Page 59 of Another Fox Bites the Dust

She hugs her sweater around her tighter and clicks off the office light before walking out onto the porch, meeting me at the railing.

I’ve been staring out into the darkness and thinking.

Finley clears her throat. “We’re having a bonfire tomorrow night by the pond. Laila and Ursula are staying.”

I’ve been out here on the porch for twenty minutes, at least, contemplating going to talk with Luke since we wrapped up recording for the day a few hours ago . . . but I’m not sure if it’s the wisest choice.

“Really? I thought they would be leaving tomorrow.” Thanksgiving is only two days away.

“They were really excited about roasting hot dogs and s’mores. I thought Laila would be more . . . I don’t know, fancy?” She chuckles, putting a hand on the railing and turning to face me. “Damon is going to Boston for the holiday, so he wants to leave tomorrow, but Laila and Ursula are driving to the city, so they decided to stay an extra night and leave Thanksgiving morning. That’s when Luke’s driving home, too, right?”

I nod. “Yeah.” He’s taking Oliver’s SUV to his parents’ as we planned.

“Piper and Oliver will be here midmorning, and Mason is coming with them. They’re picking him up at the airport on the way.”

“Sounds good.” Mason is a childhood friend of Archer’s, and although I’ve only met him once, last Easter, he’s basically part of the family now.

“How is everything going with the album?”

I grip the railing a little tighter. “Really great. We’re almost done, actually. Just one more duet to record.”

Damon and Luke recorded more than half the song list in a matter of days, faster than I thought would be possible because everything just clicked. It happens that way sometimes.

“Luke and Laila really jive well together.”

I try not to flinch. “Yeah, they do.”

Finley’s head tilts. “Does that bother you?”

“Why would it bother me?” My voice is entirely too high-pitched to be believable. I clear my throat. “It’s great for Luke’s career, and mine. They have chemistry, creative chemistry.”

Maybe other chemistry, too. Maybe they are hooking up. I don’t know if she’s sneaking over to his cabin at night, but it’s entirely possible.

The videos Ursula uploaded of Laila and Luke totally blew up.

The most popular one ended up being a clip of them bantering after they had finished a set. Laila says to him, “That was gorgeous.”

Luke replies, “I might throw up.”

Laila bursts out laughing.

That sound bite went viral, people using it to create their own videos using the clip in a variety of skits and jokes.

The comments on the uploaded videos also exploded, half of them making observations about their chemistry, how cute they are together, and one even insistedif they don’t get married and have a million babies I willalong with a dozen skull emojis.

I shut my eyes and mentally heave the thoughts away. I can’t think about them together for too long. It gives me an ulcer. I mean, it’s wonderful they get along so well and work together like they were born to do this. But . . . there is no but. There shouldn’t be a but.

I’ve already received numerous requests for interviews with Luke from magazines and various press outlets, and I’ve scheduled most of them around the launch date. Working with Laila is building buzz around his album in a way I never could have anticipated or initiated on my own.

We’ve also planned for an intimate show a week after Thanksgiving. We got it set up to take place in Whitby, at Veronica’s. She agreed to close the place down for the event—a bonus to growing up in a small town and knowing the owner since I was born—and we’ve invited a bunch of industry people, critics, publicists, and journalists.

It will be a small venue, the perfect size for an exclusive gathering to get even more buzz circulating, but not so much of a crowd that it stirs up Luke’s stage fright. I hope. Laila will join him for a duet, which should help.

Before Laila and the crew showed up, it was like Luke and I were in our own little bubble. Now that bubble has burst. I haven’t been alone with him for even a minute since they arrived.

Luke’s album is sure to be a success because of Laila. I should be thrilled. I am thrilled.

But I miss him.

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