Page 32 of Love on the Line

What the hell had she said this time? She couldn’t think straight. “What did I say?”

“The same exact thing.” He held up two fingers. “Twice insulted.”

“Sheesh, Wyatt. I’m sorry. I meant—”

“It’s okay. I promise I wasn’t fishing for a compliment. I really care what you think and just don’t want to embarrass you, since you’re here with me.”

Him embarrass her? He had it all backwards. She was the no-name date, not the celebrity. Besides, he put himself out there for his friends. “I think you’re amazing to do this, and the crowd loves you. You could never embarrass me.”

His eyes widened, and she froze. “What did I say now?”

“Nothin’, I’m just messing with you.” He patted her arm and gave her a wicked grin.

A giggle bubbled up from her chest. “I’m gonna kill you. That’s not funny.”

“Then why are we both laughing?” His eyes danced with humor, and something stirred inside of her.

Wyatt had a knack for making her feel like a kid again. She’d spent so much of her life taking care of other people and being the responsible one that it felt good to just let loose and be silly. She’d laughed more with him in the last two weeks then she had in the entire time she’d dated either of her “serious” boyfriends.

And the thing about Wyatt was that he didn’t expect her to act a certain way or care if things weren’t perfect. This night was nothing like they’d planned, and yet she was still having fun. Maybe everything didn’t always need to be mapped out in advance.

Anxiety tightened her neck at that thought. She always had a plan. Needed a plan. A plan was what made life safe and predictable. That was her comfort zone.

“Anne?” Wyatt waved a hand in front of her face. “Where’d you go?”

“Sorry, did you ask me something?”

“No, but I have to study the sheet music for the next set, so I better get back to Dan.” A small frown tugged his mouth down.

“Hey.” She placed a hand on his chest. “You got this.”

He touched her cheek, covered her hand with his, and pressed both to his heart. “Thanks.”

* * *

After helping the band pack up, Wyatt walked Anne to his car. She sank into the seat and eased back. What a night, and quite the eye-opener. Wyatt wasn’t some spoiled celebrity who expected adoration. He’d been nervous, self-effacing, and completely loyal to his friends.

To his credit, he’d brought charisma to the stage, and once his nerves calmed, he’d focused less on playing every chord right and more on drawing in the crowd. It had worked. People seemed to love him because he brought energy and life to the music.

Could she have done it? Put herself out there in front of a ton of people, knowing her talent fell short of the mark. Probably not, because when she took on something new, she dedicated the time until she mastered the craft. Going out on a limb wasn’t her style.

Wyatt dropped into the driver’s seat, and the car seemed to shrink as he filled the space. His cologne swirled in the air, and she took a deep breath.

“You tired?” He started the engine and drove out of the lot.

“No. I’m kind of wired, actually.”

“Me, too.”

Anne grabbed her purse and dug around inside. “I had my phone on the table, and I’m not sure I put it away.”

“Hold on.” Wyatt pulled to the side of the road. He clicked on his hazards and the overhead light.

“Thanks.” She fished around in the bottom of the bag, plucked the phone out, and held it up. “Oh, good, it’s here.”

The corner of his lips turned up, and he nodded. “I got the impression you liked the hat.”

What was he talking about? Anne looked at her phone and gasped. The background picture was of Wyatt, up on stage, holding the cowboy hat with one hand. Damn that Emily. She’d saved that picture she’d taken as the background.

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