by Kait Nolan
He rolled his eyes and kicked back against the front of his desk. “I’ve just been focused on the competition.”
“Right.” Evidently deciding to drop the subject, she relaxed back into the chair. “Y’all’s Charleston was spot on.”
“Wish I could’ve said the same about Brody and Adele’s tango.”
Tyler laughed. “Brody did say she kept trying to lead. I think he’s relieved to be done.”
“He doesn’t like dancing with anybody but you.”
“True enough. There’s nothing quite like dancing with a partner who gets you.” She fixed him with a Look. “You and Corinne get each other. It shows. And not just to us.”
He didn’t know which part of that statement to respond to first. “What are you talking about?”
“Haven’t you been following the town blog about the competition?”
“No, why?”
“There’s a poll about whether you and Corinne will get together.”
Tucker stared at her. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” She circled around his desk, fingers flying over the keys for a moment before pivoting the monitor toward him and pointing. “After that second performance, the ‘Yes’ vote is up to 66%.”
Right there on the screen was a close up of him and Corinne during their jive performance, eyes locked, with a helluva lot more than focus shimmering between them. He felt it every time he looked at her, but it was a whole other thing to actually see it right there in living color and know it was out there for everybody else to see.
“People are actually voting on our theoretical love life?”
“Everybody loves love. And honestly, you two are the only possible couple who could come out of this competition. Well, I guess Charlotte and Chad, but they didn’t stay in long enough for it to matter. But you and Corinne? You’re going to the finals. And there’s a sizable chunk of the town who are absolutely shipping you both.”
Tucker scrubbed a hand down his face. “Corinne definitely hasn’t seen this.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she’d panic and bolt. Being the center of attention has been hard on her.”
“How are things going with you two?”
“What? I’m just supposed to tell you? What if you’re in on the pool at Dinner Belles?” he joked.
Tyler brightened. “There’s a pool?”
“I don’t actually know, but c’mon. There’s always a pool.”
“I’ll have to stop by and put in my bet.”
“I wouldn’t bother. Mama Pearl did the setting up here. She’s got the inside track.”
“Oh did she? Because Norah told me what you said when you agreed to participate and that had a Tucker McGee setup written all over it.”
He spread his hands. “I will neither confirm nor deny my original intent. But I will say Mama Pearl apparently did not sprain her ankle.”
Tyler leaned across the desk to pop him on the arm. “You stinker, you.”
“What? I had nothing to do with it. Can I help it if she took inspiration from my noble sacrifice in the name of saving your love life?”
“If you’re expecting another thank you for that, you’ll get it at our wedding. Now are you actually going to give a straight answer about how things are with you and Corinne or do I need to pull out my pliers?”
Long experience had taught him she wouldn’t drop it, so he caved. “Things are good. Accepting I really am interested and this isn’t some kind of cosmic joke where somebody’s going to pull the rug out from under her and yell, ‘Pysch!’ has taken her some time. But I think we’re finally on the same page of there actually being an us. The beginnings of one, anyway.”
He cut a glance in her direction, trying to peg whether Tyler was okay with there being a him and Corinne. Too tired for analyzing subtext, he decided to flat out ask. “Are you okay with this? Because Piper wasn’t.”
“Piper was surprised. There’s a difference. She’s working her way around to the idea.”
“She thinks I’m deliberately going for someone the opposite of Laura.”
“Are you?”
“None of this has anything to do with my ex-wife.”
“Are you ever going to tell everyone else the truth about her?”
That the divorce hadn’t been a mutual decision? That she’d up and left him less than a year after they’d said their vows? “Not anytime soon.” And he was beginning to question the wisdom of having told Tyler years ago when he’d been in the thick of it. But of all of them, she knew what it was to be left behind. Without a choice, without a word. It’s what Brody had done to her—or so they’d all believed for the better part of a decade.
Tyler sighed. “You can’t get mad at them when they’re operating on false information.”
“What happened with Laura has nothing to do with their reactions to my being interested in Corinne. They’re clinging to the past instead of looking at the now. If you can let go of what happened back then, why can’t they? Or am I wrong that you have?”
She came back around the desk to sit beside him. “I’ve made my peace with Corinne. Brody and I are together, and we’re happy. Whatever happened in the past is the past.”
Something in Tucker’s chest loosened. “I guess it was probably something of a surprise to you, too.”
“Actually, I wasn’t surprised. Not after I gave it some thought.”
“Why?” he asked.
“For one, she isn’t like Laura. Now don’t get your dander up about it. I know that’s not the only appeal, but it’s a component. Laura was too easy and you were bored. The two of you were like a matched set of golden retrievers, all set to make perfect little golden retriever babies.”
Tucker lifted a brow. “I’m trying to decide if I’m supposed to be offended that you’re comparing me to a dog.”
“My point is, you went into this postcard perfect life. It’s what everybody expected for you and so it was what you thought you wanted. You went along with it because it was the easy thing, the logical thing. Because everything in your life to that point had been easy and logical. Laura walking out was your wakeup call to the truth—that you don’t actually want easy and logical.”
She wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t make it any easier to listen to this reductivist accounting of his marriage.
“Nothing about Corinne is easy or logical. But besides all that, you, my dearest, darling boy, have always had a soft spot for broken things.” Her arm linked through his and she hesitated. “And I’m pretty sure Corinne fits that category.”
Tucker leveled his gaze on her and waited.
“I think she was abused.”
“Why?”
“Something she said when she came into the store last year, before she told me Brody was back. And I’ve watched her some since then. She’s not the same ball buster she was back in high school. I think somebody’s spent a good chunk of time tearing her down.”
He loosed a breath, needing to talk about his suspicions. “And maybe knocking her down.”
Tyler straightened. “Is she in trouble?”
“No.” But God bless Tyler for her instant desire to help if she was. “And she hasn’t said a word to me about it. I just… I knew she’d been verbally abused. That started way before the asshole ex. But last week we got into a fight.”
He told her what had happened out at Hope Springs. “She mostly doesn’t show those kinds of reactions, but every now and then something slips out. I don’t know if that’s because she’s great at hiding them or if it’s because she’s mostly worked her way through whatever trauma is there and sometimes stuff sneaks up on her. So I’m being very, very careful because I don’t want to do anything to scare her off.”
“Have you looked into her divorce? To see if there were any charges or restraining orders anything?”
“Thought about it. Had to stop myself several times. I want to know, but I want it to come from her. Anything else feels like a violation of h
er privacy.”
Tyler’s voice was gentle. “And you want her to trust you enough to tell you.”
“That too.”
“Think she’ll get there?”
“Eventually. I’m a patient man. I know how to play the long game.”
She went silent for several long moments. “Is that what this is with her? The long game?”
Tucker looked down at his friend. “That a problem?”
“Not if she makes you happy at the end of it.”
“Then yeah, this is the long game.”
~*~
Corinne wasn’t in the right mood for rehearsal tonight. But as they hadn’t been cut in Round 2, she still had an obligation to put her all into this competition. Not that spending one-on-one time with Tucker was an obligation. Far from it. But after the day she’d had, her brain wasn’t in any condition to absorb choreography. Still, she pasted on a smile as he pulled open the door to his apartment.
“Hey, Ginger.” His grin and obvious pleasure at seeing her went a little ways toward making up for her mood. He leaned in and bussed her cheek as she came inside.
Corinne scanned the apartment, noting the absence of her study buddy. “What? No Piper tonight?”
“Not tonight. Not for this dance. I need you paying attention for this one.” Tucker shut the door behind her. “And I get the sense you aren’t all here. What’s wrong?”
She frowned as she tossed down her purse, irritated at being read so well. “Nothing.”
He drew her in, already circling her to the music spilling out of his stereo. “Corinne.” In someone else, the tone might have been a warning. In Tucker, it was a simple acknowledgment that he knew something was wrong and he wanted to help.
She instinctively matched his easy rhythm and a few more knots unraveled. He was so good at this. Not just the dancing, but the uncomplicated caring. At making her feel like she could tell him anything. She blew out a breath.
“Okay, there’s nothing wrong. I’m having a bit of a moment, is all. Kurt started kindergarten today.”
“Ah. And how did that go?”
Because the whole thing wanted to spill out, she didn’t quite meet his eyes. “You don’t want to hear about this.”
“Sure I do.”
“Lance never did.”
“Lance was an asshole.” He kept his voice conversational and easy, as if remarking on the chances of the Bulldogs in the College World Series. “I thought we’d already well established that point. And the fact that I am not.”
Corinne did look at him then, analyzing with the part of her able to read moods and body language in an instant. He wasn’t angry with her for making assumptions again, though she recognized the low burn of temper and his desire to beat the shit out of Lance for how he’d treated her. And he didn’t know the full story.
“You’re right, Counselor. We did. I apologize to the court.”
The golden boy smile flashed. “So, how did it go?”
“For Kurt? Great. He was so excited. He actually tried to take his lightsaber to school.”
“Gotta establish yourself as one of the cool kids right off.”
His well duh tone made her smile. “Is that how it’s done?”
“It’s how I’d have done it if I could have.”
“Yeah, well, I managed to convince him that since it didn’t fit in his backpack, it wouldn’t fit in his cubby at school either and said he could maybe bring it for show and tell.”
“Good compromise.”
“Toddler and pre-school parenting is all about compromise. Anyway, when he got home, he was full of talk about his teacher and his classmates and the stuff they got to do. I thought maybe he’d be nervous for me to leave him with all the new people, but he was absolutely fearless.” And that had been a double-edged sword. She didn’t want her baby afraid of the world, so the fact that he’d jumped right in without problem made her proud. But couldn’t he have clung to her a little bit?
“And how did it go for you?” he asked gently.
“I dropped him off this morning. He waved goodbye and dove in to a game of blocks with another couple of kids. Didn’t even notice I’d left. I cried like a baby as soon as he was out of sight.”
“Aw.” Tucker cuddled her closer. “Baby boy is growing up.”
“I’m not ready for that.” She laid her head against his shoulder and it felt just exactly right. Having him to share this with felt even better. And that was skirting dangerous territory. Territory involving long-term feelings and expectations. She wasn’t ready for that either.
“It’s good he was comfortable enough for that. You gave him that foundation.”
“I wish I was steadier on mine.”
He tightened his hold. “I’m right here to lean on until you are.”
Corinne lifted her head to study him, taking in the unwavering focus and patience, the sheer goodness of this man. And she knew, ready or not, those feelings and expectations had already taken root. “I believe you actually mean that.”
“I do.”
“It’s my knee-jerk response to want to discount it. But right now, I don’t want to question it. I just want…”
He tucked a lock of her hair behind one ear. “What do you want?”
You. As simple and complicated as that. She wanted him. All of him.
But wanting was a dangerous thing, and Corinne had learned long ago it was safer to take what came without wanting more. What she had right now was so very good, and she didn’t want to do anything to mess it up. She sighed, letting go of that want—for now. But at the question in his eyes, she gave him a smile. “You know, right now, in this moment, I have everything I want.”
“Yeah?”
“My kid is happy, and I’m spending yet another evening with an attractive, interesting man, who knows how to dance.”
Tucker twirled her. “A woman of simple tastes.”
“I didn’t used to be, but I’ve learned to appreciate simple.”
“Simple is good. Simple is why Brody and Adele got cut in Round 2.”
“How’s that?”
“Because a tango is simple and he forgot that. He was more concerned with showboating his skills than honing in on the soul of the dance.”
Corinne laughed. “Nothing I saw in the video you emailed me looked simple.”
He put on a face of mock affront. “Have I led you astray yet?”
Feeling better than she’d expected when she got here, Corinne relaxed into the flirtation. “No. No you haven’t. Educate me, kind sir.”
“I’ve always thought of tango as a story.” He stepped back, nodding for her to mirror his position, until they stood an armspan away. “Man sees woman, is attracted.” Tucker looked her up and down, and the heat simmering in his gaze fired her blood. “Woman decides she’s attracted back.”
So much for letting go of that want. Corinne’s gaze scraped up and down, lingering on his chest, caressing him with her eyes.
He moved into her, wrapping an arm around her waist until they stood hip to opposite hip. “And the dance tells the whole tale of their courtship, from the first hot blush of interest, through all the ups and downs.” When he shifted, so did she, responding to his slightest touch as he led her through the slow, basic steps of the dance. With every touch, she imagined satin sheets, a night of sighs and single-minded purpose.
“All that give and take.” He traced the outline of her body, his hand skimming close enough she could feel his heat but not quite touching. Desire denied. When he spoke again, his voice was rough. “But in the end, it’s only about one thing.” He spun her out and back, until their mouths were but a heartbeat apart.
“What’s that?” Her whisper came out breathy, even to her own ears.
“Seduction.”
Oh, yes please. Because she wanted to melt into a puddle of lust at his feet, she made a bid for humor. “Hence the change in practice venue?”
“Well, it did seem a little awkward to be doing in the
church fellowship hall.” She could tell Tucker had to work to keep his tone light. But there was nothing light about the look in his eyes or the feel of his hands.
She wanted those hands to touch her. Wanted to feel him moving over her, in her. And so, wanting, accepted her decision was already made. She stroked her hand up his arm and reached to skim a finger down his cheek. “Fair enough. I’d just as soon there be no prospective audience for this myself.”
His body gave a perfectly satisfactory response to that remark. She closed that whisper of distance between their mouths. The hands that had teased slid down over her hips, pulling her closer against the erection straining his pants. With a groan of approval, she slid her leg up the outside of his, fitting him more perfectly against her.
Tucker shuddered, breaking the kiss to rest his brow against hers. “Have dinner with me,” he gasped.
Corinne blinked, her hand resting against the thundering pulse in his throat. “What?”
“Have dinner with me.”
Her gaze slid over to the box on the counter. As they’d planned, he grabbed a pizza from Speakeasy on his way home, intending to heat it up for them later.
“No, not take out. Dinner. Real food somebody else cooks and serves us. Out. A real date.”
“Why?”
“Because I have no business thinking the thoughts I’m thinking right now if we haven’t even had our first date. And if we stay here and keep rehearsing, I’ll try to talk you into bed, and we’re not there yet.”
Her lips twitched. “I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take more than a dozen steps. Only four to the sofa.” She’d been calculating for the last few minutes.
Tucker looked heavenward, as if that might give him strength. “Part of me really wants to take you up on that right now.”
“I noticed.” She rotated her hips, still pressed against his and he groaned.
“But I’m not going to rush this. I’m not going to rush you into something you might regret.” She sensed his struggle, but he stepped away from her. “So we’re going to go to dinner and have a proper date. Then I’m going to drop you home with a goodnight kiss that’ll ensure you’ll dream of me, and I’ll come back here and take the coldest shower known to man.”