Lyric and Lingerie (The Fort Worth Wranglers Book 1) by Tracy Wolff, Katie Graykowski Read Free Book Online

room for anything else.
    Even when she was little, she hadn’t cried much. If she got hurt, she’d picked herself up and moved on. If someone made fun of her, she’d tied them in knots with her crazy intellect until they were the ones everyone was laughing at. So when she did cry, when something hurt her enough to break through the layers of protection she had around herself, it had always turned him inside out.
    Tonight was no different, even after all the years that yawned between them. Seeing her vulnerable, watching her cry, was ripping away at a part of himself he hadn’t thought about in years, a part he’d been certain had disappeared about the same time Lyric and Harmony had booted him out of their lives. Finding out that it was still there—that he still cared—wasn’t comfortable, but it was nothing compared to watching Lyric cry.
    Part of him wanted nothing more than to pull her onto his lap and kiss the hurt away. To stroke and to soothe and to promise her that everything was going to be okay. But there were two problems with that plan.
    One, he didn’t know how things were going to turn out, didn’t know if her dad would be okay, though he really hoped he would be—and not just for Lyric’s sake.
    And two, if he tried to hold her like that in the mood she was currently in, she’d probably smother him with the plastic-covered pillow tucked into the seat pocket in front of her.
    Which left only one thing for him to do—at least if you understood that he couldn’t just leave her broken up like this. He had to go old school—way old school—and pull out the one thing that used to make her laugh no matter what. It was lame and he really hoped Wranglers Jersey didn’t hear him doing it, but what was a little humiliation in the face of making Lyric smile again?
    In his best Kermit the Frog voice, he said, “It isn’t easy being green.”
    Who didn’t love the Muppets? Considering he hadn’t done the impression in at least twenty years, he figured it wasn’t all that shabby.
    Lyric must have agreed, because the corners of her mouth lifted tremulously. But all she said was, “Kermit the Frog hasn’t worked on me since I was ten.”
    “That’s too bad. I’ve been working on my version of ‘Rainbow Connection.’” Heath grinned at her. “I’m sure Tre would love for me to go all Kermit-turned-lounge-singer and rock this place.”
    “No doubt. Just be aware that he has duct tape.” She picked at the same thread on her skirt. “And he’s not afraid to use it.”
    She closed her eyes and sank back against her chair with a heavy sigh. He wanted to talk more, to find out what she’d been up to for the last few years, but she looked totally wiped. Better to let her sleep for a while—it would make the flight pass more quickly for her. Besides, it’s not like he wouldn’t get the chance to talk to her again.
    When he’d needed her all those years ago, she’d been there for him. A lot had happened in the ensuing years, but none of that mattered to him right now. Nothing did, but repaying the favor and helping Lyric … whether she liked it or not.

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Chapter 5
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    Lyric came awake abruptly, her head smacking hard against the back of the seat as consciousness invaded like a conquering army. For a second, she couldn’t remember where she was or what she was doing. But when she turned and saw Heath sitting next to her, still asleep, it all came back to her.
    Her father’s heart attack.
    Sitting next to her arch nemesis for the longest eight-hour flight of her life.
    The ridiculous duct-tape dress.
    She shot a quick glance down, hoping and praying that the damned dress debacle had just been a nightmare of epic proportions. No such luck. She was still wrapped up like a burrito from Taco Bell. It was a miracle she’d managed to sleep at all. Especially considering the fact that her bladder was currently singing “Anchors Aweigh.”
    For a second, she glanced longingly down the aisle