So was the crowd, because they quieted down to listen.
“Hi, everyone,” she began.She swallowed hard, and her Maxie traits resurfaced.Her foot cocked back on its heel, and she lowered her chin a bit to hide behind her hair.“I know magicians aren’t supposed to give away their secrets, but I have to confess that this wasn’t a trick of mine.It was a trick of nature.”
Roxie and Lexie held each other’s hands.
“You see, I’ve just learned that I was adopted.”
The crowd went silent.So silent that only the falls could be heard in the background.Apparently, there could be still be secrets in a small town.
“And more than that, I’m one of a set of identical triplets.”Maxie’s voice shook on the words, and she took another deep breath to brace herself.“Everyone, I’d like to introduce Lexie Underhill and Roxie Cannon, my sisters.”
The crowd was stunned, but then the place went absolutely bonkers.Roxie and Lexie swarmed Maxie at the microphone, and the three embraced in a circle onstage.Roxie let out awhoop whoop, and there was an echo from the back row.
Looking out, Maxie saw Zac grinning at her.All around him people were clapping or crying.Some of those people had known her nearly her entire life.Women were hugging, and men were chattering.They were all happy for her.
Zac started cutting his way through the crowd, and her pulse jumped.He was the one who’d encouraged her.He was the one who’d been at her side since the start of it all.She wanted to share this moment with him.
She tried to navigate to the side of the stage, but everyone wanted to share their congratulations.The crowd bunched around, asking questions and doling out hugs.
“How did you find out about one another?”
“What about your real parents?”
“Why didn’t you grow up together?”
Lexie and Roxie answered what questions they could, but Maxie tried to escape the crowd closing in on her.She didn’t like being the center of attention.It had been one thing when she’d been playing Roxie, but this was something different entirely.The questions were ones she’d been asking herself over and over, and they were about to drive her mad.When she finally made her way through, Zac was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her.
Looking big, buff, blond and blistering hot.
Shyness came over her.“Hi.”
“Hi,” Zac said, his voice gruff.He stood there, hands on his hips, shaking his head in disbelief.
But then she started down the steps towards him, and he nearly swallowed his tongue.
She was dressed like Roxie, but it was all Maxie as she strutted in her sexy boots and short shorts.His gaze drifted down her form and got stuck on her bare stomach and then her bump-bah-da-bump hips.
Damn, but it was enough to make a man beg.
He couldn’t help it.When she stood in front of him, he reached for her, but she stopped him with a hand to the chest.She looked around self-consciously.She and her doppelgangers were a fascinating oddity, and the mob was still gathered.
She caught his hand and tugged.When she started leading him around to the back of the stage, his heart fisted.She was willing to come clean about her sisters, but she didn’t want people to know about them?
Or weren’t his services needed anymore?
Once they were out of sight, he dug in his heels.“Hold on.”
If they were finished playing games, he didn’t need to be let down easy.He’d prefer to have the bandage ripped off fast and clean, although this was going to hurt like a mother.
She turned towards him, and her eyes were the deepest brown he’d ever seen.
“Thank you,” she said.
That fist around his heart twisted.Damn.Here it came.
“You’re welcome.Anytime.”He had to ask.“For what?”
She nodded towards the festival.“For that.For giving me the idea.”
