Page 30 of Innocent Princess

From the bar, he bellows, "The lady mentioned she wanted to karaoke. Let's help her check that off her list, boys."

My jaw nearly hits the floor, but I gulp and turn to Zella. She's bouncing with excitement in the booth. She's all smiles and happiness.Who am I to take that away from her?

I nod, and the group disperses in a flurry of leather vests and chatter as they set up the tiny wooden stage I didn't see in the corner.

Never saw this turn coming.

12

Zella

The last chordsof the famous musical duet come to a close. I hug the burly man who just helped me nail the song. The performance was super fun and required the audience's participation when it came to singing the chorus. The man smells of outside, and there's a faint hint of cigarette, but I don't mind. We've been hanging out in Cuddle Ducks for more than an hour now, and I'm almost used to the smell.

Tiny, the man I just debuted my Grease duet skills with, picks me up and spins me around the small stage. When he sets me down, I find Ryker in the crowd. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that the guy is on edge. He's been cheering me on but refused to come up and sing. Every time I get up here with one of Cuddle Duck's regulars, he stiffens in his chair. I don't know if he's feeling protective or possessive, but I can't deny the thrill running through my blood.

I throw him a bone though. This has been a rough night for him, so I put down the mic and step off the stage. A few steps bring me face to face with the stressed-out Ryker.

"Did you get the contact info for the mechanic yet? I'm ready to get out of here." I can see the relief drip from him as his shoulders relax.

"Hawk is contacting him." He tosses his thumb over his shoulder back toward the bar. The bartender, who I'll be the first to admit scared thebejeebiesout of me when we first came in, has turned out to be quite surprising. He's got a voice on him, too. He took a break from the bar and belted out a wonderful rendition of Whitney Houston's,I Wanna Dance with Somebody. I think the whole bar was shocked by that performance.

"That's great. What time is it anyway?" I guzzle down the water that Ryker keeps having refilled for me.

"It's nearly eight. I'm worried about how much time we lost today." He hasn't messed with his phone once since we've been here. His focus has been on me. The power of having his whole focus really boosts a girl's confidence. Now that I'm sitting next to him at the table, he pulls up his map app on his phone and studies the route.

"When did you plan on stopping for the night?" I wasn't positive about the sleeping arrangements he'd planned. Truthfully, I hadn't asked because I didn't want to fret over it.

"I'd planned on us stopping around nine. So, we lost roughly three hours of drive time." He's still fiddling with his phone when Hawk approaches our table.

"Little lady, you were fantastic tonight." He smiles down at me, and there is a warmth in his eyes. He slides his eyes over to Ryker, and they immediately harden. I fight back a giggle. Poor guy can't catch a break tonight. "I called in a favor, and Big Ben is going to open up his shop tonight and work on your car. The last thing we want is for Miss Zella to miss out on meeting her parents."

Emotion craws up the back of my throat. I smile at him because it's all I can manage. Ryker expresses his thanks, stands, and sticks out his hand, surprising Hawk. They shake, some kind of manly understanding passes between them.

"I've got my truck in the back. I'll drive you to your car so you can get your stuff then back in to town. There's a motel; it's pretty nice for these parts. Tiny's family owns it, and they are getting a room ready for you guys. It's on the house. Your car will be parked out front and your key left in the office in the morning when you wake up."

I'm speechless, and a tear leaks from my eyes.

Ryker shakes his head. "Wow, thank you so much. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated, but please, don't comp the work on the car."

Hawk nods and says all right, though I get the impression from the look on his face that Ryker's bill won't be the full price.

We follow Hawk out of the bar.

Before we leave, Tiny catches up to me. "Miss Zella, I followed you on Instagram. Make sure you post pictures of meeting your parents and as you mark off items on that bucket list."

I laugh and promise him I will share all the pictures.

Thirty minutes later, Ryker and I check into a tiny one-bedroom with two full beds. Like Hawk said, the room is pretty nice. The decor isn't outdated much, and the room looks and smells clean. Ryker seems at ease as he tosses his duffle on the bed closest to the door, then gently lays his satchel next to it.

"I know we ate bar food at Cuddle Ducks, but there is a convenience store a couple blocks away. Let's take a walk and get some popcorn or something, and some of those boxed donuts for the morning. That way, we don't have to waste time getting on the road." He unzips his bag and digs around for something as I put my own bag on my bed.

"Sounds like a plan," I tell him, as I look around the room. There's a tiny microwave and coffee pot on the desk across from the beds.

"Here." I look up as Ryker tosses me a sweatshirt. It's a little chilly out, and I didn't expect to be walking around this late. I have a light sweatshirt in my bag, but I don't mention it. As I pull the cozy hoodie over my head, I'm engulfed in Ryker. The smell of him seeps through the fabric, and I imagine what it would be like if it were Ryker who was wrapped around me. I discreetly pull the collar up to my nose and inhale. I may just sleep in this fabric cloud of heaven.

"Let's go," he says from the door as he opens it. If he witnessed my sniffing of his hoodie, he doesn't show it. I gather my pride and follow him, grabbing my purse as I leave.

We spend ten minutes in the tiny store, gathering food and drinks. Ryker tells me he needs to grab something in the back and tells me to meet him upfront. I wander around the front and am trying on sunglasses when he appears at my side, a few bags in hand. "You already paid?"

---