So I’ll be her partner.
Because if she can’t dance with her fiancé, no way is she going to dance with any other man but me.
I nod at Phillip as June rejoins us. “The women’s shelter just called, and they want produce in addition to canned food,” she says. “I wish they’d mentioned that yesterday.”
“I’ve got plenty of extra produce at the ranch,” I offer.
* * *
Leleila
Phillip hustles over to me as Brayden heads for his truck.
“Lei,” Phillip says in a rush of breath. “The women’s shelter volunteers are on route, and Brayden said he has extra produce at his farm stand. You mind coming to help us pack it up?”
“Um.” The three of us together? That’s going to be awkward as hell. “Sure.”
I follow him to the curb, but before we can turn toward our car, Phillip’s phone beeps.
“Oh, crap,” he says as he reads the screen. “Mindy’s coming by.”
“Mindy?” The woman he mentioned the other night?
“She’s a researcher, and she’s new here,” he explains to my obviously worried expression. “She just moved to Montana two months ago, so I invited her to the Food Drive. She wants to help.”
“Oh. Well, that’s kind of you.”
“Except now I can’t leave…” Phillip looks over at Brayden just stepping up into his truck. “Can you go with Brayden and pick up the produce then bring it back here?”
“Me?”
“I have to wait here for Mindy.” He’s already urging me toward Brayden’s truck and waving to him at the same time. “I’ll see you soon.”
Chapter Ten
As I reach the truck, Brayden leans over from the driver’s seat and opens the passenger side for me. I step up onto the cab and climb in, taking care to buckle my seat belt.
I peek over at Brayden and realize he’s waiting for me to get settled before taking his foot off the brake.
“You all set?” Every single time he puts his eyes on me, he gives me all of his attention, and I’m not used to that. To be honest, when Phillip gives me one eye, even with the other concentrating on his research specimens, I feel lucky.
“I think so.” I turn my gaze to the road as we start driving down Main Street. “So, what did you bring to the food drive to donate?”
“How about myself?”
I freeze. “What?”
“I’ll be your friend. And I’ll be your dance partner.”
As we reach a red light, he turns to me, his expression serious.
I stare at him. Part of me wants to turn away because the feelings coiling inside me feel dangerous. But the other part of me wants to get lost in Brayden’s sapphire eyes for as long as I can.
“I thought you said no to the dance lessons,” I say too sharply.
He shrugs and shifts his gaze back to the road as the light turns green. “Changed my mind.”
“How come?” I don’t know why I care or why I’m pushing him on something that’s clearly uncomfortable for both of us.
