Page 48 of Stealing for Keeps
When she turns to leave, Austin lets out a long breath. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. Now we have to dance, or she’ll just follow you around all night.”
He chuckles softly, looking as uncomfortable as if I suggested we walk over hot coals barefoot, but takes a hesitant step closer to me.
“You cannot be that bad of a dancer,” I say, slipping my arms up to his shoulders. The height difference means our bodies are close.
His hands go to my waist, and I suck in a breath at the contact. Suddenly I’m wondering if I should have just backed away and let him dance with Sophie.
“Oh yes, I can be.” His body is stiff, but his touch is soft. He smells like laundry detergent and a whiff of cologne.
“Relax,” I say. “And don’t step on my bad foot.”
He chuckles and looks pained again as he glancesdown, like he’s ensuring he knows where it is so he doesn’t stomp on it. It’s adorable really, how out of his element he is right now.
“How is your foot?” he asks. “Do you need to sit?”
“Oh no, you’re not getting out of this that easily.”
One side of his mouth pulls up in a sheepish grin.
“My foot is good. The boot comes off next week if everything looks good.”
“That’s great.”
We fall into a rhythm, swaying to the beat, and he seems to let go of some of the tension he was carrying.
“Oh, I meant to tell you, Wyatt is in love. Your sister came up to him today at recess and introduced herself.”
“Oh really?” I smile. I mentioned him to Ruby last week, and she promised she’d keep an eye and ear out for him, but we’ve barely seen each other since. She’s busy with dance rehearsals every night, and I’ve been spending evenings at the Keller household.
“Yeah, he asked me tonight if I could put in a good word for him.” His grin widens. “So consider this the good word.”
I laugh and picture Wyatt. “Wow. I’m impressed he has the guts to go after a girl two years older than him. Confident kid, like his big brother.”
“If she looks like you, then I understand his obsession.” He smiles. “You look really great tonight. Always, but I like the dress. And the braid. And the glittery stuff around your eyes.”
I laugh at that, and he winces.
“Fuck, I’m going to shut up now.”
My laughter trails off, and my face heats with the compliments.
“So how did you manage to avoid slow dancing this long? Did your last school not have dances or something?”
“They weren’t like this, I’ll tell you that.” He looks up and around at the decorations. “They were held in this small, old gym, and the PE teacher also DJed on the side, so they’d get him to set up and play. It was awful. He’d play exclusively eighties music, and everyone would end up sitting around and talking or leaving early and hitting a party or something else. Do people stay the whole time at these things?”
He really is too cute when he lets his insecurities show. I’m used to cocky and confident Austin. “Most people will leave by ten.”
“But not you?”
“Lacey is a diehard. I’ll have to drag her off the dance floor.”
“She’s a trip. How’d you two become friends?”
“She came up to me on the first day of sixth grade and said she liked my dress and declared we were going to be friends.” I shrug.
He lets his head fall back and laughs. His light green eyes sparkle, and a little of his dark hair is visible around his ears.
