“I can knit more than a chain necklace now,” she said proudly.
“She stays up watching YouTube tutorials,” Miles added. “All your Christmas gifts will be homemade.”
“I’m working on a scarf,” Loxley said. “It’ll take me ‘til Christmas to finish, so y’all all may have to share it. But I’m determined to finish it.”
The room exploded in laughter, and I found myself watching Blue more than anyone else. She fit here. She belonged. She made them laugh, told stories about her dad and the bar, even talked about how I’d shocked her behind the bar on Friday night.
They adored her. And for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t the center of attention. And I didn’t want to be.
Eventually, we made our way to the stage. The sun had dipped low, the lights kicked on, and the crowd buzzed with anticipation.
When Loxley stepped out onto the stage, guitar slung across her chest, the entire venue roared. She launched into her first song without hesitation, and I had to admit, she was electric. It was giving me an adrenaline rush that I hadn’t expected.
Which was probably why when a slow song started and the crowd started to sway, I reached for Blue and spoke into her ear so she could hear over the music. “Dance with me.”
She blinked, surprised, but nodded. I took her hand and pulled her into the open space near our section. Gramps and Grams were already swaying and Jesse was wrapped around Easton.
We moved slowly, our bodies close but not too close. My hands slid around her bare waist, and her skin broke out in goosebumps. She was warm, soft, and easy to hold. Too easy.
The song wasn’t just beautiful, it was meaningful. And I suddenly understood why Loxley’s voice had the power it did.
When it ended, I pulled Blue in tighter, spinning her slowly to face the stage as a faster beat kicked up. But instead of stepping away, she leaned back. Her hips pressed into mine.
And there was no hiding how turned on I was.
Her breath caught, realizing what she was feeling as she pressed harder into me. I should have moved, I should have been a little more embarrassed, but instead, I dipped down to her ear, voice low. “I’m only human.”
She shivered and it made me want more.
“And don’t act innocent, Mrs. Brooks. I bet you’re just as human as I am.”
Even with the music and the crowd, I heard her gasp and I smiled in satisfaction. Maybe it was against the rules, maybe it would make life harder, but I wasn’t about to lie about something so real. Blue drew me in the moment I saw her swinging on one of the Murphy guys. She made me make immediate impulse decisions and although I never regretted them, I knew that I was suddenly in dangerous territory.
“Do you two need a room?” Miles bumped my shoulder with a grin.
I stepped back, but I didn’t let go. “Not my fault I married the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
And that wasn’t a line. That was the damn truth.
Miles lifted his hands in surrender. “Okay, but Grams and Gramps are right there. And married or not, if you’re not careful, they’ll start passing out condoms again.”
I barked a laugh. “Noted.”
I grabbed Blue’s waist and moved us a little farther away, but I could feel Miles watching in amusement. No one had ever seen me like this, because I’d never let anyone in long enough to try. He was probably just as mind boggled as I was.
The rest of the concert passed in a haze. We held hands. We swayed. We stole quiet glances.
It felt natural. Like we’d been together for years. And for just one night, I let myself pretend it was all okay.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
BLUE
My body hadn’t stopped buzzingsince that slow dance with West.
He was right—we were only human—but the way he leaned down, lips brushing my ear, voice low and possessive had short-circuited my heart. I thought once the concert ended, I’d come back to reality. Shake it off. Reset.
But we were halfway through dinner, and I hadn’t said more than five words. My stomach was in knots, my fork aimlessly stabbing at food I couldn’t even taste. Somewhere between Loxley’s opening number and West’s hand gripping my waist, something inside me broke in the best, or worst, kind of way. I wasn’t sure yet.
