Seduced The Unexpected Virgin - By Emily McKay Page 0,18

case, money for CMF.

“What do you think?” Stacy asked when she saw Ana staring at the guitar.

“That’s not the Alvarez, is it?”

Stacy grinned gleefully as if she could fully appreciate the reverence in Ana’s voice. “It is. The Alvarez.”

There was a certain breed of rock star that delighted in destroying expensive guitars. They abused them as a sign of their decadence. Ward had never been that kind of musician. He’d been playing music on the same beat-up Alvarez guitar he bought used from a store in Memphis when he was fifteen. One of the many bits of trivia any fan would know. The guitar had become legendary. As much a part of his mystique as his gravelly voice and trademark fretwork.

Standing beside her, Stacy sighed. “You know, Cara and I had been best friends for years when she started dating Ward. I was completely in awe when I met him. The first time I saw this guitar—” she rolled her eyes as if amused by her own silliness “—I couldn’t stop staring at it. I cried the first time I heard him play it in person.”

Ana could certainly understand that. Her fingers practically twitched with the urge to touch it. They probably kept it behind glass to keep greedy fan fingers off it.

“What’s in its place when the Alvarez isn’t here?” she asked.

Stacy shrugged, sorrow crossing her face. “The Alvarez is always here.”

“How is that possible? From what I’ve read, that’s the only guitar he composes on. That’s his guitar.”

She broke off, suddenly aware of how obsessive she sounded.

Stacy seemed not to notice. “We opened our doors about four months after Cara died. As far as I know, the only people who ever touch it are the nightly cleaning crew.”

“He never…” Ana prodded.

“No,” Stacy answered the unasked question. “He never does.”

Her throat closed over her emotions. “That makes me very sad,” Ana admitted.

Stacy smiled ruefully. “Me, too.”

Ward kept his career and his talent behind carefully constructed glass, away from the dust, away from most eyes and away from any touch, especially his own.

Shaking off the sad mood, Stacy turned toward Ana and smiled. “So, did you decide the trip was worth it after all?”

Ana shot the other woman a surprised look. “Excuse me?”

Stacy smiled slyly. “When you first showed up, you seemed…hesitant. Or maybe suspicious.”

Ana had to smile in return. “I guess I’m not as good at hiding my feelings as I thought.” She brushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen loose from the twist, and tucked it behind her ear. “Suspicious about sums it up. I’d been floundering a bit at Hannah’s Hope. I honestly didn’t believe coming all the way out here would help when there was so much work to be done back home.” And then she laughed at her own foolishness. “And I thought maybe Ward was just trying to get me out of the way so he could call a board meeting without me.”

Stacy shot her a confused look. “Why would he do that?”

Ana forced a rueful smile. “You’re going to think I’m being overly paranoid, but I’m not sure how to read Ward. I figured, if he thought I was doing a crappy job at Hannah’s Hope, he might decide it was just easier to get me out of the way and hire someone better qualified.”

She adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder as they headed out of the lobby for the parking garage.

Stacy was quiet for a long moment and when Ana glanced over at her, it was to see the other woman frowning.

Stacy noticed and smiled brightly. “Well, at least I can put that concern to rest. He never would have flown you out here if he didn’t plan on keeping you at Hannah’s Hope for a long time.”

“Really? Isn’t this what CMF does all the time?”

“Yes and no.” Stacy bobbled her head from side to side to indicate her ambivalence. “Yes, we help other nonprofits. That’s one of our primary missions, but usually we do most of our work virtually, using videoconferencing and online classes. We consult via email and phone calls. Of course, all those resources will be available to you as well, but Ward arranged this for you as a sort of…crash course.” Stacy must have seen the consternation flicker across her face, because she rushed to reassure her. “Not because he doesn’t think you’re capable, but because he’s so enthusiastic about the work Hannah’s Hope is doing. In fact, when I saw him this morning he—”

“Wait