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“Because I want my family to be proud of me for once.” Wade sighs, resting his arm on the center console.
“You’re a rockstar. How could they possibly not be proud of you, Wade?”
“Becoming a rockstar is about the only thing I’ve done right in my life. And all the money, fame, and fortune in the world means nothing to my billionaire family … they value family above all else … and I’ve just never fit in with them.” He sighs again, popping a Dorito into his mouth.
“And why is that?” I ask, carefully grabbing a Dorito out of the bag. Wade was already kind enough to let me bring Bear along on this road trip, so I’m trying real hard not to get orange dust all over his center console.
The dog hair is going to leave a big enough mess.
Wade glances at me before answering. “I don’t know…” He shrugs. “I’ve just always been the black sheep—the wild card. Growing up, I was a bit of a rebel—drinking and partying. I even got suspended from school a few times. And I’ve never been interested in running the family business or ranching like my brothers were. I’ve always been drawn to the open road, the dusty bars, and the country music that speaks to my soul.”
“And what makes you think they aren’t proud of you?” I ask, pulling my knee up to my chest.
“Are you some kind of therapist now?” He smirks.
“Well, no, but I’m genuinely curious why you think your family doesn’t like you. Even now, after all your success. Did something happen to make you feel that way?”
“Well, if you must know,” he says with yet another sigh, “let’s just say I’ve gotten in a lot of trouble recently.”
“Trouble?”
“Yeah … I drank a little too much and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. The media had a heyday over it, and according to my publicist, my reputation still hasn’t fully recovered.”
“Yikes, I’m sorry to hear that, Wade. It must be hard to live your life in the public eye.” I brush my fingers through my hair. “I’ve made my fair share of mistakes, but I can’t imagine having them blasted all over the internet for the world to see.”
“Yeah, it comes with the job, unfortunately.”
Curiosity gets the best of me. “What exactly did you do? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“Google it.”
I debate arguing with him to just tell me, but quickly realize there’s probably a reason he prefers I read it over telling me himself. So, I pull out my phone. My Google search is still open from earlier and I scan the headlines featuring my fake fiancé.
The media paints him out to be a wild, reckless—and borderline danger to himself—kind of guy. I don’t see that kind of guy in Wade at all, but then again, I’ve only known him for a day.
A headline grabs my attention: “Wade Lewis Suspended from Tour after Drunk Encounter with Tiger”
I scan the article as quickly as I can, in disbelief.
“You got in a fight with a tiger?”
He rolls his eyes. “It’s not as stupid as it sounds.”
“Please explain then.” I’m doing my best to stifle my laughter over the absurdity of it all. “Because I just can’t imagine anyone doing something like that.”
“Too much to drink makes me think I’m invincible,” he admits, shifting his weight in the driver’s seat uncomfortably. “And I swear, if you saw this tiger, you’d have gone after him, too, but the glass got in the way.”
“You got a drunk and disorderly charge?”
“It was dropped,” he shoots back, shaking his head. “But I haven’t had a drink in months. I’m trying to be stable.”
“Is that what you want?” I look over at him. “Or is that just what everyone else wants?”
“Oh, no,” he says, gripping the steering wheel, “I don’t want to be unstable. I’m not proud of what I’ve done…” His voice trails off. After a long pause he continues, “I, uh … lost custody of my son due to my poor choices.”
My heart sinks at his words.
“My ex-wife, Harper, no longer trusts that I’m a fit father, and I’ve been too ashamed to visit my family ever since…” He pauses, peering out into the distance, looking lost in thought. “I’ve basically become a deadbeat dad. And despite being a rockstar, I’m the biggest loser in my family,” he mumbles.
