Page 18 of Rejected Heart

Liam pulled out the chair that was one away from Cooper. He urged me to sit, and I couldn’t get over it. Liam must have learned well from his father, because I hadn’t ever witnessed anything like it from any of the other boys at school who had girlfriends. Was he just a chivalrous guy by nature, or did Liam have an advantage that other kids didn’t? I didn’t seek to find an answer to that question, because I realized it didn’t really matter much to me at that point anyway.

Liam sat down between Cooper and me, and Jules saton my opposite side. Jules leaned toward me and whispered, “I’m so glad you’re here. I’ve been dying to meet you ever since Liam started talking about you. He’s never been one to get upset about things as it is, but I swear, I’ve never seen him looking so happy as he is when he talks about you.”

My heart squeezed. It was clear Liam had made mention of me to his family, but I wondered what he could have said about me. I tried not to dwell too much on it, because even if I didn’t know the specifics, it was clear it had all been positive.

“Thank you. I’ll admit, I didn’t know there were so many of you, but I’m so happy to have met you, too.”

A moment later, Ivy approached the table and sat with us, introducing me to her best friend, Ava. And the next thing I knew, dinner was being served.

I thought it was possible things would get awkward at that point for me, but the Westwood children didn’t allow that to happen. There was plenty of conversation and friendly banter throughout dinner, and whenever they were discussing something that I didn’t understand, it was usually Liam or Jules that would fill me in on the backstory to bring me up to speed.

From the moment I’d stepped foot in the ballroom and all throughout dinner, there had been soft Christmas instrumentals playing. But after dinner, it all changed. The atmosphere of the party had turned into just that—a party.

Except for Liam and the members of his immediate family that I’d just been introduced to, as well as Marcoand Ava, I didn’t know a single person in attendance. There was nothing to indicate who might have been extended blood relatives or simply the work family. But it was clear they all felt great being part of such a celebration. And they took pride in doing the celebrating part of it right.

Folks had made their way out to the dance floor while others had moved toward the bar. In other instances, I watched as some had taken the liberty to peruse and enjoy the dessert selection set up across the room in a stunning display.

No matter where people were or what they were doing, one thing was clear. They were happy and having a great time. I couldn’t say I didn’t understand the sentiment. It was the same for me.

But it was at that moment when Ivy, Jules, and Ava stood from the table. Ivy tugged on my wrist and said, “Let’s go.”

“Go? Where?”

Ava looked like she was about to embark on the delight of a lifetime. “We’re heading out there to dance.”

My eyes widened. “Oh, I couldn’t?—”

“Come on,” Jules urged me. “It’ll be fun.”

I glanced at Liam. “Go. Have a good time. I’ll be here.”

Feeling the nerves wash over me, I bit my lip. I didn’t dance. I’d never been to a dance. What if I made a fool of myself? Oh, this was going to be humiliating.

I reached for his hand. “Please don’t make me go out there alone.”

His eyes roamed over my face for two beats before he stood and said, “Okay, I’ll come with you.”

Relief swept through me as the five of us made our way out to the dance floor. And with Liam’s help, I didn’t feel so foolish once we were there.

He held on to me, moving with me, and making me feel a little less awkward. It didn’t take long for me to go from feeling uncertainty about my ability to dance in the midst of a crowd like this to having the time of my life. From one song to the next, we danced and sang, and I felt the spirit of the holiday moving through me.

Then the tempo of the music changed.

It went from upbeat and festive to a slower and more relaxed pace. That was when Liam leaned close and whispered in my ear, “This is what I was hoping for since I woke up this morning.”

“What?”

He slid his arm around my waist and tugged me close. He took my hand in his and smiled at me. “I’ve been looking forward to being able to dance with you like this all day.”

My belly flipped. “I’ve never done this before.”

“Well, you’re doing a great job so far. I hope you’re having fun here with me.”

I didn’t know what I did to deserve having such a great guy show such interest in me. I was a bit out of sorts, being so close to him, too. Granted, we’d spent time together, and there’d been the occasional handholding or even a brush of his hand against my back. But we’d never been like this, standing so close. I wasconvinced he could hear my heart pounding over the music.

“I’m having the best time tonight, Liam. Thank you for inviting me.”

“I should be thanking you for agreeing to join me. You’re easily the most beautiful girl in the room, and I think everyone is jealous of me right now.”

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