For a second, he looks pained. His eyes scrunched at the sides, lips pursed together. When he realizes I’m looking back at him, his expression softens in the blink of an eye.
Miles nods at me, holding my gaze as he takes a sip of his drink. His eyes don’t leave me for a second as he lifts the cold glass to his lips. My eyes dart down to his throat as he swallows the drink.
Slowly, he sets the glass down on the fireplace next to him, resting his elbows on his knees. I can’t take my eyes off of him. It’s like I’m glued to this spot.
We stare at each other longer than should be comfortable, until Hazel clears her throat, startling me out of my trance.
“Everything okay there?” She teases.
“Peachy.” I shoot her a smile over my cup as I take another sip. “I’m going to go check on the drinks, I’ll be right back.”
I hop off the porch and head up the steps around the front. The cabin isn’t as crowded as it was earlier in the night. People started to file out as the sun went down. I have a feeling that the ranch boys will be here a while into the night, though.
The kitchen is empty of people, but full of extra drinks and snacks that people brought. Leave it to Codie to somehow get everyone to bring the party to us, and get some future business for the rental while we’re at it. This night couldn’t have gone better.
I start to collect some stray plastic cups and throw them into a garbage bag. Cleaning up clears my head. I love having something to do with my hands while I think. Especially when I can be alone with my thoughts.
I’m not alone for very long, though. Boot steps clunk on the hardwood floor until I look up to see a familiar cowboy leaning against the kitchen entryway with one elbow.
Ugh. He even looks sexy leaning on doorways.
“Hey,” Miles says.
“Hi,” I reply. Apparently our only option for conversation tonight is saying hello back and forth to each other.
“Need any help cleaning up?” He offers.
I shake my head. “No, I just wanted to get away from the chatter for a minute. Nothing needs to be cleaned up right this second.”
He nods, considering this, then slowly steps towards me. Grabbing the trash bag from me, he picks up some empty chip bags and cans, then sets the bag down next to the counter.
“Let someone else clean things up. This is your night. If you want to be alone, that’s fine. But you shouldn’t be the one working,” he decides.
“I knew those Lone Pine Ranch cowboys were good for something,” I joke.
He laughs, sending a shiver down my spine. “They’re pretty good at making the messes in the first place, too.”
“Oh I know,” I say. “I heard they set a field on fire with fireworks not once, but twice.”
“Yeah I think I heard something about that too.”
We’ve migrated towards each other absentmindedly. It’s not until now that I notice we are only a foot apart. I can see the twinkle in his eyes up close, the curl of his lips as he smirks at me. I have to tilt my head up just slightly to look at him.
Piano notes ring throughout the kitchen, startling us both. We jump apart slightly, looking to see where the music is coming from. My eyes land on the old record player, sitting on an end table at the opposite end of the room.
A glossy black record spins, playing “Dancing in the Moonlight” loudly enough I can no longer hear the muffled voices through the kitchen door.
No one else is in the room. No one is around to have started the record player. But the needle moves its way towards the center all on its own.
“What just happened,” I whisper.
“No idea,” Miles follows my gaze until he notices the source of the song.
“I don’t even remember plugging that thing in when I put it there. Much less putting a record in it. Someone must have started it.”
“Odd,” Miles agrees. He holds out a hand towards me. “Would you like to dance with me?”
“You dance?” I feign shock. “They added that to your programming?”
