The Perfect Homecoming (Pine River #3)

He knew Leah and Michael were looking at each other again, the silent questions flowing between them. He felt Leah ease back to her seat, and they didn’t ask him more, for which Cooper was thankful.

Audrey’s concert was already underway when they arrived, and with their backstage passes, Cooper was able to nurse a beer and enjoy her show in solitude. Without a lot of questions, without having to think. Audrey’s music could do that to him—carry him out of this world. He wasn’t the best judge of musical talent, but to his ears, Audrey had the most melodic and sultry voice of anyone on the airwaves.

The after-show party was a typical Jack-and-Audrey event. The who’s who of Hollywood was in attendance, but so were regular folk, too. Audrey always made a point of that. Invitations to these high-wattage parties—which Cooper took for granted—were highly coveted because Audrey was a huge pop star. Yet in spite of fame, Audrey was a down-to-earth gal, and she liked to invite people who typically would never have access to this sort of event. Such as the barista at her local coffeehouse, or the middle-aged couple who owned the dry-cleaning shop she used. Tonight, Cooper recognized two girls from the Whole Foods grocery near their offices chatting with the head of Moonglow Records.

Generally, Cooper was right in the thick of things because he enjoyed these events as much as anyone. Tonight, however, he was not in the mood. He wanted to go home, take a shower, find something to eat. He sighed when Eli sidled over to him and said, “Why the long face?”

“I don’t have a long face,” Cooper said.

“It’s so long it’s scraping the floor, Coop. Everything all right?”

Cooper looked at his oldest friend. “Everything is fine,” he said. “I’m just tired.”

“Sure,” Eli said, but his gaze was locked on Cooper’s.

Cooper swallowed down the rest of his beer. “Derek’s getting out,” he said. “I’m flying out at the end of the week to help Mom.” That much was true. But it was also a lie—Derek wasn’t on his mind. Cooper had never lied to Eli that he could recall, but in all honesty, in the last two days, Derek had hardly crossed his mind.

He hated that Eli’s expression suggested he knew that wasn’t what was bothering Cooper. But he nodded and said, “Ah. I guess it’s going to be a tough transition for him.”

“Yep.”

Eli’s eyes narrowed. “Tell him I said hello.”

“I will. Thanks,” Cooper said.

Eli looked at his beer bottle, then at Cooper again. “Need anything, Coop? Another beer? A friend?”

Eli and Cooper had been friends for so long—more than thirty years now—that Cooper knew Eli wasn’t asking if he needed help with Derek. He couldn’t help a small chuckle. Couldn’t get anything past Eli McCain. He put his hand on Eli’s shoulder and squeezed affectionately. “I’m going to take a rain check.”

“Whatever you say, chief.” Eli touched his bottle to Cooper’s and wandered off.

That was it—Cooper was calling a car. He walked out into the hallway, out of the din, to call up the service. There were people there, too, groups of two and three talking away from the music. Cooper pulled out his phone and was about to make the call when someone tapped him on his shoulder. Cooper turned, and looked into the smiling face of Laura Franklin, Emma’s stepsister.

“Cooper, right?”

Unbelievable. What was she doing here? What were the odds? “Cooper, right. Hello, Laura,” he said, and stuck out his hand.

“Wow,” she said with a laugh of surprise as she took his hand and gave it a shake. “This is weird, running into you like this. How’d you get in?”

“Audrey’s husband and I go way back,” he said. “How about you?”

“My boyfriend!” she said, and pointed to a man down the hall, talking to a couple. “He’s a real estate broker. He sold some property to Audrey LaRue’s lawyer.”

And with that bit of information, Cooper knew exactly the sort of guests Laura and her boyfriend were. Leeches, Jack called them, people who sought out any angle to get into this sort of Hollywood party.

“So, did you find Emma?” Laura asked. “We haven’t heard from her, you know. But that’s not unusual—Emma’s a flake.”

Cooper felt a hitch in his heart; she wasn’t a flake. Laura said it casually, with a smile on her face. “I found her,” he said.

He didn’t mean to show any emotion when he said it, but he obviously did, because Laura blinked. And then she smiled wryly. “I take it that it didn’t go quite as you hoped? Trust me, you’re not alone, Cooper. Welcome to my world.”

“It was okay,” Cooper said. “She had what I was looking for, so . . .” He shrugged.

“Well, that surprises me. Emma’s not very forthcoming. I mean, she’s forthcoming with her opinions, obviously. But when it comes to her? She won’t tell you anything.”

Laura was full of information of what Emma was not, and Cooper didn’t like it. “Why do you think that is?” he asked, trying very hard to sound casual.

Laura shrugged. “I don’t know. Mom says she’s jealous.”