Tutus & Cowboy Boots (Part 2) by Casey Peeler Read Free Book Online

there is some
good news. I can’t wait to see it. You have five minutes before we
get started.” We put our stuff away and I can’t wait to show her
the new combination.
    We have to condition and it’s brutal. I
swear I don’t want to do another crunch, plank, or jumping jack. I
forgot how not doing those types of exercises for a few days can
hurt you.
    By the end of practice, I’m ticked off that
she didn’t let us work on our duet and I’m sure it’s obvious. She
calls me over and informs me to drop the attitude and we will get
to it later this week. I shake it off, grab my bag, and wait for
Jade at the door.
    “What’s the deal?” Jade says as we get in
the car.
    “What kind of practice was that? I could
have done that at home,” I state.
    “True, but would you?” she laughs. She has a
point. I would not have.
    The next few days all I do is visit Daisy,
see Barrick in passing, go to school, and dance my ass off. I swear
I should move to the studio. It would save so much time.
    By the end of the week, we are finally
working on cleaning up our routines and I show her what I
choreographed. Ms. Lyndsay is impressed, but asks me to make a few
changes. The biggest change is the music, and it throws me off.
    “Alright girls, let’s try
this song. Just follow the counts.” It’s nothing I’d dance to and
I’m about to tell her but I keep my mouth shut when I look over at
Jade, who is counting the beats. She gives me a look that tells
me we got this and
I’m amazed by how well it works. This is it. Ms. Lyndsay’s ideas
are unique and that’s just what Jade and I need to stand out. I may
have a newfound respect for her.
    “Y’all like it?” she questions.
    “I love it!” I say and Jade is beaming from
ear to ear.
    Barrick
    Ms. Mae and I have been replacing the old
milking lines all afternoon. I swear this woman never stops. As we
finish up, she tells me to go and check on Daisy and the other
cows.
    When I finish and walk back
into the barn, there’s an eerie silence. I survey the barn for Ms.
Mae and my heart stops when I see her lying on the ground. Hurrying
to her side, I take her in my arms and shake her. “Ms. Mae, are you
okay? Ms. Mae?” She doesn’t respond. Please Lord, no! This can’t be happening. I grab my phone and call 911.
    “Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
    “My boss is unconscious. I don’t know what
happened. I just found her lying on the ground. She’s not
responding.” After giving the operator the address, I lay Ms. Mae
down and slide open the door and stay with her until I see
headlights coming up the drive.
    “Regina!” I yell from the barn, praying that
she can hear me. When I don’t see her, I run to the door and yell
as she’s about to enter the house. “Regina, come quick, it’s Ms.
Mae!” She turns and sprints toward the barn.
    “Mama! Don’t you do this to me!” she cries
as she holds her mother in her arms. I take a step back and stand
by the door to watch for the ambulance. When the paramedics arrive,
I tell them all that I know as they load Ms. Mae into the back. As
Regina gets in the ambulance, she tells me to get Cadence and bring
her to the hospital. Once they leave, I rush to the studio.
    Cadence
    Just as I’m about to say something, I see
Barrick standing in the doorway. Ms. Lyndsay looks up and walks to
the door.
    “Barrick? Class isn’t over yet, is something
wrong?”
    Seeing the fear in his eyes, I know
something is wrong and rush over to stand behind Ms. Lyndsay.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him when I notice his eyes are glassy.
    “It’s Ms. Mae.” Gran. My heart begins to
break. “Ms. Lyndsay, I need to get Cadence to the hospital. Jade,
take her stuff and I’ll call you once we get there,” he says with
authority.
    “Yes, of course,” Jade says.
    “Cadence, I’ll say a prayer for your gran.
Be careful,” Ms. Lyndsay says, but I barely register it as I rush
out the door.
    I run to the truck and hop in. Barrick is
right