“I see what you mean.” Josh chuckled at his buddy. “I always thought your description of a barn dance was creative exaggeration.”
Kade smiled. “Is that like literary license?”
“Something like that.” He’d been watching all the Sweet family siblings. If anyone had told him that six out of six siblings were happily married and obviously so to anyone watching, even if the couple were across the room from each other, Josh would have said that it was statistically impossible. So much for math.
“How are you enjoying a good old-fashioned barn dance?” Jillian came up to Josh. She was the one married to the country music star.
By now he was pretty sure he had who was married to whom down. Of course, he’d known all the siblings. Years of working side by side with Kade, he almost felt like he was part of the same family. “It’s everything Kade said it would be.”
He still wasn’t sure what they were celebrating, but he was truly happy that he was still stateside to join Kade for the fun. He was especially happy to see how well things had worked out for Kade’s mother and Clint. When he’d first learned of Charlie Sweet’s unexpected death, he’d ached for the whole family, especially knowing how close they all were. Everyone loved their parents, and everyone had stories of clashes with parents, butKade made it sound like they all grew up in a fairytale and their father and mother were Prince Charming and his beloved Princess. Never having met them in person, it still broke his heart learning of Charlie’s death, and worrying about Alice Sweet alongside her son.
The band shifted to some country tune he wasn’t truly familiar with and the crowd parted like the Red Sea. At the center of the dance floor, Alice and Clint were doing a mean two-step. Not the walking shuffle that he’d seen at too many wannabe country western bars, but the walking step with turns and spins and they looked like professional dancers—or old married people who had been dancing together for most of their lives. Of course, they were neither, but he strongly suspected, some day not too far away, they would become one of those old married couples.
“Kind of sweet, no pun intended, isn’t it?” Sarah Sue, Preston’s wife, came and sat beside him. “I just love seeing them together. I mean, it was a bit of a shock at first, but if they will be half as happy as she and Mr. Sweet were, they will be one blessed couple.”
“That’s what Kade said.” Maybe it was something in the Texas water. There seemed to be an awful lot of happy around here and not much melodrama to go with it. Frankly, it wasn’t normal. It was almost worrisome. Not quite as bad as Stepford, but so perfect that he found himself for the first time in a long time, tempted to hang up his military career and settle down. And how stupid was that?
“And what are you two whispering about?” Preston came and set a glass of lemonade in front of his wife. Kissed her firmly, yet discreetly, on the lips, then slung his leg over the chair and took a seat, his hands hanging off the back as he watched his mother dance.
More people joined on the floor and when the song was over, Alice and Clint made their way back to the table, not fully holding hands like besotted teens, but just a few fingers linked, as if they couldn’t quite bear not being connected. There was little doubt in Josh’s mind that there would be another wedding coming—sooner than later. Of course, he doubted he’d be on the guest list, but regardless, he was very happy for his current hostess.
Alice flopped into the seat opposite Josh, her hand fanning her neck. “Okay, I am seriously out of shape.”
Merely raising a brow, Clint, ever the gentleman, said nothing as he sat beside her.
Sarah Sue stood from her seat and moved around to sit next to Alice. “Since we have a few minutes, I need to know if you were serious when you said you might like to take on fostering K9s?”
“Oh.” Alice looked to Clint, who merely smiled at her when Josh realized, the lingering look wasn’t lust but communication. The two had not said a single word, only a hint of a smile, a slight lift of a brow, tip of the head and then Alice Sweet turned to Sarah Sue. “Yes. I think I’d like that. I enjoyed helping Brady and then Samson. With the house almost empty, it would be nice to have more four-legged companions. Especially when Kade and Cassie move and take Brady with them.”
“Good.” Sarah Sue patted her mother-in-law’s hand. “I was hoping you’d say that. There isn’t the flow of dogs there had been after Afghanistan, but there are still too many service dogs needing training before they can live a retired life with a nice family.”
“I’m in.” Alice blushed. “I mean, we’re in.”
And that said it all for Josh. There definitely had to be something in the water on this ranch. Love, trust, communication, touch, and joy. Yep. Definitely the water.
Clint pushed to his feet. “I’m going to grab a beer. Anyone want something?” His gaze drifted from person to person at the table.
When his eyes met Josh’s, he heard himself say, “I’ll have a glass of water.”
