As I approached the table, a young woman stopped me. “Wade? Hi, I’m Amanda Poteet. It’s a pleasure meetin’ you.”
I tipped my hat and replied, “The pleasure is mine.”
“Um, do you want to dance?”
My eyes swung over to Trevor. He smiled big, and I knew that was his way of telling me this girl was safe to dance with. The first night I got to town I got a stage three clinger. Took me three hours of trying to shake her before Trevor finally told her a lie…that I was gay.
“Sure, I’d love to dance with you, Amanda Poteet.”
She giggled and I forced myself not to roll my eyes. She couldn’t have been older than twenty. Taking her in my arms, we started to dance. The poor thing couldn’t really keep up, and we spent more time tripping over each other than anything. When I felt a tap on my shoulder, I turned to see Amelia. Her smile nearly blew me out of my boots.
“Mind if I cut in, Amanda?”
Amanda frowned. “Sure. I guess, if Wade wants to dance with ya.”
Great. She left it in my corner. “Sure, I don’t mind.”
The disappointment in Amanda’s eyes was evident. She forced a smile before spinning on her boot heel and walking off. Amelia held her arms out, and we started across the floor to “No Can Left Behind” by Cole Swindell.
“Listen, I’m sorry I walked in on you in the kitchen.”
Her cheeks blushed. “No, I shouldn’t have been doing that in the first place.”
I lifted a brow.
“Not that I didn’t want to do it. I did. I think.” Her brows narrowed.
“You think you wanted to have phone sex? Forgive me, Amelia, but you either know if you do or don’t.”
She sighed. “Can we please forget that ever happened?”
I looked at her with a raised brow.
“Please?”
“Consider it forgotten.”
“Thank you, Wade.”
Yeah, there was no way in hell I was going to forget that. But, since I knew she was embarrassed, I changed the subject. “Your mother was right, you can dance.”
Amelia laughed. “So can you, cowboy.”
“This ain’t nothin’, darlin’.”
She drew back and lifted a brow. “That right? Why don’t you show me your moves, then?”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Hell, yes, it is.”
“Country swing?”
“Bring it,” Amelia purred.
Smiling, I pulled her tight, and we took off two-steppin’. The girl could dance. After a few trips around the floor we got after it. A few twists and turns led to some dips and even a few lifts. It was like we had been dancing together our whole lives.
I could hear Trevor and Cord yelling out for an aerial spin.
Amelia laughed as she spun like a pro. Pulling her to me, she straddled my leg, and I dipped her back. Jesus, this girl was amazing.
Hoots and hollers tugged me from the dirty thoughts running through my head. I noticed, with a jolt, that only the two of us were dancing. When the song came to an end I slowly dipped her back. The smile on her face was something I wouldn’t soon forget.
I lifted her up and she threw her arms around my neck with a laugh. When she pulled back, her eyes caught mine. “That was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
I wanted to make a sarcastic comment about being in the kitchen with her New York City man not being fun, but I let it go.
“Same here. Where did you learn how to dance?”
She blushed. “My older sister is a dancer. I was dragged to all her practices and recitals. Guess I picked up a few things here and there.”
Giving her a yeah, right look, I spun her around one last time before walking her over to her family’s table. Cord stood and reached his hand out to shake mine.
“Dude, I’m going to need you to hang out at my place. Sing a little, dance a little. The women are going to go nuts over you.”
I let out a chuckle. “I don’t know about that, but I’d love to sing sometime.”
Trevor hit my back and pulled a chair out for me. He pointed over to his two sisters and yelled, “I told y’all he had the moves.”
“Well, I can tell you one thing, Wade. My daughter is smitten with you,” Steed said with a smile. “And I’m not so sure how I feel about that.”
The whole table let out a round of laughs. “No dancing with my wife!” Steed added.
Paxton rubbed her stomach. “I’m afraid I couldn’t dance like that even if I tried.”
“Your daughter is a joy,” I said. “She brightens my day when I see her walking into the barn with her goat, talking to Patches like they are long-lost friends.”
Steed groaned. “That damn goat. Dad and his great ideas.”
Glancing around, I asked, “Where did Tripp and Mitchell go?”
Trevor handed me a beer. “Tripp took off to pick up Corina from the airport, and Mitchell said something about having an early shift.”