“Don’t even get me started on my brother,” Mia said, anger edging into her tone. “He was supposed to get in this afternoon, but he texted Mom last minute to say he’d decided to drive and wasn’t getting on the plane. Since then, he’s refused to answer his damned cell phone or reply to any of my three hundred texts.”
She shoved her sweat-damp curls from her forehead as she lifted her eyes to the heavens. “I swear, if he doesn’t show up for the auction and the black tie Pike Sherman Celebrity Reception I’ve sold two hundred tickets to tomorrow night, I’m going to have to kill him.”
“He’ll show up,” Bubba said. “He knows what a big deal this is. He’s probably just getting stage fright. You know he hates big groups of people unless they’re sitting in the stands.”
Mia snapped her fingers. “Speaking of big groups, I had a little trouble getting the camera where you wanted it, Bubs. I had to settle for rigging one up in the trees near the stage.”
“What camera?” Marisol asked, frowning up at him. “You said we were making a sound recording, not a video. Now I’m going to be even more nervous.”
“Don’t be nervous!” Mia said, giving Marisol an encouraging rub between the shoulders. “You’re going to be amazing. You guys blew everyone away at karaoke. This is just a little bigger. With a few thousand more people.” She held one finger in the air. “Now, let me grab your escort and get you two headed in the right direction so you’ll have time to warm up or whatever you performer types do backstage. The band members from Austin are already there and did a sound check a couple of hours ago, so you should be good to go.”
“Sounds good.” Marisol smiled as Mia hustled away to grab one of the burly men sitting in a semi-circle of chairs near the control center, but Bubba could tell it was forced.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “We can pitch the tape if you don’t like it. I just thought it would be nice to have this recorded. It’s our first time playing a gig together. We might want to show it to the grandkids someday.”
Marisol shot him a narrow look. “You realize talking about grandkids won’t get you out of trouble every time, right?”
He grinned. “I know. As long as it gets me out of trouble this time.”
She shook her head with a laugh as Mia returned with Tulsi and a man with a neck the size of a small tree trunk.
“Hey you, two!” Tulsi said, a misty look in her eyes Bubba was afraid would give the surprise away. “I can’t wait to see the show. It’s going to be so beautiful!”
“Tulsi and Bart are going to walk you over,” Mia said, nudging Tulsi discreetly in the ribs in a silent warning to pull herself together. “Let Tulsi know if you need anything and she’ll figure out how to get it.” She shooed them toward the tent entrance. “I’m handing everything over to Gram in ten minutes so I can come see the show. Have fun, and good luck!”
Bubba could tell by her tone that Mia meant good luck for a lot more than the show, but Marisol didn’t seem to suspect anything. She was quiet as they followed Bart through a maze of roped off areas, meant to keep the talent separate from the rest of the festival, leaving Bubba to field Tulsi’s questions about what life was like on the road, and whether or not Wendy Dann really had a pet capybara that traveled with her in her trailer.
“She has one,” Bubba said as they reached the stage. “But she leaves it on her ranch. Hard to justify dragging a hundred pound rodent along on tour.”
“A hundred pound rodent…” Tulsi shook her head slowly side to side. “Famous people are so weird. Don’t get weird, okay, Bubba,” she said, her expression sobering. “I’m serious. I couldn’t stand it if you became some big jerk who was too cool for all the people who love you.”
“You don’t have to worry, Tuls,” Bubba said, pulling her in for a hug. “I’m not that kind of guy, and even if I were, I’ve got Marisol to keep me on my best behavior.”
Marisol rolled her eyes. “You don’t need me to keep you on your best behavior.”
“No, I just need you to keep me happy,” he said, kissing her forehead. “I’ll introduce you near the end. ‘Where You Are’ will be the last song in the set, okay?”
“Okay,” Marisol said, smiling up at him. “Knock ’em dead, baby.”
He grinned as he started up the stairs and around the back of the stage, knowing it didn’t matter if he knocked them dead, or got booed off the stage. Marisol would always be there when the performance was over. Always. Forever was already taken for granted between the two of them, but tonight he intended to make it official.
CHAPTERTWENTY
Marisol watchedRobert cross backstage to talk to the band, waiting until the man she loved was out of sight before turning to Tulsi and asking in a whisper, “He has no idea, right?”
Tulsi shook her head, a sly smile on her face. “He has absolutely no idea. I mean, I think he has a lot of ideas about other things, but he has no idea his family is here.”
“And they seem okay, right?” Marisol asked, nibbling at her thumbnail, wondering for the hundredth time if this was going to blow up in her face. Maybe she should have just told Robert his mother had responded to the emails Marisol had been sending for weeks, instead of helping to plan some big gesture.
“They seem great,” Tulsi said. “Trust me, I’ve known Laura Mae since I was little and I can tell when she’s worked up. She isn’t mad at all. I think she’s nervous, actually. Maybe a little afraid that Bubba won’t be happy to see her up on stage at the end of the show.”
“No, he’ll be thrilled,” Marisol said, pressing Tulsi’s hand. “Don’t let her back out. I know Robert will love it. It will mean so much to him to know they’ve come to support him, and that everything is going to be okay.”
Tulsi nodded. “I think so, too. The flowers Laura Mae brought are so beautiful, and she had Bubba’s grandpa’s guitar all fixed up for him. It’s averysexy instrument. Bubba’s going to love it.”
Marisol lifted an eyebrow. “Speaking of sexy, whatever happened to that guy you emailed me about? Are you going to try to hook up with him while he’s in town for the festival?”
“Oh…no,” Tulsi said, the color fading from her cheeks. “That was a dumb idea. I’m not even sure he’s coming anymore, so…”