“Ohhhkay,” she laughed.
“Well, hello, and who do we have here?”
A man close to Wade’s height and weight and swagger made his way to their side.
“Ike, this is Trina, the woman I told you about.”
“You mean the woman you said you were picking up from the airport but otherwise I know nothing about?”
Wade looked pleased with himself. “Yup, this would be her.”
Ike put out his hand and Trina took it. “If it makes you feel any better, he hasn’t told me a thing about you either.”
Ike laughed. “I do feel better.”
Another man approached from the other side.
Big guy, half a head taller than Wade, and eyes that looked through you even when he had a half smile on his face. “You must be a bodyguard.”
That half a smile fell.
Ike slapped the man’s arm. “She has your number already, Jeb.”
“What do you know about bodyguards?” Wade asked.
“I’ve had my share,” she said, glossing over his question. “I’m Trina.” She stuck out her hand for Mr. Muscle to shake.
“Jeb. Wade’s personal bodyguard.”
With a strong handshake. “I knew it.”
“Incoming,” Ike said under his breath.
Wade turned, his gaze falling on a blonde bombshell in blue jeans. The ex-girlfriend? She looked a little older than Wade, but who knew. Trina braced herself for confrontation and felt some relief when Wade placed his arm over her shoulders again.
Jeb and Ike stood aside, and Wade led her forward.
“Don’t be nervous,” he whispered in her ear.
“Too late,” she whispered back.
The blonde eyed her with a cautious grin.
“Mama, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.”
Mama? This is Wade’s mother?
Trina was certain she showed the shock on her face.
“Trina, this is Vicki, my mother.”
“This is certainly a surprise,” Vicki said. Her eyes kept shifting between Trina’s and Wade’s.
“It’s a pleasure.” Trina extended her hand.
Vicki moved forward a little too quickly. “Trina, did you say?”
“Yup. Trina and I met in Florida at the end of the tour.”
“You’re the reason Wade took his time coming home.” There was a bit of ice lacing Vicki’s words.
“I am.”
“Let me guess, you met Wade after one of his concerts?”
“No, actually. I’ve never heard your son sing. Except for on the radio, but that would be hard to miss.”
Vicki offered an unbelieving laugh.
Trina glanced at Wade, whose face sat stoic.
Vicki slowly stopped laughing. “You’re not kidding.”
“No, Mama, she’s not.”
Awkward silence filled the space around them.
Trina attempted to fill it. “This looks like quite the party you have planned.”
“Yes, it is. I should get back to it. Will you be staying with us?” Vicki asked.
Trina almost said no.
Wade cut her off. “Yes.”
Vicki lifted her chin, smiled. “I see. Welcome, then. If you need anything . . .”
“Thank you.”
Vicki turned and walked away, leaving them alone.
“That was . . .”
“Uncomfortable,” Wade finished.
“Yeah, a little bit.”
They both watched the woman walk away in silence.
Trina cocked her head to the side when she saw one of the men unloading straw bales check out Vicki’s ass.
“Don’t take this the wrong way . . . but did your mom have you when she was twelve?”
Her question cut the tension. Wade pulled her close. “She wasn’t quite that young.”
“I thought she was your ex at first.”
Wade shook his head as if her words stung. “Lord, no.”
Trina turned her gaze away from Vicki and up at him. “If the chill from Mom was that cold, what will it be from the ex?”
Wade looked over her shoulder, offered another smile. “I have a bodyguard standing by.”
Trina dropped her forehead on his chest. “Oh, great.”
Wade showed Trina the room he wanted her in, the one closest to his, and encouraged her to make herself at home. Their weekend date wouldn’t be intimate by any stretch, but he did want to find a couple of hours for just the two of them. But first he needed a word with his mother.
He admitted that he didn’t often bring women around his mother, but she’d never been cold in the past. Why Trina was different was something he was going to get to the bottom of before the party.
Vicki stood by an outdoor stage, a semipermanent structure Wade had sung on many times since he’d had the home rebuilt to his needs. He half expected to see Jordyn by his mother’s side but was told by Ike that she wouldn’t be arriving until the next morning for a sound check.
“Hey.” He placed a hand on his mother’s shoulder to grab her attention. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“Sure.” She pointed to the side of the stage and spoke to one of the stagehands that worked on Wade’s crew. “Be sure and secure those stairs. I don’t need anyone falling down.”
“I’m on it, Ms. Vicki.”
“Thanks, doll.” She turned to Wade and glanced behind him. “Where is your friend?”
No mistaking that snark. “Inside, unpacking.”
“Who is she?” The smile was gone.
Wade pulled her away from the stage and out of earshot.
“She’s a friend, and why are you being so cold?”
“I’m not—”
“Mama!”
Vicki clenched her jaw. “Jordyn’s band is playing tomorrow.”
“Yes, Ike told me. Why would you ask her to be here when you know we broke up?”
“Now that you’re home from the tour, I thought you’d be getting back together. She said you two were on hold, that when you returned—”
“It doesn’t matter what Jordyn told you. I wasn’t on a break, we were broken.”
“She’s such a sweet girl, honey. Exactly the kind of girl you need. She understands your business, your life here in Texas.”
Wade placed both hands on his mother’s arms. “Broken, Mama. I will spare you the details since you don’t need to know, but trust me, it was never going to work. Now, I appreciate the fact that you care enough to meddle, but stop. I can manage my own love life.”
“With Trina?”
“With whomever I choose. You didn’t pick my dates in high school, so please don’t try and pick them now.”
“What am I going to say to Jordyn?”
Wade narrowed his eyes. “Is that what this is about? You’re embarrassed?”
Vicki answered by keeping her mouth closed.
“Tell her what you have to, or don’t tell her at all and I will. Again. But please, keep the chill factor to a minimum with Trina.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. Fine!”
He kissed her cheek and walked away.
Chapter Fourteen
Trina thought Wade was taking her on a predinner walk, but apparently, he had other plans.
They found the lake, which was hidden by a stretch of trees at the far end of the manicured portion of his property. “It’s beautiful.” And quiet, which was nice, considering the buzz of noise up at the house.
He pointed out the cattle grazing on the hillside behind the lake.
“Because cattle,” she said with a laugh.
“When in Texas.” He laughed with her.
He walked them up to an old log cabin. “This has been here since before the previous owners.”
“Really?”
“Yup. I had it cleaned up and the roof repaired, but kept it original. No running water, no electricity.”
He opened the door, and inside, someone had set a table for two.
“What are you up to?” she teased.
“Tomorrow I have to share you, but tonight I thought this would be better.”
Relief, knowing she wouldn’t have to sit across from Vicki, had her smiling. “First date worthy.”
“I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
He moved inside and reached for the bottle of wine on the table. He’d already pulled the cork. “You liked red, if I remember right.”
“And you like beer.”
“Yes, but I’m not so redneck that I don’t enjoy wine once in a while.”
She doubted that.
“I do. I’ve even been wine tasting.”
“Oh, really? Where?”
“Uhm . . .” He blinked. “Napa.”
“What wine did you like the best?” she quizzed.
“Expensive.” He lifted the bottle of wine. “So if I spend a lot on the bottle, it’s got to be good, right?”
“Not really, but that’s okay. There might be something I can teach you.” Wade making an effort to please her placed several coins in his goodwill jar.
“I like the sound of that.” He handed her a glass and poured one for himself.
“To first dates.”
“First dates after we’ve shared private planes and hotels in disaster zones together.” She clicked her glass to his.
She sipped and lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “This is actually pretty good.”
Wade puffed out his chest.
“See, expensive equals good.”
Trina lifted the bottle to see the label and bit her lip. “Wade?”
“Yeah?”
“What do you consider expensive?”
He looked away. “I don’t want to tell you what I spent. Ruins the whole feeling I’m trying to create.”