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His voice had that deep, easy southern drawl, the kind that made you want to lean in and listen. He sang the first verse, shooting me a look that was half teasing, half expectant.

I brought the mic to my lips. The moment I started singing, the crowd cheered, and I couldn’t help but grin.

Wells stepped closer as we hit the chorus, our voices blending surprisingly well. His eyes never left mine, and suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about the crowd or the song or how ridiculous this was.

It was just us, standing way too close under the neon lights, singing about love like we meant every word.

As we hit the last notes of the song, the bar erupted into cheers and applause. I let out a breathless laugh, cheeks warm from both the alcohol and the unexpected rush of adrenaline. Wells grinned down at me, looking way too pleased with himself.

“Not bad,” he teased, handing his mic back to the emcee.

I shook my head, still catching my breath. “I’m never doing it again.”

He chuckled, placing a hand on the small of my back as we stepped down from the tiny stage. “You say that now, but I’m pretty sure you just became a dive bar legend.”

I swatted at his arm. “Please. They’re just cheering because they’re drunk.”

The truth was, I hadn’t had this much fun in… well, I couldn’t remember the last time. Something about this night—about Wells—had a way of making everything feel lighter.

We made our way back to the bar, where two glasses of water were already waiting for us. Wells clinked his glass against mine before taking a sip.

“To Wippowa’s newest karaoke queen,” he said with a wink.

I smiled wide. “To never doing that again.”

He just laughed, shaking his head as he took another sip of his water. But his gaze lingered, something unreadable flickering behind his eyes.

I ignored the way it made my pulse pick up.

This wasn’t a date.

So why did it feel like one? And why didn’t I mind?

HEAD OVER BOOTS

I’m in big trouble. I’m in head over boots for this girl.

COWBOY TAKE ME AWAY

As we stepped out of the bar and onto the sidewalk, the crisp night air wrapped around me, making me instantly regret not bringing a jacket. Wells walked beside me, his hands shoved into his pockets, looking entirely unaffected by the cold.

“We’ve got one more stop,” he said, nodding down the street.

I glanced at him. “You sure you’re not just dragging this out because you don’t want the night to end?”

He smirked. “Maybe.”

We made our way to the surprisingly long line.

A cool Wippowa breeze rolled through, and I shivered before I could stop myself.

Wells caught it instantly. “You cold?”

“Nope,” I lied, my teeth practically chattering as another gust of wind cut through me.

His eyes narrowed, unconvinced. “Rose…”

“I’m fine,” I insisted, but my body betrayed me with another full-body shiver.