To read about the events that occurred at the Pond Puppy Ball, go here.

The critters at the Pond Puppy Ball sat transfixed, staring the torn envelope in Queen Bitty’s paw.  The room was so silent you could have heard a butterfly sigh.

“And now for the moment we’ve all been waiting for…” Queen Bitty cried.

Bear clutched his dolphin in nervous anticipation.  Thor clutched his lobster.

“And the Prince and Princess of the Puppy Ball are….”

Everyone tensed.

“Wallace!”  Queen Bitty cried.

Everyone burst into cheers as Wallace made his way to the stage, where he was rewarded with a crown of bones.

“And Bella!”

Bella burst into tears as Merlin guided her gently to the stage.  “I was hoping I would win, but I never thought”–she gasped into the microphone as a tiara with a golden bone was placed on her head.

“Yes, yes, yes,” Bitty muttered, dismissing her to the side. “Now the lovely couple will share a spotlight dance in the center of the floor.

As the delighted couple began to waltz under the spotlight, Bear slid over to Bitty.  “Are you sad?” he asked.

“About what?” Bitty scoffed.

“Didn’t you like him?” Bear asked, nodding toward Wallace.

“Oh, posh,” Bitty snorted, waving a well-manicured paw.  “That was merely a distraction.  I found someone much more worthy of a Queen like me.”  She fluttered her eyelashes at Diego.

“Besides,” she added.  “It’s not like I have to settle on one dog.  After all, I’m Queen Bitty of the Pond.”

And now, for Twirl.

For my new Invisible Friends, Twirl is the story of a star-crossed ballerina named Vivi and her handsome cowboy named Wade, who have stumbled into a international ballet scandal and a old Texas legend that might possibly lead to riches! To catch up in the archives, go to the Never Ending Stories Tab at the top of this site.

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“His baby?” Wade cried.  “Holy”–

“Shhh!” Vivi hissed, knocking him in the ribs and glancing around.  “We don’t know who’s listening.”

“Tell me about it,” Wade muttered, scanning the dance floor suspiciously.  “I keep thinking I’m going to see Margaret’s ugly mug any minute.”

Vivi shuddered at the memory of Margaret’s blackened teeth and yellow-tinged, wrinkled hands.  Scanning the rest of the pages, she began to read aloud.

“I plan to tell Bill in the letter I’m leaving him at the Satin Belle Tea Room this evening.  I’m so nervous.  If he doesn’t want me, who will?  No man will marry a unpure woman pregnant with a thief’s child.”

“The worst part is, she was probably right,” Wade murmured.  “Poor girl.  She was probably terrified.”

Vivi flipped some pages in the book.  “This is a week later.  She wrote, “Bill was so pleased about our baby.  He’s full of joy in his letter he left for me.  Finally, we’ll be together in two weeks!  Diary, you’ve been good to me, but I won’t be able to write anymore.  Bill says it’s too dangerous, that someone could find this and keep us apart.”

“She was probably right about that too,” Wade muttered, standing on the tips of his toes as he peered over the crowd.  “You better hurry, he’s coming back.”

Vivi scanned the pages, flipping them as fast as her fingers could fly.  Her lips moved and her eyes flashed.

“Got it?”  Vivi jumped and glanced up to see Jason beaming at her.  “Got what you need?”

“Oh yes,” Vivi beamed.  Handing the book to Jason, she urged, “I would take this home and give it to your wife.  It’s too valuble to keep here.”

Jason blinked.  “It’s an old book.”

“It’s not an old book!” Vivi exclaimed.  “It’s the”–  Her voice was muffled by Wade’s firm hand clamping over her face.  Grinning at Jason, Wade drawled, “Isn’t she cute?  She just loves history.  She’s such a good Texan.”

Jason nodded, his face filled with pride.  “It was nice meeting ya’ll.  Come back anytime.”

“Oh, we will,” Wade assured him, steering Vivi out of the dancehall with his hand still clamped over her mouth.  “We sure will.”

As soon as they were outside, Vivi jerked Wade’s hand off of her face.  “Excuse me!  What do you think you were doing?”

“Vivi, the last thing you want to do is make a big deal out of that book,” Wade whispered, sliding his arm around her so he could lean close to her ear to speak.  “I’ve grown up with guys like Jason all my life.  Nice guy, but always eager for a quick buck.  When you work the ranching life, money is hard to come by.  If he thinks he could sell that book or get something for it, Margaret would have it in a flash.”

Vivi bit her lip.  “I never thought about that,” she admitted.  “Good thinking.”

Wade grinned and leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. After a few moments he rested his forehead to hers.  “I hate to take you home,” he murmured.  “I wish we could dance all night.  Just you and me, under the stars on an old wooden floor.”

Vivi beamed up at him.  “I’d love that.”

Wade opened his mouth and hesitated.  Leaning down, he kissed her again.  “Let’s get you home, darling.  You can start working on the next clue.”

“I think I’ve got it,” Vivi admitted, taking Wade’s hand as he helped her into the truck.  “I’ve got to check my notes and the letters at my house, but I’ve got a good idea.  We’re getting close.  Closer than your grandma ever did, thanks to the ton of research she did.”

Wade chuckled as he climbed into the driver’s seat.  “My grandma was a packrat, sure enough.  It’s just the stuff she packed away turned out to be useful.  Maybe we’ll find a use for all those damn dishes she squirreled away.  She’s got rooms of them!  Just rooms of dishes!  Who did she think was coming for supper–the army?”

Vivi burst out laughing.  Leaning against Wade’s arm, she sang country songs with him at the top of her lungs the whole way home.  They had just finished a duet of George Strait’s “You Know Me Better than That” when they pulled in front of her house.

“Thank you for a great night,” Wade murmured as he walked her to the door, clasping her hand in his.

“Thank you,” Vivi replied, smiling up at him.  “You make me love dancing again.”

“As do you,” Wade whispered.  Giving her a kiss that left her breathless, he cocked his cowboy hat and grinned.  “Until tomorrow.”

“Until tomorrow,” she whispered back.  With a smile stretched from ear to ear, Vivi stepped inside her house.

And ran straight into her father’s chest.

“Vivienne.”

Glaring up at him, Vivi crossed her arms.  “What?”

“Where have you been?”  His black eyes erupted in dark flames.  Leaning forward, he sniffed her hair and sneered.  “You smell of cigarette smoke and beer.”

“Dancing,” Vivi snapped.  “Excuse me, I’m going to bed.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”  Her father grabbed her wrist.  Shoving her against the front door, he twisted her wrist until a sick crack snapped through the air.  Vivi whimpered, tears filling her eyes.

“You see Vivienne, I’ve been watching you,” he hissed, shoving his face so it was an inch from hers.  “I’ve been watching you come and go, and I’ve been watching the way you act in dance.  It’s taken me awhile, but I’ve finally figured it out.”

Vivi’s cell phone began to vibrate in her pocket.  Gritting her teeth together, she glared at her father.  “What’s your brilliant reasoning?”

He smiled, a sick smile that made bile rise in Vivi’s throat.  “The boy must go.”

To be continued…..

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have a new Creative Woman tommorow and a week full of whimsical fun!  Stay tuned!