“This is true,” Momma agrees. “You should go enjoy the party. We can take Ruby home with us.”
I shake my head. “You kept her last night.”
“So? A grandmother can’t keep her grandbaby two nights in a row?” Imma Jean says. “Don’t be cruel and deny her time with that sweet baby.”
“I’m not,” I say. “I just—”
“You just nothing. Hand her over and go on,” Imma Jean says, reaching out for Ruby.
I release my sleeping daughter, who stirs slightly, and Imma Jean kisses her head as she rocks back and forth.
“I’ll go get her car seat,” I say, surrendering.
“No need. Your father bought one for my car and his truck last week. We’re all set.”
He did?That’s news to me.
“Now scoot. Go chase some fun. We’ll see you in the morning,” she says.
I kiss her cheek and head in the direction of the music.
When I enter the open barn doors, my eyes instantly scan the crowd until they fall on a pair of long legs in a short denim dress.
Chase some fun?
More like chase a Storm.
The event barn is dimly lit, with only a honeyed glow from the twinkle lights strung through the rafters spilling down onto the dance floor. It makes everything feel a little softer as the night morphs from excited, junk-food-fueled children in costumes and bright arena lights to the crooning of Wildhaven Junction. The band, a local favorite, is onstage.
Cabe and Bryce peel off toward the makeshift bar set up just outside the doors, already arguing about who’s paying for the first round of Ranch Waters. Harleigh loops her arm through mine and practically drags me inside.
“Come on. Let’s find a couple of sexy cowboys to twirl us around the floor,” she says, eyes bright and mischievous as we push through the crowd.
She’s not wrong. It feels like every cowboy in a fifty-mile radius decided tonight was the night to dust off their boots and show up. Denim, hats, clean-shaven jaws, and crooked smiles everywhere I look.
“Uh-oh, incoming,” Harleigh whispers.
I follow her gaze and catch sight of Dixon leaning against the right wall, talking to a couple of girls. The second his eyes land on us, he pushes off the wall and heads our way in a confident stride.
I paste on a smile. “Great,” I murmur.
“Hi, Harleigh, Shelby. I was hoping you’d be here tonight,” Dixon says when he reaches me.
“Hi, Dixon. I’ll just be … over there,” Harleigh says, pointing vaguely into the chaos before slipping away.
“It’s good to see you,” I answer, polite and practiced.
And then we just … stand there. The music swells, people laugh and brush past us, and neither of us seems to know what to say next. Thank God Charli appears at my elbow with two red Solo cups.
“Sorry, Dixon. I didn’t know you were here,” she says, handing one to me.
“That’s okay. I’m sticking to beer tonight,” he replies easily. “You ladies wanna dance?”
“Not yet,” Charli answers for us. “Gotta get this first one down.” She waves her cup.
Bryce and Cabe start shoving a couple of standing tables together in the back corner, and Charli invites Dixon to join us. Which he happily accepts.
Waylon’s words from last night echo in my head.“You don’t like him at all.”
