I turn to find Jesse standing beside our table, two fresh drinks in his hands. He sets one in front of me before taking Nora’s abandoned chair.
“About time,” I agree, accepting the drink gratefully. “I was starting to think they’d both die of old age before one of them made a move.”
“Sometimes the best things are worth waiting for.”
There’s something in his tone that makes me look at him more carefully. He’s watching Truett and Nora on the dance floor, but I get the feeling he’s talking about more than just their relationship.
“Is that what you’ve been doing, Jesse? Waiting?”
He turns those green eyes on me, and the intensity in them takes my breath away. “Maybe. Question is, are you done waiting too?”
The music shifts to something faster, but Truett and Nora don’t seem to notice. They’re lost in their own little world, finally allowing themselves to feel what they’ve been fighting for years.
“Dance with me,” I say suddenly, standing before I can lose my nerve.
Jesse looks surprised. “Bree…”
“You heard what you told me in the truck. About not letting the moment stop you next time.” I hold out my hand, mirroring what Truett did with Nora. “Well, this is a moment, Jesse Nelson. What are you gonna do about it?”
TEN
JESSE
What areyou gonna do about it?I repeat the question in my head, trying to figure out if this is some sort of trick or if Aubree is really testing me.
It’s crazy. With the shit we’ve got going on behind the scenes at the ranch, and her coming back? This should be the last thing on my mind, but I go back to the twenty-something-year-old I was when she kissed me.
I didn’t realize what that meant, or what kind of gift she was giving me. To be honest, I still can’t let myself think that far ahead, not when we’re courting danger every couple of weeks. But tonight? I just wanna be a regular guy with the woman he hasn’t been able to get out of his mind for years.
Reaching out, I grab her hand, pulling her up and closer to me. “Let’s go.”
My voice is barely loud enough to be heard, but hear it she does. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she scoots in so that our bodies are touching. I link my arms around her waist as “Something in the Orange” starts playing from the jukebox in the corner.
She closes her eyes and leans her head against my shoulder.
The lyrics hit hard, about when your woman tucks her head between your collar and jaw. That’s right where she is right now, and if I could keep her here forever, I would. There’s an overwhelming urge for me to tell her what’s been happening.
“Bree…” I start.
“Jesse,” she whispers. “Don’t. Don’t tell me we shouldn’t be doing this, that it’s going to end before it even gets started. That it’ll end badly. Give me these few moments. Can you do that for me?”
The desperation in her voice cuts right through me. Whatever brought her back here, whatever she’s running from, it’s eating at her just as much as our secrets are eating at me. Maybe we both deserve this moment of peace, this illusion that we’re just two people who care about each other without all the complications.
“Yeah,” I murmur against her hair, breathing in the familiar scent that’s haunted my dreams for years. “I can give you that.”
My arms tighten around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer. The heat of her body against mine sends electricity shooting through my veins. She fits against me like she was made for this spot, like all the years apart were just a mistake that’s finally being corrected.
The song fades out, and another one begins, something slow and mournful that speaks of longing and second chances. We continue swaying, moving together like we’ve been dancing for years instead of minutes. Her fingers play with the hair at the nape of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
“Are you happy to be home?” I ask, my lips brushing against her temple.
She’s quiet for so long, I wonder if she heard me. When she finally speaks, her voice is barely audible over the music. “I’m happy to be home, but not happy about what brought me here.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I knew there had to be something. Aubree never would have come back willingly. She was too proud, too determined to make it on her own in the big city. Whatever happened must have been bad enough to drive her back to a place she’d sworn she’d never return to.
“What brought you back, Bree?” I pull back slightly so I can see her face, but she keeps her eyes closed.
I feel her body tense against mine, her fingers stilling in my hair. For a moment, I think she might actually tell me. Then she opens those deep brown eyes and gives me a smile that doesn’t quite reach them.
