Page 106 of Puck Love

“She really is. She’s a great influence onme.”

“And you? Are you a great influence onher?”

“He is,” Stella says, and squeezes my knee. “Van was there for me when it felt like no one else was. He hid me away in his cabin; he didn’t have to do that. He didn’t know me atall.”

“That’s sweet, though I’m sure it wasn’t much of a burden. Am I right, Van?” Adam looks to me forconfirmation.

“Right.” I weigh my hands in front of me. “Spend several weeks with a beautiful, crazy-talented country star or heat up a microwave dinner for one? There wasn’t a whole lot to thinkabout.”

“I bet.” He smiles smugly. “So, can we expect wedding bells from the two of you in thefuture?”

“Woah, moving a little fast aren’t you, Adam? I only just got the woman to take meback.”

“Surely it’s something you’ve thoughtabout?”

And that is the thing—I haven’t. I’ve thought about how miserable I was without her, I’ve thought about how much I want her, but I’ve never thought about walking down theaisle.

“With how fast our worlds move, we’re taking it slow,” Stella says, but her tone is icier than before, and it makes me wonder if she’s thought about it.Surely not? I mean, my guess is that she’s as freaked out by this question as I am, but that’s not what her face says. Her smile is taut, and not at all natural.Jesus, did I just fuck this upcompletely?

“Well, we’re out of time, but Stella, Van, thank you for joining us thismorning.”

“Thanks for having us,” Isay.

“Really, thank you.” Stella rewards him with that stunning smile, and I can’t help it. Jealousy kicks me in the nuts. I lean in and kiss her cheek. The cameraman signals an out, the director yells cut, and it’s as if her good mood turns instantlyglacial.

“Thanks for jumping in there, Van. I’m really a bigfan.”

“Thank you.” I shake Adam’s hand and stand up. Stella smiles, and then trudges off the stage toward the ballbuster who does not look any more impressed with me right now than her clientdoes.

I get asked by a cameraman and a few other crew members to sign autographs, and then ballbuster tells me in no uncertain terms that it’s time to leave. Stella is still all smiles for the crew, and signs a bunch of autographs of her own, but I can tell she’s not happy withme.

We don’t bother heading to the green room. Instead, we wander through the back of the building and outdoors into the sunny Nashville day before piling into a waiting SUV. I’ve barely had time to close the door before the driver takes off and ballbuster glares at me from the passengerseat.

“What the hell wasthat?”

“What?” I know full well what she means; I just like provoking her. Stella rubs her temple as if she’s fighting off a headache, which I don’t love somuch.

“Don’t you ‘what’ me. You know damn wellwhat.”

“You’re right, I do,” I agree. “But I don’t answer toyou.”

“Do you have any idea what you’vedone?”

“Yeah. I saved her from humiliating herself on national TV because she didn’t know how to answer questions about us.” I shrug. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong withthat.”

“Lana, it’s fine,” Stellasays.

“It’s not fine,” Lana snaps. “It’s definitely notfine.”

“Why? Because all your perfectly planned, fake bullshitbackfired?”

“Fakebullshit?”

Stella sighs. “Can you just both be quietplease?”

“Look, baby, I’m sorry. I guess I screwed up.” I take her hand in mine and squeeze. “I shouldn’t have crashed your interview likethat.”

Ballbuster rolls her eyes. “Youthink?”