Part 31 (1/2)

”Learning from them. Trust me. I'm somewhat of an authority on the screw-up/wise-up process.”

He grinned. ”Yer cute,” he slurred.

”Oh? Which one of us?” I teased, figuring the guy had to be close to seeing double.

”You got a sense of humor. Keelie doesn't. She's always angry,” he said.

”She's got a lot of responsibility for someone so young,” I said. ”Lots on the line. Lots to prove. It can't be easy.”

”Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.” Jax said, obviously too much in his cups to realize how wise I sounded and how whiney he did. ”Enough serious talk. It's time to party!”

”I think you've partied enough,” I said, looking around for someone who might a.s.sist the singer safely back to wherever he was staying and tuck him in for the night. I so wasn't the girl for the job.

”What the-” I heard Jax say and looked in the direction he seemed fixated on.

I blinked. Keelie Keller sashayed up to the mechanical, got a leg up from a helpful cowboy, and hopped on the back.

”What's she doing? She's nuts!” Jax said. ”Hey, you! Kay-Kay! Yeah. I'm talkin' to you, Red!”

Before I could grab hold of him, Jax vaulted on top of the bar. Keelie stared over the heads of the crowd and found Jax.

”Step down off that bull, missy!” he said, trying to sound like Duke Wayne, but sounding more like Wayne Newton with a bad head cold.

”Go away, Jax Whitver! Go away and leave me alone!”

”You want me to go away? Back off? Fine. Quit this stupid ride, and I'm gone, baby, gone. Like that.” He tried to snap his fingers, but couldn't get them to cooperate.

”Get off the bar! You're gonna break your neck,” I hissed.

”Hear that, Keelie? I could break my neck, she says. Would you even care?”

Oh, G.o.d. Talk about gonna regret it in the morning.

”You're drunk, Jax!” Keelie yelled. ”And you can't tell me what to do any more. I'm so over you.”

”You're gonna regret this, Keelie. I know it.”

”Go home, Jax Whitver. Just go home.”

I grabbed his pant leg. ”I'd suggest a cab.”

Jax dropped to his backside, his legs dangling over the edge of the bar.

”I can't leave her,” he said. ”I can't.”

I helped him down off the bar. ”Let's call you a cab,” I said.

”I'm a cab,” he said, and giggled.

I pulled my phone out to Google the cab number and frowned. No bars.

”Dang.” A steel building in the middle of nowhere probably wasn't the best place to pick up a cell signal. ”You stay right there!” I ordered. ”Don't move. I'm going to step outside and call you a cab.”

”I won't be able to hear you call me a cab if you go outside,” he said.

I shook my head. Why me?

I hurried outside. Still no bars.

I walked about twenty steps, checking for a signal, when everything around me went pitch dark. Lights out. Literally.

Screams and shouts erupted. Cowboys and cowgirls and everyone in between spilled out of the saloon...er, steel out-building, like a herd of stampeding livestock.

”What in G.o.d's name?”

I pointed my cell phone at the ground to light my way and started back toward the building.

”What happened? What's going on?” I asked no one in particular.

”Chaos, that's what,” a girl near me said. ”All of a sudden the lights went out, and it was pitch dark. I heard a bang and a scream, and I just took off for the exit.”

”A bang? As in a gun?”

”I don't know. I just got the h.e.l.l out.”

Police cars, top lights going and spotlights s.h.i.+ning, rolled up to the scene, illuminating the outside area.

”Calm down, everyone. Take it easy!” An officer shouted and jogged around the side of the building. Moments later, the lights were back on. People continued to stream from the saloon.

I ran back inside in time to see Manny kneeling over a p.r.o.ne figure near the mechanical bull.

Oh, no! Keelie!

I held my breath. Hoping. Praying.

”I'm okay,” I heard her say. ”Just had the air knocked out of me.”

”Don't be a hero. You need to get checked out, kid,” Vinny Vincent barked. ”We need an ambulance!”

”No. I'm fine. Honest. I just took a spill on the mats. I'm perfectly okay. I was just a little freaked out when the lights went out, but I'm fine now.”

Manny helped the pet.i.te redhead to her feet and walked her through the crowd to the door. She looked over at me for a moment before Manny ushered her out.

I hurried up to the bar. ”Did you see what happened to the guy on the bar?” I asked.

He shook his head. ”He disappeared right after you left. One minute he was there, and the next, he was gone. Then, bam! The lights went out.”

Despite the warmth of the night I s.h.i.+vered.

Jax's words played in my head. ”You're gonna regret this, Keelie,” he'd said.