“I smelled it when I walked into the apartment, but I hopped immediately into the shower.” He gestured with his chin toward the jukebox. “You haven’t picked a song.”
I let out a soft laugh when I saw Brooks & Dunn,The Greatest Hits Collection. I pushed a button and a moment later, ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone’ started to play.
Brooks took my hand and led me back to the table where Cas and Declan had joined Hadley and Salem.
“Good tune,” Declan said.
“Killer,” Cas agreed.
“The perfect song to dance to,” Declan said as he slid out of the booth and held out his hand to Hadley.
She beamed up at him and took his hand. He led her to the makeshift dance floor which was really just the center of the bar where there were no tables and chairs.
“How about it?” Cas asked Salem.
“Hell yes,” she said eagerly.
The two couples moved toward the dance floor, leavingme alone with Brooks. Before he could even think to ask me if I wanted to dance, I snuggled into his side and pressed my cheek to his chest. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer.
“Is that just a coincidence?” I asked.
“What?”
“Your name and the name of this band?”
He paused for a moment and then finally said, “No coincidence. My mother loved this band.”
Loved.
Past tense.
“Is she?—”
“Later,” he said pressing a kiss to my forehead. “We’ll talk about it later.”
A stone of emotion settled in my belly.
While the couples were dancing, Wade brought the meat and ribs combo and a bunch of share plates. “Hey, man,” he greeted Brooks. “You want something to drink?”
“Water’s good, thanks,” Brooks said.
“Be right back with that for ya,” Wade said. “Enjoy the food.”
“We will,” I said with a smile. “Might as well put in another order of the exact same. This won’t last long.”
“You got it,” Wade said, knocking on the table and leaving.
The song ended and the couples returned to the table.
“I already ordered a second platter,” I said as they sat.
The table was quiet as we all devoured the meal. When there was a break in the feeding frenzy, Salem raised her mocktail and said, “To Poet. Who’s going to open her bookstore and be a great success.”
“Here, here,” Hadley said with a huge smile.
“Lucy gave you her blessing, huh?” Declan asked after he set his pint of beer down.
I nodded. “Yes. She didn’t even make me work for it. Iwanted to prepare a presentation, but it was completely unnecessary. Unlike the bank, though. They’ll want to see something.”
