He smiled down at her. Given how late it was, he couldn’t believe that the last thing in the world he wanted to do at the moment was sleep. “Gaa,” he said back.
Pulling in a big breath, Maddy giggled.
“You think I’m funny?” He sing songed and sat next to her on the carpet, picking up one of her stuffed animals and jumping it up and down on the carpet. “You’re a happy girl now, aren’t you, Maddy?” He couldn’t stop himself from grinning. He got a contract! He got a contract! It made him feel so good that he had to share it with someone.
“Gaa,” she said again.
He checked his running watch on his wrist. It was five fifteen. He thought of Tiffany pulling into the diner and gearing up for an eight-hour shift.
Part of him felt guilty that he’d kept her out all night. As he remembered their night, his grin grew. Mostly, he felt supremely happy about the time they’d spent together.
He jumped up and gently padded up the stairs to get his running shoes.
26
Tiffany couldn’t believe she didn’t feel at all tired. Going through the morning list of opening chores didn’t bother her at all. She started coffee, said hello to the cook, gave Lou a brief run down of all the side work that she would do—the ketchup bottles she would fill and the silverware that she would roll—before the main group of customers hit the restaurant.
Lou had frowned and scrubbed a hand over his face. “What’s wrong with you?”
They’d been friends in high school. How could they not in Wolfe Creek? But, they weren’t close. They were casual friends. They worked together. He’d been a best friend with Katie’s first husband, but he’d had a thing for Katie for a long, long time. Tiffany knew, even in high school, he’d liked Katie. But he’d never liked Roman. Tiffany could see it in the way he stiffened when Katie and Roman would come in with the family. From what she’d observed, Roman didn’t particularly care for Lou, either. But after she and Katie had buried the hatchet, Lou hadn’t really talked to her about much. He was the suffer in silent type.
Small towns.
That’s how it was. People just got used to each other and moved on.
“You seem…different.” His eyes questioned. “Are you okay? Has this got something to do with Sam Dumont yesterday?”
“No,” she replied quickly, not wanting to brag about the fact she’d just had pretty much the best night of her life. She also did not want to explain that Sam Dumont was nothing like she’d thought he was.
He looked her up and down doubtfully. “Well, then get to work.” He waved her away.
Normally, she would have given him a sarcastic look or something, but she rushed away smiling.
Ding.
Looking up from the ketchup bottles, she saw ‘The Wanderers’ walking through the door.
Her heart leapt. “Hey.”
Joe, the lead singer/guitarists, grinned at her.
Her heart fluttered and she took in the two gage’s in Joe’s ears and the spiked overly highlighted blonde hair, that was longer on top and shaved on the sides. “We heard this was your shift.”
Letting out a laugh, she went over to them.
“Sup, Tiff?” Eric, the drummer offered, putting out his fist. Eric had long hair and a tattoo of a butterfly on the side of his cheek, complimented with the heavy eyeliner.
She grinned and knuckle bumped him back. “Hey.”
Luke, the tall and lanky, Rolling Stone t-shirt wearing keyboarder patted her on the back. “How are ya?” His hair was jet black and he also wore eyeliner, but he had a six inch Mohawk.
Grinning, she blinked, not understanding why they were there. “You guys want some breakfast?”
Joe nodded. “Let’s sit.”
She grabbed some menus and took them to a booth. After they sat, she laid out the menus and waited.
Joe looked at her with serious eyes. “We’ve been offered an official opening spot for the Iron Stix. That country-rock band. Have you heard of them? They recently sky rocketed on the charts. They’re from that little town, I think…” he hesitated, then snapped his fingers. “From Snow Valley, Montana. Do you know who I’m talking about?”
“Oh.” Her mind was humming fast. “The Real Thing, is that their song?”
Eric nodded and gave Luke a high five. “Yeah, baby, best song ever. But it does sound like a book title or something.”
Tiffany waited, her heart rate spiking.
“Anyway,” Joe continued, “they saw all of us perform the other night at MacCools and they only want us if they can have you, too.” His teeth flashed white and his smile stretched wide. “So what do you say? Join the band? Come on tour? This is our shot.”
Nodding quickly, Luke shoved out his bottom lip. “Come on, Tiff, we need your voice.”
Eric pretended to drum the table. “You make us rock, sista!” He winked at her.
She blanched, trying to take all of this in.
Joe put up two fingers. “After the first two month tour, if it doesn’t work out, if you want out, no hard feelings.”
Two months. Her mouth went dry. It sounded risky. She thought of her mama, but she knew, deep down, Mama would be fine. Sam had been right…she was afraid.
She was.
For a second, she couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She could hardly get two sentences strung together to answer him, but as it turned out, all she needed was two words.
Then she grinned. “I’m in.”
27
Sam ran up the hill toward the diner, already loving the familiar coffee smell that wafted out. He was even gonna be crazy today and not even eat eggs for the protein—he would go straight carbed out pancakes.
All kinds of outrageous thoughts and plans about him and Tiffany had been circling in his mind.
If she didn’t want to be a country star, that was none of his business. One thing he had determined was that he wanted her in his life.
Maybe she would come to Miami with him, but he assumed she would want to take things slow. He could do that and was, in fact, prepared for it.
He had too many thoughts. Too many dreams. Too many things he unexpectedly wanted with her.
And he was still scared. Terrified. Of himself more than anything else. He didn’t trust himself after what he’d done to Roman, and he really didn’t trust his heart. But…it was good to want something good. Maybe. Right? He shook off the doubt and focused on how he’d felt with her last night. The words from a song came to his mind, ‘if that’s wrong, then I don’t want to be right.’
Grinning to himself, he picked up the stroller, carried it up the steps, and opened the door. He loved the sound of the chime signaling their arrival. Gently setting Maddy down, he smiled at her. “Today we’ll get to finish all the pancakes, okay.”
Immediately, he scanned for Tiffany, but he only saw the two old men he’d seen the day before, sitting like sentinels guarding a castle. Both of them were eyeing him with almost threatening gazes, letting him know they wouldn’t put up with trouble in their diner. He grinned at them. “Hey there.” Man, this town was beginning to grow on him.
He didn’t go to the breakfast bar today. Instead he sat down with Maddy at a booth next to the window that overlooked the mountain. He had just finished buckling Maddy into the high chair when Tiffany came from the back of the restaurant. A huge grin on her face.
“Sam!”
Surprised, at her reaction, but not at all disappointed, he laughed and opened his arms.
She rushed into them and let out a giggle. “This is so crazy.”
He pulled back, evaluating her. “What’s going on?”
He loved the way she was holding him, but he was definitely confused.