I jerked my head to her, “I told you—”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved me off. “Just friends. Listen.” She leaned forward again. “I normally don’t go airing my brothers’ secrets around, we’re each other’s safe space, you know, but…Quinn…” Her voice lowered. “I’ve never seen him like this. He’s been different these past six months, almost as if something or”—she nudged my knee—“someone got his ass to grow up a little bit. He likes you…really likes you. So if he decides to say something to you tonight…just…hear him out.”
Hear him out.
My heart lurched into my throat. I had to swallow it down.
“Mrs. Callahan!” Cash shouted from the dance floor. “I will make them replay this song!”
“Oh God. He already Mrs. Callahaned me.” She flipped her hair but turned back to me, the grin wild on her face. “Just…hear him out.”
I nodded once, not able to do much more than that.
“Miss Quinn!”
Before I could black out from what Abi had just told me, Stetson appeared, his hands latching onto mine before I could react.
“Uncle Wyatt says youhaveto dance to this one.”
I inhaled and blinked, pulling myself from the stupor. “Oh, did he?” I smiled.
“Yes, come on! I need a partner!”
I laughed as Stetson dragged me out with him, placing me in the front of the line, sandwiched between him and Wyatt. I let the music and the steps drown out everything Abi had said.He likes you, really likes you…just hear him out.
Hear him out? What if I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say? What if I already had an idea as to what he was going to say? He’s told me over and over again that I was the only girl he was chasing. That I was the one he wanted to kiss. Hell, he spent his birthday with me without even telling me it was his birthday, and then he said it was exactly where he wanted to be.
I knew to him it was more than friendship. I knew he wanted something more…
I just…
Didn’t want to ruin what we were.
It didn’t matter what my heart was yelling at me—that maybe he was worth trying, that maybe,justmaybe, he wasn’t who I thought him to be at all. He was chaos, but maybe my structure needed the chaos? Maybe his chaos needed my structure? With him, I had done things that I hadn’t thought about in a long time. A game of pool, late nights watching a show, singing along with Shania Twain during the long road trips, heading to a bar to celebrate wins, and opening up about a hard part of my life that I’d rather forget.
But I did all those things because he was becoming a friend.
And I couldn’t—wouldn’t—ruin that.
Hear him out.
“Alright, Stet,” Wyatt said, his voice husky and deep. “My turn to dance with Miss Quinn. Can you take Poppy back to her mom?” He leaned over, handing Stetson his cousin.
Stetson rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. But you can’t fall in love with her.”
Wyatt and I furrowed our brows and looked at Stetson at the same time.
“Excuse me?” Wyatt asked.
“Uncle Rhett fell in love with Aunt Kyla. I like Miss Quinn. Don’t. Fall. In. Love.” Stetson glared at his uncle and then turned to walk back into the crowd.
“Well, that was terrifying.” I looked at myfriend.
“Apparently, Stetson is into older women.” Wyatt reached out, his palms up. “Dance with me?” he asked, the smile steady on his lips.
Line dancing ended and was replaced by a slow and smooth country song. I knew the deep voice that drew the couples together, and I couldn’t help but reach out and take Wyatt’s hand. He pulled me close, his scent enveloping me. There was a hint of hay to his scent, and I knew it had attached to him since he began working in the stables. It worked for him. No heavy cologne like I had smelled before, no Axe body spray to cover up anything he may not want there. It was just him. Just Wyatt. Hay and strawberries…and the sunset.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my body lie flush against his, and he gently began to sway us.
