He continued. “And my dad walked over to me, and he said…” He blinked.
She got out of the truck and stood in front of him. She touched his arm. “What did he say?”
He put his head down. Then he looked up, tears in his eyes. “He said, ‘Sammy, don’t think. Just play. Just play.’ And…I did.” He grinned and rubbed his hand quickly over his eyes. “And we won that game.”
She sniffed, his story touching a part of her.
Putting both hands on her shoulders, he smiled down at her. “So I’m giving you the same advice because I’ve heard you, and you are amazing. Don’t think. Just play.”
Chills washed over her, and she found herself digging down deep. “Okay, let’s go in.”
12
After going in the side door that led straight into the bar, Sam listened to her from behind the bar, on his butt on the floor, with his legs pulled up against his chest. The lower part of his back was stiff, and he’d pay for this position tomorrow, but he didn’t care. Yes, Jared had leaked it. Idiot. But after Jared had realized how upset Sam was that he’d leaked it, he’d agreed to hide him behind the bar. Jared was pleased with the full band that accompanied Tiffany, and the crowd had been huge. At first, they were disappointed when they couldn’t find Sam, but to Sam’s pleasure, they’d stayed when the music had started.
Her voice was fluid. Beautiful. It had that certain something that was that ‘it’ factor. He could feel it. If she were on America’s Got Talent, she would win. He grinned to himself, thinking he would definitely pick her to win.
Thoughts of her reaching out and taking his hand when he’d told her what he’d never told anyone else made emotion surge inside of him. In a moment one could only call an epiphany, Sam realized he’d never felt that kind of thing with Sheena. No.
That had been physical.
He wished he had recognized it for what it was. It’d only been when he’d slipped into the number one spot that she’d showed interest in him, complaining that it was so hard with Roman struggling. She’d acted like she was concerned for Roman, and Sam had been too stupid and fallen for her seductions. He’d been fooled. He thought about those moments when he’d crossed the line and how he’d felt. It had happened so fast. It had felt like getting stuck in the undertow out in the ocean. You can see the surface, but no matter how hard you swim up, the tide pulls you deeper.
Jared stepped on him.
“Hey,” he called out.
Jared flashed him an annoyed glance and then went back to taking care of the bar.
Sam listened to song after song, letting the music and her voice flow into him. Some of the songs, like the one she’d taught him earlier, he didn’t recognize from main stream music. He knew he would have to get his hands on an instrument later and tinker with a couple of them. They were wonderful.
Two hours later, she peeked her head over the counter, her hair falling like summer around him. “Hey.” She grinned. “I think it’s safe now. Most of the dinner crew has cleared out.”
Staring at her with electricity running through him, he grinned. “Okay.” He got up, loosening up his legs.
Every part of her facial features was alive with happiness. “Thank you, Sam. I don’t know if I could have done it without the pep talk.”
“You’re welcome.” The intensity of what he felt for her and how much he’d wanted to help her caught him off guard. He hadn’t wanted to help another person that much in a long time. He’d been so caught up in his own world.
She let out a light laugh. “Do you know what the lead of the band, Joe, said tonight?”
“Tell me.” He moved around the bar counter to be closer to her. To enjoy this moment of success with her.
“He told me I could join their band if I wanted.” She hiccup giggled.
Unable to stop himself, he wrapped his arms around her and swung her off the floor. “Yee-haw!” he said in his red neck voice.
She laughed and let him.
He put her down, and then she shoved off of him. “You’re crazy.”
But he pulled her back into him.
The moment went slow and sticky, and all he could see was her lips. He could smell the chlorine in her hair from the surf place, and he wanted her closer.
She put her hand on his chest, and her eyes fluttered. “I…truthfully, I’m kind of overwhelmed…I just don’t know if a band is the right fit for me right now. But it’s nice to be asked.”
He picked her up again, whooping. “Ladies and gentleman, introducing the new star of country music Tiffany Chance.”
She laughed again, and he put her down. Her face was flushed, and she was grinning. “C’mon, let’s get back to Maddy.”
After paying the band and getting her guitar packed away, they piled into the truck. Neither of them spoke.
The no speaking lasted for over fifteen minutes. The radio station was on, and she was singing in her beautiful voice. All sorts of thoughts were going through his head in a montage movie style. There were things that Roman had told him about Brett mixing with things that she’d said about being traditional.
He thought of his own Catholic upbringing, mostly Easter and Christmas types of things until his mother had passed. He wondered if Tiffany would ever want someone like him because of Sheena or, he corrected, himself. Because of his choices.
He looked out the window, seeing everything and nothing. It impressed him how beautiful Utah sunsets were with oranges and purples like shades of protection against the cardboard mountain backdrop.
“Talk to me, Goose,” she whispered and turned off the country station that had been playing some old school tunes.
But he didn’t know what to say. “Top Gun.” She’d actually quoted one of his favorite movies. Now he knew he was falling in love.
“My dad loved that movie.”
He watched the way the side of her lip turned down at the mention of her father.
“I’m sorry.” He knew it wasn’t enough. Heck, he knew there was never anything right anyone could say when you lost a parent.
She glanced at him and then back to the road. “It’s okay.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry about your dad.”
He looked out the window, not wanting to talk about his father.
All of this. Her. It unnerved him. It was too soon. He wished he could go talk to his shrink about her because he didn’t trust himself. He hadn’t trusted himself for a long time.
“Sam?”
“So are you going to join the band?” He had to distract himself.
“Ah, no. I mean. I don’t know. Joe said he’s trying to score them an opening spot with this band that’s going on tour soon. I just don’t know if it’s the right time.”
“Why not?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you have a chance to join a band and possibly go on tour. Why wouldn’t you do that?”
She let out a long breath. “It’s not that simple.”
“Why?” He asked, an edge in his voice.
“Why are you mad at me?”
He sighed, realizing he did sound mad. He didn’t know why he felt so invested in this woman. “I’m not mad at you. I just…isn’t this what you wanted? To do your music?”
“It’s not like I could just go. I mean, my mom, my work.” She hesitated.
“A shot is a shot,” he said, completely confused about why she wouldn’t want to be part of that.
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s not right.”
He stared at her, recognizing exactly why she was holding back. She was too in her head. “Tiffany, you’re good, really good. But you have to take chances and you have to push yourself.”
She didn’t say anything for a long time.
He couldn’t believe after all they’d gone through tonight and how amazing she’d been that she would turn down the opportunity.