“She’s adorable,” I whisper so only Ike can hear.
“I always wanted daughters,” Ike notes, and I can’t help the sadness that squeezes my heart for him. Not many men want daughters. They usually want sons. He would’ve been a great dad. I’d like to say something to him, to comfort him, but I can’t. Not in front of River.
“So, what do you want to play?” I ask as she collects the quarter and tromps over to the jukebox.
“Justin Bieber,” she chirps happily.
“Oh God. Please no!” Ike groans, making me giggle quietly to myself.
“I don’t think there’s any Justin Bieber on here, honey,” I tell River.
“You pick the first one,” she orders as she hands me two quarters.
“You sure? This is your money.”
“Yeah. Pick one, and then I’ll pick one.” Running to the jukebox, her blond hair bounces as she goes.
“Please culture this child and play her some Johnny or Elvis,” Ike pleads. I decide on Elvis as Johnny Cash tends to sound a little deeper and Elvis’s songs are peppier.
Inserting the quarters, I select the song as Ike stares over my shoulder the entire time. When I glance at him, he smirks. “Good choice.”
As the jukebox clicks, preparing to play the song, I bend down and ask River, “Do you know any Elvis Presley songs?”
“Elvis?” River scrunches her nose, obviously having never heard of him.
“Anna should be reported for child neglect,” Ike snorts. “This child has obviously been starved of any type of culture.”
“Are we going to dance?” I ask River, ignoring Ike and holding out my hand to her.
River shoves her quarters back in her pocket and giggles. “You first,” she orders.
The first chords of Jailhouse Rock stream through the speakers, and I hurry to the bar and grab George’s sunglasses, slipping them on.
As the words bellow out, I lip-synch and move my legs in my best imitation of Elvis’ dance moves. Ike plops down in a chair at the bar. “And she can dance?” He clutches his chest. “Be still, my heart,” he moans dramatically.
When it gets to the second verse, I grab River’s hands and sing.
Let’s rock; everybody, let’s rock.
Everybody in the whole cell block
was dancin’ to the Jailhouse Rock.”
River laughs hysterically as I twirl her and shake my hips like crazy. I, too, am lost in a fit of giggles when someone seizes my arm and jerks me until I slam into a hard body.
“Let’s show her how it’s done,” Sniper purrs as he twirls me around. He spins me in a series of maneuvers while River squeals with delight. I can’t deny I’m impressed with his dance moves. When the song almost ends, he picks up River, twirling her while she holds her arms out and laughs. When the song finishes, we’re all giggling until the sound of loud handclapping sounds throughout the room.
George stands in the doorway, one eyebrow quirked. “Maybe I should put you two on the floor to entertain the guests. Dinner and a show,” he says, dryly.
“I was thoroughly entertained,” Ike chirps.
“You’re just jealous of my moves,” Sniper jests as he twirls River around in his arms.
“Put her down, Sniper!” Anna feigns disapproval. She knows Sniper is harmless, but giving him a hard time is her way of flirting with him. I think she likes him by the way she always slaps his arm playfully in the kitchen and always gives him shy smiles. “Who knows where your hands have been.”
Sniper places River on her feet and strides up to Anna. “No worries, love. I only like matured women,” he adds as he waggles his brows and takes her in his arms and spins her around.
“Are you saying I’m old?” she scoffs.
“I’m saying I like MILFs, love. And you . . . are a MILF.”
Anna turns bright red. “What’s a MILF?” River asks innocently, her brows scrunched. We all laugh.
“A mom I’d like to be friends with, love,” Sniper answers. “Very good friends, that is.” He winks at Anna who turns an even darker shade of red.
Anna cuts him a look that says many things at once; You’re being naughty, but I like it, but you should stop. “You do realize this is the only place you could ever work where the females would tolerate your behavior, don’t you?” She purses her lips.
“I have been bad,” Sniper answers and grins. “I need to be spanked. Think you could help me out?”
“All right,” George interjects loudly. “Time for you to return to the kitchen where I can hide you from the world.”
Sniper pouts his bottom lip. “It was fun dancing with you, little lady.” He bows like a gentleman to River and she blushes, much like her mother.
“You, too,” River giggles.
Sniper makes his way into the kitchen and Anna takes River’s hand. “Time to go, bird.”
“I want to dance to Elvis some more!”
“Not today.”
“Next time,” I promise. “I’ll play you another Elvis song. Okay?”
“Okay,” River huffs.