Feels Like Home

by Kelly Elliott

  “Sisterdale Dance Hall. Nick told me about this band that’s playing there tonight. He said they were really good. I wouldn’t mind going and hearing them and dancing with my girl.”

  I smiled. “I haven’t been dancing in so long.”

  “We won’t stay out late if you’re opening up early tomorrow.”

  “The tea room isn’t open on Sundays. I realized quickly that I needed a day off each week.”

  He lifted his head to look at me better. “You’re closed on Sundays? I thought that would be a busy day for you.”

  “Not really. I’ll still do group afternoon teas if people book them, but generally I’m closed on Sundays. I’ve thought about closing on Sunday and Monday, but my Monday morning moms would be pissed.”

  Anson laughed. “Lord knows you don’t want to piss off the moms.”

  I rolled my eyes. “You have no idea.”

  He slapped me on the ass. “Come on, let’s go dancing.”

  A rush of giddiness moved over me as I climbed out of bed. It hadn’t been lost on me that Zeus stayed next to the bed the entire time Anson and I were together. I didn’t want to think about how many other women that dog had listened to Anson have sex with, so I quickly pushed the thought out of my head.

  Anson reached down for his boxers then patted the dog on the head.

  “Are you ruined now, Buddy?”

  “Ruined?” I asked as I walked over and pulled a pair of jeans out from my closet.

  “Yeah, that’s the first time poor Zeus here has heard me having…” He looked at the dog and then me before continuing, “S. E. X.”

  I couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled by his admission.

  “Did you really just spell out sex because of the dog?”

  He nodded. “I don’t want to scare him.”

  I glanced down to the sleeping dog. “I highly doubt us having…”

  He held up his hand and lifted a brow. I sighed and said, “Him hearing us have S. E. X. isn’t going to ruin him.” At that moment, the damn dog decided to bark.

  Anson laughed. “He disagrees with you.”

  He pulled his T-shirt over his head, and I practically licked my lips at the sight of him. He’d just been naked and hot as hell, but dressed? Lord, even dressed he was still mouthwatering. The way he raked his hand through his dark hair and made his arm muscles flex. And those chest muscles—how the T-shirt emphasized the movement of them. I flushed all over again simply watching him get dressed.

  “Bri? Are you turned on again?”

  My eyes jerked away from his body to his face. I felt my cheeks heat. “Can you really blame me? It’s been six years since I had you.”

  With a smile, he took the T-shirt off and winked. Then he grabbed me and tossed me onto the bed, where we made up a little more of that lost time.

  Anson

  THE SOUND OF the music coming from the dance hall caused my entire body to buzz.

  “Do you miss Nashville?” Bristol asked me. I couldn’t help but notice the look of worry on her face that disappeared as quickly as it came.

  “No. I miss this. A small dance hall with a local band playing and moving you around on a dance floor.”

  She smiled and replied, “I’ve missed it too.”

  We opened the door to one of the oldest dance halls in Texas, and it felt like another missing piece of me was complete. The band played on the stage, which was at the very far end of the hall. I watched as couples glided over the dance floor. Some looked completely in love, others were laughing with each other, and some looked miserable as hell.

  “There’s Mindy! And Drake! Nick’s here too!” Bristol shouted as she tugged me toward our friends.

  “Hey!” Bristol said as she wrapped Mindy in a hug. “You look adorable.”

  Mindy blushed and quickly stole a peek at Drake. When I looked over at him, I grinned. The way he looked at Mindy screamed that the guy was head over heels in love with her.

  “You see it too?” Nick asked me.

  I laughed and nodded. “Hard not to with the way he’s looking at her.”

  Nick grinned then took a drink of his beer. “I’m happy for her. That husband of hers was an asshole.”

  Grams had filled me in on all the town gossip when I got back. First up had been Mindy finding out her husband had been having an affair. I had known Drake had a thing for Mindy back in school and never did understand why he ended up with Rachel when he could have had Mindy. Now he and Rachel were divorced, and Mindy and Jim were getting divorced. Fate had a funny way of doing things.

  I looked back at Bristol who had her hand on Mindy’s baby bump, which seemed to be growing rather quickly.

  “How far along is she now?” I asked Drake when he walked over and handed me a beer.

  “Almost six months.”

  I smiled and took a drink. My eyes locked on Bristol. She looked so happy, and when she leaned over and said something to Mindy’s stomach, I felt a jolt of lightning hit me right in the chest when I realized I wanted a baby. With Bristol. I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself, but I was secretly hoping Bristol might be pregnant. But I wasn’t exactly ready to say, ‘hey, let’s have a baby!’

  “Dude, are you okay?” Nick asked over the music.

  I smiled. “Yeah, I’m perfectly fine.”

  Drake stood and said, “If you’ll excuse me, gentlemen, I’m going to ask Mindy to dance. I’m thinking she won’t want to be twirled on the dance floor for much longer, so I’ll take advantage of it while I can.”

  Nick and I both laughed.

  Drake asked Mindy to dance, and her cheeks turned pink as she nodded. Bristol watched them as they walked out to the dance floor. Then she turned to me and crooked a finger so I’d come to her. I set the beer bottle down on the table and quickly swept her up into my arms, which caused her to laugh.

  “Let’s show them how it’s done, shall we?” I said as I wrapped my arm around her waist and damn near carried her to the dance floor while she laughed. The band must have taken a break since it was a DJ now up on stage.

  I spun her around and a huge smile broke across Bristol’s face. I pulled her close to me as we started to two-step across the old wooden floor.

  “I love this song,” I said, “it reminds me of us.”

  She looked up at me. “Really?”

  “Sorta pisses me off I’m not the one who wrote it.”

  A sexy grin appeared on her face. “Who is this?”

  “His name is Jonny Houlihan. The song is called ‘I Was Made for Loving You.’”

  Her head tilted, and I loved how her eyes sparkled. She didn’t say anything, and I knew she was listening to the lyrics. I drew her closer to me as we danced in between other couples. The way she fit against me only reminded me of how much we belonged together. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this woman. She was back in my arms, and there was no way in hell I was going to let her go.

  The song ended, and Bristol looked up at me. “I like that song. A lot. I can see why you wished you had written it, but from what I’ve heard, you’re a pretty damn good songwriter.”

  I laughed. “I did happen to see those articles in your scrapbook about those awards I won.”

  She raised her brows, and I pushed her out and spun her as the next song started. This one was a slow song, so I was able to hold her closer to me.

  “God, I’ve missed holding you like this.”

  She snuggled into my chest and said, “I’ve missed it too.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Mindy and Drake.

  “So what’s going on with Mindy and Drake?” I asked.

  Bristol lifted her head from my chest and did a quick look around. She smiled when she saw the couple dancing. “I think they’re both finally admitting they have feelings for one another.”

  I nodded and added, “If only they’d figured it out in high school, neither of them would have chosen to m
arry those losers.”

  She sighed.

  “What about Mindy’s baby?” I asked.

  Bristol looked back at the couple. “Drake is so protective of Mindy and the baby. He’s really stepped into the role Jim vacated without a second thought.”

  “Wow. The way he looks at her, you can see how much he cares about her.”

  With a nod, she looked back up at me. Her eyes danced from the flicker of the lights above us.

  “Do you remember the first song we danced to?” I asked. “Not a friendly dance, but the first time we danced together and we both knew.”

  My knees nearly buckled when her face lit up and that beautiful smile of hers appeared again.

  “I do remember. We were in ninth grade, and it was our first high school dance. It was ‘I Cross My Heart’ that we danced to.”

  My heart felt like it skipped a beat. “Good ol’ George.”

  “I heard you met him.”

  “I did. I told him all about you and how much you love him.”

  She raised her brow again and smirked. “I seriously doubt that you even thought of me when you met him.”

  “Are you kidding me? You’re all I thought of. I kept wishing you were there by my side.”

  Bristol’s eyes lost their shine for a brief moment.

  “I tell you what, if you promise to be my date to the next CMAs, I’ll introduce you to him.”

  With a slight laugh, she shook her head and buried her face back into my chest.

  “It’s going to work, Bri. I swear to you.”

  Her arms wrapped tighter around me, and we danced the rest of the song in silence.

  When the song ended, I leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, Anson. So very much.”

  As we turned to the leave the dance floor, I saw someone off to the side, and I swore there was a camera in his hands. He was dressed in cowboy boots, jeans, a T-shirt, and an old tan cowboy hat. I shook it off and laughed to myself. I was in Sisterdale, for fuck’s sake. Not some big city.

  I pulled Bristol’s chair out for her and then leaned down and asked against her ear if she wanted a beer. She nodded.

  Mindy and Drake returned to the table, as did Nick with a pretty little blonde on his arm.

  He leaned over the table so he didn’t have to yell as much. “This is Tina. Tina, this is Mindy, Drake, Anson, and Bristol.”

  Tina lifted her hand and gave a shy wave before sitting down.

  “Where are Lanny and her husband?” Bristol asked.

  I laughed. “Lanny is in Fredericksburg. She needed a break from me, but Robert wouldn’t let her go too far away, in case I needed her.”

  Bristol smiled.

  “She’s the only person who knows where all the bodies are buried, after all. Not to mention the only one who knows all my passwords.”

  She laughed. “She’s a good assistant then?”

  I took a drink from my beer and nodded. “Honestly, I couldn’t do what I do without her.”

  “I feel bad we haven’t had a chance to meet yet. To be honest, I didn’t even know she was with you that day you first came back into town.”

  “Well,” I said as I rubbed my chin, “you were preoccupied.”

  Bristol giggled.

  When I glanced across the table, I caught Tina staring. She quickly looked to the side and focused in on what Nick was saying. I knew instantly that she knew who I was. I appreciated the fact that she wasn’t drawing attention to it.

  “Nick, when is this band coming on?” I called from across the table.

  He glanced up to the stage. “They should be coming back on any minute now.”

  I nodded and purposely didn’t look at his date. Or whoever she was. Bristol leaned her head on my shoulder, and I quickly forgot about everything and everyone around us. I kissed her on the head and then asked, “Are you tired? We can leave.”

  “No. I want to hear the band, and it’s been forever since I’ve been out like this. Are you not having fun?”

  “With you here, how could I not have fun?” I said with a wink.

  She blushed and hit me on the chest. “Charm will get you everywhere, Mr. Meyer.”

  I leaned closer so that only she could hear me.

  “Will it get me back into your bed this evening?”

  Her hand, which had been on my leg, moved up and brushed against my cock. “It most certainly will.”

  I stopped her hand and laughed. “Stop before I take you out to my truck and have my way with you.”

  She tilted her chin up to look at me, and she bit down on her lip before she said, “Like old times.”

  I laughed and gave her a peck on the lips.

  “What are you two whispering about over there?” Mindy asked.

  “Nothing,” Bristol and I said at the same time.

  The band took the stage and started immediately into a cover of one of my songs. I couldn’t help but wonder if Nick told them I might be here tonight. I had to hand it to Bristol and our friends, not one of them turned to me. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if Bristol knew it was a song of mine.

  “Dance with me?” I asked as I stood. Bristol placed her hand in mine, and we took to the floor. It was a faster song, and I knew Bristol loved to do the swing.

  “Ready to swing dance?”

  “Oh my gosh, yes!” she cried out as we showed off our moves. There was no way anyone watching us tonight would have known it had been over six years since we last danced together.

  When the song ended, I dipped her and planted another kiss on her lips.

  I pulled her up, loving the way she was so carefree, especially when she laughed. Completely and utterly happy.

  “How weird is it to hear another band play your song and for us to dance to it?” she asked.

  My brows shot up in surprise. “I thought you’ve never listened to any of my songs.”

  “Well, after last Saturday night, I had all week to listen to your three albums, so I did. There are some very beautiful songs you’ve written.”

  “Thank you,” I said, spinning her again. “Did you happen to notice or recognize any of the lines in any of them?”

  Her cheeks turned the most beautiful shade of pink, and I knew it wasn’t from the dancing.

  “As a matter of fact, I did.” Her smile faded some as she looked up at me. The golden flecks of her eyes sparkled like diamonds. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to them before.”

  “It’s all in the past. Remember?”

  She nodded.

  “What do you think of them? The band?” she asked as we slid across the dance floor.

  With a glance over toward the stage, I took the band in. Four guys total. They knew how to play, and they sure as hell knew how to sing. “They’re good. I wish they’d play an original and not just do covers.”

  “Maybe you should ask them. I’m sure they know who you are, considering they sang one of your songs.”

  “Nah. I know what it’s like to know there’s someone in the audience who’s watching and listening to every note. It’s nerve-racking.”

  “I bet it would be.”

  “Nick said they have a demo tape of some original stuff they wrote. If they don’t sing anything tonight, I can listen to it tomorrow.”

  “Why do you want to hear it so badly?”

  I smiled. “I’m working on a little side project. I’ll tell you about it when I don’t have to yell over the music.”

  She nodded.

  We danced to three more songs before Bristol shouted, “Water! I need water!”

  I wrapped my arm around her waist and turned to the left when I saw a flash. Instantly, I looked for the cowboy I had seen earlier, but he was nowhere to be found.

  “What’s wrong?” Bristol asked.

  “Nothing. I’m being paranoid.”

  Mindy walked up to us, a look of worry on her face.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Bristol asked.

&
nbsp; “I think I felt the baby move!”

  Bristol jumped and cried out, “What!”

  Mindy’s eyes filled with tears. “What type of mother am I that I felt my baby move for the first time at a bar?”

  Bristol frowned as she guided Mindy away from the dance floor and back to our spot. Nick and Tina must have been dancing, and Drake wasn’t at the table. We all sat, and Bristol took Mindy’s hand.

  “First off, we’re at a dance hall, not a bar. You’re allowed to have fun before you give birth, ya know, and the baby probably loved the music!”

  “Especially when the band played one of mine,” I added.

  Mindy smiled slightly and shook her head at me.

  “Sweetie, you’re not doing anything wrong,” Bristol insisted.

  Chewing on her lip, Mindy glanced over her shoulder toward the restrooms then looked back at us. She was about to say something else when Nick and Tina walked back up and took a seat. Bristol gave Mindy a reassuring smile and let her hands go.

  “Okay, I can’t take it anymore. I swear I won’t go all fan girl crazy, but I love your music. I won’t ask you to do anything here, but maybe I could get an autograph from you later?” Tina asked.

  I smiled and tipped my hat to her. “Thank you, and of course. I’ll give something to Nick to give to you.”

  “Finally. She’s been bugging the hell out of me about you ever since she saw you at the table,” Nick grunted out.

  Laughing, I reached for Bristol’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She wore a soft, carefree smile. I was glad to see it didn’t bug her at all that Tina had asked for an autograph. Of course, it had never bothered her in the past, but that was before I became famous, and now, this type of night was rare. Me being able to go out to a dance hall and just be me. Usually, I had at least one bodyguard nearby if I did go out in Nashville or anywhere else.

  “I’m exhausted. All the dancing has worn me out,” Mindy said.

  “Did you come with Drake?” Bristol asked.

  Mindy blushed. “Yes. He said he had to go take care of something and would be right back.” She glanced around and then smiled. “Here he comes!”

  Drake walked up to the table with an expression that said he wasn’t happy about something. “Anson, may I speak with you for a minute?”