Page 19 of Hat Trick Daddies

Then the karaoke starts. The opening chords of a classic pop song fill the bar, and Kenzie perks up, clapping her hands. “I’m singing that one!” she declares, already bouncing off her seat.

As Kenzie gets up to sign herself up for karaoke, I notice Ally mouthing the words to the song.

“You’re holding out on us, Doc!” I say, leaning closer. “You’ve got to get up there and sing.”

She laughs, shaking her head. “Oh, no. That’s not happening.”

“Oh, come on!” I beg, clasping my hands together like I’m praying. “Don’t leave me hanging. We’ve got to show these people how it’s done.”

Nick joins in, nudging her shoulder. “He’s not going to stop, you know. Might as well give in.”

Ally laughs again, clearly torn. “Fine,” she says, throwing up her hands. “But only if you guys come up with me.”

“Deal!” I shout, grinning like a kid who just got his way.

“Brooks, you’re coming too,” Nick adds, already grabbing him by the arm.

Brooks scowls. “Absolutely not.”

“Absolutely yes,” Kenzie says, reappearing just in time to hear him. She grabs his other arm, and between the three of us, we manage to drag him toward the stage.

The crowd cheers as we pile onto the small platform, the bright lights shining in our faces. Ally shakes her head, laughing, but she doesn’t back out.

The music starts, and we all join in, our voices blending in a chaotic, off-key harmony.

For a moment, everything else fades, and it’s just us, the music, and the laughter echoing through the bar.

The opening notes ofPiano Manspill out from the speakers. Ally laughs softly as the melody starts, and I catch her mouthing along to the words before the first verse even begins.

When it’s time to sing, we all belt it out together, a mix of half-decent voices and full-hearted enthusiasm.

Brooks grumbles his way through his lines, his low, gravelly tone a funny contrast to Nick’s energetic delivery and my own, well…showmanship. But it’s Ally who surprises me the most.

Her voice is smooth and rich, the kind of voice that doesn’t belong in a bar full of drunk people screaming along to karaoke. She doesn’t overdo it, but every note she hits is dead on, and I can tell she’s holding back to keep it casual.

My grin widens, and I nudge Nick, who raises an eyebrow, clearly impressed too.

By the time we get to the harmonica solo, the whole bar is clapping along, a few people even pulling out their phones to record. When the song ends, applause breaks out, and I throw an exaggerated bow toward the crowd.

“Not bad, Doc,” I say to Ally, still grinning.

Kenzie stands and grabs her bag. “That’s it for me, guys. Early morning at the clinic.”

We all say our goodbyes as she heads out, leaving the rest of us at the bar. “So, what now?” I ask, already scanning for another round of drinks, or maybe another song.

Kenzie waves one last time before disappearing through the door.

The bartender swings by the table we commandeered, and we order another round. I decide on a whiskey sour, Nick sticks to a beer, and Ally opts for a margarita this time, her cheeks still flushed from the karaoke performance.

Nick chuckles, taking a long sip of his drink. “I’ll give it to you, Ty. That was actually fun. Even Brooks got into it…kind of.”

Brooks rolls his eyes but doesn’t deny it. He shifts in his seat, glancing at his empty glass. “This bartender’s too slow,” he mutters, standing. “I’m going to find someone who can actually get some water to the table.” Without waiting for a response, he weaves his way through the crowd.

Nick gets up too, patting my shoulder. “Bathroom,” he says shortly, leaving me alone with Ally.

The noise of the bar seems to fade as I turn to her, leaning an elbow on the counter. “So,” I say, my tone light and teasing, “you’ve got some pipes on you, Doc. Didn’t know we had a secret star in our midst.”

She laughs softly, her blue eyes sparkling under the warm lights. “It’s just karaoke, Tyler. Nothing to write home about.”

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