Page 30 of Summer Reading

“Who did you listen to when you were a teen?” I asked Ben.

He looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, “Classic rock, becauseGuitar Hero, at which I might add I was a beast. But to listen to, it was Linkin Park, the Killers, OutKast, you know, the standards for the aughts.”

“ ‘Hey Ya!’ is totally danceable,” I said. Then I grinned at him. “I can prove it.”

I opened the music app on my phone and raised the volume. As soon as the song started to play, I bobbed my head to the beat.

“I’m sure you can,” Ben said. He raised his hands to wave me off, but I tipped my head in Tyler’s direction. He was studying me with the intensity of a scientist. I gave Ben a pointed look, and he visibly drooped.

“Fine, teach me,” he said.

Tyler turned to Ben with wide eyes. He looked shocked. “You’re going to learn to do that?”

Ben nodded. “Sure. It looks like fun, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess, if you’re into that sort of thing,”Tyler said. He was trying to appear casual, but he could not hide the spark of interest in his eyes. Sophie had clearly made an impact.

“All right!” I clapped my hands and spun around so Ben and Tyler were behind me. I could see them in the reflection of the kitchen window.

Tyler was staring at his feet as if uncertain about whether they would betray him or not. But Ben, with his scruff of a beard and piercing eyes, met my gaze and mouthed the wordsYou owe me.

A little thrill shivered through me, and I quickly glanced away so he didn’t see my reaction.Focus, Gale, focus.

Chapter Eight

Over my shoulder I said, “Okay, running man is the basic step for everything. Master this and you are good to go. Now watch.”

I did the moves slowly so they could see. Then I picked up the tempo until my feet were a blur. I looked back at them, and they had matching looks of confusion on their faces. I laughed. I couldn’t help it. I’d taught a few men to dance in my time, and it never failed to entertain.

“Think of it this way. Flamingo.” I paused to hold my right foot up like the pink bird. “Pyramid.” I put my right foot down in front, making a pyramid out of my legs. “Flamingo.” I raised my left foot while sliding my right foot back at the same time. “Pyramid.” I put my left foot down in front. “Got it?”

I turned around to watch them attempt it. They looked like they were trying to stamp out a fire. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing. They were cute. They were earnest. They were terrible.

Tyler stumbled and then got his feet mixed up. Hewas trying to hop from left to right without sliding back the foot that was in front while popping up the other leg at the same time. He was a hot mess. Ben was a little bit better but also looked like he was made out of tin and his joints had gone rusty.

“This is hard!” Tyler said. He stopped and doubled over, panting for breath.

“Yup, but once you get it, it’s all muscle memory.” I turned back around and began to dance slowly so they could see me. When it looked like they might be catching on, I moved into a T-step so they’d have a chance to catch their breath with the lower-impact move.

“I think she’s trying to kill us,” Ben muttered to Tyler, who laughed.

“Hey, you’re the ones who asked,” I protested. I caught Tyler’s gaze reflected in the window, and he smiled at me. It was a grin of complete joy, and it made me stumble a step. In all of his fourteen years, my half brother had never looked at me like that, not even when he was a toddler and actually liked me.

My gaze slid over to Ben as he glanced between us. He met my stare and winked, and I knew he got it. He understood how huge this was for me. I smiled and he returned it. In that moment I felt purely connected to him, as if we understood each other on a level unique to us, which was crazy since I hardly knew him, but it felt amazing.

When the song ended and rolled into another one on my playlist, Ben yelled, “Freestyle!”

He and Tyler made up dance moves that looked like they were starting a lawn mower and then mowing a lawn. I laughed so hard I lost my rhythm.

“Come on, Sam, keep up!” Tyler heckled me.

“Miss, I’m sorry to interrupt your... um... but we’re going to need this patio.” I turned to find a hostess standing beside me. I let out a yelp and stopped dancing.

“Of course,” I said. “Sorry!” I cut the music on my phone and shooed both Tyler and Ben into the kitchen.

Tyler was choking on his laughter. “She didn’t even know what to call that.”

“I think I’m offended,” Ben said. He glanced at me and said, “I also think you still owe me a beer.”

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