| Chapter Ten I was so nervous, more nervous than I had ever been in my entire life. Such a silly way for a twenty-six year old woman to feel, but that was the way I felt, no doubt about it. I moved across my room to stand before my mirror. I was wearing the traditional jeans and boots, along with a blue silk western-style blouse that buttoned down the front. But what caught my gaze were my eyes. I had never seen them look quite like that before. My cinnamon colored eyes glowed, as if they held the secrets to the universe. As a matter of fact the small smile gracing my lips hinted at secrets not yet revealed. I shook my head at such fanciful thoughts and turned from the mirror as a knock sounded at my bedroom door. I crossed the room and pulled the door open and I immediately felt my heartbeat quicken. Kevin stood on the threshold to my room looking better than any daydream I had ever had. His long hair was brushed until it shone, the ends just brushing his shoulders. A white dress shirt covered Kevin’s broad shoulders, and the sleeves were rolled up to his forearms. A pair of tight black jeans hugged his muscular thighs, and his black Stetson was clutched in his hand. “Ready,” he asked. I lifted my gaze to his and felt a blush work its way up my cheeks when I realized he had caught me staring. “Yes,” I answered softly as I led the way down the hall. “Callie lent me her truck. I hope you don’t mind,” he said as he held open the passenger door for me. “I don’t mind,” I replied, wondering where his friends and my sisters were. “Carly said that they’d meet us there,” he said as he started the truck and put it into drive. We made small talk as I gave him directions to the Robertson’s. When he pulled the truck into the field that was being used as a parking lot, he quickly hopped out walked around the front of the truck to open my door. He offered me his hand and I slipped mine into his as he helped me out. “Looks like the party has already started,” he commented as we headed towards the barn. Laughter and the strains of the instruments floated out the open barn door into the night sky. “Yes it does,” I replied as we crossed from the field onto the gravel drive. As we approached the door, he slipped his arm around my shoulders and I shivered from the sensation. His arm was a pleasant weight and the warmth of his body seeped into mine, causing my breath to hitch. As we stepped through the door, we paused to look for his friends and my family. He pointed across the room and I followed his finger as we began to move through the crowd. Callie and Carly were sitting in the corner with Kevin’s friends. “Hey guys,” I greeted as we reached the table. Hellos were exchanged as Callie and Nick moved down two seats to make room for Kevin and I. I smiled brightly as I watched AJ look around the room. “A little overwhelming, isn’t it,” I asked as I too looked around the room. At the back wall, a raised platform had been set up and the band was warming up. The floor was covered with straw and large electric lanterns hung from the high ceiling. Tables had been set up around the circumference of the dance floor and people dressed in jeans, boots and western shirts milled around talking, bringing the noise level in the large barn to a deafening level. Along one side of the barn a long table had been set up with a potluck dinner, provided by the women. “No, just a little bit of culture shock,” he admitted. Soft chuckles escaped from those sitting at the table and AJ shrugged his shoulders as if to say, what do you expect, I’m a city boy. “Exactly what kind of dancing will they have,” Howie asked warily. Carly smiled brightly and replied, “Oh you know, the normal.” When Howie’s eyebrows shot up Carly expanded. “We do the Tush-Push, the Texas Two-Step, and maybe a square dance or two, your basic everyday country dancing,” she said, adding a thick drawl to her voice. Seeing Howie’s discomfort, Callie took pity on him. “Don’t worry so much, you’ll do just fine. I promise.” The music started and my toes began to tap to the beat. I wanted so badly to be out there on the dance floor. Seeing that my gaze was riveted to the dance floor, Kevin leaned over close to my ear and asked, “Want to dance?” I gave him a bright smile and we made our way to the edge of the dance floor. We stood watching for a moment, letting him see how the steps went and then we moved into a line and began moving to the music. I knew this was a new experience for him, and I admired his pluck. He concentrated as he moved his feet in the intricate steps. I flashed him another smile, encouraging him to keep going when he turned left instead of turning right. The music stopped, and the dancers cheered and clapped before another song began. We danced for a while longer, before taking a break and grabbing some food. “Having fun,” I asked as we sat down. “Yeah,” he answered, his eyes sparkling. “I wasn’t sure I could keep up out there, but all in all, I don’t think I did to bad.” “I thought you did wonderfully for your first time,” I complimented. CCC Index Chapter Eleven Main Page |