Chapter 12
Memphis couldn’t get the grin off his face as he and Ty hurried to keep up with Don’s square dance calls. He’d been told that Mable’s husband, Don, wore many hats. Besides helping his wife set up the buffets and manage the kitchen staff, he was DJ, auctioneer, and now square dance caller at the inn’s weekend events. And boy, was he good at it.
The introductory portion had gone smoothly enough, and it had given Ty and Memphis a few practice rounds before the main dance began. It was a good thing the pavilion was large enough to accommodate so many couples in squares. There were five squares, to be exact, each with four couples to complete the square.
“Roll away to a half sashay,” Don called as the fiddle played.
They shifted from the handholding circle as Memphis helped Ty roll in front of him, moving her from his left side to his right.
Already, Don was announcing the next call. “Ladies in, men sashay.”
Ty, along with the other ladies, moved into the center, curtseyed, and shouted out a “Whoo” in unison. Memphis stepped over so he’d be at her other side when she stepped back, an action Ty took right on cue. She didn’t miss a beat getting back into the handholding circle again, smiling widely at Memphis as she did.
A strong dose of warmth stirred low in his belly as she held his gaze, that dimpled smile causing her cheekbones to glisten with reflections of the hanging lights.
“Looking good, now don’t be slow. Weave the ring, it’s time to go.”
Releasing the hands he held, Memphis turned to face Ty. He winked at her as another rush of heat swept through him. Already, they were stepping past one another, shoulders brushing as they moved about the circle. Memphis moved past the other ladies in the square, one after the next, alternating sides until he was face-to-face with Ty once more.
Don called out the next one. “Ace of Diamonds, Jack of Spades, meet your partners and promenade.” Ty giggled as they did so, moving right into the next move as it came.
“Circle ‘round with a do si do, then box the gnat and there you go.”
This was a difficult one for Memphis. He was supposed to keep his grip on Ty’s hand, but the trick was that he was also supposed to move behind her while she moved left under his arm. He thought he had it figured out, but as he lifted their joined hands for Ty to move through, Memphis realized he’d spun the wrong way, which was why Ty must have hesitated.
Yet just as Memphis hurried to switch hands, Ty stepped forward and caught the swift movement of his knuckles along her cheek.
“Oomph.” Ty broke their grip and brought a hand to her face.
“Shoot, Ty, I’m sorry,” Memphis blurted over the music as he directed her out of the circle. Unfortunately, it was right where Maverick was sitting.
“What’d you do?” he asked, arms folded over his chest as he looked from Memphis to Ty.
Memphis ignored him and turned to Ty. “Are you okay?”
Ty straightened up and nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she hollered, glancing back to the circle. “Let’s get back in there and finish up the dance.”
But Memphis only shook his head as he surveyed the red mark on her cheek. “I want to get some ice for that so it doesn’t bruise.”
“That’s not necessary,” she was saying, but already the dance was coming to an end.
“Shake hands with your partner and give them a bow,” Don was saying. “I’m grabbing a drink so ta ta for now.”
“See?” Memphis said with a wave toward the others. “They’re done now anyway.”
Ty nodded, but moved back toward the other couples just the same. “Let’s tell them thanks,” she said.
Memphis followed as she moved about the circle greeting the other couples. To those who asked, she explained that she’d accidentally knocked into Memphis’s hand and that he was taking her to put some ice on it. He couldn’t help but appreciate her friendly manner. She took a real interest in others, and he admired that about her.
“Okay,” she was saying to an older couple. “Be sure and try that tonight. See if it helps.”
“Oh, we sure will,” the gray-haired woman assured. “Thank you, dear.”
Memphis brought his hand to Ty’s lower back, guiding her toward the patio door so he could take her into the staff’s kitchen for an ice pack. “What was that about?” he asked.
“Oh, just a couples massage move I showed them earlier,” she said. “They have sore hands and wrists. I taught them a technique that should really make a difference. Plus,” she added with a grin in his direction, “it’s a good excuse for them to get close each night.”
Memphis returned the smile, liking how easy she was to be around. “That sounds nice.” He almost added that he hoped to be the recipient of her techniques sometime, but decided against it. Andie would get him on her schedule soon enough.
