until the cops ran us off.”
“What did you do then?”
“Went to Hollywood for a while. My mom was certain I could be a star if the casting directors would give me a chance. What she refused to realize was that I could sing and dance, but I couldn’t act to save my life.”
“So you didn’t become a star?”
“I’m still working at it. I got waylaid for a few years when my mom decided she had better things to do than support a daughter. She’d already ditched my brothers, and getting rid of me was pretty easy.”
“You don’t sound bitter.”
“It was a long time ago and, well, let’s just say I didn’t miss her when she walked out of my life. After that I spent thirteen demure and sedate years as a preacher’s kid and the last seven once again trying to make a go of it in Vegas.”
“I take it it’s not all that easy?”
She laughed. “I live in a run-down apartment. I’m currently unemployed. No, it’s not easy.”
“What are you going to do when you get back home?” Mike asked, sidling Buck against Jezebel, allowing his leg to brush against Charity’s. “Any job prospects?”
“A few, of course some aren’t as good as others. If I don’t get into a big stage show right away, I’m sure I can find a bar or club looking for someone to sit on their piano and sing.”
He could easily picture her sitting on a piano, belting out tunes in her seductive voice, with her stunning legs crossed at the knee, her feet in a pair of sky-high heels, her body in a barely-there dress that was almost hidden by her cloak of long silky hair. If he thought she’d stay out here in the middle of nowhere, he’d hire her in a minute. Wouldn’t his parishioners love to see her sitting on top the piano on Sunday mornings, belting out a chorus of “Jesus Loves Me”!
“I’ve got an audition in a month,” she continued. “It’s the part of a lifetime—for me, at least.” He saw the sparkle in her eyes and knew in that instant that she’d never be happy staying in a place like this, where glamour only came in magazines delivered through the mail.
“I take it the job of a lifetime means you won’t be playing a peeled banana.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I don’t know anything about the costume—or the show. Everything’s under wraps right now, but it’s touted as being the most elaborate production in Vegas history—in the biggest hotel in the world. Everything’s scheduled to open by summer and this time—for the first time—I’m trying out for the lead, at least I was when I left home.”
“You mean they could have picked someone already—without auditions?”
“That’s always possible. But... well...” She frowned and turned her gaze back to the prairie in front of them. “I might not get to audition.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story, all of it leading up to the fact that the choreographer hates my guts.”
“Did you fix him up with a blind date, too?”
Her eyes fumed, but he couldn’t miss the touch of mirth mixed with her agitation. “I didn’t like him well enough to fix him up with a date. In fact, one time he made me so mad I punched his lights out. Unfortunately, he’s put together the dance routines for the show I’m going to try out for. He could cross my name off the audition list or he could make my audition absolute hell.”
“If he’s such an important guy, why’d you hit him?”
“You’re sure you want to know?”
He nodded, wanting to know everything about her.
“He had a problem with the way I danced.” The words nearly ground through her clenched teeth. “I did everything under the sun to please Duane-the-lech, but nothing seemed to be good enough. Rehearsals were long and exhausting, and if the least little thing went wrong during the show I’d hear about it for hours on end.”
“What went wrong?”
“Anything and everything.”
She pulled her boot out of a stirrup and wrapped her leg around the saddle horn. As far as
“What did you do then?”
“Went to Hollywood for a while. My mom was certain I could be a star if the casting directors would give me a chance. What she refused to realize was that I could sing and dance, but I couldn’t act to save my life.”
“So you didn’t become a star?”
“I’m still working at it. I got waylaid for a few years when my mom decided she had better things to do than support a daughter. She’d already ditched my brothers, and getting rid of me was pretty easy.”
“You don’t sound bitter.”
“It was a long time ago and, well, let’s just say I didn’t miss her when she walked out of my life. After that I spent thirteen demure and sedate years as a preacher’s kid and the last seven once again trying to make a go of it in Vegas.”
“I take it it’s not all that easy?”
She laughed. “I live in a run-down apartment. I’m currently unemployed. No, it’s not easy.”
“What are you going to do when you get back home?” Mike asked, sidling Buck against Jezebel, allowing his leg to brush against Charity’s. “Any job prospects?”
“A few, of course some aren’t as good as others. If I don’t get into a big stage show right away, I’m sure I can find a bar or club looking for someone to sit on their piano and sing.”
He could easily picture her sitting on a piano, belting out tunes in her seductive voice, with her stunning legs crossed at the knee, her feet in a pair of sky-high heels, her body in a barely-there dress that was almost hidden by her cloak of long silky hair. If he thought she’d stay out here in the middle of nowhere, he’d hire her in a minute. Wouldn’t his parishioners love to see her sitting on top the piano on Sunday mornings, belting out a chorus of “Jesus Loves Me”!
“I’ve got an audition in a month,” she continued. “It’s the part of a lifetime—for me, at least.” He saw the sparkle in her eyes and knew in that instant that she’d never be happy staying in a place like this, where glamour only came in magazines delivered through the mail.
“I take it the job of a lifetime means you won’t be playing a peeled banana.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “I don’t know anything about the costume—or the show. Everything’s under wraps right now, but it’s touted as being the most elaborate production in Vegas history—in the biggest hotel in the world. Everything’s scheduled to open by summer and this time—for the first time—I’m trying out for the lead, at least I was when I left home.”
“You mean they could have picked someone already—without auditions?”
“That’s always possible. But... well...” She frowned and turned her gaze back to the prairie in front of them. “I might not get to audition.”
“Why not?”
“It’s a long story, all of it leading up to the fact that the choreographer hates my guts.”
“Did you fix him up with a blind date, too?”
Her eyes fumed, but he couldn’t miss the touch of mirth mixed with her agitation. “I didn’t like him well enough to fix him up with a date. In fact, one time he made me so mad I punched his lights out. Unfortunately, he’s put together the dance routines for the show I’m going to try out for. He could cross my name off the audition list or he could make my audition absolute hell.”
“If he’s such an important guy, why’d you hit him?”
“You’re sure you want to know?”
He nodded, wanting to know everything about her.
“He had a problem with the way I danced.” The words nearly ground through her clenched teeth. “I did everything under the sun to please Duane-the-lech, but nothing seemed to be good enough. Rehearsals were long and exhausting, and if the least little thing went wrong during the show I’d hear about it for hours on end.”
“What went wrong?”
“Anything and everything.”
She pulled her boot out of a stirrup and wrapped her leg around the saddle horn. As far as
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