Lily pointed to the song list on the karaoke screen. “How about ‘Summer Nights’ from Grease?”
Ethan tipped back his bourbon on the rocks. “We don’t want to bore everyone to death. We need a crowd-pleaser. What about something from The Black Eyed Peas?”
The server paused while on her way to a rowdy table at the back. Balancing her tray of drinks in one hand, she snaked an arm between them and flicked a finger against the screen to scroll down the list. She stopped on “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey.
“It’s an oldie but a goodie. Everyone knows it and will sing along.”
Ethan nodded. “That’s a good idea. Less pressure on us.”
Lily sighed, disappointed. “I know it well enough.” But she preferred her pick.
“Thanks,” he told the server. “When you get a second, could I get another, please?”
“Sure thing.” The server took his old glass and whirled away.
“Another one?” Lily hissed. “You won’t be able to see straight, much less sing on key.”
His eyes—which were a little glassier than before—roamed over the crowded pub. “It’s just a little liquid courage. I don’t sing anywhere but the shower.”
“I know. I heard it through the paper-thin walls this morning.”
But maybe he was onto something. She’d also had her fair share of drinks that night. It had been a while since she’d sung in front of so many people. And while no one at church would dare boo her, this crowd might be a different story. The place was filled to capacity, and it appeared everyone else needed liquid courage too—whether or not they were singing.
Her stomach flipped, and she regretted that second piece of cheesecake. “There are a lot more people here now than when we agreed to this.”
“I don’t think ‘agreed’ is the right word,” Ethan said. “That would suggest we had a choice. But you’re right. It’s a small tourist town with nothing better to do on a Sunday night.”
The server passed them with a loaded tray again, pausing long enough to hand Ethan his drink.
He took a long sip, eyeing the mic and speakers set up on the stage. “And you said you can sing, right?”
Lily raised a finger. “I said I used to sing for the church choir. But that doesn’t mean much. God is no Simon Cowell. He doesn’t judge.”
“Still, we might have a chance.”
“Did you forget I said I could hear you through the bathroom wall?”
He threw her a withering look over his drink. “Har har. That’s not exactly filling me with confidence.”
“You deserve that.”
“Possibly.”
Not for the first time, she considered making a run for it. She eyed Peggy, who sat on a stool near the door. She wondered if the owner taking up a bouncer post had anything to do with them.
As though reading her mind, Peggy’s eyes met hers across the noisy room. She raised a menacing eyebrow, as if to say, “Just try it.”
Lily sighed and returned to scrolling through the song list. “Can she really ring the sheriff over an unpaid bill?”
“Sure,” Ethan said. “She can call him for any reason she likes. Doesn’t mean he’ll arrest us if we don’t give him a reason to. His job isn’t to arrest people over petty things like pub bills. He’d probably help smooth things over and act as a go-between to get Peggy her money.”
She suddenly perked up. “So … does that mean we don’t have to do this?”
“I don’t want to get the authorities involved if there’s another way. Let’s play Peggy’s game for now.”
Her hope sank along with her shoulders. “By the way, did the sheriff’s office ever get back to you about our two favorite stalkers being at Rattlesnake?”
He rubbed his forehead. “Yes. With everything going on, I forgot to tell you. I got a call the last time you went to check on Molly. By the time someone got to the climbing area, the truck was gone. They probably had an air compressor in their truck or found someone who did.”
“Like we don’t already have enough to worry about.” Suddenly, she gasped and tapped the screen. “Let’s sing ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’ from Dirty Dancing.”
“What? No. We’ll never win with that. It’s too sappy. We need something upbeat, something everyone can sing along to. That way, hopefully, they’ll overpower us,” he muttered.
“It’s not sappy. It’s romantic. People love love.”
“That’s not love. It’s a thirteen-year-old’s fantasy of what love is like.”
She bristled for her thirteen-year-old self—or just her current self. Considering their age difference and her lack of life experience, it felt like a personal attack. “It’s not a fantasy. Could it be that you’re too cool and rigid about love? You’re like a … love robot. You can turn your emotions off when it doesn’t suit your ideal situation.”
She pressed her lips together, regretting the words already. She hadn’t meant to make it about herself, but their earlier conversation was still playing on repeat in her head, and she was frustrated as hell. Not just with him or even herself, but with the situation. How could two people fancy each other and not even try to see where it might lead?
“At least I’m level-headed about my love life. I don’t get all hot and bothered over someone I sat next to on a plane for a few hours.”
Did he have his own playback loop going through his head?
She crossed her arms and wheeled on him. “I didn’t get all hot and bothered. He invited me to go rock climbing after you claimed you were going to be busy. You can’t have it both ways, Ethan. You can’t hold me at arm’s length and then act possessive when you think someone’s going to steal me away.”
“I suppose I acted a little childishly.” A hint of a smirk peeked out. “But I didn’t think he was going to steal you away.”
“Why not? Because that would be ridiculous?” She threw her arms up. “Why would anyone want to hang out with Loser Lily if she isn’t doing them a favor?”
She knew that was partly the alcohol talking. Instinctively, she opened her mouth to apologize, but she didn’t feel that sorry. She felt a lot of things—tipsy, exhausted, scared, and maybe even a little sexually frustrated—but not sorry.
Step Five: Stop Apologizing.
“And for your information, he asked me to ditch you and travel with him instead. And I said no.” She scowled at the expression slowly transforming his face. “Why are you smiling? It’s very annoying when we’re supposed to be arguing.”
His grin widened. “Because you stayed. You chose me.”
Exasperated, she groaned. “I did. Just don’t ask me to tell you why at this exact moment.”
He looked down at his shoes, making the wise decision to comply.
She knew she’d chosen to stay with him in part for herself and her own goals for this trip. And, of course, she’d promised she’d help him, and Lily Baker followed through on her promises. However, she also knew that, despite his assurances that nothing could happen between them, there was this little spark of hope somewhere inside her. Then again, maybe she’d done it because she was a glutton for punishment—or she wouldn’t still be living with her mother.
A whirlwind of emotions tore through her until she didn’t know which one to focus on. The room spun, and she rubbed her eyes. “I’m going back to check on Molly and take her out again.”
“I can do it this time,” he said.
“No. I need some fresh air and … space. I’ll be back.”
By the time she got to her room and took Molly out for a walk, her emotions had settled. Since all the pup’s things were in Ethan’s room, Lily folded up some towels for a bed and placed them on the bathroom floor next to the plastic bowl she’d filled with water. If Molly had to use the little puppy’s room again, hopefully it wouldn’t be on the carpet.
Pulling the dog out of her open suitcase, Lily carried her to the bathroom. As a thank-you, Molly licked her neck.
She scratched her chin. “You’re welcome.”
Lily paused in front of the mirror, tilting her head to the side. No hives, no redness, no rash. It seemed she’d definitely grown out of the allergy after all these years. If she finally found the courage to move out, she could get her own dog. The thought warmed her insides …
Nope. That was definitely the outside.
She pulled Molly away from her shirt and noticed a wet patch spreading across the fabric. “Of course you did.” She went nose to nose with the little creature and narrowed one eye. “Maybe I’ll get myself a hamster instead.”
Molly licked her on the nose.
Settling the puppy onto the makeshift bed, Lily rifled through her suitcase and picked out a sexy green top that her aunt insisted she buy “just in case”—a reference to Ethan, no doubt. Suddenly, she was glad she’d listened, because she did want to wear it for him. But in more of an “eat your heart out” kind of way.
She grabbed her knitted jumper from the dirty pile and covered Molly, creating a sort of burrow. On her way out, she spotted the Live Boldly book on her nightstand. She picked it up and flipped through it. Some bold adventurer she turned out to be. She had the hots for a man and wasn’t even brave enough to grab him and just kiss him.
Pulling the complimentary pen out of the drawer, she took a moment to check off a few things from the list to make herself feel better.
She paused on Step Nineteen: Do Something That Scares You. That was easy. Ethan scared her, but in a good way. He excited her, kept her guessing, pushed her out of her comfort zone. But she was also scared of her growing feelings for him. And that definitely deserved a check mark.
Next to it, she made a note. Every day I’m with Ethan.
Satisfied, she headed back to the pub. Even more bodies had squeezed into the place since she’d left. She scanned the crowd but couldn’t see Ethan anywhere. As she maneuvered past rowdy tables, movement over by the stage caught her eye. He stood by the stage steps, waving at her.
Once she’d weaved to the other side of the pub, his eyes grew wide as they scraped over her new top.
Eat your heart out.
Shaking it off, he blew out a nervous breath, cheeks puffing. “You got here just in time. We’re up next.”
Her face fell. “What? So soon?”
“Yeah, a few people ahead of us dropped out.” He handed her a shot glass filled with something green. “Thought you might want this. It’s a double.”
She downed it gratefully, her face twisting at the taste of sour apples.
The two women on stage threw their arms wide, dragging out the last note of “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” The one wearing the bandanna like Axl Rose doubled over in a dramatic bow and then followed her singing partner down the stairs.
“Good luck!” she said as she passed Lily.
Suddenly, Lily realized she didn’t even know which song they were singing. Was it Journey? The Black Eyed Peas? However, when she turned back around to ask, Peggy was there, shooing them up the steps.
Lily marched onto the stage as though headed for the gallows. This had seemed like a good idea earlier in the night—well, the only idea, really. But as she spun to face the crowd, she was suddenly glad for that shot, not to mention all the drinks before that.
Everyone’s face was blissfully blurry, and with the spotlights blinding her, she could almost pretend no one was out there at all. She strolled up to the mic, leaning on it a little. Okay, so the shot had been one too many.
Oh, well. What do I care? I don’t know anyone here. Step Ten: Ignore the Haters.
And what did she care if she never got together with Ethan? This trip wasn’t about him. It was about her. She was just happy she wasn’t singing a sappy love song with him after all.
But when the music drifted through the speakers, it wasn’t Journey. She recognized the beat right away: “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” Had there been some mistake?
Confused, she looked at Ethan. His eyes locked on hers as he raised the mic and started singing.
A shiver of excitement raced through Lily, freezing her to the spot. She was so shocked that she almost forgot to sing her part. However, once she did, she realized how true the lyrics were.
She’d really had the time of her life, and she did owe it all to him. She’d chosen the perfect song without even meaning to. And as Ethan belted out his lines, the look he gave her said he meant every word too. Maybe even the part about it being love.
Lily had been teasing him before; even without the shower, he sounded pretty good. In fact, she’d never heard anything sweeter. His voice was honey, soothing the earlier barbs they’d exchanged.
The corners of his eyes crinkled into a smile as he crooned. The man could loosen up. In fact, he was pulling boy band faces while the beat took over his body, and he began to dance.
She laughed, completely forgetting about the audience. Cheesing it up alongside him, she shimmied her hips as she sang her parts.
Without even thinking about it, she was ticking off another step on the list: Step Four: Laugh at Yourself. And she hadn’t meant to or even cared. All she cared about was how free she felt in that moment, how Ethan’s half-lidded gaze was sucking her in, and just how much she wanted him.
As the song faded, she dropped the mic on the stage. Like she was Baby, she threw herself into her Johnny’s arms and planted her lips on his. He drew her closer and dipped her.
The crowd cheered. The perfect end to a perfect duet. No one could resist a good love song. And it was clear to her that she could no longer resist Ethan.