam. We have money. What these kids need is your presence. Your time. Do you want to be part of this or not?”

Liam rolls back on his heels and looks around at the room, his face breaking into a smile as he watches the kids with the electric guitar, shredding away to an old Guns N’ Roses song.”

“Yeah, Rhonda. I’m back.”

“Good,” she says, and turns to me. “Now, what about you, missy. Will you be joining him?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her I’m not musical, but then I think of Austin. He’d have loved a place like this growing up. And I have plenty of knowledge and experience to bring to the table.

“Unless Liam needs a break from me, I’ll be here.”

Liam reaches out and links his pinky with mine. “Not a chance that’s happening.”

“Well, that settles things. Let’s run that background check. It only takes a few minutes.” Rhonda dusts her hands together like her work here is done.

Liam and I spend the next couple hours chatting with the teens in a happy cacophony of music that surrounds us. He’s already built up rapport with a lot of the kids, but I’m the newbie. I took my chances with the girl who wants my man, and gradually she’s warmed to me.

Earlier, Rhonda told me to store my purse in her office so I didn’t have to carry it around, and at the last minute I stuffed my phone in the side pocket so I could be fully present.

“Hey, somebody’s phone is going crazy in here,” one of the volunteers shouts from the doorway. “I think it’s from this little brown purse in here.”

I’m the owner of that little brown purse.

I tell the girls I’ll be right back and head to check my phone, an uneasy feeling settling in my gut.

Right before I slip it from my purse, Liam steps up behind me. “It’s Penny. She’s in labor. They’re at Creekwood General.”

No. It’s too soon. Penny’s just ending her seventh month. I know that’s not horribly early, but it creates a risk I don’t want for Penny or Austin. I rush to grab my purse, and Liam takes my hand which is shaking.

The volunteer who now stands right outside the office obviously heard everything. “I’ll let Rhonda know y’all have an emergency.”

Liam and I dash to the G-wagon, and as quickly as I can, I skim through my texts as Liam steps on the gas to get us to Penny. Most are from a very panicked Josie, so that’s who I respond to first.

We’re in Nashville. We’re heading back now.

The wipers can’t keepup.

They slap back and forth on the fastest setting, and still, I can barely make out the lines on the road. I’ve driven this highway so much I could damn near do it in my sleep, but tonight it feels like a foreign land.