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“Oh my god,” Shelley said. “We need the story. EVERYONE. SIT DOWN. IT’S STORY TIME.” Shelley began dragging Cam toward the pink bean bag chairs spread about the room, and Jess hooked her arm through mine.

“Isn’t it good to be back?” she laughed.

“You know it.” I smiled. I liked being back in Cottonwood Falls, but I missed this too. I’d made so many friends in Austin. I needed to do better about staying in touch, even when life got busy. “Tell me about you!” I said to her. “How is your job going?”

As we got settled in, Jess told me about rising through the ranks at her pharmaceutical sales company. It sounded like she was in line for a major promotion.

“That’s amazing,” I said. “I’m so happy for you.”

She grinned. “And how’s the salon? I love seeing all your posts online.”

My heart warmed just thinking about the salon. “I was really worried after leaving Austin that Cottonwood Falls would feel smaller than it did before, but I think that time away made me appreciate it more.” I told her about all the sweet clients who came in and wished me well, and even a little about Rhett.

“He sounds hot,” Jess said.

“He is...”

A wave of squeals sounded through the room, and Shelley yelled, “WHO BOOKED ME A SEXY COWBOY STRIPPER?”

I looked to the door, an amused smile on my face until I saw who walked in...

Rhett. Freaking. Griffen.

34

MAGNOLIA

Rhett and I connected glances,and he opened his mouth to say something, but Shelley yelled, “Don’t be shy, cowboy! You’ve got a hundred-dollar tip waiting for you. But take the shirt off. Show us those abs!”

I saw the moment the realization hit Rhett: if he danced with this girl, he could make a hundred dollars and probably recoup whatever money he spent driving here for some harebrained reason.

Then I saw him decide against it, giving a slight shake of his head. Shelley clapped her hands together, chanting, “DANCE! DANCE! DANCE!”

I looked to Camryn to see if she was as horrified as I was, only to find that she was chanting along!

My jaw dropped open as Shelley got on her feet and tottered over to him on fuzzy pink heels. Music had already been playing, but someone changed it to “Oh Yeah” by Yello.

I laughed so hard it bordered on a cackle. Shelley had him completely cornered. So he did what any guy would do.

He began unbuttoning his pink sparkly jersey.

I put my face in my hands, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. Once he had the jersey off, he spun it over his head in a few quick loops and then sent it flying through the air to me. I caught it, and Jess and the other girls around me cheered. Grinning, I put it over my shoulders, vaguely wondering if Rhett was a work-for-hire stripper back home. He definitely had the body for it.

The song changed to “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” by Big and Rich, and my stomach hurt from laughing as all hell broke loose. He lowered Shelley on the couch and gave her a lap dance, his back to her as she tucked a hundred-dollar bill into the waistband of his Wranglers.

And from the looks of it, he wasearningthat hundred dollars.

He took her tiara off her head and put it on his, prancing around in front of her while he swayed his hips left to right. Tears were coming out of my eyes I was laughing so hard.

Why wasn’t I filming this??

I got out my phone, sliding over to the camera just in time to see him twerking while all the girls screamed and cheered. His brothers wouldneverlet him live this down.

But then the front door opened, and two guys walked in, wearing police uniforms. The music paused, and everyone looked at them curiously.

Shelley got up, saying, “I’m sorry, officers, we’ll turn it down.”

The two guys looked at each other, and one asked, “Did you hire a different stripper service?”