Page 78 of Three Little Wishes

“It’s our song,” Willow cried, pumping her fists, undoubtedly in an effort to distract the bartender, which it did. But probably not in the way her daughter had intended.

“Stop the music,” he bellowed. “We’ve got a Heartbreaker in the house, and this is her song.” He grinned at Willow. “No dancing on the table. Take the stage, ladies.”

“Yay!” the Beaches yelled from the dance floor, and Megan jumped to her feet, scooting past Willow to pull both Riley and Cami off their chairs. “Come on!” she cried, rushing for the stage, bouncing off chairs as she went.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Cami said.

“Neither do I,” Riley said.

“Ditto,” Willow agreed, looking around as people began chanting, “Sing, sing, sing.” She made a face when the Beaches ran toward them. “But trust me, if we try to escape now, the Beaches will tackle us, and we’ll make a bigger scene.” Then she smiled at Riley. “Didn’t you have ‘Do something you’ve never done before’ on your wish list?”

“I can think of way more fun things to do that I’ve never done before, and way less embarrassing.”

“You’ve never sung karaoke with me. It’s all kinds of fun,” Willow said.

“Or with me,” Cami added. “My sister Eva can sing, but I’m the dancer in the family.” Karaoke had been one of her favorite things to do at the bar with her sisters. And the thought that she was going to get the chance to do it with her daughter made her happy. So happy that she thought she might cry.

“We’ll just see about that,” Willow said with a grin. “Come on.”

The Beaches and Megan ran onto the stage with them, cheering when Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” came over the speakers. Cami had danced to the song with Beyoncé herself, so she knew all the moves but her daughter did too, and so did Riley. They were laughing and singing, and her daughter was right beside her, and Cami thought it might just be the most fun night of her life. And because it was, when the song ended, she cried, “Let’s do another one!”

Riley tugged on her hand. “We’ve gotta go.”

Cami followed the direction of her panicked gaze. The teenager who looked like Flynn and the cute boy from the sandbar were pushing their way through the crowd to get tothem, and that’s when Cami noticed how many people were holding up their phones and taking pictures, and then she heard the whispers: “It’s Camilla Monroe. I’m sure it is. Here in Sunshine Bay? No way.”

Willow must’ve heard them too. “We’ve gotta get out of here,” she said, just before a large group of people surged toward the stage.

“Camilla! My mom loves you! I love your movies! Take a picture with us, please!”

“I’m not an actress! I’m not who you think I am!” Cami shouted, not only for the crowd’s benefit but for her daughter’s and Riley’s. But their audience couldn’t be convinced, and she searched the bar for an escape route. “It’s okay,” she told Riley, tightening her grip on her hand. “I’ve got you.”

“We’ve got you,” Willow corrected, taking Riley’s other hand.

“This way, mama-licious,” one of the bodybuilders said as he and his friends waded through the crowd.

The Beaches, who’d been staring in shocked silence, came alive. “We’ve got you too,” they said, closing ranks behind them.

The bodybuilders and the Beaches formed a tight circle around Cami, Willow, and Riley, hustling them out of the bar and onto the beach, and that’s when they heard the sirens.

“Rainbow Girl,” someone yelled, and then Flynn’s look-alike was there, reaching for Riley’s hand. “I’m her friend,” he told the bodybuilder who’d grabbed him by the arm.

“He is,” Riley said, and the bodybuilder lifted his arm, letting him into their protective circle.

“The cops will be here any minute. I’ll get Riley out of here and back to the beach house. I haven’t been drinking,” he said, glancing from Cami to Willow.

Cami looked at Willow, who nodded.

“Riley?” Cami asked before giving the okay.

She took the boy’s hand. “Noah can’t know I was here. I want to go with August.”

“Okay. You take good care of her,” Cami told August. “She’s precious cargo.”

Riley and August got away in the nick of time. A shrill whistle rent the air, silencing the rowdy crowd trailing behind them.

“No one move. Let us through,” said a commanding voice and two cops made their way through the crowd. They weren’t alone.

“I swear, if I have any luck at all, it’s bad luck,” Willow muttered, and that’s when Cami knew she’d seen Noah too.

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