Page 23 of The Alpha and the Baker
Man, I wished my mom could have been here. She would have loved Gammy McCallister.Andthe food. Although her heart always remained in Malaysia, she loved American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Italian food.
Then there were the kids. My mother was always proud of the path I took, but when she was at her sickest, she apologized to me for not being able to be there for whatever children I might have. I told her she had nothing to apologize for, but still, I knew in her heart she’d longed to be a grandmother. She’d never rushed me, had always been patient, but her journey just didn’t last long enough.
“Are you all right?”
“Huh?” I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts to see Cas just a breath away from me, concern all over his handsome features.
“You’re crying.”
“Am I?”
I touched my face, and sure enough, a couple of tears had managed to escape my eyes. When hadthathappened?
“I’m okay, just thinking about my mom.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, but I shook my head and tried to find my words. It wasslightlyeasier than an hour earlier, yet still nowhere near normal.
“Nothing to be sorry for. She would have loved this.”
There was his smile again, so soft and inviting. Why was he looking at me like that? I wasn’t mad about it, and it did make me feel like nothing bad could happen. “You think so?”
“I know so,” I answered resolutely.
Cas looked like he might have had an answer to that, but the second lively jig in a row cut off, and something slower began to play.
Much slower. In fact, it was almost romantic.
A bunch of the kids groaned or outright complained only to be shushed by a nearby adult. The dogs also seemed less hyped about the choice and wandered to the sidelines to flop into the grass.
But as for Cas and me… Well, we were just staring at each other.
“Do you need to rest?” he asked, and I swore that something changed in his eyes. His gaze grew more intense. Grewhungry.
“I could.” I didn’t know where my bravery came from, but I took a small breath and looked up at him through my lashes. “But I could keep dancing.”
One of the corners of his lips curled up and his gaze grew even darker. “Could you?”
Oh my god, double-gulp in a cup. His voice had dipped lower, and I wasnotexpecting that. It was like it rattled through my bones and vibrated right down into my soul. I didn’t think I’d ever had a physical reaction to someone’s voice before, but that was absolutely what was happening.
And I didn’t think I could blame it on the alcohol.
“I could,” I confirmed softly.
“Then let’s dance.”
Gently, oh so gently, he pulled me closer until we were practically touching, and his other arm slid around my waist. It was like the entire world around us crumbled away, leaving only our heartbeats and the music.
“Just follow my lead. I’ve got you.”
He most certainly did.
Mouth dry, heart thundering, I swayed along with him to the gentle lilt of the string music. We were just doing a two-step with a little spin every once in a while, but it felt like I was floating across clouds.
It was like a moment from those romance novels my mother used to read when she missed my father, and I couldn’t believe it was happening to me. Even though I knew I would likely never see the guy again, I would never regret this one perfect night.
Castiel
Tension Lines
