Page 8 of A Rancher's Bride
Josiah shared a wide grin as he ran his fingers through his blond hair. “Grrrr.”
Luke stood where he was as Josiah wove his way across the dance floor. He stopped and tapped the shoulder of a tall man who was enthusiastically two-stepping with a shorter woman. The man stepped back with a shrug, and Luke recognized him as one of their hands.
It was a little less entertaining when he realized the woman Josiah was now twirling quickly across the floor was Kelli, her long braids flying as she twisted, smiling at the veterinarian.
Luke watched for a minute. He could certainly understand why Josiah wanted to dance with her. They moved smoothly with none of that awkward back-and-forth that happened when a woman figured she knew how to dance better than her partner.
It was one thing when a guy couldn’t dance, but the bullshit thing Penny used to pull on him, trying to subtly lead when he didn’t need any help—chaos. And fucking annoying.
Josiah was definitely the one in charge, his leadership apparent when he changed directions at the last second to avoid crashing into a less competent dance couple. The rapid motion twirled Kelli closer, her braid flying out like a helicopter blade, her body snugged against Josiah as she laughed.
A moment later they were farther across the floor, talking as they moved. She was definitely light on her feet on the dance floor.
A strange twitch hit the back of his brain. Why did that seem so surprising? Luke thought it over hard until the truth struck.
Had he really never danced with Kelli?
Then again, why would he? He’d never danced with any of the other hands, but as he watched them, something tugged at his insides.
It didn’t sit right to see them cozied up and chatting happily.
It was nerves, Luke decided. It was thinking about Josiah’s comments and the possibility that even though the gala had been offered, it could still be taken from his hands.
Heck, what was he worrying about? Silver Stone was squeaky clean, and always had been. From the time his parents had established it with their best friends, all the way through until now, there’d never been a peep of gossip.
He supposed Caleb’s disastrous first wife could be considered a blunt on thestrong family valueschart, but considering he’d recently re-married, and he and Tamara were expecting a child— Plus Tamara’s family were rock-solid members of their community. There were no skeletons in the Stone closet, so Luke could push that worry aside.
Yup, it was nerves and restlessness.
That had to be why he found his feet moving toward Kelli. He didn’t have any concerns about her dancing skills, or his own, but it’d be a good idea for them to practice a bit as a couple.
The music changed as he reached their side.
Kelli’s chest rocked as she took deep breaths. “Damn, that was fun. Thanks, Josiah.”
He bumped knuckles with her and offered a wink. “No problem.”
She turned to walk away, ignoring Luke and the fact he was right there, waiting his turn.
What the hell?
“Kelli. Stop.” He pushed past Josiah and stepped closer. “Let’s dance.”
Her jaw dropped slightly, and something flashed across her face before she rolled her eyes. “Smartass.”
She whirled on her heel and kept walking, dodging between couples who’d started a fast-paced reel swirling around them. He would’ve damn near had to run to catch her.
Someone cleared their throat behind him. Luke turned to find Josiah staring at him as if he had mud on his face, both of them standing motionless in the middle of the crowded dance floor.
“What are you doing?” Josiah asked.
Luke thought it was apparent. “I asked her to dance.”
Confusion lit Josiah’s face. He tilted his head toward the side of the room before marching away so rapidly Luke had no choice but to follow. They found a place at a table with two chairs and barely any room.
It was like cloak-and-dagger bullshit as Josiah leaned in to speak quietly. Well, as quietly as he could, considering the volume of music. “Whydid you ask her to dance?”
“Because—”Oh. He hadn’t mentioned this part. “I said Kelli would be coming with me to the event. I figure at some point we’ll have to dance, and I figured a practice run would be good.”
