“Hey,” he murmured, his voice like straight syrup to my soul. “The dancing’s about to start. Do you want me to sign that receipt and walk you to your car?”
Part of me knew I should say yes. That I had overstayed my welcome and needed to get going. But another part of me didn’t feel sober enough, and another part of me wasn’t willing to go back to my empty shop and up to my empty apartment to sleep in my empty bed.
I was having fun. Was it so wrong for me to wanna hold on to it with both hands?
“Dance?” I echoed, slowly sitting up. The dog I’d been using as a pillow, whose coat was ridiculously thick, let out a bark of objection as if it already missed my warmth and I was genuinely flattered.
Should I get a dog?
Nah, I didn’t have the time to properly take care of one. But maybe I could volunteer at a local shelter to walk one every once in a while.
“Yeah, nothing official. Just a way to expend extra energy before the smores and the bonfire.”
More food? Cas wasn’t kidding. His family really knew how to eat.
“I wouldn’t mind staying for the dancing,” I said honestly. I wouldn’t be upset if he said no. “I still don’t quite feel safe to drive.”
“You sure? I’d love to have you stay, but I’m worried about you driving home in the dark.”
That breezy lightness within me dimmed a little. “Yeah, I’m not exactly familiar with the area.”
“Let’s worry about that later. For now, why don’t we dance?”
Once again, he offered his hand out to me, and once again it still felt so incredibly different than the last time. Maybe it was because I was sitting and he was standing. Maybe it was because all the dogs in my cuddle pile raised their heads and stared at his hand like they knew it was a significant gesture.
Or maybe it was because I’d been tipsy for about three hours after a few little sips of a single drink, which still didn’t make a lick of sense.
“Thanks,” I said, taking his hand. The warmth of his skin surprised me. He didn’t look like he was sweating, but he felt like a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven. Maybe I was just colder than I thought.
But then he was pulling me to my feet, and all thought fled from my head. I wasn’t exactly heavy, but I wasn’t light. I was particularly bottom-heavy due to genetics, a love of squats when I was younger, and all the natural squatting that came from maneuvering around the bakery, but Cas hauled me to my feet like I was lighter than a pillow.
“There you are,” he said once I was on my feet. “Here, let’s get you some water while they start the music.”
Water? When was the last time I actually had water?
“That sounds like an excellent idea!”
“I thought it might be.”
We walked to the drinks table, and grabbed a couple of water bottles, one of which I downed nearly instantly. Just like Cas said, by the time we were done, the music was playing.
A Celtic song played from a couple of speakers that looked like they were hooked up to way too long of an extension cord. I watched the people dancing. Some were definitely doing a coordinated jig, but most of the others were just bouncing around and yelling “Hey!” at the top of their lungs at the right point in the song. Even Arietty was in on it, hopping on her hind legs while her two owners held her paws.
Wasn’t that the most adorable thing I’d ever seen? And it was enough to get me motivated to run out into the field a bit and start moving myself. I wasn’t graceful, but that didn’t matter. Especially when Cas and another enormous dog joined me. What were they feeding these things? They were practically wolves.
More laughter, more breathlessness. It all blended together in a beautiful cacophony of joy. I was sure that when I sobered up, I would have lovely memories from the day to fuel me for several months.
Man, I wished my mom could have been here. She would have loved Gammy McCallister.
And the food. Although her heart always remained in Malaysia, she loved American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Italian food.
Then there were the kids. My mother was always proud of the path I took, but when she was at her sickest, she apologized to me for not being able to be there for whatever children I might have. I told her she had nothing to apologize for, but still, I knew in her heart she’d longed to be a grandmother. She’d never rushed me, had always been patient, but her journey just didn’t last long enough.
“Are you all right?”
“Huh?” I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts to see Cas just a breath away from me, concern all over his handsome features.
“You’re crying.”
“Am I?”
I touched my face, and sure enough, a couple of tears had managed to escape my eyes. When had that happened?
“I’m okay, just thinking about my mom.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, but I shook my head and tried to find my words. It was slightly easier than an hour earlier, yet still nowhere near normal.
“Nothing to be sorry for. She would have loved this.”
There was his smile again, so soft and inviting. Why was he looking at me like that? I wasn’t mad about it, and it did make me feel like nothing bad could happen. “You think so?”
“I know so,” I answered resolutely.
Cas looked like he might have had an answer to that, but the second lively jig in a row cut off, and something slower began to play.
Much slower. In fact, it was almost romantic.
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