“Thank you,” Lena said when I held the passenger door open for her.
I slid my hand to the small of her back as we started for the main entrance. Lena’s steps faltered, and she almost tripped.
She looked up at me, eyes wide.
“Problem?”
She didn’t say anything, which I took to mean my hand was okay where it was.
Jodi and Micah entered behind us, and we were seated on the outdoor patio area within minutes of our arrival.
Naturally, I took my seat next to Lena. Right after we sat, I spotted her looking over both shoulders, staring around at a few of the other patrons.
“What’s the matter?” Jodi asked before I could get the question out.
I frowned in annoyance, not for the first time wishing it were just Lena and me out for dinner.
Lena leaned into the table, her fingers playing with the white linen napkin that held her utensils. “Are you sure, uh, it’s safe here?” She hesitated, biting her bottom lip. “Not safe. I mean, secure, private?”
Laced in her voice were concern and uncertainty.
“No one’s going to bother you here,” I said, bringing her attention back to me. For good measure, I tossed my arm around the back of her chair, trailing my fingers down her bare shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about someone taking a picture of you if that’s your concern.”
She sat back in her seat, her eyes darting over her shoulder before returning to look at me.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been out in public. Aside from your wedding. Not since … I guess everyone knows.”
I had no idea what she referred to. I started to ask her since what, but our waitress chose that moment to approach our table to take our drink orders.
“Lena, Jodi played me some of your music for the first time a while back. You’re very talented,” Micah said.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah, I liked that album …” He paused and snapped, turning to Jodi. “Which one was it?”
“Broken Kisses,” Jodi and I said at the same time.
Three pairs of eyes looked back at me. I shrugged. “Lucky guess.”
While the expressions on Micah and Jodi’s faces were ones of surprise, Lena’s slight frown and drooping eyelids looked as if someone had just told her that her music was completely bogus instead of complimenting her.
But she caught herself, and her expression instantly changed, and she smiled at Micah. “Thank you, Micah. Jodi said my style of music isn’t what you usually listen to. So it makes me happy to hear you liked it.”
Why did I get the impression that wasn’t the total truth? I recalled back to the first time I’d met Lena, all those months earlier. My date that night had mentioned theBroken Kissesalbum, and Lena’s facial expression dropped before she covered it with a smile.
Right then, I made it my mission to find out what all of that was about. That was one of Lena’s most successful albums. She won two Grammys for that album, including Songwriter of the Year.
Yes, I had looked it up.
We made small talk for a while until our waitress brought out our food. I’d convinced Lena to try the bacon cheddar burger after she admitted to giving up eating vegan a year ago.
“Good, ’cause this is Texas where BBQ is the eighth wonder of the world,” I’d said, eliciting a laugh from her.
After taking her first bite, Lena’s eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she let out the sexiest groan I think I’d ever heard a woman make with her clothes on.
“I went vegan because a nutritionist once told me that dairy was bad for my vocal cords,” she said after swallowing the first bite. She peered down at the burger in her hands and shook her head. “Lucky thing I don’t have any performances lined up right now. This cheddar is so amazing.”
I chuckled, happy to see her enjoying her meal. “Texas cows make that cheddar. The burger, too.”
