“I have to get back. I’m sorry.”
“You gotta stop sayin’ you’re sorry all the time. I know you have a meeting. It isn’t something you should be sorry for.”
“I know. I can’t help it. I never realized how much I say it.”
“Wasn’t there some old-time movie that had a line in it about love meaning you never say you’re sorry?”
That took the smile off her face. “Bullet—”
“Now, don’t go gettin’ all in a snit. I was just teasin’ you.”
“Oh. Okay. I’m—”
Bullet put his hand over her mouth. “Nope, I’m not lettin’ you say it. Every time I think you’re about to, I’m gonna do this.” He leaned forward and covered her mouth with his kiss.
“And just so you know, I ain’t ever gonna say I’m sorry for kissin’ you. Even in the middle of a crowded restaurant.”
Tristan looked around her. She hadn’t noticed the empty tables were all full, and there was a lunch crowd lined up, waiting.
“If you didn’t have a meeting, I’d sit here with you all afternoon, maybe stay for dinner too.”
“We close at three,” said the waitress as she dropped their check on the table.
“I’m so embarrassed.” Tristan covered her face with her hands.
“If that’s all it takes to embarrass you, darlin’, you’re in for quite an awakening.”
Tristan didn’t doubt the truth of his words for a minute.
“How’d the writing session go?” Bullet asked his dad.
“So good that we’re getting together again tomorrow, and probably the day after too.”
“That’s terrific, Dad.”
“Mark Cochran is so damn funny. Ben and I spend as much time laughing as we do making music.”
“I don’t really know him.” Bullet had only seen Mark and his wife, Paige, a couple of times, and even then, he hadn’t been introduced to them.
“That’ll change later tonight. I invited everyone to dinner.”
Bullet looked around his kitchen and wondered what his dad meant by “everyone.” More than six or seven people would overflow this room, and the dining room wasn’t much bigger. Did his dad give any thought to the size of the house Bullet was living in? It was about one-tenth of the size of his parents’ house in Los Angeles.
“Not here, dumbass.” His dad gave him a playful punch and smiled. “I reserved a restaurant in town.”
“The whole restaurant?”
“Well…yeah.”
Bullet shook his head. He’d forgotten how his dad was. If he wanted it, he got it. Yep, Bullet hadn’t fallen far from the tree after all.
“I want you to invite the girl Lyric has been telling us so much about.”
“Tristan?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Lyric says she might become the newest member of our family.”
Bullet almost choked on the drink of beer he’d just taken. Jesus. He knew better than to trust Lyric not to blurt that out in front of Tristan. Nope, he wouldn’t be inviting her tonight. If he did, it might be the last time she agreed to go anywhere with him.