Page 23 of Hello Tease

I shook my head. “I’ll handle him in person.”

“And Larkin?” Fletcher asked.

“I’m not wasting any more time. I’m going to ask her out. Tonight.”

12

LARKIN

It had beenyears since I’d gone out dancing with girlfriends, and I felt every one of those years after doing the Wobble. My knees definitely didn’t feel like this last time. And Twisters wasn’t like any dance hall I used to frequent in Dallas.

This building had an unassuming brick façade matching the rest of the buildings on Main Street, and when you walked in the door, there was music going, loud enough to dance to but not so loud you had to shout to carry on a conversation.

The dance floor was made of black and white tile and surrounded by tables made of plywood and two-by-fours. Each table was covered in writing, and while Liv got us drinks, I sat with Hen, Della, Maggie, and Camryn, looking at everything written on its surface.

There were couples’ initials, cusswords, and in between, I noticed the same turtle design that had been tattooed on Knox’s arm. My eyebrows drew together as I traced my fingers over the design. Had Knox drawn this?

“Here’s your drink, lady.” Liv set my favorite drink in front of me—grapefruit vodka and Sprite—then sat beside me.

Della made a face at Liv. “We saw you talking to Garth.”

“Ugh.” Liv groaned. “I couldn’t dodge him. He is seriously the worst.”

I looked over Liv’s shoulder, wondering which of the several guys standing by the bar she was talking about. I was so absorbed in the table drawings that I hadn’t noticed. When I glanced back at the girls, I said, “Which one is he? So I can stay away.”

Liv set down her beer and said, “Big dumbass with the black hat and red face.”

I thought that wasn’t the most helpful description, but then I turned and he stuck out like a sore thumb. “What did he do?” I asked.

With a frown, Liv leaned forward. “Let me give you a heads-up. You’re new in a town with a very limited dating pool. Which means guys are going to treat you like you’re a shiny new toy.”

Della nodded, wryly adding, “Like a bunch of kids who never grew up and left the sandbox.”

My heart sank. Maybe some part of me had hoped to find someone truly good, when I was ready. But now that was seeming like a very distant possibility. Especially when the one “good guy” I knew was off-limits.

Hen patted my hand. As if reading my mind, she said, “There are lots of nice people here.”

My heart warmed at the kindness in her eyes. “You said you used to live in California. When did you meet your husband?”

Her smile seemed bright amongst the dimly lit bar. “I worked for an apartment company that was building a new complex, and Tyler was the head contractor on the job. Sometimes it seems crazy that out of all the people we could have hired and out of all the projects he could have worked on, we were in the same place at the same time.”

Della grinned. “Three years in, and they’re still one of the happiest couples I know.”

Hen responded with a bashful smile. “When you get married, I’ll give you the advice my dad gave me. Changed everything.”

Someone tapped on my shoulder, and I turned, looking to see who it was. A tall, stocky guy with wide-set brown eyes and brown curly hair grinned down at me. “Can I trouble you for a dance?”

Thankfully, it wasn’t Garth, but Liv’s warning went off in my mind. Was I really just a shiny new toy to this guy? Was he staking his claim or something? But surely a dance couldn’t hurt.

“Um, okay,” I said. As he took my hand and turned to lead me away, I sent a quick, questioning look at the girls.

Liv gave me an encouraging smile, and Della did a double thumbs-up.

Pleasantly surprised, my heart relaxed a little bit as he stopped midfloor and easily guided my hand to his shoulder. He took my other hand in his and settled a large hand at my waist. He led me in a slow dance to the warbling country song.

Seeming so at ease, he gave me a smile and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Bennett.”

Relaxing a bit more, I said. “Larkin. Nice to meet you too.”

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