Dancing Hearts

by Heather Dahlgren

  “I’ll just have a water right now.” He smiles shaking his head and hands me a water.

  “You are hanging out with the girls tonight Emma. I promise you I’m fine with you drinking. It doesn’t bother me.” He kisses my lips quickly before being called to the other end of the bar. I know he says he’s fine with me drinking, but I don’t want to be the cause for any temptation for him to start drinking again.

  I sip my water and take in the crowd. This bar truly is amazing. I am so proud of Cooper and he deserves every bit of this success. I glance over at the door just as Rowan, Lane, and Lacey come walking through. It’s been a while since we all hung out, so I’m really excited. “Fannies!” I yell and Rowan looks around until she sees me. They come bouncing over and we all hug each other tightly.

  “You look amazing, Em. All that sex really agrees with you.” We all laugh, although I have to agree with Rowan.

  “Well, fill me in. What have I missed?” Rowan I talk to everyday, but Lane and Lacey I don’t. They fill me in on work, home, and the guy that Lacey is seeing.

  “So, do we need to fuck the bartender to get a drink or what?” I hit her while Lane and Lacey laugh.

  “Shut up, Ro. It’s busy as hell tonight. Roy or Cooper will help you in a minute.” No sooner than I say this and Roy comes over getting them all something to drink.

  “Emma, do you need another water?” I nod and he grabs me one before rushing back to help Cooper. The girls and I just talk and laugh for the next hour. I feel my phone buzz in my pocket, so I pull it out. It’s a text from Rain saying she is here. I text her back letting her know to come to the end of the bar.

  “Girls, my friend Rain is here. Let’s all make sure we don’t make her feel left out.” I look at Rowan raising my eyebrows.

  “What the fuck, Em. I can be nice.” We all just laugh at her, because no, most of the time she can’t be nice. Rain makes her way over to us and I can already see she feels like she is intruding. I won’t have it, so I pull her in for a hug before introducing her to the girls. Thankfully Rowan is on her best behavior. After Rain warms up, she has us hysterical with stories from Levi’s shop. You can really tell how much she likes him with the way she talks about him. I look over to see if Cooper is busy and thankfully, he’s not.

  “Be right back, girls. I’ll send Roy to get you all another drink.” I usually don’t make my way behind the bar unless it’s slow, but I want to be able to talk to Cooper before Wicked Union starts. I make my way to him, but of course he sees me and rushes over.

  “What’s wrong?” I will never get tired of the way he cares for me. I squeeze his hand and smile at him.

  “Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you really quickly; I’m sorry I came back here and scared you.” He doesn’t say anything, just grabs my hand and leads me to his office. Once inside, he locks the door before walking toward his desk. He doesn’t let go of my hand until we are in front of his desk. He gently places his hands on either side of my face searching my eyes.

  “I know you said you want to talk to me, but damn it, Emma, I can’t keep my eyes off of you. You look fucking beautiful laughing and enjoying your friends.” He runs his hands down my body as he leans toward my ear. Just as he speaks quietly and sexily in my ear, he tweaks both of my hard nipples through my shirt. “I need to fuck you, doll. Right here, right now. So if it can wait, I want you to turn around and put your hands flat on my desk.” Holy shit, I don’t even remember what I wanted to talk about at this point. I spin and place my hands on his desk. He reaches around to unbutton my jeans and pulls them along with my panties down to my boots. He bites my ass before he stands up causing me to scream. Thankfully, the bar is so loud, no one can he me. “Lay your chest on the desk and put that sexy ass in the air.” As I do that, I hear his jeans hit the floor. I turn my head to get a look at his massive cock. “Turn around, doll.” His demanding tone makes me do it immediately. He puts his hand between my legs and rubs my aching pussy. I bite my lip holding in a moan. His chest rests on my back and I feel his hot breath by my ear. “Good girl, you are ready for me. This is going to be fast, because I need to get back out there.” I close my eyes in anticipation when I feel his cock at my entrance. He slams into me and I scream. He is fucking me hard, fast, and rough. He is not slowing even when I accidently knock papers onto the floor.

  “Cooper, I’m so close already.” He knows how to fuck. I never thought sex could feel this good. Of course I’ve had orgasms, but those all pale in comparison to what he does to me. He lightly smacks my ass before reaching around and rubbing my clit. I actually see stars when he pushes me over the edge. I hear him grunt out my name before he falls on top of me. We are both panting, but all too quickly he is pulling out of me. I hear him throw the condom away before he starts to pull up my pants. I button them and turn to face him. He is buttoning his pants and gives me a wink.

  “So fucking good, doll. Are you alright?” I hug him and kiss his chest.

  “I’m totally fine. That was hot as hell.” He is rubbing my back as he kisses me. We pull apart and he laughs.

  “What did you need to talk about, doll?” I actually have to think a moment because he seems to have fucked me stupid.

  “Oh right.” I giggle and shake my head. “I was going to ask when Levi and the guys were coming because Rain seemed really excited to see him.” He kisses me and looks in my eyes.

  “I love that you are always so willing to help someone. They will be here shortly. Come on matchmaker, I need to get back out there.” We head back out to the bar and just in time because Wicked Union is setting up. He kisses my cheek and heads back behind the bar to help Roy. I go back over to the girls and they all laugh when I get there.

  “That’s hot that he pulled you in his office for a quickie. I’m actually pretty jealous right now.” I feel my cheeks blush, but there is no use in denying it. I know I must look thoroughly fucked. Cooper refills everyone’s drinks and gives me another water. We continue to talk and laugh until Wicked Union starts to play. “On the dance floor ladies.” We all follow Rowan out onto the floor and dance to the amazing music. As they do every time, they mix it up between their own songs and songs from other musicians. We are sweating, dancing, and singing. It is so much fun. “I need a refill, but first I need to go to the bathroom.” Rain and I decide to go with her and we make our way to the hallway leading to the bathroom. “Holy shit, Cooper put lights in here. Is this because of that crazy bitch?” Rowan asks. Yes, it is the reason that pushed Cooper into putting lights in that creepy hallway. He said he never wants to not be able to see me again. Rain looks over at me with a raised eyebrow, and while we are in the bathroom, I tell her the story. We fix our hair and makeup before getting back on the dance floor.

  “Wicked Union is a great band. I’m having an amazing time, thanks for inviting me, Emma.” I wink at Rain in the mirror.

  “Anytime girl. Cooper told me Levi and the guys will be here soon.” She tries to hide her smile and it just causes Rowan and me to bust out laughing. We go back over to the bar and sure enough Levi, Hunter, and Ryder are standing there drinking a beer. I smile inwardly because I can just imagine how excited Rain must be. I go over to kiss them all hello. When I get to Levi, I kiss him by his ear. “Rain has been waiting for you. Make your move stud.” He laughs and picks me up while he hugs me.

  “Man, if you don’t get your hands off my girl, I will have to kick your ass.” We all laugh especially when we look over to see Cooper with his tattooed arms crossed and eyebrows raised. Lane and Lacey come over, so we spend the rest of the night standing by the bar hanging out. As the night progressed, I don’t know if it was the music, the alcohol or knowing what the other wanted. but Levi and Rain were getting close. They even dance and I see them share their first kiss. My heart is so happy for them. Rowan flirted with Roy and Lane seemed to be having a good time with Hunter. Even though Lacey has a boyfriend, she spent most of the night talking with Ryder. I stood there with a huge smile on my fa
ce watching it all. Wicked Union started playing Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts and everyone heads to the dance floor, leaving me to stand by myself. I feel two strong arms wrap around me from behind and I smile. “Dance with me, doll.” I spin around facing him. I put my arms around his waist and slide my hands into his back pockets. He holds me close while we slowly move to the beat. Before the song is over, Cooper pulls back slightly so he is looking into my eyes. “Emma Harris, I love you.” I don’t even realize I’m crying until he wipes my tears with his thumb. He is looking at me with love shining bright in his eyes.

  “Cooper James, I love you too,” I choke out around the lump in my throat. We kiss slowly, wrapped in each other arms for the rest of the song. I don’t think he could have found a more romantic time to tell me he loves me. When the song ends, we break our kiss but continue to stare into each other’s eyes.

  “Doll, I promise you I will never take the gift of your love for granted.” I start to cry again and he chuckles. “Don’t cry, this is one of our great moments.” I honestly don’t think my heart can handle how amazing he is.

  “One of our great moments?” He grins at me wiping the rest of my tears away.

  “Yes, we’ve had the moment we met, the moment we starting dating, the moment I made you mine, and now the moment we say I love you.” I didn’t think it was possible to love someone as much as I love this man. “Come on.” He grabs my hand and starts pulling me toward the dance floor. It’s not until we continue on toward the stage that I realize Wicked Union is done playing for the night. Cooper lifts me up on the stage before hopping on. Steve looks up at us and smiles.

  “Hey. Two of my favorite people.” He gives me a big hug and I tell him what an amazing job they did tonight. I whip around when I hear Cooper talking into the microphone.

  “Can I have your attention?” He looks over at me holding a hand out, so of course I take it. “I want you all to know that I love this woman. And son of a bitch if she doesn’t love me back.” I’m equal parts embarrassed and blown away. The applause, the whistling, and even the women ‘booing’ is deafening. He puts the mic back and helps me off the stage. When we make it back over to the bar, all of our friends are waiting with huge smiles on their faces.

  “Not that I’m surprised, but I’m happy as hell for you guys.” Levi hugs us both and my girls pull me in for a hug.

  “Alright, shit. We said we love each other, we’re not engaged.” We all laugh and spend the rest of the night enjoying each other’s company.

  When Cooper and I finally make it back to his place, it is nearly four-thirty in the morning. As much as I was hoping to make love to him tonight to show him, not just tell him that I love him, it’s impossible. While he takes a shower, I fall asleep with my clothes and boots still on.

  I crack my eyes open and look at the clock. It’s already ten, yet my body still feels exhausted. I feel Cooper kiss my shoulder and I’m surprised to realize I’m in my bra and panties. He must have undressed me when he came to bed. I smile at the realization that this man is forever taking care of me and he loves me. I roll over and kiss him. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” We just stare at each other like two lovesick fools, which I guess we are. Cooper climbs on top of me, kissing me slowly. He takes off my bra and panties while I remove his boxers. He rolls a condom on and we make love. It’s unhurried, gentle, and sweet. We never break eye contact, even when we both fall over the edge. “I love you, Emma.”

  “I love you too, Cooper.”

  AFTER EMMA AND I MAKE love, we get up to have some breakfast. That’s when it happens, the frantic banging on my door. I rush over and swing it open knowing full well that it is my mom. She falls forward when I open the door, but I catch her before she hits the floor. “Come on, Mom. I’ve got you.” I guide her to the couch, helping her sit down.

  “WHY?” she screams at the top of her lungs. Damn it, it’s happening more often again. She must not be taking her medicine. Right now, obviously, not the time to bring it up to her. She has her face buried in her hands, screaming for my dad in between body-shaking sobs. I rub her back and tell her over and over that I’m here for her. This goes on for over a half-hour, but she finally lifts her head to look at me. Fuck, she looks horrible again. She is getting worse with taking care of herself.

  “Mom, it’s alright, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” She starts to smile through the tears that continue to fall. Emma comes to stand by me and I feel like the worst fucking person because I actually forgot she was here. When my mom is like this, it takes all my attention, but that is no excuse. This is the woman I love, damn it. She kisses my head and leans toward my mom.

  “Mary, I brought you some water.” My mom snaps her head up to look at Emma and, I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen her look this way before. She knocks the water out of Emma’s hand sending it flying across the living room.

  “I don’t want your damn water. You’re trying to take my son away from me. He is all I have left and you’re trying to take him. You want me to be alone.” I’m shocked, humiliated, and pissed that she would treat Emma like this. I stand up, but Emma steps in front of me.

  “Mary, I would never do that to you. I love your son more than life itself, but I would never take him away from you. I promise you that.” She looks up at Emma and I can see the confusion on her face. She probably hasn’t slept in days.

  “Just get out and leave me with my son.” Emma starts to back away, but I put my arm around her shoulder holding her to me.

  “Mom, I love you, but I will not allow you to come into my home and disrespect the woman I love. She’s not going anywhere and the sooner you accept that, the better off we will all be.” I kiss Emma’s cheek and when I turn to face my mom, she slaps my face. She’s never laid a hand on me in my life. I’m stunned silent for a minute holding my cheek.

  “Don’t you tell me what to do. I’m your mother, God damn it. If your father was here, he would never allow you to talk to me that way.” I look over at Emma who has tears shining in her eyes. What the fuck am I supposed to do here? I take a deep breath and look at my mom.

  “Mom, I think it’s time for a nap. When was the last time you slept?” She looks around extremely confused before sitting on the couch. She begins sobbing again so I sit and rub her back while I repeat my comforting phrase over and over. Emma comes out of the bedroom and I want to punch myself for not even realizing she left. She kisses my cheek so I turn to her.

  “I’ll leave you two alone. She needs you right now. Call me if you need anything.” I start to get up but she shakes her head. “She needs you.” She says pointing to my mom. She leaves without even a glance back and for the first time since losing my dad, I resent my mom.

  After Emma left, it took about an hour for my mom to finally fall asleep. She didn’t apologize, she didn’t even look at me. She cried herself to sleep calling for my dad to help her. I carried her to my bed and I’ve been sitting on the couch with my face in my hands for quite a while. How the fuck could my mom treat Emma like that? I feel like a fucking failure for not running after her. She did not deserve to be treated that way and I all but stood by and allowed it. I need to make things right. I quietly get my phone out of my room and go sit on the back stairs. I dial Emma’s number with my heart in my throat.

  “Hello?” I close my eyes tightly and wipe my sweaty hands on my jeans. At least she answered.

  “Hi.” So fucking lame.

  “Hi.” Well, she seems to be just as lame. I blow out a breath and decide to bite the bullet.

  “Emma, I am so sorry for the way my mom treated you today. She had no right to speak to you that way, and I was an asshole for allowing it. I can’t tell you how awful I feel about it.”

  “Cooper, listen. I know she didn’t mean it and that you did what you had to do. I’ll admit, it hurt like hell, but I realize how much she needs you.” What a fucking douche bag I am for allowing her to feel an ounce of pain because of me.


  “You have to know how much I love you, Emma. I would never purposely cause you pain. I will never allow that to happen again. I promise you that.” She is quiet far longer than I would like and it makes my heart ache.

  “Okay, Cooper, I believe you.” I breathe out a sigh of relief. Damn, this girl truly is my world. She asks about my mom and I tell her everything that happened after she left. We shift the conversation to talking about Levi and Rain. They left together last night and since I haven’t heard from him today, I’m assuming they had a good night. After we talk for a while, she needs to go do laundry, and I need to go make something to eat. We hang up, promising to call each other later.

  After I make myself a sandwich, I grab my guitar out of my room and head to my office in the bar. It’s been a while since I wrote anything new, but Emma inspires me. I play around with the melody before I start coming up with lyrics. “You have my heart dancing,” I sing and like how it sounds. I start jotting down random words I will eventually work into a song. Love, dancing, hearts, music, inspire, protect, beautiful--all things I will incorporate at some point. I put down my pen and try a few different chords until I find one I like for the chorus. I can’t help but smile at the way this is coming together. It usually takes me a hell of a long to time get this much done. It just proves to me how inspiring she is to me. I glance at my phone, taking note that I need to head upstairs to eat and check on my mom because the bar will be opening soon. I put my guitar away and tuck Emma’s song into the drawer on my desk. I head upstairs and I’m happy to see my mom still sleeping. I make spaghetti and eat before putting on my ‘James Bar’ shirt to head down to the bar. I peek in on my mom and figure she will be out until tomorrow, so I should be fine. Honestly, I’m still upset with her so I think I need to be away.

  For a Sunday, we are busy and I’m grateful because it keeps my mind occupied. Ralph comes in and I spill my guts to him for a change. He recommended taking Emma away for a few days to let her know just how important she is to me. This man is a fucking genius. I decide that is exactly what I’m going to do and I’ve got a few other tricks up my sleeve.