Tiffany flashed a frown to her mother. “Mama, how come I feel like you’ve been hiding something from me all night?”
Reese grinned. “Girl, you have always taken good care of your mama, but you are young. Go. Have fun.”
Tiffany still didn’t look convinced. “I don’t even know what you all are talking about.”
Sam stepped forward, holding the keys to Roman’s truck. He couldn’t believe how nervous he felt. “Come on, Chance…take that chance.”
She frowned and gave him a patronizing look. “Wow, you’d think that was the first time I’d heard that.”
He held out his hand and smiled at her, giving her the smile he tried to use on women when he wanted something.
Narrowing eyes at her mother and Roman, she let out a breath. “Fine,” she said as she turned back to him, not taking his hand. “But I’m only going because Roman asked.”
20
If someone would have told Tiffany that she was going to take a private jet to Nashville to see a Luke Bryant concert in two hours, she would have laughed at them. Then she would have told them that it would be more likely that she’d be going to the moon because there was no way that that was going to happen.
Nervous flutters had taken up residence in her gut and gone all the way up into her throat. All that could come out was a giggle. It reminded her of the first time she and Katie had gone toilet papering when they were twelve.
Sam sat across from her, seeming to study her. The plane was fancy. Everything was covered in soft leather, and there was a stewardess that had brought them both soft drinks. She was looking out at the night sky as the oranges and pinks were starting to streak into the clouds, and she felt like she was dreaming. Another giggle bubbled out of her.
The side of Sam’s mouth lifted into a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I take it you’re excited?”
Without worrying that she seemed totally out of sorts, she shook her head and giggled again. She shook her finger at him. “Mind you, I’m only here because of Roman.” She tried to hold on to the previous anger she’d felt towards him, but it was quickly evaporating. “Although I do like the boots, by the way.”
Titling his head down, he kept his eyes on her and took a sip of his soft drink.
He looked… amazing. He had on dark jeans with the black boots. And, even though he had on a long-sleeved black Under Armour shirt, what could she say, it fit him. Along with the cowboy hat. His chocolate eyes drew her in, and she couldn’t look away. She couldn’t stop thinking of how they’d sung Bon Jovi together, their chairs close and his cool breeze smell surrounding her. Looking back on last night, she didn’t know if she was more upset because of the way she’d reacted to him or if it was because of what he’d actually said to her.
Breaking eye contact, she turned back to the window and pulled in a long breath. It was exciting. She’d dreamed about going to Nashville for years. Granted, she and Brett had talked about going together. They had talked about all the things they wanted to do. Tour Andrew Jackson’s house and the gardens he’d built for his wife. Go to a show at the Grand Old Opry. She and Sam weren’t going to the Opry tonight, but she still couldn’t wait to meet Luke Bryant. “How did Roman score back stage passes?” she asked, forgetting that she wasn’t talking to him.
Sam stared out the window, and he didn’t answer for a few seconds. “He didn’t.”
“But I thought…” she said, breaking off, her heart going back into stutters. Duh. Of course this wasn’t Roman and Katie’s idea. She sighed. “Why are you always doing nice things for me, Sam? Especially after what I said to you this morning?” She knew her cheeks would be flushing. “I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that.”
Slowly, those chocolate eyes swerved to meet hers. But he didn’t respond.
She looked out the window, into the clouds. “I know I was deflecting…I shouldn’t have done that.”
For a second he didn’t speak. “Deflecting, yes, my shrink says I’m good at that, too.”
Pausing , she sighed. “I really was horrible this morning,” she said softly.
All of a sudden, she thought about how, since she’d met Sam Dumont, all they’d ever done is talk about her problems. Her mind flashed to what she’d heard recently about the trade to Miami. “I guess you still haven’t heard about your contract?”
He looked down for a second and then back to her. “Nope. Maybe they won’t pick me up.” He thrummed his fingers on his knee. He looked nervous. Then he gave her a half smile. “Maybe no one wants me.” His eyes bored into hers. “I’d deserve that, right? Because I’m a cheater.”
The giddiness from earlier was replaced with guilt and remorse. “I haven’t been fair to you. Since Brett—”
He cut her off. “I don’t like being compared to Brett.”
How could he put her on edge so fast? “I wasn’t comparing you to Brett. I was actually thinking that you are nothing like him. With him, everything was about him. With you, I…I guess you just seem so confident that I haven’t even thought of you as having problems.” She could not believe she’d been being so self-centered, never once thinking about what Sam was going through. “Sam…” She broke off.
His eyes went back to hers. “It’s fine.” He waved a hand of dismissal. “I am sorry about this morning. That wasn’t where I wanted the conversation to go.”
There was silence for a few more minutes. Tiffany couldn’t believe how much she’d only thought of him as a cheater before. C’mon, she’d listened to Katie and Roman say a few things about how poorly he’d been playing, and then she’d read the few articles about him in the grocery line because of her ties to Katie and Roman and her father had loved the Destroyer’s, but honestly, she was seeing him so differently in this moment.
She grinned, thinking of how she’d seen him for the first time when he was shirtless with Maddy on the kitchen floor, using his shirt to clean up her face.
“What?” His voice was low.
Glancing up at him, she grinned. “I was just thinking about how I first met you. You and Maddy were on the floor, and you were using your shirt to wipe her face.”
This made him smile, and he puffed out a laugh. “That girl sure can spit food.”
She laughed. “Then you took her from me and held her out like you were keeping a ball away from me, and she was wailing.” More laughter bubbled out of her.
He laughed too, leaning forward animatedly. “Hey, you were no better, going into the bath with your clothes on to soothe her.”
“I know.” Tears were coming down her cheeks now, thinking about how ridiculous they both had been that night.
He slapped his leg. “And I don’t know how long it would have taken me to clean that pig pen if you wouldn’t have been there.”
She laughed, leaning back and grabbing her stomach. “Roman is so lost without Katie”
“No.” Sam flung out. “That guy is a slob. Believe me, I lived with him before. He needs a full time housekeeper. Kids have just made that problem even more out of control.”
She laughed harder. “Katie complains he can’t even clean up his socks. She finds them all over in random places. She found one in the window well a couple of weeks ago.”
Now they were both laughing.
As she wiped her eyes, she realized it felt good to laugh with him.
21
Sam couldn’t believe he was standing in the pit at a country concert. Of course, they had the equivalent to the best seats in the house, but Tiffany had wanted to go into the pit. He’d told her the only way he’d go is if she let him buy her a cowboy hat to match his.