Karen over to him.
Her expression was nothing but innocent as she held out a hand. “Dance with me?”
“Is the old man tired already? You should’ve picked me instead of him,” Zach said as he put down his empty beer and accepted her offer. “I’ve got way more stamina.”
Beside him, Finn thumped an elbow into Zach’s ribs before responding, “Go on and tell yourself more lies if it makes you feel good.”
Zach guided Karen to the dance floor, twirling her away from her man even as laughter drifted.
They moved together easily, a space between them as if they were brother and sister dancing—which was kind of how Zach considered both of these women in his life.
Amusement rose. As if he needed more sisters…
“What are you snickering about?” Karen asked.
He guided them past other dancers as he answered. “Figured you and Lisa would offer me sympathy dances. Just didn’t think you would start this soon.”
She hummed, following his lead as they moved past a tangle of less-coordinated two-steppers. “Heard some nonsense about you having big plans for this weekend. Considering Lisa and I were just talking about how you’ve been avoiding most of the local female population, you’re either a lying liar, or you’re a much better secret keeper than we imagined.”
The woman was razor-sharp, which meant she was potentially dangerous to his plans. Avoiding a weekend’s worth of watching his friends make goo-goo eyes at their ladies was high on his priority list.
But because she was so sharp, he felt safe offering a tidbit to tide her over and get her off his back. “Trust me. My plans for the weekend will make me happy.”
Karen sighed dramatically even as he twirled her past where Finn was now chatting with Lisa and Josiah at a table in the corner. “Those were the magic words to get me to mind my own business.” She gave him a stern stare, though. “As long as you’re happy. That’s all we want for you.”
“I know,” he said easily, slowing as the music segued into a new song.
He took a turn around the dance floor with Lisa next. Amusingly, almost the identical conversation escaped her lips the instant they started dancing.
“What’s this nonsense about you having plans for this weekend? You should come with us. You don’t need to stay here alone.”
“Honestly, I have been taking care of myself for over thirty years,” he assured her. “Go to the resort with Josiah. You all need a break before life gets busy again.”
Lisa dipped her chin, but she still looked as if she wanted to interfere.
Luckily Zach had lots of experience dealing with interfering women—with five sisters, he’d learned at an early age how to handle feminine wiles. “I mean it. Go have a good time. I have plenty of things planned to keep me out of mischief.”
She snickered. “Where’s the fun in that?”
When the song finished, he guided her back to Josiah. A moment later, Zach slipped away to grab another beer and let them have time on their own. The bar was full enough it was easy to find other people to talk with, although he avoided making too much eye contact with any of his previous female companions.
Again, it wasn’t them. It was all him.
He appreciated what his friends were trying to do. And by extension, their women. A kick of something warm struck his heart. It was good to know they cared.
Only—good friends weren’t quite what he was wishing for at the moment.
Standing quietly to one side of the dance floor offered a great opportunity to observe. Zach sipped his drink and considered his options. Some companionship this weekend would be nice, but none of the ladies in the room—
Julia Blushing spun past on the arm of one of the local farmers, and all of Zach’s mental ramblings stilled in an instant.
She wore faded jeans so white, he bet they were infinitely soft to the touch. She’d been dancing hard, and whatever jacket or overshirt she’d come in had been abandoned to leave her in a formfitting navy-blue tank top that caressed her curves in a dangerous way.
Her hair hung in waves, layers of red and gold shining under the lights as she twirled in the arms of a man Zach would give anything to change places with.
A green-eyed monster was back, but this one had a whole different set of teeth and claws that snagged his soul.
Here was the reason none of the other women in town had caught his attention in recent