Page 108 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
A song perfect for two stepping started, and I took Gwen’s hand and danced with her, careful of everyone else. Clark watched us, a hungry look in his eyes. I spun her out, but instead of bringing her back in, Clark grabbed her hand and spun her into him, taking over. They looked beautiful among the lights and hay bales.
I glanced up at my sister, who smirked from her place onstage.
“Come on, we need you,” the band’s assistant finally said at the end of their set, bringing the three of us backstage. I put on an inflatable dinosaur costume and Gwen and Clark were taught how to use a T-shirt cannon.
“We should shoot snacks, like Team Mom does at the Maimer’s games,” Gwen said.
“That sounds perfect for festivals,” the young assistant said.
That sounded dangerous.
The band played their last song, then left the stage, the crowd shoutingone more song.
“You in a dinosaur costume always amuses me,” Zaya said, holding her guitar, sweat dripping down her face. My alpha big sister looked so much like our mother, with her long, dark hair and striking features.
“It was your idea.” Okay, it was because I’d lost a bet. At fourteen, I thought I knew everything. Not to mention, Nashville was so strange compared to our life in the mountains.
“Most of the good ideas are.” She laughed.
Like she pushed me to keep up with hockey and did everything she could to support me in it, even if it was costly and took a lot of time.
Zaya gave me a little push. “Now get out there.”
“Come on, we’ve got to get them to yell louder,” I told Gwen and Clark.
As soon as I walked onto the stage, the heat of the lights brought me back to the very first time I’d done this. Once I even got Cooter on stage with me in an inflatable unicorn costume.
The crowd went wild. From offstage, Zaya played a little tune, and I danced around as Clark and Gwen shot T-shirts at the crowd. The music got louder and louder as the tune continued, then turned into the song everyone wanted to hear.
The band came bounding back on, playingReasons I Hate My Family,a very fun, silly song. I continued to dance around, andGwen and Clark shot shirts at the crowd, until they were out, then traded them for more.
“Thanks for coming out. Special thanks to our helpers and my baby brother, Tenzin, who is in the dinosaur costume,” Zaya shouted as the song ended.
I got Gwen and Clark’s hands, then dragged them off the stage, while my sister and her band finished their bows and I got out of the costume.
“That wasamazing.My sisters can’t believe I’m here.” Clark grinned.
The band came off stage and my sweaty sister wrapped her arms around me. “Tenny.”
“Hey, Zaya. I finally made it.” I hugged her back. Usually I came to more concerts, but this summer had been weird.
Her eyes danced. “New York looks good on you.”
Did it?
Zaya grinned. “Let me get cleaned up. While I’ve heard all about Gwen, I need to know about glasses guy.”
We ended up at a bar given the fair was closing for the night. Gwen danced with Clark and Cash. I sat with my big sister, as I told her all about the two of them.
“Okay, so what’s the problem, then? You’re twenty-seven. That’s not a bad time to get packed up,” she told me.
“It’s fast.” I took a sip of beer.
She looked at Cash as he twirled Gwen. “It can happen quickly.”
“Yeah, but Cash is an omega.” I was grasping here. “You’d been with your band for a while.” Not all her band members were in her pack, but some were.
Zaya frowned. “Gwen’s not a tall omega on suppressants?”
