When their group did finally make it to the backstage marquee, the party continued on.
“Oh, shit.”
Noah’s quiet but vehement exclamation had her looking up at him. They were standing against one “wall” of the marquee, her back to his chest and his arm around her waist as she nibbled on the hot, salty fries she hadn’t been able to resist—dancing was exercise, right?—and he drank a beer.
“What is it?”
A nod. “Sarah.”
Her eyes widened. The only Sarah she knew who’d get that kind of a reaction from Noah was Abe’s ex-wife. From whom Abe had parted in a very, very messy divorce. She’d come after him with the kind of anger a woman only showed when she was either a vindictive money-grubbing bitch or she’d been terribly hurt.
Kit’s bet was on the latter. Because while Sarah had always been a little standoffish, Kit had also seen the other woman looking at Abe with a hopeless, painful longing in her eyes. That didn’t explain why she’d hooked up with some other guy only months after their separation. To hurt Abe? Or maybe to try to get over a man Kit would bet Sarah hadn’t truly wanted to divorce. Then again, you never knew what went on inside another couple’s relationship.
Following Noah’s line of sight, she spotted the tall woman with lush brown skin speaking to Esteban. Of mixed Puerto Rican and African American descent with a Japanese ancestor thrown into the mix, Sarah had highly distinctive features. Kit had always found her to be one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen—it wasn’t cookie-cutter beauty, but striking. You remembered Sarah.
Her hair was all wicked curls that Kit loved, but Sarah often wore it straightened, as it was tonight. As for her body, it was a knockout. She had both serious curves and serious tone to her. In modeling terms, she’d be a plus size. In real-world terms, she was the kind of woman who, in another time, would’ve been a pinup.
The last photo Kit had seen of Sarah had featured her with a baby belly, but then had come the sad news of a stillbirth. Hurting for her, Kit had sent a condolence card and flowers. She hadn’t been sure Sarah would welcome a visit since they’d never been as close as Kit already was to Molly, despite the fact she’d known Molly for a shorter period. It was as if Sarah had always had a wall around her, a cool, remote distance that made getting to know her difficult.
“Where’s Abe?” she asked, putting the rest of her fries aside on a nearby table.
Noah swept the room with his eyes. “On the other side.” He looked down at her.
She nodded. “You go make sure he stays there, and I’ll talk to Sarah.” She would’ve gone over to say hello anyway, but now she’d be running double duty. No one wanted Abe and Sarah to meet up. The last time that had happened, it had been in divorce court, and from what she’d heard, the atmosphere had been both volcanic and glacial.
Noah swigged back his beer. “If you see the others, give them a heads-up.”
“I will.” She left with a brush of her fingers against his.
Making her way to Sarah’s statuesque form, the other woman dressed in a gorgeous red dress that hugged her curves, she smiled at Esteban when he spotted her first. “Your set was wonderful,” she said to the darkly handsome man.
“Thank you.” A glance from her to Sarah and back. “You know one another?”
“Of course.” Kit held out her hands. “It’s good to see you, Sarah.”
Esteban was pulled away by Thea at that moment, the other woman smiling at Sarah and Kit both before she led the singer toward a group of people Kit recognized as industry heavyweights.
Sarah returned Kit’s squeeze of her hands. “I kept meaning to call you,” she said in her lovely contralto. “Thank you for the flowers, the card. It meant a lot.”
“I was so sorry to hear about the baby.” Giving in to instinct, Kit hugged the taller woman.
Sarah stiffened for only a second before hugging her back. “Sorry,” she whispered hoarsely when they drew apart, her dark brown eyes wet, haunted. “I’m still raw about it.”
Kit just squeezed her hand again.
“They did too, you know.” Quiet words. “David, Noah, and Fox. They sent me flowers.” She shook her head. “I didn’t expect it, those four are so tight. I know they think I’m a bitch after the divorce and everything, but they still…”
“They knew you for a long time.” Sarah and Abe had been married for two years before their separation and eventual divorce.
A smile that wasn’t a smile. “I don’t think we ever really knew one another. My fault, but none of that matters now. Please thank them for me when you see them. And… thank Abe too.”
Accurately reading Kit’s surprise, Sarah said, “No, I wasn’t expecting it, either.”
“I’ll tell them,” Kit said when Sarah didn’t continue, obviously done with the topic. “Sarah, I have to ask—what are you doing here?” Schoolboy Choir was the headlining band, no way to miss that piece of information.
Sarah wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing at her bare forearms. “My fiancé, Jeremy Vance, is backing Stir Crazy.”
A band that wasn’t as big as Schoolboy Choir but that was starting to make its mark. “Oh.” It hadn’t been a surprise to Kit that Sarah had ended up with someone else in the industry. After so long with Abe, she must’ve formed deep friendships of her own. “Well, I guess you and Abe can’t avoid each other forever.”
Sarah’s smile was tight. Lowering her head and the volume of her voice, she said, “I heard about Abe’s drug overdose on tour.” Lines fanned out from the corners of her mouth, her shoulder muscles stiff. “Is he back on them?”
Kit shook her head. That “drug overdose” had actually been extreme alcohol intoxication, but she didn’t know if she had the right to tell Sarah that since the band had kept it out of the media. Abe’s problems with drugs were old news and no one paid it much mind. “He’s clean,” she told Abe’s ex-wife. “You know how I am about drugs—I wouldn’t tell you that if it wasn’t true.”
A visible relaxation in Sarah’s features. “I’m glad. I—” She cut herself off. “I tried to be there for him for so long, Kit.”
“I know.” Kit touched Sarah’s forearm. “No one thinks you gave up.” Sarah had gone through the wringer with Abe, had helped him through relapse after relapse. Kit didn’t know what had finally caused Sarah to walk away, but she knew it had to have been brutal to break the will of a woman so strong.
Taking a deep breath, Sarah said, “You were incredible in Last Flight. I read online that you might be making another movie with the same team?”
Kit nodded, and they spoke about the movie business for a bit. Sarah wasn’t involved in it except on the periphery, since Jeremy dabbled as a producer of teen-oriented movies when he wasn’t backing bands, but she had a keen interest in all aspects of the entertainment industry. Kit was just starting to think disaster had been averted when she felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck.
Turning, she saw Abe coming toward them with Noah behind him. Catching her eye, Noah shook his head. Abe, it seemed, was hell-bent on seeing Sarah.
Chapter 24
“You’re here,” Abe said to Sarah when he reached her.
With Abe being such a big guy, most women looked ridiculously delicate next to him. Not Sarah. She looked hot and sexy and as if she could take him. Except right now her spine was stiff, her expression holding a fragility Kit had never before seen.
Not sure what to do, Kit fell back with Noah. “Shall we leave them alone?” she whispered.