Page 10 of Vow Of A Fox

“Hey yourself,” I replied, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. “Ready to make me regret agreeing to karaoke?”

Her laugh was soft, but full of mischief. “You’ll be fine. Besides, it’s good to step out of your comfort zone now and then.”

“I’m definitely doing that right now, I can assure you,” I said, my grin growing. “I need a beer before I sing a word, though.”

I stepped to the bar and motioned to the bartender for two beers. Joe nodded to me in response. While I didn’t come here often, I still knew the owners by name—Joe and Ivy.

It was a small-town thing.

From the corner of my eye, Sienna reached into her purse for her wallet.

“I’ve got this,” I said with a shake of my head.

She raised an eyebrow, a playful challenge reflected in her eyes. “You sure? I’m perfectly capable of buying my own drink, you know.”

“Not tonight,” I said, handing her a bottle. “Consider it part of my apology for hijacking your voicemail.”

She smiled, taking a sip as I paid Joe. “Fine. But the next round is on me.”

“Deal.”

I took a swig from my beer, unbelieving I was out on a weeknight—on a date. Even though we hadn’t called it a date, that was what I was categorizing it as in my head.

Sienna gestured toward the karaoke sign-up sheet before I could ask if she wanted to find a table or play a game of pool.

“I’ll go get us on the list,” she said. “Be right back.”

I watched her weave through the crowd. There was something effortless and calculated about the way she moved, like she was incredibly comfortable in her skin as she glided through the crowd. It hit me, watching her, just how much I wanted to know her. Not just her favorite coffee or what she did for fun, but the stuff that mattered—the things that made her tick.

When she came back, the grin on her face hinted she had a secret. I eyed her suspiciously.

“All right, what did you pick?” I asked, narrowing my eyes on her.

She took a sip of her beer before answering. “You’ll see.”

“That’s not exactly reassuring,” I said, trying to laugh off the knot of nerves building in the pit of my stomach again. The last thing I wanted was to make myself look like an idiot in front of her. What had I been thinking, agreeing to sing karaoke with her? Of course, I would make myself look like an idiot. “You’re not setting me up for failure, are you?”

Her grin widened. “Don’t worry, the lyrics will be right there on the screen. You’ll know the song, though. Everyone does. It’s a classic.”

I shook my head, laughing despite myself. “Well, considering I already made a fool of myself with that voicemail, I guess I’ve got nothing to lose.”

“You didn’t look like a fool,” she countered. “I mean, look what it led to.” She gestured to us and where we were.

“Good point.”

We grabbed a small table near the back, away from the noise of the bar.

“So,” I said, leaning forward with my elbows on the table. “How was your day at the coffee shop? Do you like working there?”

She shrugged, her smile softening. “Fine, but it’s not exactly what I want to do. I’ve been trying to start a dog grooming business.”

That caught my attention. “Dog grooming? That’s awesome. Where’s your setup?”

“The tiny dining room of my house,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

I couldn’t help it; I laughed. “Seriously?”

“Don’t laugh,” she said, pretending to scold me. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, though. “Okay, yeah, it’s not ideal and maybe that’s why no one’s booking with me, but the goal is to save up for a shed I can put in the backyard. My landlord already signed off on it and I’m almost there moneywise.”

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