Full Rigged (Lost Creek Rodeo #4) - Rebecca Connolly Page 0,60

against the wood of the guitar for a hint of percussion, and the combination was almost hypnotic for Brynn.

Then Shay began to sing, and it was almost the same voice Brynn had heard in their video, but now it had matured into something that reached directly into her chest and pulled at her heart. Something soulful and natural, an instrument all its own and without any equal.

It paired perfectly with Ford’s playing, and Brynn was captivated by them both.

The song was a ballad that mixed blues with bluegrass and country, and spoke of inspiration and courage, of finding strength and comfort in each other, of never being alone, and of supporting each other through hard times.

It was a love song for human beings, and when Brynn considered Shay’s dedication to them, there was nothing to do but cry.

A hand on Brynn’s shoulder caused her to turn, wiping at her tears.

Ryan stood there, smiling with understanding. “I think you need to dance to this song, Brynn. May I?”

“I’m not really in a dancing mood,” she apologized through her tears. “And besides . . .”

“Hey,” Ryan interrupted very gently, stooping to meet her eyes directly. “I’m happily in a relationship, and Ford can’t dance with you right now. But I promise he would if he could, so I’m just gonna stand in so you don’t have to be alone for this song. This is special, Brynn. Come on.”

Well, when he put it like that . . .

She nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat, and took his hand, letting him lead her out to the dance floor, where others were slowly dancing in pairs—not quite a romantic setting, but one of connection and feeling.

Ryan pulled her close, his hand settling safely at her back with one hand in hers, swaying gently. He winked at her, nudging his head toward the stage.

She looked, only to find Ford smiling at her as though they really were dancing together. No irritation with Ryan for taking his place, no indication that he saw anything other than her. Just her.

Just Brynn.

Her tears began to well up again, and she found herself resting her cheek against Ryan’s shoulder while she stared at Ford as he played.

He never looked anywhere else. Not even at Shay, who was spinning the most beautiful moment for them with her song.

They might have been alone in a room with a song playing on the radio and dancing slowly together.

She hadn’t felt so connected or so exposed in so long, and she felt such peace with it. No anger, no panic, no nerves at the overwhelming emotions she was feeling.

She just felt them. More than that, he was feeling them with her.

She wasn’t alone.

She managed to smile at him through her tears, held securely in Ryan’s arms so she could be connected to someone physically while she connected to Ford from a distance. While she let herself go, feeling safe enough to do so.

Ford’s smile grew as he watched her, something impossibly sweet and tender in it.

Brynn sighed against her stand-in for the remarkable man playing for her and her alone right now.

She was falling hard for Ford Hopkins, there was no doubt about that.

No doubt at all.

Something had changed during Ford’s song with Shay. The earth had shifted beneath his feet or the wind suddenly came out of the west or some magic spell had been cast. Something.

Because he had never seen Brynn Kershaw give him a look like that, and despite never kissing her, never telling her how he felt, never taking her on a date, he had become hers.

It was as simple and profound as that.

Terrifying and confusing, definitely didn’t make sense, but that’s where he stood.

If he’d had a little less restraint, he’d have escorted her out to the back of the bar and kissed her until dawn just for the connection they’d felt in the song.

But he hadn’t, and he wouldn’t.

He knew she had felt something during the song, and certainly that she felt something for him, there was no denying that. But he could not, would not, push her in any direction or in any way to admit to whatever he thought those feelings should be. She had been through enough in her life with being told what somebody else wanted her to believe. She deserved the space and the freedom and the respect to act as she saw fit, when she saw fit.

No matter how it might affect him.

He hadn’t done much after his song, mostly because