Page 43 of Serenity at Seagrove
As the tournament wound down, Luna was nervous about the evening ahead. She watched Archer throughout the day, noting how he moved between all of his different roles—coach, community member, and friend. Each facet revealed something about him that made her heart flutter.
"Ready for the next part?" Archer said, appearing beside her as the last players finished. "We have some time to freshen up before the dance."
"Oh, I should probably head home to change then," Luna said.
"So I'll pick you up at seven?"
"Seven," she said.
When she returned to Serenity, she found herself taking extra care of her appearance. She refreshed her makeup, let her dark hair fall in soft waves around her shoulders, and slipped on the green dress that still felt so magical.
At seven o'clock, she heard his car pull up in the driveway. She jumped at the knock as if she wasn't expecting anyone, even though all she was doing was expecting someone.
When she opened the door, Archer's mouth dropped. "Wow, you look stunning.”
“Thank you,” she said, uncomfortable with the compliment.
"Ready to go?"
"Absolutely."
He reached out his arm, and she interlocked her arm with his as they walked to the car. The drive was a short one, as were most drives in Seagrove. When they arrived, he ran around the car and opened the door for her, and then they walked inside.
The country club ballroom had been transformed with twinkling lights and flowers everywhere. As they entered, Luna felt Archer's hand settle on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd of people. The simple touch sent electricity through her entire body. Luna already found herself hoping that the night would never end.
They walked around and talked to a few people, including Julie and Dawson, and Janine and her husband, William, before settling at their table. It wasn't long before the band struck up a slow song, and Luna felt Archer shift beside her.
She'd watched him throughout dinner, noticing how he seemed at ease in this familiar setting, but also nervous, stealing glances at her when he thought she wasn't looking. They'd spent the whole time talking to Dixie and her husband, Harrison, as well as SuAnn and Julie’s daughters, Colleen and Meg.
Luna enjoyed getting to meet everyone she hadn't met and getting to know others better, but when the slow song came on, all she could think about was Archer sitting next to her.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked softly.
She nodded.
Archer stood and offered his hand, leading her to the dance floor. When he pulled her into his arms, she felt like she couldn't breathe. One of his hands settled on her waist, and the other took hers, and suddenly the rest of the room faded away.
It felt like something from a movie or one of those romance novels she'd read as a kid. She had never really believed that everything around you could disappear when you were with the right person, but that was exactly what was happening.
"I thought you said you weren't much of a dancer," she teased, hoping her racing heart would calm down at some point.
"Well, maybe I just needed the right partner," he said.
He wasn't smiling. His voice was low and obviously only meant for her.
They moved together to the music. Luna found herself drawing closer to him with each step until she could feel the warmth of him through her dress. The scent of his cologne mingled with the evening air, drifting in from the open doors.
"Thanks for coming today," he said, "for watching the kids. For—" His voice suddenly trailed off as his eyes met hers with an intensity that she wasn't expecting.
"I wouldn’t have missed it," she replied softly. "Seeing you with them, sharing what you love—it was beautiful."
Something flickered across his face again, just like she had seen before. A joy mixed with something that looked like regret for just a split second, and before she could puzzle it out, he pulled her closer, his cheek brushing against her hair.
Luna just let herself sink into the moment instead of questioning every little thing. She sunk into the gentle sway of their bodies and the warmth of his arms around her.
The music flowed into another slow song, and neither of them made any move to separate.
"You know everyone's watching us," she murmured.
