Finally,finally, she noticed Dylan at the bar, catching his eyes across the room. He saw the way her body trembled at his stare but hated that she was in another man’s arms. Hated it even more when Sheridan pressed closer to her. Dylan’s whole body tensed, ready to step in if she needed him to. Or to walk out the door if she pulled him closer.
“Hey, man! How’ve you been?” His thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Ross, a former classmate. They’d been friendly in school but hadn’t been close. Ross stuck his hand out for a shake, giving Dylan an unrestrained smile he couldn’t help but return.
“Good, how about you?”
“Life’s been crazy. Got two under two at home, but my mom offered to take them tonight so the wife and I could get a much-needed break.”
Dylan nodded along politely, trying to imagine what his life would look like if he had two young kids. “Wow, that sounds like a lot.”
“It is, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” He said this with such genuine affection in his eyes as he looked off to his right, toward the tables near the door where Ross’s high school sweetheart sat.
Dylan felt jealousy momentarily race through him. He craved that connection. He’d been searching for it since she left.
His gaze was drawn to Kelsi over Ross’s shoulder as she stepped away from Sheridan, and Dylan’s breath expelled in a whoosh.
She made her way back across the bar to Cat, and he followed her with his eyes like a man dying of thirst in a desert seeing an oasis before him.
“There’s the missus. Nice seeing you, Dylan!” Ross clapped him on the shoulder and was gone, with Dylan’s distracted and late “you too” trailing after him.
But Sheridan had stepped up to the bar beside him and Dylan quickly forgot all about Ross. Tension was evident in every line of Sheridan’s body as he leaned over the bar and flagged the bartender down.
“Hey, man,” he said to Dylan before he ordered a beer.
“Hi,” Dylan responded, tone flat.
“Look,” Sheridan continued, “I wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings between us.”
Dylan turned his head sideways to face the other man. “Hard feelings?”
“Yeah. You know, since I’m going out with Kelsi, and you two obviously have a history. I’ve been in town long enough to hear the gossip.”
Dylan saw the smirk Sheridan wasn’t trying very hard to hide and clenched his jaw angrily. “No hard feelings.” Dylan leaned closer to Sheridan to add, “I don’t feel particularly threatened.” He paired the remark with a small shrug then turned back to face Kelsi, where she was sitting with her friend, dismissing Sheridan entirely.
Sheridan looked furious but turned and headed toward the exit, leaving his untouched beer behind.
Dylan smirked, enjoying the petty victory, and caught Cat watching him. She had seen the interaction, and he gave her a nod in acknowledgment before focusing on Kelsi again. She turned and met his stare, so he played with her a bit, slowly drinking a sip of his beer then dragging his tongue along his bottom lip. He was rewarded by her flushing crimson and quickly turning away. He finished his beer and set the empty glass down on the counter, thanking the bartender when she came to grab it, and made his way toward his girl.
She looked back at him as he made his way across the bar toward her, eyes locked on each other. When he reached her, he held a hand out, completely ignoring Cat and her husband. He only had eyes for Red.
“Dance with me?” he asked, suddenly nervous that she would turn him down.
But Kelsi smiled softly and placed her hand in his. “Lead the way, cowboy.”
On the dance floor, they fell into the same two-step routine they had made up years ago, full of twirls and dips and laughter. They felt like themselves again, finally. He hadn’t realized how badly he had missed this, being with her. They were so in sync in that moment that the rest of the world faded away and nothing else mattered. She was in his arms, the way it was supposed to be.
One song turned into two, then three, and her smile lit up the room as she danced. They didn’t say anything else to each other and let the music move them as they both pretended the past few years had never happened.
He had forgotten all about the war, the friend he’d lost, and his injury until he pivoted on his left foot while spinning her and the pain struck deep. His leg threatened to buckle, nearly sending him sprawling across the dance floor. He managed to catch himself at the last moment so that he only stumbled slightly. The movement threw off his leading Kelsi, and she was sent spinning into another couple on the dance floor.
Flushed with embarrassment and shame, he righted her and quickly made his escape. He immediately headed toward the door and hoped she hadn’t noticed his weakness. But she had, of course. He hadn’t missed her eyes flicking down to his leg before he left, and he could feel her watching him the whole way to the door.
He didn’t turn around as he strode away from her and out into the night, still unable to escape the demons that followed him home from overseas.
But now he’d had her in his arms again, and he was determined to have her there for the rest of their lives.
CHAPTER 23
Kelsi
