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The guy calls my name again and I head up to the small stage.
“Show ‘em how it’s done,” Pappy cheers.
I look at the list of songs and pick the first one that catches my eye. When the intro starts, I make theOhhh, yeah, yeahwarble just like Natasha Bedingfield, which makes a few people laugh, but then get serious when I get to the first lineabout a pocketful of sunshine. Scarlett’s eyes bulge out and she starts laughing, crossing her arms as she watches me. By the time I hit the chorus at full throttle, she’s swaying back and forth with the rest of the place.
When I finish, the place goes crazy and I hop down from the stage, slapping the hands of all the people high-fiving me. I don’t stop until I reach her and she does a slow clap.
“What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?” she asks.
I pull her toward me and she gasps, her teeth quickly coming out to tug on her bottom lip.
“Stick around and you’ll find out,” I tell her, feeling good about the way this night is going so far.
But then Grinny surprises us all by hustling on up there when her name is called. Scarlett watches and for a second I think she might cry.
“I wasn’t sure she’d get up there,” she says. “She hasn’t done this since Granddad…”
We both turn when Grinny says, “I’d like to dedicate this song to my best friend, Peg…”
“Uh-oh,” Scarlett says, laughing.
The keyboard intro starts and Grinny does a subtle shake of her shoulders along with the beat, and I lose it all over again when she completely nails “It’s Raining Men” as Peg dances her heart out all over The Dancing Emu.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
ENTERPRISE
SCARLETT
Holly and April stop by the office the next morning, making me jump when they stick their heads in the door.
“Sorry,” April squeaks. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
I hold onto my head and laugh, waving them in. “I’m out of it today. Didn’t get much sleep last night…”
They both give me a look, all exaggerated and with plenty ofmm-hmm, we know what you were up toattitude.
Holly actually says as much and then some. “Mm-hmm. Word on the street is the new man candy of Landmark is steaking your shake.” She leans her hands on my desk and stares me down.
“Oh, that’s what they’re saying over on Heritage Lane?” I snort. “Well, by all means, what else are they saying? Because I have no idea what that even means.”
“They’re saying your boy can sing,” April says, laughing. “I’m so bummed I missed the Emu…why didn’t you tell us that’s where all the fun was going down last night?”
“We’d planned on going to Tiptop, but they had to close early…”
“So you chose the next best thing…” Holly laughs and I can’t keep a straight face after that.
“He’s not my boy, but hecansing,” I admit. “And Grinny was hysterical…Peg totally put the moves on Jamison’s grandpa and Grinny dedicated “It’s Raining Men” to her. Helen was mortified, of course.”
They both crack up.
“Classic,” Holly says when she stops laughing. And then she leans in, her smile dropping, like she’s going for the kill. “But what we want to know is why you didn’t get any sleep last night.”
“Because I stayed out too late and was wired when I got home?” I barely crack a smile when she slams her hand on the desk. “You’re acing the William Shatner overacting right now,” I tell her calmly. “But I thought yourStar Trekphase was over.”
She rushes to the wall, looking back and forth like the meme I send her of Captain Kirk all the time when she’s being dramatic. And she keeps going, caught up in the moment and spurred on by our laughter…oblivious to her new audience. I open my mouth to warn her, but I’m too caught up in the entertainment to get it out, and she barrels right into Magnus’ chest.
“Oof,” she says, bouncing back like a rag doll, winded by the brute force that is Magnus Evensen’s chest.
