Page 234 of Banter & Blushes

He lightly pushed her away and into a spin before pulling her back in closer than before. They both started laughing as her head found the shelter of his strong shoulder. She allowed herself to breathe out fully, slowing her heart rate that felt like it was racing in the moment. Regardless of what she tried to tell herself, and everyone else she knew she was falling for Mitch. Something about him pulled her in. She just wasn’t sure if she was willing to be pulled just yet.

“El,” he started for the third time, making her cheeks blush at the sound of her name on his voice. “I need to confess something.”

“Oh?” Her heart beat so fast she was sure he could feel it against his chest. Was she ready for what he was about to say? This was a moment there would be no going back from.

“I don’t know how to say this. But,” his face was straight like he was playing a hand in poker, “I’m not a professional singer.”

“Really?” She pulled away from him slightly to see his face better. “Well, you could have fooled me. You know, it’s nevertoo late for a career change?”

He chuckled, unable to keep his face neutral any longer. Still holding both of her hands his eyes gazed into hers. “You do have one thing right for sure, it’s never too late. Is it? Even when we think a chapter of our lives is completely closed. It never really is.”

“Never,” she agreed, wondering if he was still talking about singing or something else. “I don’t know how you’d do on one of those singing contest shows, but I know you’d certainly entertain everyone.”

“Eh, that’s okay.” He started dancing faster, turning her around in a circle. “There’s only one person I want to entertain, anyway.”

“The really mean judge who never likes anyone?”

“Nope.” He shook his head from side to side not taking his eyes off hers.

“Who then?” She egged him to keep going.

Instead of answering, he pulled her closer to him again. She closed her eyes expecting to feel his lips on hers. She didn’t know until that moment how much she was waiting for it. How much she wanted him to kiss her.

But he didn’t.

Instead, his lips reached toward her ear. His breath danced on her neck sending goosebumps along her arm. Picking up right where he left off, he whispered the next few lines of the song. “…you’re just too good to be true…”

They swayed to the pretend music in their heads in a close embrace under the brightly colored sunset sky. Dozer laid on the sand a few feet away with his ball, patiently waiting for their dance to be over.

CHAPTER 16

“HE SANG TO YOU ON THE BEACH?” Joe couldn’t hold back her excitement for her friend the next morning. “HOW ROMANTIC IS THAT?”

“Okay, okay,” she laughed, using her hands to push the air down in front of them. “Calm down.”

“HOW CAN I BE CALM? THAT IS SO SWEET!” She gushed again. Lowering her voice, she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Elva set out their normal coffee mugs on the restaurant counter. “I know but, shhh. Everyone doesn’t have to know about it. Or maybe you’d like to have Steve broadcast it over the PA system at the grocery store this afternoon?”

Taking a sip of hot coffee, she smiled, “you know what? I just might.”

“You would,” she teased her friend back. “It really was romantic, though. And he was such a gentleman. I didn’t think there were too many of those around anymore, at least not outside of our Landings.”

“Well, you do realize that he was alive when that song came out, right?”

“So was I.” She nodded her head up and down. “AND so were you!”

“Maybe that’s just how they grow ‘em in Red Bird?” Joe offered taking another drink of her coffee.

Pouring sweet tea into jugs, she shrugged, “maybe.” Before her friend could ask, she offered, “I’m taking lunch to the job crew today. They are almost done with the building and I thought this would be a nice treat.”

“That’s nice of you. You made an apple pie too, huh?”

Lifting the pie into a box she nodded, “they need dessert, don’t you think?”

A large smile covered her face, “of course they do. It’s a great excuse to see your beau too in the middle of the day.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, “I’ll have you know that I had this planned well before anything happened last night.”

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