“What about once you came back here? Surely you’ve dated.”
Muscles flexed beneath her cheek when he shrugged. “A little,” he admitted. “There was a female deputy in Navasota, but our schedules kept getting in the way. A substitute music teacher who was here only for a semester. I went out once or twice with Lana Kopetsky, a few more times than that with Margaret Chatham. All in all, a pretty pathetic showing for a single man in the prime of his life.”
Lulled by the deep cadence of his voice and the warm vibrations rumbling off his chest, Madison felt completely content within his arms. Her limbs felt deliciously heavy and languid. She could stay right here forever, just like this…
With a bit of a delay, she roused herself enough to murmur, “Lana Kopetsky, huh?” She recalled what Granny Bert had to say about the woman.
“Not one of my better choices,” he admitted. “But in my own defense, I was new back in town and didn’t know she had a reputation. By the second and final date, I was fully aware of her notoriety and how she got it. The woman was like a barracuda.” He shuddered for effect.
Madison chuckled. “I’m sure you were fully capable of taking care of yourself.”
“Barely.”
“And Margaret Chatham? Why is that name familiar?”
“School nurse.”
“That’s right. Oh, she’s a beauty.” Just thinking of the shapely and petite woman with the gorgeous dark complexion, Madison felt clumsy and awkward.
Brash’s arm tightened around her once more, tugging her ever closer. She no longer felt languid; she felt very much alive. He dipped his head to purr against her ear. “She’s nowhere nearly as beautiful as you, Maddy. And she looks terrible in red.” He maneuvered them into a slight spin that presented his back to the crowd for more privacy. He continued to press against her as he whispered, “Red is definitely my favorite color.”
“Is it- Is it hot in here to you?” She knew her face was flaming.
The look he gave her was surely illegal in the southern portion of the United States and half of Kansas. It was certainly doing crazy things to her, making her think the wildest thoughts. “Very hot,” he practically growled.
They stared at one another for a long moment. Madison finally managed a deep gulp. “Uhm, Brash?”
“Yeah?”
“The music stopped,” she whispered.
“I still hear it.” He thumped their clasped hands against his chest, right over his heart.
She nodded ever so slightly as she breathed out an admission. “So do I.”
They continued to sway to a melody only they could hear. Half-way into the next song, this one a lively toe-stomping tune, they came out of their shared trance and realized they were making a spectacle of themselves in front of half the town. They moved apart with a minimum of fuss and cleared throats.
“Thanks for the dance, Maddy. I guess I’d better get back to duty.”
“But you just got here,” she protested.
He gave her the smile that had starred in all of her high-school fantasies and far too many of her current ones. “I got what I came for,” he assured her. He tipped his fingers to the brim of his hat. “Night, Maddy. Happy Valentines.”
“Happy Valentines to you, too, Brash.” She knew she was grinning like a fool, but this was the best Valentine’s Day she could remember in recent history.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Standing beside the buffet table, Genesis’s face glowed with happiness. Her party was a resounding success.
The fliers she handed out and posted around town made no mention of the price for tonight’s festivities. They merely dubbed the event as a Valentine Mixer, with great food, live music, and the promise of a good time. Those who came were expecting to pay for their meal, which made giving it away free all-the-more exciting. For the past two hours, someone was constantly at Genny’s side, thanking her for her generosity, telling her how much they appreciated her and what a wonderful time they were having. Although she planned for tonight to be merely a party, it quickly became a promotional event. Several people asked about booking private parties and if she catered.
She watched the crowd as they milled about, visiting and laughing and dancing. The atmosphere reminded her of a wedding reception, which probably explained why two people had already asked to have theirs here. Not many children were here tonight, but the few who attended were on the dance floor, doing silly imitations of their favorite dance routines.
As with any local gathering, a group of old farmers stood off to one side, discussing the latest weather conditions and the price of hay and cattle and how their crops were doing. Their wives were scattered about the room, visiting with old friends, having another bite of this or that dish with musings of ‘what-is-in-this?-I-must-get-the-recipe’, and exchanging tidbits of gossip. Tucked into the far corner of the room, a handful of couples sat at the smaller tables with eyes only for one another. It was refreshing to see one of those couples was Darrell and Tammy Hamilton, married for almost thirty years. Even more endearing, Hank and Sadie Bealls, both easily in their eighties, had dominated the dance floor all evening long. Genesis hoped that if she ever found her one true love, they would be as happy and devoted to one another as these couples were.
Her eyes followed the dancers, enjoying the fancy footwork and the flash of colors as couples swirled and twirled. Spotting Cutter and Shilo Dawne, she was surprised the rugged fireman knew the moves to the trendy dance step; she thought two-steps and line dances were more his style.
Her gaze traveled among the crowd, until a couple against the far wall caught her eye. She smiled as she recognized Brash and Maddy swaying in the shadows. His head dipped low as he murmured something near her ear, their hands clasped together over his heart. Mmm, looks interesting, she thought. No one deserves happiness more than Maddy.
The song ended and couples slowly left the dance floor, drifting back to their tables. Shilo Dawne headed toward Genesis, her green eyes bright and excited. She looked particularly lovely tonight in her fashionable outfit, part of which she had crocheted herself. It occurred to Genesis that she could never pull off such a look herself, but on the dark-haired beauty it worked, and worked well. Youth, she mused. And skinny genes.
“Miss Genny, this is the best party, EVER!” the young woman gushed. Keeping her hands hidden from Cutter’s view, she gave an exaggerated ‘thumbs up’ and an excited smile.
Genesis laughed out loud, amused by her obvious crush on the fireman. Cutter stepped around the younger woman and extended a hand toward Genny. “I believe you owe me a dance,” he reminded her.
“Oh, you kids go on and have fun. I’ll cover for Shilo Dawne.”
The young woman was about to accept the generous offer, but Cutter spoke first. “Not a chance. You deserve to have a little fun tonight, too. Have you danced at all tonight?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Then I insist.” Cutter took her hand and placed it on his arm as he tossed Shilo Dawne a wink. “Shilo Dawne, take over from here. Me and this little lady in red are going to dance.”
Genesis could not resist the giggle that bubbled out as he led her to the dance floor. “Who left you in charge?” she teased.
“Guess I appointed myself.” A self-satisfied smile hovered around the corners of his generous mouth. “Come on, if anyone deserves to let their hair down and have a little fun, it’s you.”
She ran her fingers through the ends of her short blond hair. “Can’t really let it down too much,” she brooded. “Little too short for that.”
“I like your hair.”
“I thought men liked long hair. Like Shilo Dawne’s.” This tune was slower than previous ones, allowing for a nice flow of conversation as they began to move to the music.
“She’s got pretty hair, that’s for sure. But I can’t imagine you with anything but short hair. It suits you.” He gave her a warm smile, the kind that engaged his entire face. His eyes sparkled with appreciation as
he told her once again, “You look so beautiful tonight, there’s really not an adequate word to describe it.”
Genesis ducked her head so that he could not see her blush. “Thank you,” she murmured. Embarrassed, she tried to deflect the attention from herself. “You and Shilo Dawne seemed to be having a wonderful time. Maybe it’s a good thing Callie Beth didn’t come.”
“Oh, she came,” he said in a weary voice. “She’s over there sulking in the corner as we speak.”
Not for the first time, Genesis told him, “You shouldn’t be so irresistible, Cutter. You seem to be having trouble selecting just one special lady from your little harem of eager admirers.”
He scowled. “It’s not like that,” he insisted. “I don’t encourage them. And I don’t use them.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. Poor choice of words on my part. But, for what it’s worth, my vote is on Shilo Dawne. She’s really a very nice girl.”
Cutter looked down at the woman in his arms. There was a troubled expression in his eyes. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Why do you always try to play match-maker?”
Genny laughed at her own foolishness. “Just a romantic at heart, I guess.”
“Yet you have no husband or boyfriend of your own.” As an afterthought, he added, “Do you?”
“No, definitely not.”
“And why not? I can’t imagine how a wonderful woman like you has managed to stay single all these years.” With a fancy little legwork, Cutter twirled her effortlessly around the floor and switched their positions. A vertical line puckered between his eyes as he studied the expression on her face. “You’ve been married before?” His voice reflected his surprise.
Did a twelve-hour marriage even count? Long ago, Genesis discovered it was easier to reply with a simple ‘no’ than to explain the truth, but she heard herself giving Cutter Montgomery an honest answer. “When I was very young and very foolish, I had a very brief marriage to my high-school sweetheart. We ran away one summer morning and found a Justice of the Peace. The marriage was annulled by nightfall.”
“What happened?”
Her single sigh revealed a wealth of long ago sorrow. “Long story.”
“I’d like to hear it sometime.”
“Maybe sometime,” she agreed. “It’s ancient history by now. And I’d rather focus on the future.”
“And what does your future look like, Genesis Baker? What do you see in your stars?”
She peered over his shoulder, to the room crowded with friends and customers. “To be honest, my present is so full of unexpected surprises that I haven’t even thought about the future. I’m perfectly content for now.”
“‘Content’ and ‘happy’ aren’t necessarily the same thing,” he noted with a philosophical air. “Are you happy?”
Genesis considered his words. She darted a glance back at the crowd, then up at his intent hazel gaze. A ripple of something—excitement? sheer happiness?—wiggled a warm path through her heart. She had everything she had ever dreamed of. Well, except for a man in my life, she acknowledged, but there was still time for that. She was only thirty-nine years young, after all.
With a confident smile, she unconsciously tightened her fingers around his. “Yes,” she said softly. “Right now, I am perfectly happy with my life.”
His thumb rubbed across her fingers. There was no denying how much he admired the woman. She was a true asset to their small town. Her business was booming and, although he would never admit as much to his mother, she was the finest cook he had ever known. He idly wondered what it would be like to marry such a cook; he would definitely need new jeans and bunker gear, at least one size larger. He smiled at the image he had of himself, bloated from too many meals at her table. “You, of all people, deserve happiness,” he proclaimed as the song drifted on its last notes.
Their feet wound slowly down to a stop, but his arms were still wrapped loosely around her as the lead singer spoke into the mic.
“We have a very special lady out on the dance floor, ladies and gentleman. Let’s give a big hand to the hostess of tonight’s party and to the owner of this fine establishment. Miss Genesis, I know everyone here agrees with me when we say you are the best thing to happen to The Sisters in a very long time. So this next song is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day to the pretty little lady in red.”
As the band began to play the song by the same name, Genesis blushed. The crowd responded with enthusiastic applause, whistles, and even a few cheerful catcalls. The other dancers melted away, leaving only her and Cutter on the floor.
“Shall we?” he murmured, tugging her in close for the slow dance.
The craziest sensations flooded through Genny’s body. It was being in the spotlight, she told herself. That had to be the explanation for this sudden rash of nerves that assuaged her: she did not want to make a fool of herself with all eyes upon her. Surely it had nothing to do with the firm young body she was pressed against. Nothing at all to do with the strength in the arms that held her, the warmth of his breath as it fluttered against her ear. Nothing to do with the sexy undercurrent of his cologne, or dancing with this particular man. He was almost young enough to be her son, after all. Much too young for her.
“Relax, Genny.” His voice was a warm, reassuring rumble as she tensed in his arms.
“But they’re all looking at us.”
“Because they’ve never seen you look so beautiful. Just like the song says, they’ve never seen you shine so bright.” His voice fell an octave. “And every man in the room wishes he was me right now, holding you close. Touching you.”
Genesis drew in a sharp breath at his provocative words. He was a natural born flirt, she reminded herself. Yet a part of her knew that was not so. She had always suspected that, deep down, he was a bit shy around women.
He seemed fully confident now, however, as he dipped his handsome head to hers, cheek-to-cheek, even as the singer crooned those very words. “Relax, Genny. Forget about them. It’s just you and me and the music,” he murmured. “Just me and the lady in red.”
Letting the warm timbre of his voice wash over her, Genesis released the breath she unwittingly held and relaxed against him. She felt his smile against her cheek. Tugging her a little closer, Cutter tucked their joined hands between them. Surely it was a slight of the hand when his fingers brushed against her breast. Then again, feeling his body’s immediate response, maybe not.
This is insane, she told herself. He’s young enough to be my little brother. It’s just the music and the song. Some silly, sexy song. And when did he stop calling me ‘Miss’ Genny? Has he forgotten he’s young enough to be my cousin?
Once she relaxed, Genesis found they moved in perfect unity. Their steps could have been choreographed. Cutter Montgomery, the welder-turned-volunteer-fireman, danced as well as any man she had ever known. Her previous career had taken her to many fancy balls in cities all across the nation and even abroad, but this small town country boy had as much grace and confidence as any ballroom dancer. Her eyes glittered with appreciation as he spun her out for a fancy twirl.
“Wanna try a dip?” he asked as he reeled her back in.
“What if I fall?”
He pressed his face against her hair and whispered a mysterious, “I already have.” Then he pulled back and told her with earnest eyes, “I’ll always catch you, Genny. You’re safe with me.”
Even though their feet continued to shuffle, the moment between them stood still. There was only the beat of the music and the clamor of their hearts. Then a slow, sexy smile broke out across Cutter’s face.
Thinking she had surely lost her mind, Genesis allowed him to slowly dip her backwards. She felt herself sweep low to the ground, but she felt no fear. His strong arms were beneath her, his handsome face was above her. “Trust me, Genny,” she thought she heard him say, but it was difficult to make out the words over the clatter of their audience. Apparently, the c
rowd was impressed with their dance moves. Cutter pulled her up with ease, even though she knew she weighed more than was vogue. He hauled her in close, tucking her body up tight against his own.
This time, there was no denying it. The air around them sizzled. If there had been space for air between them, it would have evaporated into steam. The wild pulse of awareness drowned out the sound of applause. Their quickened breath hummed in tune to the sexy beat of the song. Genny could tell herself the pounding hearts and the short breaths were the result of a strenuous dance, but that was no explanation for the way their feet forgot to move. Tangled in the other’s gaze, they swayed to the dying strands of the music, the tension between them building.
“Genny?” Cutter’s whispered voice was hoarse. He was obviously as surprised as she was.
Genesis gulped in a breath of air. He still held her so tightly it was difficult to breathe. With large, uncertain eyes, her bewildered shake of the head was almost imperceptible. She was not sure what she would have said at that moment, but she never had the chance to utter a word. The applause had died away and the crowd was oddly quiet, watching in confusion as the couple on the dance floor simply stared at one another.
When Cutter’s fire radio went off from where it sat on the table, the tone-out was clearly audible, right along with the dispatcher’s words.
“River County Sheriff’s Office to The Sisters Fire Department. We need you in route to The Sisters Sale Barn for a structure fire. Repeat, the sale barn is on fire.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The crowd thinned out immediately, right behind the three firefighters attending the Mixer. Most followed along to the fire, some to offer help, some just to be nosy.
Allen Wynn, who left his wife behind at the café, soon called back to say the fire was under control. The fire department contained the damage to some of the cattle pens out back, leaving the main structure unscathed. The few pens of cattle still at the barn awaiting pickup had scattered and were running scared through the streets of Naomi; some even ventured out onto the highway. A group of volunteers mounted horses and four wheelers and went out to gather the herd.
When the Stars Fall (The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series Book 2) Page 13