Part 74 (2/2)

bodyguards he'd hired to see her to school and back again didn't take

away the gut-knotting fear he felt when she walked out the door.

And how would he feel when it was time for him to walk out the door? No

matter how much he missed his son, the day would come when he needed to

go back to the stag&, back to the studio, back to the music. He could

hardly tie a six-year-old girl around his waist and haul her with him.

And there was no leaving her with Bev. Not now, and not, as Brian saw

it, in the near future.

”Mr. McAvoy, excuse me.”

”Yes, Alice.” They had kept her on, though there was no child to nurse.

She nursed Bev now, Brian thought and dug a cigarette from the pack he'd

tossed on the table.

”Mr. Page is here to see you.”

Brian glanced back at the table, the scatter of paper, the jumble of

lyrics and half-phrases. ”Bring him on in here.”

”'Lo, Bri.” With one look Pete took in the evidence of a man struggling

to work without much success. b.a.l.l.s of paper, a cigarette smoldering in

an overflowing ashtray, the faint scent of liquor, though it was barely

noon. ”Hope you don't mind me popping 'round. I have some business and

I didn't think you'd care to come in to the office.”

”No.” He reached for the bottle that was never far from his hand. ”Have

a drink?”

”I'll hold off a bit, thanks.” He sat, trying for an easy smile. The

mood between them was stiff and uncharacteristically formal. No one

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