The lights were dimmed and the crowd buzzed with excitement.
Connor helped Lyric inside, then crawled in behind her. Kane’s men started ahead of the truck, even though the arena had security positioned at intervals around the stage.
Kane’s men positioned themselves between the area where the fans who had chute seats were allowed from the stands close to the stage and the stage itself.
It seemed the entire stadium was electrically charged and waiting for Lyric to arrive.
With a roar, the truck lurched forward and drove toward the stage just as it lit up and the stadium came alive with laser lights. The huge LCD screen that wrapped the back of the stage flashed Lyric’s sassy face and smile. The crowd went wild as she stepped from the truck and ran up the ramp to the stage.
Lyric yelled a greeting to the Houston fans and immediately launched into one of her upbeat songs.
The stands thumped and rocked along with her. Cameras flashed a repeating staccato of light, peppered throughout the thousands of people gathered for the rodeo.
Connor gained a new appreciation of what it took to get out and perform the way she did. She threw herself into it. She held nothing back. It was loud. It was raucous, and the fans loved every second of it.
She was sassy, cute, seductive and endearing. Her fans loved her and she clearly loved them.
At one point during the show, a mechanical bull rose from underneath the stage through an opening in the floor and Lyric climbed on and proceeded to ride like a champ. She waved and rotated and threw her hat into the crowd of fans assembled near the stage.
The bull sped up and she was tossed several feet into the air. His heart pumped into his throat and he was about to leap onto the stage to see about her when she popped up, laughing uproariously.
Then she slowed things down and sang the ballad that Connor had liked so much. “Going Home.” The crowd sang and swayed with her, and when she finished, the lights dimmed for a moment and then blazed back on as she led into her last song choice of the evening.
The show had lasted only a little more than an hour, but sweat gleamed on her face. Her hair was damp and her shirt clung to her like a second skin.
But she wore a smile and waved enthusiastically as she headed down the ramp toward the truck. Connor and Kane met her at the bottom, ushered her into the back, and she stood, holding on to the roll bars as they drove across the dirt. They circled once while she waved to the cheering crowd and then they disappeared behind the gate to the backstage area once more.
As soon as they stopped, Connor hopped off and then reached up to lift Lyric down. She was buzzing with energy. Her muscles jumped and jittered and she beamed from ear to ear.
He took her hand in his and led her back to her dressing room. He was gratified to see that food and drink were waiting for her. A few people with security passes milled about. Lyric ignored them, latched on to a bottle of water and chugged it down without taking a breath. She tossed the plastic and then reached for another as she slumped onto the couch.
“I have it on good authority you’re going to be having company in a very few minutes,” Connor said dryly. “You want to shower and change and I’ll hold them off for you?”
She sent him a puzzled look.
“The girls. They have passes with their tickets. I thought you knew.”
Lyric’s face lit up. “Oh that’s great. I asked Phillip to make sure they were taken care of but I wasn’t sure what arrangements he’d made for them.”
“The blue-haired brigade will descend.”
She chuckled. “You make us sound like a horde of little old ladies.”
“Hey, it wasn’t my idea to dye your hair blue.”
“Okay, let me shower and get into some nonsweaty clothes. You can let them in. They can wait in here so they won’t be pushed and shoved around by the crew outside.”
Connor nodded and checked his watch. He needed to call and get a report from the police on whether charges would be pressed against Frick and Frack.
CHAPTER 27
As soon as the hot water hit Lyric, she wilted like a flower in a hundred-degree weather. All the adrenaline left her and she sagged against the wall as water beat down over her. All those sleepless nights were catching up and all she really wanted to do was go to sleep for about a week.
It took considerable effort but she washed her hair and rinsed off and then stepped out to dry. She combed through her hair but left it wet and then pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. It was nice not have to be meeting with regular fans. She could relax, kick back with the girls and not have to worry about a façade.
And Lord, but she was starving.
She trudged back into the dressing room to see Faith, Serena, Julie and Angelina sprawled on the couches while their guys stood to the side talking to Connor.
It was evident Connor had been watching for her, though, and it sent a giddy little thrill coursing through her veins. He looked up, and when he saw her, he broke from the group of men and came directly to her.
“You okay?”
She smiled. “Yeah. It was a good show.”
He leaned in to kiss her, shocking her into silence. Everyone was watching them but he didn’t seem to give a shit.
“You were fantastic. Now come sit down and rest. I’ll get you something to eat.”
A warm buzz, not unlike an alcohol-induced haze settled over her as she went over to the couch. She was smiling. Not just smiling but smiling ridiculously, and it had nothing to do with the show.
“You were awesome, Lyric!” Faith exclaimed when Lyric plopped onto the couch next to her.
“Terrific show,” Serena said in agreement. “You looked kick-ass out there.”
“Thanks, guys. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Angelina shifted position and Micah came to stand behind her. He slid his hand over her shoulder and offered a gentle squeeze. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear, and Angelina smiled and shook her head.
“Very well done, Lyric,” Damon Roche said as the guys gathered around the girls. “I think Serena mentioned that we’d caught one of your shows in Vegas. We enjoyed it and tonight very much.”
“The chute seats were awesome,” Julie said with a grin. “All those cowboys so close I could almost touch them.”
Nathan scowled. “I swear I can’t take you anywhere.”
“Thank you all so much,” Lyric said sincerely. “It was a fun show. I admit I had reservations about bringing my act here. Wasn’t sure it would be appreciated given the venue.”
Gray settled on the other side of Faith and shot Lyric a sly grin. “I think you may have converted Mr. Tight Ass, who only listens to country music.”
Lyric’s eyes widened innocently. “I can’t imagine who you’re talking about.”
Connor snorted as he set a plate of food on the coffee table in front of Lyric. “I admit to a few musical prejudices.” He glanced up at Lyric. “Eat,” he said softly.
She didn’t need any encouragement. She sat forward and began to eat the yummy assortment of sandwiches and finger foods.
“We all need a picture together,” Julie said. “The Smurfettes and all, you know.”
The men groaned.
“At least it’s just the tips,” Damon said with a grin. “They can be trimmed.”
“You’re not touching my hair!” Serena gasped. “I think we look awesome.”
“Well, there’s no denying you ladies look fantastic,” Micah said with an easy smile. “I was worried we’d need some of Lyric’s security detail just to escort you girls back here. There were a lot of good ole boys sizing up our muscle.”
Angelina laughed. “You’re so full of shit, but we love you for it.”