True-Blue Cowboy - Vicki Lewis Thompson Page 0,15
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Chapter Seven
Nick did his part to make a sizeable dent in the food but he switched to virgin cider for the rest of the evening. Small price to pay for being allowed to drive Eva home.
Even better, she was having a good time. No wonder. Ed knew how to throw a party. Or as Ellie Mae kept saying, an after-party.
Once everyone had a chance to eat their fill, Ed directed the Brotherhood to clear the furniture from the center of the room. The top-of-the-line sound system switched from background music to boisterous country tunes and the celebration kicked into high gear.
Line dancing was a favorite of the Babes, and turned out the Whine and Cheese ladies loved it, too. They started off with Cotton-Eyed Joe and Nick talked Eva into joining in.
Wouldn’t you know they’d end up next to CJ and Isabel, who were great at it. Eva took one look at that couple and threw herself into the dance, her blue hair flying and her boots clicking on the wide-plank floor.
Alrighty, then. Nick’s competitive streak kicked in, too, and he danced better than he had in his life. When the number ended, he grinned at Eva and held up his hand for a high-five.
Her breathless laughter warmed his heart as she smacked her palm against his.
“Nice job, bro.” CJ punched him lightly on the arm. “You, too, Eva. Loved watching you guys.”
“That was a blast.” Breathing hard, Isabel placed a hand over her rounded tummy. “Cleo Marie is still dancing.”
“Hey, folks!” Ellie Mae called out. “Don’t go away! Boot-Scootin’ Boogie is coming up!”
CJ looped an arm around Isabel’s shoulders. “Are you and Cleo ready to take a break?”
“Heck, no. Let’s do at least one more.” She looked at Eva and Nick. “That’s if you two are staying out here. Line dancing’s more fun when you’re next to people who really get into it.”
Nick glanced at Eva. “You game?”
Her green eyes sparkled. “Sure.”
“You have some great moves,” Isabel said. “Ones I haven’t seen before.”
“Learned them from my Aunt Sally.”
“Cool. You’re very good.”
“Thanks.” She tilted her head in Nick’s direction. “Have to keep up with this guy.”
How he loved hearing the note of affection in her voice when she said that. The music started and he flashed her a smile as they lined up. Was she still stuck on CJ? Maybe, maybe not. Didn’t matter. Tonight, she was with him. He planned to make the most of it.
Isabel was right about Eva’s individuality on the dance floor. She had a snappy style that was all her own. Maintaining his rhythm was tough when he’d rather watch her shimmy in time to the music.
But line dancing was a group sport that required concentration and coordination. If he screwed up, he could impact her and potentially several others, including CJ and Isabel. That was unacceptable.
Good thing lifting weights had given him mental discipline. He could focus like nobody’s business. Locked into the pattern, he was golden. He could have repeated it endlessly for… no telling how long.
The Brooks and Dunn tune only lasted for three minutes and eighteen seconds, though. He knew that because he lifted to country music and this was one of his favorites for a workout.
He was barely winded when the song was over, but Eva was gasping. He touched her shoulder. “Let’s sit out the next one.”
“Okay. Clearly I need to build up my stamina.”
“We’ll just have to do this more often, then.” Maybe evenings at the Moose were in their future. He could dream. He turned to CJ. “We’re taking a break.”
“Good dancing with you and Eva, bro. We’re heading home.”
“Although I wish we could stay.” Isabel sighed. “The party’s just getting started, but now that I’m preggers, I can’t hang in there like I used to.”
“You’re also putting a lot of effort into getting the coffee shop ready,” Eva said. “Can’t wait for it to open.”
Isabel raised a fist. “Labor Day Weekend or bust!”
“You’ll make it.” CJ gave her a sideways hug and glanced at Nick and Eva. “You’re both coming to the pre-opening night, I hope?”
“You know I will, bro.” Depending on how tomorrow turned out, he might ask Eva if she’d like to go with him.
Eva nodded. “Wouldn’t miss it. I—”
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please!” Ellie Mae moved to the center of the room. “I adore line dancing, but now and then I get nostalgic for a classic jitterbug. You may not know this, but Edna Jane rocks the jitterbug.”
“Knock it