16 Chapter 16

Out of patience and almost out of sympathy, Jest got up. “May as well head on back then. I didn’t bring a lunch. Didn’t figure we’d need to eat again after the meal Stormy and her mom set out. I’ve got water on the ATV. Still, it’s a climb to get back up there. I think it’s safe to drink from this spring, so go ahead if you’re thirsty.”

He was proud of his ability to keep his tone bland and even. He wasn’t about to let Greene see how rejected he felt right now. Well, it had been stupid anyway, to think even a medium-sized wheel in the Silicon Valley scene would want to exchange that for this—a quiet rural setting, a band that had gained some success, but would never top the charts or be a household name. Even the glitter of the Strip didn’t have the glam of Silicon Valley, the leading edge of almost everything.