Page 2 of A Cowboy's Trust
“Tansy.”
This time in the pause between songs, a feminine tone rang out, and Tansy turned and looked into the face of one of her best friends.
Petra Sorenson, brunette hair wild around her shoulders and an enormous grin on her face, slid in beside her.
“I saw you earlier,” Tansy said. “But you were moving fast enough to set the globe off-kilter.”
Petra’s fiancé appeared behind her. Aiden Skye also wore a happy expression. “Trying to keep up with you.”
The three of them shuffled their way through the crowd to their usual spot, farther from the speakers so they could hear each other.
“Did I see you dancing with Johnny H?” Aiden shook his head slowly but his blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “That’s not the Tansy we know and love.”
“Hush,” Petra teased. “I’m sure it’s part of some grand karma offering to let out the old and bring in the new.”
“Makes sense. Although why anyone would want to start the year black and blue, I’m not sure.” He winked, tilting his head toward the floor. “Take a spin with me? I promise not to step on you.”
Tansy didn’t mind one bit.
Aiden expertly danced her off, and she offered a moment of thanks to whatever gods of mischief there were that the man had returned to Heart Falls in time to be there for Petra.
The two of them were perfect together.
Not a bad looking couple either, but then, all the Skye brothers, co-owners of the High Water ranch, were good-looking. All with dark hair and strong jawlines and piercing eyes that made direct contact.
Tansy liked a man who looked her in the eye, and not only because she hated holding a dialogue with anyone who talked to her chest.
“You ready for the coming year?” Aiden asked once they’d whirled their way to slightly more open floor room.
“Ready and waiting.” Tansy held her secret to herself, both because it was amusing to know something Aiden didn’t, and because it was the right thing to do. She didn’t always do the right thing, but in this case it was a good idea.
Besides, tomorrow the secret would be out of the bag.
“Hey, favour to ask,” Aiden said, a hint of hesitation slipping in. “I want Petra to have an engagement celebration with her girls. I mentioned it to her in passing, and she mostly waved it off. I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t want one, or she’s not looking forward to planning the details, or if it’s too soon.”
“I can get to the bottom of that for you, my fine young man. Leave it in Tansy’s capable hands, and I’ll find out what she wants.”
His smile faltered. “Thanks. We do talk, but her reaction seemed…odd,” he concluded.
This Tansy could absolutely reassure him on. “Dude, you do not have to justify your relationship. I know you guys talk. Not because Petra gives us a play-by-play or anything, but because she’s happy.” Tansy offered the update as reassuringly as she could. “And anybody who makes my girl happy gets one hundred percent help. I will report back.” She patted his shoulder encouragingly.
The song ended, and Tansy transferred arms again, this time to one of her more consistent dance partners, which meant she once again didn’t need to worry about trying to lead without her partner figuring it out.
The crowd was humming and the music loud, and she lost Aiden and Petra to the side of the room where they tucked their heads together and looked so cute and in love it made her heart pump faster with happiness for them.
Did she want that? The head over heels connection with one person? She still wasn’t sure?—
Which was as good an answer for now as any. Ignoring the question of the distant future, she returned her focus to her dance partner and sank in to enjoy the current moment’s good time.
Ten minutes before midnight, Tansy spotted him. Number two in the Skye brother trio. His jaw a little leaner, his eyes a touch more serious. Sometimes he looked as if he’d just lost his puppy, and she always had the irresistible urge to go over and pet him to make him feel better.
Not that he encouraged petting. Oh no, Jake Skye was too independent a man. Plus, he didn’t seem to have a funny bone in his body and took himself way too seriously. Maybe that’s why she found him intriguing, considering that while she could do serious, she had far more of anenjoy today, eat dessert first, dance while you canattitude.
Real or not.
Still, as she was awkwardly guided around the dance floor by her final incompetent dance partner of the year, God rest her shins, Tansy entertained herself by sneaking glances at Jake.
He nursed a beer and never went out on the dance floor, which made her wonder. She knew he could dance. That very first day at the end of summer when Petra and Aidan had been reunited, Tansy had danced with Jake…
