Secrets & Surrender: Part One Read Online Free

wondering what was going on. He shrugged.
    “I was, uh, wondering if you’d like to dance,” Buster finally said.
    “Oh,” I blinked. “Uh, yeah sure. I don’t know how to two-step though.”
    His brown eyes sparkled as he placed his bottle on the counter behind us and held out a meaty hand. “Don’t worry ’bout that. I’ve got you covered.”
    I glanced at Cody. I didn’t want to leave him hanging.
    As if reading my mind, he said, “I told Uncle Mike I’d bring him back the truck before midnight. He’s heading out for another job on an oil rig later tonight.”
    As I danced with Buster, I couldn’t help but be impressed. Buster wasn’t kidding. He had some smooth moves on him. He was big, yet so graceful. Best of all, he didn’t seem to mind that my heels kept stomping on his toes. He twirled me around, making me laugh. Who knew that dancing to country music could be so much fun.
    It hadn’t even been a minute after I started dancing with Buster before Lynette was by Cody’s side. She whispered something in his ear, rubbing her body up against his arm again. He shook his head. It was times like this when I so wished I could afford a camera. Hell, I’d even settle for the disposable kind because the expression on Lynette’s face was priceless. It was classic mortification. She probably wasn’t used to getting the brush off. Apparently not, because she chased after Cody, saving face by latching her claw onto his arm and walking outside with him.
    “Crazy ass girl can’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” I muttered under my breath.
    “What?” Buster asked.
    “Nothing, just singing along with the song.” What the hell were they playing now?
    I was about to ask Buster the name of the song, when I froze at the sight of a tall dark haired guy standing behind him. He was like no one I’d ever seen before in my life. He was drop dead gorgeous. Unlike the flannel and t-shirts most of the guys were wearing, he had on a sport jacket over a loose fitting, pale gray shirt. Very Miami Vice . Dark wavy hair fell over his forehead and hung halfway over his eyes. Curly, dark lashes framed teasing hazel eyes.
    Those hypnotic eyes held onto mine for a moment, and my stomach went into a free fall. You’d think I’d never seen a cute guy before. But this was different. There was something more to this guy that I couldn’t put my finger on. He stood there looking at me with an aura of confidence. I could feel myself being drawn to him. In that moment, I forgot who I was and what I was doing. And I didn’t like it, not at all.
    I moved my foot forward, wanting to shift us away from him so I could pretend that I hadn’t noticed him. Maybe he’d get the hint and go away. My heel landed hard on the top of Buster’s foot.
    “Ouch! That one hurt,” Buster said.
    “I’m sorry. I was trying to—”
    “Excuse me.” When Mr. Miami Vice’s perfectly shaped lips began to move, I knew I was sunk. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him as he spoke to Buster with his eyes still holding mine.
    “I was hoping to dance with the most beautiful girl in Koppe, but you happen to be dancing with her. Mind if I cut in?”

FOUR: Nic
    “A re you sure this is the place?”
    I pulled the beamer up to the front of the strangest looking building I’d ever seen. We appeared to be out in the middle of nowhere. It looked like a movie set for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre . I studied the hand drawn map Mr. Fletcher had given me. Turning it upside down and then right side up again. How did I get myself into this?
    I glanced over at my little sister, Bianca, who was staring into the sun visor mirror, putting on pink lipstick.
    Oh, right. Daddy’s girl got pretty much everything she wanted and she wanted to party.
    If I’d known that dinner with Mr. Fletcher was going to turn into an invitation to what appeared to be the strangest place to hold a birthday party, I wouldn’t have bothered coming home on time. Football practice was