“We just met,” Kimber interjected. “Gunnar and I are practically strangers.”
“It must have been some first meeting then,” a young woman holding a baby said.
“Sometimes it just hits you like a hammer,” a golden-haired woman added.
“Don’t mind them. They’re crazy,” Kimber said.
Since she wasn’t doing the honors, he took a step toward them. “Hi. I’m Gunnar Law.”
“I’m Jennifer Lange,” the blond said as she shook his hand. “I’m Shannon’s sister-in-law.”
“I’m Gwen,” the younger woman holding the baby said. “I’m . . . well, I don’t know what I am but I’m kind of related. Oh! And this is Bridge.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of y’all,” he said as he gently rubbed a finger on Bridge’s tiny sock-covered foot.
Gwen beamed as Bridge cooed.
“So . . .” Shannon said, looking like she was ready to invite him in to chat.
“So I think it’s time we got on our way.” Kimber pulled on her coat before he could help. “I’ll explain it all to you when we get out of here. Are you ready?”
“Almost, but give me a sec, babe.”
Kimber’s eyebrows rose. “Babe?”
He ignored her and Jennifer’s giggles. “Hey, Shannon, I need to talk to you about something. See, my mother just called. She wants to learn the cha-cha. And maybe swing dancing too.” He could practically feel his face heat up as he remembered that whole swingers cruise convo.
“That Willa. Oh my stars, Gunnar! I should have mentioned that first thing. I talked to her on the phone yesterday. She’s just as bubbly as ever.”
“She is that. Mom can’t wait to take your lessons. She says you’ve got quite the great reputation.”
“She’s sweet. Willa’s going on a cruise, right?”
“Yep. It’s called Swing Cruise, if you can believe that.” Please God, he hoped his mother never shared that he’d misunderstood what kind of cruise it was.
“I can believe it. I’m looking forward to seeing her and to seeing you both dance.”
“Wait, what?” Kimber asked.
Shannon grinned. “Gunnar is going to be his mama’s dancing partner!”
“Guilty.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’m afraid she can talk me into just about anything.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. Y’all are going to do great.”
“Wait a minute. Gunnar, are you saying that you’re going to take dancing lessons from my sister?” Kimber asked.
“I got roped into it.” Realizing he sounded like a jerk, he added, “But I’m sure looking forward to your lessons, Shannon.”
“We’ll have the best time talking about Spartan.”
“That we will.” He smiled at Shannon again before offering his arm to Kimber. “Ready?”
Looking suddenly shy, she nodded. “Don’t you all still be standing here when I get back,” she called over her shoulder as they walked out the door.
Bright laughter followed them out.
“They’re a kick,” Gunnar said as he placed a hand on her back as they walked down the steps.
Though she looked a little grumpy about it, Kimber chuckled. “That they are. Half the time I feel like I’m living in the middle of a sorority house.”
“And the other half?”
“I feel like I must have done something pretty special to deserve them. They’re great.”
He liked that answer. Walking down the sidewalk by her side, he said, “I thought we could run into Paxton’s. Will that work for you?”
She smiled brightly at him. “It will. Absolutely.”
Gunnar had planned on asking her about her relationship to Shannon right away. He was curious as to how two such different women were sisters. But he pushed his question to the back shelf. At the moment, he didn’t care about a thing except for walking by her side. She looked so pleased, he could practically feel her warmth thawing everything that had been giving him fits over the last two days.
After they entered the cozy bar and restaurant, they were seated in a back corner. Under a strand of multicolored Christmas lights but away from the worst of the noise. It was also out of the main entrance, so they didn’t catch the draft that blew through every time the door opened.
The server took their drink order as well as an order for chili-cheese fries.
Kimber rested her elbows on the table. “Now, want to tell me what’s been going on with you? How’s Jeremy?”
“You know what? Today, we’re doing okay.”
“You have to add that qualifier? Oh, Gunnar, have things been that rocky between the two of you?”
“No.” He held up a hand to emphasize his point. “Not at all. We seem to get along well. That said, I’m always second-guessing myself. Sometimes I get the feeling that Jeremy wishes he was anywhere else.”
“I know for a fact that isn’t the case,” Kimber said.
“For a fact? What did he say?”
“Nothing specific, other than whenever he mentions your name he grins. Plus, I’ve seen the two of you together, remember? He looks at you like a son looks at his dad.”
Her words caused a lump to form in his throat. “If he does that at all, I’ll be thankful. No, the main thing that got me rattled was my mother’s call that she was coming to town and taking dance lessons with Shannon.”
“And, she’s staying with you?”
“Yep. She’s going to be with us for a whole week. I’ve always thought I had a good-sized house, but I’m telling you, I think things are going to be cramped around there.”
After accepting her glass of club soda from the server, Kimber laughed. “Maybe it won’t be that bad. My parents are supposed to be coming here sometime soon too.”
“I promise, my visit is going to be more stressful—unless you’re folks have dance lessons on the agenda too.”
“They don’t, but it probably won’t go great.” She frowned.
“Why’s that?”
She leaned back in her chair. “I love them and they love me, but I don’t always make them very happy.”
“Come on.”
“I’m not trying to throw a pity party, but it’s true.” Looking pensive, she said, “They’ll probably grill me because I don’t have a job right now.”
“How come?” He was confused. He thought she was a model.
“Well, I’m currently having a midlife crisis at twenty-six.”
“Sounds challenging.”
“It has been. See, I’ve been modeling for a while, now. I got sick of it, so I quit and I’ve been taking a break.” When the server brought their fries, she smiled at the gooey mess like it was a long-lost friend. “And eating. Actually . . . I’ve been eating a lot.”
“Wow. I don’t know much about modeling, but I can’t imagine that you’ve been eating a lot of fries.”
She forked a good-sized pile on a plate. “Nope. Though . . . I had a crazy phone call this afternoon myself. Brett, my old agent, called with a job for me. I don’t know what to do about that.”
“Why? Are you thinking about taking it?”
“Yep. It’s for the cover of a magazine plus a featured spread. A lot of money. It would be hard to pass up.”
“I bet.” He wasn’t sure what a lot of money was to her, but he figured it would be a whole lot to him.
“I haven’t made up my mind. I told Brett I’d call him tomorrow morning with my answer.”
He was having a hard time imagining saying no to that kind of money. But he supposed paychecks like that weren’t everything. “What do your sisters think?”
“I haven’t told them. I haven’t told anyone . . . but you.”
“You can tell me whatever you want . . . but why haven’t you told them?”
“I don’t know. I mean, Shannon was working and my other sister Traci is working tonight too. She’s a cop. But really, I’m afraid they might talk me out of it.” She looked down at her plate. “I’ve complained about both Brett and my job a lot. I feel if I give in, it’s going to be like all my griping was just talk.”
“Good luck with your decision.”
Her eyebrows rose. “That’s it?”
“Since I don’t reckon you’re going to start asking me about building houses and fixing cars, I’m not going to start telling you what to do about modeling.”
“I feel like if I say yes, it will be my last hurrah, you know? I can go out on top.”
He wondered how far away she actually was from that top. He was starting to get the feeling she was already there. “It would be cool to see you on a magazine cover.”
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
Heck yeah, it was. Gunnar shook his head, hardly able to imagine it. He was an average-looking guy from a dying town in the middle of West Virginia. He worked with his hands and it showed. Both his hands and his face were a little weathered and worn.
In addition, he’d played sports in high school, but he’d never been the star athlete. He hadn’t gone to college, hadn’t ever even thought about community college. Instead, he’d just worked hard. Worked hard, prayed a lot, and built himself a business. He’d made himself a good life, but it was never going to be a fancy one. He’d never earned six figures and didn’t know if he ever would.
Men like him didn’t date fancy New York cover models.
And yet, here he was.
Looking into her eyes, he allowed himself to reveal a little bit more of himself. “’Course, I’d be lying if I didn’t think you looked even better sitting right here in front of me.”
Her brown eyes warmed in the dim light of the restaurant. “You’re a regular smooth talker, Gunnar Law.”
“Yeah, that’s me.” He sipped his beer. “For what it’s worth, I already feel better about my mama. She’ll enjoy those classes with Shannon. I know she’s going to be good with Jeremy too.”
“If I’m home when you’re over, I’ll come down and watch.” She gave him a smile that was both parts amused and sexy as all get out.
Which made him really not be in any hurry to embarrass himself. “Don’t you dare. I’m sure I’ll have two left feet.”
“I have those myself. Shannon’s trying to help me learn to tap. It’s painful how bad I am at it.”
“That makes me feel good.”
She smiled at him. “I guess we’re both going to do okay, Gunnar. But just in case we aren’t, I think I’m going to put you on speed dial.”
“I’ll look forward to it.”
Two hours later, he walked her back. Her hand was in his and he decided he liked it there. Liked it a lot. “I’m sorry I kept you out so late.”
“I’m not.” Her smile widened. “It was something I didn’t know I needed. Really nice.”
He loved how she’d phrased that. Good moments were like that, he supposed. Filled with experiences he didn’t see coming or hadn’t known he needed. He squeezed her hand lightly. “I think so too.” It was a lame response, but that was him, he guessed. Full of good intentions but not always the best choices of words or phrases.
When they got to the door of the building, he waited until she found the key. “Good luck tomorrow. I’ll text you later to see what you decided.”
“Good.” She smiled softly at him before unlocking the door. When it opened and he saw that a light was shining on the second-floor landing, she said, “I guess I’m set now.”
He didn’t know if it was an invitation or not, but he leaned closed and kissed her lightly on the lips. To his satisfaction, she rested her hands on his shoulders and leaned into him. When they pulled apart, her lips were parted slightly.
He covered one of her hands with his own. “Night, Kimber.”
“Good night, Gunnar Law,” she murmured before walking inside.
After he heard her lock the door, he walked back to his truck, thinking that things might be good in his future after all.
CHAPTER 12
the cavalier: The handsome partner of
the Sugar Plum Fairy
“Okay, ladies. That’s it for tonight,” Miss Shannon said. “We had a real good class tonight. Y’all worked real hard. All of you are dismissed.”
There was a collective sigh through the whole room. The practice had been really hard.
Practically collapsing on the floor, Bethany waved to two of the other girls who were already on their way out the door. She wasn’t that anxious to get out of there, but she was anxious to give her feet a rest. She was pretty sure she had two new blisters on her right foot.
Just as she sat down on the floor to undo the ribbons of her toe shoes, Miss Shannon walked to her side. “Are you okay, Bethany?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Pulling off her right shoe, she winced as she saw that one of those blisters she’d worried about had not only appeared but had started to bleed.
“Uh-oh,” Shannon said. “You’re going to need to soak that foot tonight.”
“I will.” Luckily, her mother never gave her lectures about bloody toes, just pulled out her footbath and handed her a towel.
“I’m glad we’re the only two people left in here, because I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a moment or does your mother need you to rush off?”
“Um, I’m pretty sure I have a moment. But, could I text my mom and tell her I’ll be another five minutes?”
Miss Shannon looked pleased, which helped her roaring nerves a lot. “Yes, honey. You do that. Get yourself together and text your mom. When you’re ready, I’ll be over at my desk.”
“Yes, Miss Shannon.”
“And Bethany?”
She skidded to a stop. “Yes?”
“Try not to feel so nervous. This is a good thing, I promise.”
Smiling weakly, Bethany nodded. Then she quickly did as her teacher suggested, putting on sweatpants, thick socks, and her favorite rubber flip flops that had the Velcro straps across the toes. Finally, she texted her mom that she had to meet with her teacher for a few, tossed her phone in her purse, and hurried over to her teacher’s desk.
She looked up like she’d forgotten Bethany was there. “Boy, that was quick.”
“I didn’t have much to do.”
“Goodness, but you look worried.” Frowning slightly, Miss Shannon’s usually thick accent got even thicker. “Honey, I’m real sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Like I said, what I wanted to talk to you about is a good thing.”
“Yes?” Bethany wished she’d just get on with it.
“I’d like you to take on the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy.”
She just about fell over. “You mean the main one?”
Shannon’s smile got bigger. “Yep. You’ve really been working hard and it shows. All of you girls are very talented, and honestly I couldn’t decide between two of you, but then today, your pirouettes were incredible. And you’re picking up material more quickly than the other girls.”
“Thank you.”
“You’ve also become a real leader, dear. You have a good way with the little girls in the cast. They look up to you and I think you’ll be a great help to me. In short, I think you’ll make everyone proud.”
“I don’t know what to say.” She had been working hard, but she hadn’t thought anyone noticed.
“Do you want to think about it? It does mean more practices and more responsibility.”
“No.” When Miss Shannon blinked, Bethany said in a rush, “I mean, no, I don’t need to think about it. I want to be the Sugar Plum Fairy. Thank you!”
“You’re very welcome. I’ll work on the schedule and talk to you and your mother later this week.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Anxious to tell her mother, she suddenly thought of something. “Um, is this a secret? I mean, can I tell my mom?”
A warm smile appeared. “It’s not a secret at all. Tell whomever you would like, dear.”
“Thank you!” she said again before she hurried to the parking lot. A quick scan showed her mom was sitting in her van. Like usual, she had her Kindle open and was reading. She started when Bethany opened the door. “Oh, Bethy. You startled me! Is everything okay?”
“Mom, you’ll never guess what happened?”
She turned off her tablet and put it in her purse. “You better tell me quick, then.”
“Miss Shannon asked me to be the Sugar Plum Fairy! Mom, the main one!”
“That’s incredible!” She reached out and hugged Bethany tight. “Congratulations! My goodness, think of all the years you performed other parts.”
“I know! Remember when I was a baker for about two minutes?”
Her mother nodded. “It was so hard for Dad and me to sit through all those dress rehearsals for your fleeting brush with fame.”
Just the reminder of how much her parents had done for her was humbling. “You’ve done so much for me. Thanks.”
“Oh, sweetie. This isn’t about us. It’s about your hard work. You should be very proud to be cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy. It’s quite an achievement.”
Bethany held out her hand. “When Miss Shannon first asked me to stay late, I was worried that I’d done something wrong. But then she gave me a bunch of compliments and said she wanted me to be the fairy.”
“This is so exciting. You deserve it too. You’ve been working so hard.”
“She said I’m going to have to do extra practices.” Suddenly thinking about her mother’s job as a receptionist at the veterinary hospital, she felt another rush of doubts. “Can I do that?”
“I don’t see why not. Dad and I and your brother will figure it out.”
Her brother was a senior and driving, but he’d never acted horrible about taking her places when one of their parents couldn’t. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Now, are you done worrying about everything under the sun?”
“Yes.”
Save the Last Dance Page 8