Shaw looked up at the brim of the hat. “Uh…what’s this? Undisclosed cowboy fantasies?”
“You do look good in a hat.” She slid into her chair. “But no. Since you were so eager to participate tonight, I figured you were aware of what was required.”
“Required?” His gaze turned wary.
She smiled sweetly, victoriously. “It’s country-duets karaoke. We’ll be singing ‘Islands in the Stream.’ I’ll be Dolly, and you can be Kenny. We’re up first.”
Shaw’s posture stiffened as if he’d sat on a hot stove. “A duet? Oh, hell no. I didn’t realize that was the theme. That was not the deal. I don’t sing. And I can’t…I can’t be onstage in front of people.”
“I can barely see you under that big-ass hat. Plus, I signed you up as Lucas. If you’re not up for it, we can go because I’m not singing solo on duet night. It’s not allowed.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re getting around the dare.”
Yes. Yes, she was. Winning.
“I am a professor. Don’t take a smart woman out on a date if you don’t want to risk being outsmarted.” She smiled and patted his hand, digging deep and finding a Dolly accent. “Better luck next time, darlin’.”
He watched her, a look of challenge coming into his eyes as she picked up her beer and took a long, victorious sip. I am woman, watch me gloat.
“Ready to go?” she asked.
Kaleb went to the stage. “Please welcome our first singers tonight. Lucas and Jamez!”
One lady applauded. Everyone else ignored the announcement. Taryn pulled out her wallet and left money for the drinks so they could bail, but Shaw’s hand covered hers, pinning the bills to the table. “No way. You’re not wiggling out of this on a technicality. Come on, Dolly. We’ve got a song to sing.”
Her eyes widened. “No, come on. You know you don’t want to do this. Admit
you lost.”
Shaw took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Nope. This is happening. You’re a professor. Well, I’m a former champion athlete. I don’t like to lose.”
No, no, no. He wasn’t supposed to say yes. Taryn had to move her feet quickly to keep up. She suspected she’d pushed the man too far, and with a few drinks in him, he wasn’t thinking logically. They couldn’t do this.
But they were still walking. She’d played poker with him, and he’d called her bluff.
He led her onto the stage and then let go of her to step out of the main spotlight. He faced her, angling himself to be able to see the screen behind her that would play the lyrics.
Taryn wanted to run, but the opening bars of the song were already starting. Shaw eyed the scrolling lyrics and put the microphone near his mouth. “Baby, when I met you…”
Oh no.
This was happening.
She froze for a moment, the screen behind him flashing her upcoming lyrics, but hearing Shaw’s singing voice threw her for a loop. Her attention was locked on him. He looked unsure of himself, but he wasn’t half bad, and somehow the cowboy hat didn’t look out of place, even though he’d told her at dinner he was a fan of rock. He finished his opening lyrics and looked at her, something sweet in his eyes. A nudge. A vote of confidence.
That was when it hit her. He was doing this for her. The last thing Shaw wanted to do was be onstage in front of people, but he’d gotten up there for her. Not because of the dare. Not to win.
Her heart squeezed at the thought, and a surge of bravery swelled in her. She was being ridiculous. This was a nowhere bar with people who were barely paying attention. It was karaoke. No one cared if she messed up. In fact, they probably hoped she would. This was supposed to be fun. Everything didn’t have to be so damn serious all the time. She’d forgotten that part.
She lifted the microphone and didn’t bother looking at the screen. The words came to her without her reaching for them, written on her childhood memory wall and forever imprinted. Her dad loved country-western music and used to play it around the house all the time, driving her classical-music-loving mother crazy. Dolly was one of her daddy’s favorites. The words tumbled off Taryn’s lips with a faux country accent. This song was so wrong for her raspy voice, it was comical, but she found herself getting into it.
The beaming smile that appeared on Shaw’s face when she started singing almost made her knees go out from under her. He tipped his hat to her and sang along, messing up some of the lyrics when he forgot to look at the screen, but he didn’t seem to care. They got to the chorus, and she found she’d crossed the stage to get closer to him. The audience disappeared. She and Shaw held eye contact and sang about sailing away together to another world.
In that moment, that was what it felt like. Being in another world, one untouched by her current drama and their complicated past. They were just two people on a date, singing a ridiculous song and having fun.
Her tight muscles loosened, her throat opened up. Soon, she was singing and doing Dolly some justice. Shaw pulled her to the edge of the spotlight onstage and tugged her close, his smile mischievous as he sang. He’d won the bet. She didn’t care. When the line about making love with each other came around again, her skin heated and his eyes darkened.
They sang their way through the chorus on autopilot, their gazes locked. And when the song ended and they didn’t move, it startled her to hear actual applause. Some guy in the audience called out, “You gonna kiss her or what?”