Page 181 of Banter & Blushes

I laughed. “As long as you only take one slice each.”

Meemaw grinned. “Stick with me, and I’ll teach you how to snag cake and avoid getting caught. First rule: Always smile and act innocent. Second rule … I’ll tell you that later. How about you tell your parents to go dance and I’ll keep an eye on you for a bit? Have you tried my deviled potatoes yet?”

“Deviled potatoes?” I asked.

“Tater skins stuffed with creamy Southern potato salad. Try a bite, and you’ll want the recipe, sure as I know these girls want to know my secret.”

“Daddy, Wynnie, please go!” Isla begged.

“I guess we’re out, Wynna-bun.”

Arwyn slipped her arm into mine and led me toward the dance floor. “Molly said she’s one hundred percent trustworthy, kind, and capable.”

“I believe that,” I said.

As the sun set over the church grounds, its rays cast the dance floor in a golden glow. The music slowed, and couples began swaying together.

I pulled Arwyn into my arms and lowered my head so that we were cheek to cheek.

“I could dance like this all night,” I sighed.

“Me too.”

I closed my eyes, and we melted into each other, swaying to several songs and forgetting about everything—and everyone—else.

“Daddy!” Isla tugged at my suit jacket, and her lips fell into a disapproving frown, like a teacher who’d suffered through one of my schoolboy pranks. “Meemaw says to tell you you’re not married yet and you should leave room for the Holy Spirit.”

“What does that mean?” Amelie asked.

I barked a laugh. “I’ll tell you when you’re older. Right now, it means you two get to dance with us. May we have this dance, princesses?”

“Both of us at the same time? And Wynnie, too?” Isla tapped her chin.

“Of course. My arms are big enough to hold all three of you. Each of you girls stand on one of my feet and hold on to my waist, and Wynnie will stand behind you. Like a sandwich.”

The girls giggled as they climbed onto my feet and tried to balance. Once they were secure, Arwyn positioned herself, and I hugged all three of them to me, leaving a little bit of space for the girls to breathe. Being the little wigglers they were, they quickly decided the family dance wasn’t for them and asked if they could go dance with their friends, who, from the looks of it, were doing some kind of dance-off by the stage.

The music stopped, and the band took the stage again. Apparently, they were from Crane’s Cove and good friends with all of the locals here.

“Macy! Sing ‘Meant to Be’!” JC shouted from the other side of the dance floor. He’d sung a duet with her earlier and wowed the crowd.

Show-off.

The lead singer smiled out on the crowd. “I was going to start with something more upbeat. What do you think, friends? Should I take JC’s request?”

The guests cheered. I wasn’t familiar with the song, but right now, anything slow meant more time holding Arwyn.

“It’s our song,” Taz said, squeezing Maddie to his side. “Right, babe?”

Maddie blushed and nodded, then turned her face into his chest like she’d rather be anywhere else.

They reminded me of a couple I knew very well.

I kissed the top of Arwyn’s head, sure that she could sympathize with Maddie.

“All right, then,” Macy decided with a conciliatory smile. “As some of you know, this song is very personal to me. I wrote it as I was coming out of a hard time. I hope it inspires you that no matter how challenging life can be, there’s happiness waiting on the other side. You just have to claim it and take it.”

“Good advice,” Arwyn whispered. “May I have this dance?”

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