Page 9 of All Inn Thyme
Everyone goes quiet at the table, and I can see her wanting to decline. I reach over and take her hand. “Just one?” I stare into her eyes and give her a big smile that I know she won’t be able to resist.
Preston eyes us curiously but doesn’t say anything as he takes a sip of his drink. Yep. Just as I thought, friend zone for these two. Thank fuck.
I guide her onto the dance floor, her hand still in mine. I don’t let go, I just pull her in closer and hold her hand softly in mine.
“I’m not a very good dancer,” she admits nervously.
“Me neither, darlin’. Let’s just pretend we know how.” I chuckle as I lead her, my hand in hers.
“What made you want to dance with me if you don’t dance?” She leans into me a little and I feel her relax slightly.
“I want to get to know you more,” I say softly.
She lets out a nervous laugh. She’s an enigma. She’s beautiful, yet she carries herself like she doesn’t even know it. She’s wearing a black crocheted tank top that shows off her toned arms and shoulders and a long, patterned skirt with a slit up the side, revealing a strong, tanned leg. I’d like to explore that leg with my hand, but of course, I refrain. At least for now. But damn, she’s gorgeous as all get out. Holding her on the dance floor, my hand grazing the bare skin on her back, this is the hardest dance I’ve ever done, and I mean in more ways than one.
She glances up at me. “Well now that we’re out here, you seem like you really do know how to dance.” Her eyes meet mine. “And I’m also not very good with new people.” This feels like a silent warning.
“Me neither. I guess we both have our struggles.” I shrug like it’s no big deal.
“What kind of struggles do you have?” She tilts her head up at me.
My eyes drag over her adorable freckles again, her face a little flushed, probably with nervousness, and her green eyes lock on mine. “Not really any struggles. I just know what it’s like to be new in town, to be lonely.”
“Are you lonely, Ty?” She rests her palms flat on my shoulders as we move to the music.
“Not anymore.” I break into a wide smile.
“You’re such a flirt.” She laughs, and I can feel her starting to relax even more as she leans into me, probably partly to hear me over the loud music.
“Only with you,” I admit.
“Are you seeing anyone? Single?” she asks, biting her lip like she’s going to be devastated if I say I am.
“Wouldn’t be dancing with you if I was seeing someone, darlin’.”
She looks relieved and nods. “Good.”
“I wouldn’t mind seeing you around a lot more, though,” I hedge as the song picks up a bit. My guard is down with Mellie, my southern accent not clipped back at all at this point. I’m on a high, dancing this close to her. Feeling her in my arms, looking into her eyes, and letting go, I almost forget who I am and why I’m here in Freedom Valley in the first place.
Her eyes tip up to mine. “New Hampshire is a long way away from Alabama. You plan on sticking around?”
And this is where it gets tricky for me. I don’t want to lie to her, but I can’t exactly tell her the truth of why I’m here, so I deflect her question as much as I can.
“As is Mississippi,” I hedge. Her eyes flash something I can’t fully detect, but it’s not something good, and she tenses up a bit. This makes me back off a little and want to lighten the mood.
Before I can get a word in, she asks, “What brings you here?” She’s good, once again bringing the focus back onto me.
“Work and a fresh start, if we’re being honest.”
“Same,” she says, looking like she’s lost in thought.
“How come we haven’t hung out much until now?”
“I didn’t realize you even knew who I was.”
“I’ve definitely seen you around, but you always seemed busy and I never got the chance to say hello. Didn’t feel right then,” I say. Whatever distance and nerves we had at the beginning of this song are close to gone as we dance, our bodies practically molded together. I can’t take my eyes off her lips, and I wonder what it would be like to kiss her. I catch her staring at mine too, as if she’s thinking the same thing.
“I’ve been busy. Between my son, work, and the gardens, I haven’t had a lot of time to make friends outside of the inn.”
