Page 187 of Boots, Bucket Lists & Bad Ideas
Dean leans in front of Wyatt to shout at me. “Do you think Sterling ever danced in a revue like this?”
I launch my arm behind Wyatt and punch Dean’s shoulder.
“There are some images I absolutely refuse to have enter my brain.” I punch him again.
Deep into the show, a dancer jumps off the stage. It’s not the first time a spotlight goes crisscrossing through the audience. It is the first time it lands on one of our girls.
No.
On Jade, to be precise.
Hell no.
One of the Rodeo Romeos makes his way through the sea of women.
“Care for a dance, darlin’?” His voice has all that southern charm, but the accent is off.
I’d even go as far as to say fake.
Her sisters pull and push Jade into the aisle, and she collides into the man’s chest. Thankfully, he has a vest on.
Jade looks reluctant and even takes a couple of steps to return to her seat, but Josie won’t hear of it.
How she gets from the far end close enough to block her sister is record time.
Jade’s eyes flicker to the wannabe wrangler. “I guess that’s a yes.”
A wave of high-pitched shrieks rolls through the crowd, arms fluttering upward.
The dancer grabs her hand and leads her to the stage. I watch, unable to move, as she’s pulled into the spotlight and sits on the stool in the center of the stage.
I shift uncomfortably.
“Why are you here tonight?” At least this male dancer is dressed—for now.
“Crossing items off a bucket list.” Jade points both index fingers at her shirt, and the crowd laughs.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Nearly orgasmically so.” Jade’s saucy grin does all kinds of things to me down below.
The maverick misfit turns to the audience. “We have a live one here!”
Not as lively as the crowd’s reaction.
“Perfect cowgirl to share this last dance before the finale.”
Jade does a little swing of her hips in the seat.
“Ooo la la. Do you like cowboys?”
“I do.”
I want her to look at me, acknowledge me, but she doesn’t.
The crowd swells to a fever pitch, and I do everything I can not to roll my eyes. Pretty confident, I rolled my eyes.
The music starts. A beat I know all too well, and that song rips open my chest.
