Good Time Bad Boy (24 page)

Daisy could get used to that. Oh, God, she knew she shouldn’t, couldn’t, really. But, oh, how she wanted to.

W
ade carried the remains of their dinner of sandwiches and ice cream to the kitchen and hurried back to the bedroom. Daisy lay curled in bed, her long blond hair fanned around her on the pillow and his shirt barely covering her ample cleavage. She pointed at the floor where he’d left his clothes in a pile. “Your phone rang.”

He didn’t even glance at the phone as he slid back into bed. “It’s probably my manager. I’m supposed to get back to her about something.” Happy and exhausted and now fed, all he wanted to do was fall asleep with Daisy and not worry about anything until tomorrow.

Daisy snuggled next to him. “Your manager, the tough lady? Better call her back.”

“I can send her my answer in a text. No thanks.” No to Branson, no to country cruises. No to an endless highway of gigs playing songs that were old wounds, unable to heal under the spotlight.

“Does this have anything to do with what you wanted to talk about?” She rested her head on the pillow close to his, one long, bare leg thrown over his and her fingers idly playing in his chest hair. God, yes, this was a hell of a lot better than being on the road.

“She had a possible job lined up for me. I don’t want it.”

Daisy stilled her hand. “What kind of job?”

Wade filled her in on the details, including the background on Branson as a nostalgia capitol for country acts. She said, “So you’re going to finish out the summer at Rocky Top?”

“It’s working out pretty well for me. I still get to play, but I don’t have to be on the road. I don’t miss it.”

Daisy was quiet for a long time. “You’re writing songs again.”

He stirred from a light doze. “Mm. Yeah. That’s going well, too. I worked on another new one after I got rid of my family this morning.”

“I saw Chris’s car when I left. Was something going on?”

“No, I just missed church and didn’t answer my phone. Momma was on a tear and Chris was all too happy to goad her. That boy’s gonna have to grow up if he wants to get with your friend. There’s a big difference between taking care of an ailing parent like she’s doing, and being a bitchy little momma’s boy like he is. I can’t see her putting up with that for long.”

Daisy’s body shook pleasantly against his as she laughed. “You and Chris really don’t get along.”

“He likes to blame it on me for stealing a girl of his once, but it started way before that. He was always a little tattletale, running to Momma over every little thing. He’s no different now. Daddy went on home from church and Chris offered to drive Momma to my house. I think he was hoping to catch me hung over.” He gave her a speculative look. “You don’t seem surprised by what I said about him and Megan.”

“I notice things. He tries really hard with her but, I don’t know. She’s got a lot going on right now. I don’t think she knows what to do about him.” Daisy sat up and tucked her legs under her. “So tell me about these new songs. There was a line in that one you sang at the benefit that sounded familiar.”

“You’re gonna be wanting a songwriting credit for that, aren’t you?” Wade grinned. He rolled to his side and propped his elbow on the bed with his head on his hand. “It was too good a line to pass up. And it did resonate.”

“I never meant to make you feel bad about yourself. That song made me wish I’d never said those things.”

“Don’t feel that way. There’s a lot of truth in that song. It may not be fun to look at, but it’s good to.” He paused, trying to figure out how to explain it. “That’s how I deal with it. How I take a hard look at things and figure out what to do about them.”

“By writing songs?”

Wade smiled. “It’s cheaper than therapy and booze. But I don’t always write about myself. I tell stories about other people, too.”

“So with you writing again, does that mean you’ll record a new album?”

Wade rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. “Right now I’m just happy to be writing songs again. There’s so much to recording. Hell, I don’t know if I could even get another record deal. Then there’s all that shit that comes after.”

“Like what?” Daisy curled up next to him.

“First you have to sell yourself to the record company. Then you have to sell the record to the radio stations. Then to the music fans. There’s a whole lot of selling. Then there’s going on the road. You have to tour to support a record, it’s just how it works. Not many artists can get away with putting out a record and not touring. I don’t think any of them are in country music.”

“You love performing. I can tell that every time you step on stage.”

“I do. I love getting on stage and singing and playing guitar. It’s the touring I’m not so crazy about anymore.”

“Are you saying you don’t want to go back out on the road at the end of the summer?”

“I’m saying I need to figure out what comes next, because nonstop life on the road isn’t working for me anymore.” He turned his head to look at her. “I want a real life, Daisy. I want a home, instead of a vacation house. I want...I want a real life.”

The thought had been in the back of his mind for a while. He knew he was tired of being on the road, though he still wasn’t quite sure what a real life for someone like him would look like. He said, “I don’t want to totally give up performing. I don’t want to stop writing songs, especially now that I’ve started again after so long. But I don’t want the same kind of career I had before. It was crazy and it was too much for a sane person to handle, and I don’t want to go back to that.”

“I don’t see you being a nine to five guy, either.”

“No.” He leaned over and kissed her. “I guess I’ll have to find a happy medium.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear so he could see her face better. “What about you, Daisy? What do you want?” And if he held his breath waiting for the answer, well, there was no real reason for that. None at all.

“A college degree and the best job it can get me.” She rolled over to rest on her other side. “I don’t want to be waiting tables forever.”

He’d felt the walls creeping up for a few minutes now, so it didn’t surprise him that she turned away. He fitted himself against her, one arm down her belly to pull her close. “Randy ought to let you run the place for him. You’d do a damn sight better job than his grandson.”

“That won’t happen,” she said. “I’m not family.”

That made him wonder if she’d given it serious thought. “You could always open up a place of your own.”

She tensed. “I’d need experience and money to do that and even then I might fail. Places like that have a high failure rate.”

So she had thought about running her own business. He liked that. “Sounds like you’ve looked into this.”

“Just for a school project.” There was a tone in her voice he recognized from hearing it in his own, a flavor of pained excitement that came with wanting things you weren’t sure you could have. He stayed quiet in the hope that she would decide on her own to open up.

She drifted off to sleep instead. He held her for a long time, thinking about the puzzle pieces of different dreams and how to make them fit. At some point since seeing her at the benefit, he’d decided he was keeping her. He just had to figure out how.

R
ocky Top was packed Thursday night, every table full and standing room only at the bar. Everyone asked when Wade was going on stage. It made for an electric atmosphere and Daisy loved it. She dove in and out of conversations with customers as she took and filled orders, smiling and laughing and so proud of Wade. He’d filled the bar on a weeknight because of his amazing performance at the benefit concert. They might have a line out the door the next two nights.

They’d spent every moment possible together since the night of the benefit. She refused to think past the summer, but for now - for now, she was happier than she’d ever been. Deliriously happy. Head over heels happy. Stupid happy, but she didn’t care. She would enjoy being with Wade for as long as she could have him, and then she’d let him go.

But that wouldn’t be tonight. Tonight, she might have to share him with the throng of people that filled the bar, but she didn’t mind that. Especially knowing how happy it made him to perform. Besides, he had a surprise in store for Ronisha. Daisy grinned at the thought and slipped past the crowd at the bar to enter the back. As usual, Wade was pacing in the alley.

No hat this time. The breeze lifted his hair, which was getting a little on the long side. She rubbed the back of her hand over the beard scruff on his cheek. “You didn’t shave.”

He kissed her forehead. “I thought you liked me all scruffy. Have we talked about outlaw country yet?”

Daisy rolled her eyes. “God, yes. You made me listen to Willie Nelson.” He was still on a mission to teach her all about country music so that she could at least have a favorite country singer even if she didn’t listen to the genre often.

Wade nodded. “You liked that Kris Kristofferson song I sang to you?”

Loving Her Was Easier Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again
- yes, she’d liked that song a lot. Wade sang it to her on the floor of his bedroom one night, and at the end of the song she’d crawled all over him shamelessly.

“Maybe I should sing that tonight.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.

“No, no. Don’t you dare sing that to me in public. You stick to your set list and behave yourself.”

He rubbed his hand up and down her back, as if trying to ground nervous energy. “Lot a cars here tonight. Is the place really that busy or is something going on elsewhere downtown?”

“The place is packed. People have been asking when you go on stage. Talking about the show Saturday night. They’re all here to see you.”

He stepped away and coughed. Daisy said, “Do you need some water?”

“I’m okay.” He laughed. “You’d think after all these years that the stage fright would have gone away.”

She didn’t know anything about stage fright or performing, but she knew all too well about being judged and found wanting. Wade had nothing to worry about. That audience in there would love him, just like they had Saturday night and every night he’d played at Rocky Top. She took him in her arms and told him so.

He leaned his forehead against hers. “Will you come home with me tonight?”

“You know I will.” She kissed him, slow and hot and full of promises for later.

He pulled her close with a possessive, demanding grip on her hips. She threaded her fingers in his soft, thick hair. He picked her up, swinging her around to press her against the brick wall of the alley. The brick bit into her back and his hard, heavy body pinned her in place, and she didn’t want to be anywhere else. Soft kisses and sharp, tiny bites down the column of her neck sent spikes of pleasure shooting through her. She canted her hips into his, gratified at the hardness she found there.

“You know what would really help with my stage fright?” His breath teased the skin behind her ear.

“I am not having sex with you in this alley.” But only because they’d probably get caught, she didn’t add as she pushed his hand away from her breast.

“Exactly how would you define sex?” He took her hand and guided it down his front to rest on the erection bulging under his jeans.

Laughing, Daisy pushed him away. “Something that doesn’t happen in a dirty public alley.”

The heartbreaker smile she loved so much lit Wade’s face. “You know I’m just teasing.” He reached for her hand. “Except the part about you going home with me. I meant that.”

She slipped her hand into his. “I said I would. We’ve been together every night this week. I’m surprised you’re not tired of me.” The words came out lightly but as soon as she said them, she could feel their true weight in the back of her throat. She worked to keep her expression neutral and smiling.

Wade ghosted the fingers of his free hand down the side of her face. “I can’t imagine ever getting tired of you.”

Emotion rose in a powerful wave, threatening to spill out in ill-advised declarations and promises that had nothing to do with her body’s needs and everything to do with her heart’s desires.

Toby stuck his head out the door. “Hey, man, it’s time.” The busboy wagged his eyebrows at the sight of Daisy. “If you’re not on a break you better get back before Josh knows you’re out here.” He ducked back inside, leaving the door swinging open.

“He’s right, we both need to go.” Daisy hurried toward the door.

Wade caught her wrist and pulled her gently to him. “Hey. You okay?”

She looked everywhere but at him. “I don’t want trouble with Josh, that’s all.” She swallowed all the things she was afraid to say and placed her hand on his chest. “And I really want to hear you sing that song you learned for Ronisha. Let’s go.”

Wade rested his hand over hers. His heart beat under her fingers, a steady, comforting rhythm. Daisy didn’t want to find comfort in another person’s heartbeat. That could lead to depending on that person, needing him. Wanting was dangerous enough, but needing - no, she couldn’t afford that. That was a bill she couldn’t pay.

They went inside and Daisy hurried out to the dining room while Wade retrieved his guitar from the break room. The crowd was restless and eager to be entertained. Daisy could tell when Wade took the stage from the outbreak of applause, even though she had her back to him taking an order. Without introduction, he launched into his usual set opener, a random mix of George Strait and Tim McGraw. A few songs in, he surprised the crowd and her both by singing some of his old hits. Not
Empty Rooms
, but songs of his that had been plenty popular. Daisy liked hearing so many sing along. When Alonzo came out of the kitchen and stood near the stage, she knew it was time. Toby joined the cook, along with the other busboy working tonight. Daisy and the three other waitresses gradually made their way up front. Ronisha was too busy behind the bar to notice right away.

Even Josh came out of the office to watch. He’d only agreed to let everyone do this if they considered it one of their breaks, but since he wasn’t closing tonight it didn’t matter. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt anyone working at Rocky Top.