Page 30 of Love on the Line

Chapter 11

“Oh, man.”Wyatt held up a hand. “I can’t—”

“It’s okay. Just do it.” Anne didn’t want Pete’s band to lose the gig. Not with him having a baby on the way.

Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck and looked from Anne to Dan.

“Don’t worry. She can hang with us.” Emily slung an arm around Anne’s shoulder.

Dan jumped on the hesitation. “Come on, bro. Brian and I are okay, but Pete told me he needs this gig.”

Wyatt glanced at the stage. “This could end up bad, Dan. I haven’t played in a long time and never was that good.”

“Anything will be better than us bailing,” Dan said.

“Really, Wyatt, please don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” Anne laid a hand on his arm and gave him her best I-mean-it look. Well, as much as she could with his ripped muscles so firm under her fingertips.

“Are you sure? I’ll have to be here until they close.”

She nudged him away. “I’m sure. Help out your friends.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” His eyes flashed, and her knees went weak.

Emily linked her other arm through Kate’s. “Don’t worry. Us girls stick together, and we’ll have fun.”

Wyatt blew out a breath. “Okay.”

“Yes.” Dan smacked him on the back. “Come strap on Pete’s guitar.”

As the guys walked away, Emily squeezed Anne’s shoulder. “Holy crap. I’ve seen his car commercials, but he’s smoking hot in person.”

“Car commercials? Huh. I don’t watch much TV, and when I do it’s recorded so I can fast forward through the advertisements. I’ll have to pay attention.”

“Well he’s got my attention. Total hottie.”

“Yeah, he kinda is, isn’t he?” Anne kept her gaze on him as he walked with Dan to the stage.

“Kind of? Look at Kate. He’s struck her mute, and she never shuts up.”

Kate snorted. “I wouldn’t turn him down. Damn that guy is big.” She took a sip of her beer, and then choked on it. “I mean, I wouldn’t know about that, but I mean just in general, he’s a big guy.”

“And…she’s back.” Emily play-punched Kate’s arm.

Anne shook her head. Now she had that to think about. Although, her mind had gone down the naughty path a time or two, noting the size of his hands.

“Now look what you’ve done.” Emily waved at Anne. “Her face is redder than a tomato.”

Blah. Enough of this talk. Anne pointed to some people getting up from a table near the stage. “Let’s grab that.”

The girls rushed over as a server cleared it. Anne eyed Wyatt as they took their seats. Tuning the guitar, he focused on the strings. Dan handed him some sheet music, and Wyatt stared at it with the same intensity Anne’s students did when she gave a pop quiz.

Dan snagged the cowboy hat Pete had been wearing and shoved it on Wyatt’s head. Wyatt reached up and grabbed the top of the hat as his gaze met Anne’s.

Good thing she was seated, because her legs would have buckled. Wearing that cowboy hat, with those vivid green eyes and biceps bulging when his hand grabbed the top of the hat—breathtaking.

He paused and lifted the hat as if about to take it off.

Anne shook her head. Hell no. The hat needed to stay on. Emily snatched Anne’s phone from off the table and snapped a picture.

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