“Step together, walk, walk. Step together, walk, walk,” he helped.
Being a dancer, kinda of, I caught on pretty quick. It wasn’t like there was much to remember. As soon as I got the hang of it, he went faster to match the music. Before I knew it we were headed around the floor with other people doing the same dance, going the same way. It was all very organized!
When we got back to the table there was a second round of beers waiting. Tom walked me to my seat, bowed his head a fraction, and said, “Thank you for the dance.”
Seriously! What. A. Gentleman!
I smiled and tilted my head like a dumb girl. As he walked away I looked around. It was then that I noticed two things.
One. Every woman in that place was eyeing my table. Usually they were staring at William or Adam, but Moose got quite a few looks as well. Sometimes the women would glance my way in indignation, as if I posed some sort of resistance just because I was at the table.
My spirits wilted as I realized Willie Davies could have any woman in this place. Hell, half of them would probably agree to double up with another woman to share him.
Two. Dusty was here. He was on the outskirts, loitering, keeping a low profile, but my face was often in his sights. He was here for revenge, that was certain. I just didn’t know how he was going to get it.
I had a strong urge to run for the door.
“Care to dance?”
Moose was standing behind me solemnly. In confusion, I accented, just to see why the frownie-face. And also not to be rude, of course.
We started the two-step, which seemed to be everyone’s dance of choice here, and I let my gaze travel up to the heavens. I couldn’t get over his size! It was like dancing with a Sasquatch. An attractive one with dark brown, liquid eyes that seemed kind and deep. He had a largish nose, but it worked with his face, which was broad and flat. Behind his easy smile was a set of white, straight teeth.
William had some good-looking friends. Birds of a feather, as they say…
The dance was quiet. Something was bothering him. Worried that it would be about William, or worse, he would ask me out, I didn’t press.
As we were walking back, he said, “If he gives you any trouble, you let one of us know, y’hear?”
“What?”
“Dusty. I saw him gawkin’ at ya. If he gives you any trouble, any at all, you let one of us know. He is from bad stock. We’ll sort him out.”
“Thanks, Moose. That guy seriously creeps me out. How did I find him cute when I first saw him?”
“Well, now, he’s good-lookin’. He’s got his sex appeal, and all the women fall for him one time or another. Especially with alcohol. He takes advantage. Women just don’t know those type of men are hangin’ around until you learn yer lesson. Then you steer clear.”
“Is that why you are single, Moose? Women just haven’t learned their lesson yet?”
He looked like I had slapped his face—something between shock and surprise. It must have been my smile that let him know I was kidding, because he broke into a huge grin to top mine and chuckled. “You had me going for a second there! You say things so dead pan when you’s joking!” He laughed harder. “I suppose that is why I’m single, at that. Just a big creep that all the ladies seen through already!”
As I reached my seat, guess who was waiting for me. Freaking Georgie. Did the guy like being rejected that much?
I held up my hand in Georgie’s face. He opened his mouth to ask me to dance, a bemused smile eating his cheeks, and I just shook my head, reaffirming my “stop” gesture. I snatched my beer and took a big swig. This dancing was getting in the way of my beer drinking. I was behind.
He tried ducking around my hand. “Do you wanna—“
“Nope. I need to drink some beer.”
His face dropped in a puppy dog expression, with big eyes and his lip stuck out. “Please?” he whined, a little grin messing up his perfect pout.
I shook my head, held up my beer, and finished it up. I had another full one waiting, and it was starting to get warm.
He crouched, intending to sit next to me, no doubt trying to wait me out.
“Oh no! No way! This table is for the Davies’ crew. Suitors must sit at another table...” I held up my nose in my best interpretation of a snob, and drank another sip of beer.
Moose sat, instead, flashing Georgie a crooked grin. Adam sat on the other side, leaned way back in his chair, and put his arm on the back of my chair, sporting the same cock-eyed smirk.
“Sorry, man,” Adam said, “this side of the table’s all full up.”
Moose chuckled.
I would have thought Georgie would get in a huff and stock away. To his credit, he started laughing and slapped the table. “Alright boys, have it your way. Help her play hard to get! I am on it like a coon dog, though, and I always tree my coon!”
He looked at me, winked, and tipped his big cowboy hat. “Ma’am, I’ll see you on the dance floor yet!” He walked away laughing.
“Did he just call me a raccoon? I mean really, do I look like a mean, rabid creature?” All the guys turned to me. I paused. Then held up my finger. “Don’t answer that.”
About that time Candace bounded back. She crinkled her eyebrows at the boys sitting next to me, then had a moment of indecisiveness. She obviously wanted to talk to me but two lumps of muscle blocked her way. She hovered for a moment, shifting on her feet.
“Here, sit right here,” Moose said, jumping up. Adam was up just as fast.
“Jez, what do I stink or something?” I huffed. “Don’t answer that, either!”
“Oh my God, Jessica! Oh. My. God!” Candace exclaimed in a hushed voice, looking all around to make sure she wasn’t heard. “He kissed me! He kissed me!”
“Wait. What?!”
“He kissed me!”
“Wait, wait, wait! What do you mean? Where? When? Details, woman, details!”
She took a big breath. “Okay. Well, we danced, right? Then we danced to the next song. We got a beer and talked. He is so easy to talk to. I wouldn’t shut up! And we danced again. He is such a great dancer. He wanted to go for a walk to have a smoke then, and I asked if I could join him.”
She paused to take a dramatic breath, pure excitement bubbling up. “Then,” she gushed, a smile taking over her face, “we were walking outside and he smoked his cigarette. I didn’t smoke one because...well...I don’t smoke. But he did. And we talked about nothing. Everything, actually. But nothing important. And we were just about to turn to come back in and he turned to me all serious. My heart was about to explode, Jessica! He leaned in then and kissed me!”
She giggled a little and did an excited squirm in her seat. I was grinning like a fool.
“I felt it from my head to my toes. I did!” She giggled again, and I joined her. First kisses were so exciting!
She was about to go on when someone took the other chair beside me. At first I wasn’t concerned because I half thought it would be Ty coming for his beauty, but when I turned, my smile twisted off my face.
Dusty’s brown eyes were kindled with an unnatural light. A sickly smile wormed its way onto his face. “Hey ya, darlin’. How’s the night goin’?”
Fear twisted in my gut.
“We were talking,” Candace said haughtily, leaning forward to meet his eyes across me.
Dusty didn’t miss a beat. “You were talking. Get lost now. I have some things I need to say to her.” He clutched my shoulder with flesh covered claws. The knife of fear wrenched harder.
I pleaded Candace for help with my eyes, not knowing what to do. She looked back, her eyes just as wild. Just as fear streaked. Then her stare turned hard, assessing, and she was gone. I could only hope it was to get help.
I summoned strength and confidence. He couldn’t hurt me here in the middle of the dance hall with people everywhere. I needed to embody Lump. Missing her wouldn’t help me now. I needed to be her. Hell, or Claire or Flem. Anyone stronger than myself.
&n
bsp; I shrugged off his hand and turned to him with my guard up. He met that with an animalistic glare.
I barely stopped myself from gulping before I asked, “What’s up, Dusty?”
“Howdy, darlin’. I just thought we might chat right quick.”
“Probably not a great idea, Dusty.” Visibly unaffected, I smoothed my skirt and went to stand, a firm look of disapproval on my face. I got halfway up before his hand found my shoulder again, only this time, he dug his fingers into muscle and bone. He roughly forced me back down.
Breath coming fast in fear crusted panting, my mind went blank of everything Lump had ever taught me. Every cutting quip smart Jane might come up with to disable an adversary. Panic consumed me, blocking out logic.
“Now,” he said quiet and slow, “I think we should take a little stroll outside, don’t you?”
I shook my head. I had to stay inside.
“Now darlin’, I really am a very nice guy.” His grip tightened painfully, his eyes taking on a savage look. He leaned so close I could smell the beer his breath. “And I’m gonna show you just how nice. C’mon now…”
He shook me, my head rattling on my shoulders. I opened my mouth to scream, or yell at him, or something, but no breath came. I couldn't get words past my constricted throat.
Suddenly his hand was ripped away. His body yanked up, out of his seat, the vacated chair toppling over backward with a loud clang.
His clutching hand gone, my body continued forward, spilling me onto the ground. Candace was there in an instant, holding my hand and trying to lift me back up.
Moose had dusty in some sort of body lock, carrying him out of the dance hall, Dusty's legs barely finding purchase, swinging and kicking the whole way. Adam waited by the door, the firm hand of judgement showing on his face. William and his dad trailed behind, ensuring the removal went smoothly.
I was lifted from the floor, Candace and Georgie helping me into my seat.
“They are taking care of that rat,” Georgie said softly, his body facing me, one hand on the table, one sweeping the hair out of my face. He wasn’t picking up on me this time. He was acting like a nursemaid. “Are you okay?”
I let out a ragged breath I didn’t know I was holding. Tears, unbidden, filled my eyes. Shaking my head, I stood up. I was not going to go to pieces.
At least not until I was in my room without anyone watching.
Georgie and Candace stood up with me.
I wiped my face with the flat of my palm, looking at Georgie with blurry eyes.
“Dance.” I croaked.
“What?” he and Candace said together.
“Dance!” I said louder.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
“Let’s dance. C’mon.” I grabbed his hand, half-dragging him to the dancefloor.
It was obvious Georgie was out of his element with my emotional response, but he followed me to the dance floor, taking my lead. We launched into the two-step, him allowing me to wipe my eyes every so often. After that song was over, we danced to another one; I was desperately trying to hold myself together. Him peering at me worriedly was not helping.
That song done, I decided it was now time to get drunk. Mind numbingly drunk with nothing but hangover misery for two days following. Between making an ass of myself with the hottest man alive, not to mention his friends and family, and then needing saving, I wanted to put all this behind me. There was one too many embarrassing things going on at this rodeo, and it was just par for the course for what William had experienced with me thus far.
Plus, I had definitely overstayed my welcome. I should have gone home with JP.
I walked back to the table with a straight back, struggling to keep tears from leaking down my face. The good news was, Georgie wasn’t trying to bed me anymore. The bad news was, for him to give up, I must have become damaged goods.
Need beer.
The table was full, housing our whole party, all with somber expressions. They were waiting for the victim. Staring. Preventing me from moving on.
"Thanks, guys. Moose." I cleared my throat, face red and not from dancing.
“Did he do this?” William stepped to my side, so close his breath tickled my face, mingling with mine.
I followed his eyes to my shoulder, where angry red finger marks etched my skin.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
I didn't speak. Couldn't. We both knew the answer.
Another step had him directly in front of me, thunderclouds hovering over his eyes. He looked down at me, into me. I distinctly remembered how good his embrace felt. My face against his hard chest. His strong arms wrapped around me supportively, protectively.
My head bent, trying to hide the tears drowning my eyes.
"Did you hurt you Jessica?" William asked quietly, the tips of his fingertips running along my jaw to my chin, then lifting slightly.
The waterworks were coming. I did not want to give Dusty’s friends the satisfaction! I needed to stay strong. I needed to keep my head up and shake it off. I was fine. Dusty scared me. No biggie. I was surrounded by a safety net and Dusty was thrown out.
I shook my head, breathing deep. Struggling for calm. I stepped around him, grabbed my beer, and downed it with thirsty, desperate gulps. Adam gave a hoot, called me a good girl, and went to get me another.
William pulled the chair out for me, but I shook my head again. I needed to stay busy.
“Dance.”
Without question or hesitation, William offered his hand, completely at my disposal. Thank God. I was going to have a good time if it killed me, damn it!
As we assumed the position on the dance floor, I waited for the Two-Step, not meeting his eyes. Afraid I'd unravel if I did.
“I hear you can ballroom dance,” he said in his rich baritone. A grin tweaked his lips.
I nodded. I still didn’t trust myself to speak.
“Does that include swing dancing?”
I nodded again. “Not country swing dancing, though,” I amended quietly.
“Doesn’t matter. It’s close enough. Just follow my lead.”
I nodded once and chanced a smile I still didn’t feel.
The next three minutes were a thrill. I was whipped around the dance floor; pulled up close, pushed away, dipped, turned, and spun. It was just the thing I needed, and William was an excellent leader. I could’ve closed my eyes and followed his lead without ever bumping into a soul, or hitting him mid-swing.
I let my mind seep into the music and rhythm, encouraging the beat to fuse to my bones, making my skeleton dance of its own accord. I could feel myself unstitch at the seams; the events of the day fraying my nerves. I was getting tired. I felt beat up. I really just wanted a hot bath and my girlfriends to tell me to buck up and keep truckin’.
The song ended and “The River” by Garth Brooks came on. I actually knew this song!
William stepped closer, his body now inches from mine, and wrapped his arm securely around my back. He still held my hand like we were ballroom dancing, but he brought it in to his heart, leaning against his peck. His neck was smooth against my cheek, his shoulder hard under my hand. He was leaner than Moose, but his muscles were just as hard. I felt my groin tighten with the contact.
“Are you okay? It has been a trying day for you." His voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Please. I don’t want to start crying.”
“It’s okay to cry. You’ve earned the privilege. I have a shirt under this one.”
I laughed a little as my eyes blurred once again. I shook my head and backed away to allow air to hit my face and dry my eyes.
He held my hand flat against his heart and pulled me in harder. “Sorry, I just want to make sure you’re okay. I don’t mean to pry.”
We were slowly two-stepping around the dance floor with everyone else. Though I wasn’t focusing on anything but the feel of his body and smell of his skin, I noticed more than a few pretty eyes scowl in jealousy at my proxim
ity to William. With all his opportunity of female choices I knew this couldn’t last, but I would be a fool to not take advantage of it while it did.
I leaned in to him and rested my head between his neck and shoulder. Eat your heart out, girls!
Our bodies moved as one to the music, our pace slow, barely keeping up with the music. His arm around my back steadily pressing me into him. We could barely two-step with how close our legs were, but he didn’t relent. He bowed his head to get his face closer to mine, the hand holding mine tightening, his breathing becoming somewhat husky and labored.
The song ended abruptly, much too soon. I came out of my trance slowly, he not as slow.
With a red face, he pushed me away firmly, cold air replacing his warmth. A soft crinkle etched the middle of this eyebrows as he looked at those around us, clapping for the band. Frustrated embarrassment marred his gaze when he looked back in my direction.
Well, hell, at least I’d turned him on. He may not have wanted to let it get that far—even though I was absolutely willing—but at least I’d affected him. It wasn’t much, but in the low mood I was in, I would take it.
William cleared his throat and mumbled something about getting back. He stuck his hands in his pockets and glanced around us again.
Yeah, I’d been here before. I knew better than to hang around and try to force intimacy. So when he held out his arm for me to take back to the table, I did so graciously, distancing myself from the intimacy a few minutes before.
It didn’t stop me from wanting to punch him in the mouth, though. If he hadn’t wanted to be so close, why the hell was he? And if he did, why didn’t he just act on it? Guys could be so irritating!
The next couple hours passed in a haze of dancing and drinking. Shots were brought...by me, and beers were brought by others. One thing about these boys--they could drink! I had a pretty tolerance coming out of my college years, but they easily drank two to my one. It helped that they were all giants, but still.
Towards the end of the night I had a heat on, alcohol wise, and was a sweaty mess, facially. Ty had just swung me halfway around the world on the dance floor, bowed, then took Candace for a ride. The guy had the stamina of a race horse.
Breene, K F - Jessica Brodie Diaries 01 Page 12
