That First Special Kiss

He told himself to concentrate on his dance partner and not the slender woman in the flame-red dress across the room. “What?”

“Offering to dance with Kelly. The only time I see her get self-conscious about her limp is when someone mentions dancing. I bet she danced very well before her accident.”

Since Shane knew firsthand that Kelly still danced very well—but couldn’t mention that without revealing too much—he merely said, “I just thought she might like to give it a try tonight.”

Heather nodded. “Dancing with you will be comfortable for her because you’re pretty much family and she knows you won’t be making judgments about her, or anything like that.”

Family. As much as he had always liked the word before, it was beginning to annoy him a bit when it was used so often in reference to him and Kelly.

Kelly had greeted all her friends, and Brynn and Joe had just introduced her to Dr. Steve Carter. They’d been making polite small talk for only a few minutes when Shane and Heather suddenly reappeared. “Kelly, did Michael tell you his big news? Oh, sorry,” Shane said blandly, “Am I interrupting something?”

“Well, actually...” Brynn began.

Shane stuck out his hand to the tall, dark-haired man standing at Kelly’s side. “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Shane Walker.”

“Steve Carter. Nice to meet you.”

“I hear you’re new in the area.”

“Yes. I just moved here from Tulsa.”

Without glancing at Kelly, Shane pulled Heather in front of him. “Let me introduce you to my friend Heather Pearson. Heather, this is Dr. Steve Carter.”

“Doctor?” Heather’s eyes lit with interest. “It’s very nice to meet you, Dr. Carter.”

“Please, call me Steve,” he said with an attractive smile.

“I’d like to hear what you think of Dallas so far. Why don’t you tell me about it while we dance?”

Heather, Kelly thought wryly, had never been bothered by shyness.

Steve Carter certainly didn’t seem to mind Heather’s directness. “I would be delighted.”

Heather promptly towed him away.

Brynn made a sound of exasperation. “What just happened here? Shane, I was trying to introduce Steve to Kelly.”

“Sorry,” he said casually. “I didn’t know Heather was going to abduct him.”

Kelly, of course, didn’t believe him for a moment. But apparently Brynn and Joe did, which was all that mattered to her.

“What did Michael tell you?” she asked Shane, remembering the excuse he had used to interrupt them.

“Oh. Right. He’s buying into the air-charter service he works for. He’s going to be a full partner in the business and they’re planning to expand.”

“That is good news. When did it happen?”

“The plans were finalized earlier this week. He said he hasn’t mentioned it before because he didn’t want to jinx it.”

“Michael’s superstitious,” Kelly explained to Brynn and Joe.

Brynn lifted her eyebrows. “A superstitious pilot?”

Shane nodded. “You wouldn’t believe all the rituals he goes through in the course of an ordinary day.”

“Obsessive-compulsive?” Joe asked thoughtfully.

“Probably, but not so badly that it interferes with his job or mental health, so he doesn’t see any need to change now. He just calls himself ‘superstitious’ and goes on.” Shane turned then to Kelly. “Have you had an opportunity to dance yet?”