The song ended and another started, its beat a little faster than the previous song. She and Ryder didn’t pull apart, just kept moving to the music.
She closed her eyes.
This feels right.
Only it was make-believe.
Ryder’s lips brushed against the top of her head, softly, but she’d definitely felt the caress. Opening her eyes, she caught Reva and Jeremy watching them. Smiling big, her cousin gave a thumbs-up sign.
Down the road, many years from now, she’d tell Reva the truth. Her cousin would understand why she’d wanted Ryder with her. No one wanted to come home for a wedding single, dejected and at her meddling family’s mercy.
She might even admit to the green tinging her blood at how Reva’s life was so wonderful and to the guilt she felt at her jealousy.
Glancing over at where Jeremy and Reva were hugged up on the dance floor still, her cousin laughing at something he’d said, McKenzie’s chest squeezed. That’s what she wanted. Someone to love her and laugh with her and want to spend their life with her.
Was that such an impossible want?
“What are you thinking?”
She lifted her head from Ryder’s strong chest to look at him. “Nothing, why?”
“You got tense. Everything okay?”
The man was too observant.
Still, McKenzie had no real regrets on bringing Ryder with her. To have come alone would have thrown an ugly wrench into McKenzie’s entire visit.
Because of him, this weekend had been fun, exciting and full of self-discovery.
“Just thinking how nice this is, spending unpressured time with my family, getting to know you, dancing with you,” she admitted.
“It is nice, but don’t forget none of this is real.”
No chance of that happening.
“It would be nice if it were, though.”
He stiffened against her and she realized they’d stopped dancing, were standing close, and to the casual observer probably just looked to be talking.
Obviously, her last comment had raised his hackles.
Embarrassed that she’d let herself get caught up in the heated emotions being with him caused, she forced a smile in his general direction.
No worries, Ryder. I know this is only pretense to you.
That’s all it had been to her, too. Initially.
Now, she wasn’t so sure, which was obviously making him uncomfortable.
She’d save him from having to stress that they weren’t real and never would be.
“Now, no more serious talk. Let’s have some fun.”
* * *
Just after eleven Ryder and McKenzie were back at her mother’s house. Her cousin Jeff and his family had already called it a night, as had her mother. All the lights were off except the front porch and a couple of night lights.
Mark was still out with the others, saying not to wait up on him as he’d likely find more comfortable sleeping arrangements than the sofa.