“Hello, darling Lydia. You’ve really got the moves out there on the dance floor.”
“I know I do,” she said with her characteristic complete lack of modesty that made all the adults at the table smile.
“I’m thirsty,” Lydia said.
“You should be. Dancing is hard work,” her aunt said.
Lydia nodded, picking up her glass of water with both hands and taking a long drink.
“Why don’t you two go dance?” Stacy suggested. “I can keep an eye on Lydia for you. Maybe I’ll drag her cousins over here and she can show them all her great dance moves.”
Holly narrowed her gaze at Lydia’s aunt for her not-so-subtle machinations. Stacy only gave her an innocent look in response.
“Sounds like a great idea,” Ryan said. “Shall we, Holly?”
“I don’t really dance,” she protested.
“Yes, you do,” Lydia said, calling her out without compunction. “You dance with me a lot.”
Yes. Twirling around the kitchen with her daughter to some of Lydia’s favorite tunes was a far cry from dancing with Ryan Caldwell, with his sexy scent and his snug suit and his devastating smile.
“Go dance, Mommy,” Lydia urged.
Left with no clear reason to refuse, Holly finally stood. As Ryan reached for her hand, she could swear sparks flashed between them.
With her pulse ratcheting, she slid her fingers into his.
The band had been covering a fast song but, naturally, they switched to a Christmas love song as if on cue the moment she and Ryan hit the dance floor.
Could he feel her pulse race? She really hoped not.
As he pulled her into his arms, she felt surrounded by his strength. The warmth of his hand at the small of her back seeped through her dress, his steady presence wrapping around her like the coziest of blankets on a snowy night.
For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt safe. She met his gaze and the world outside this moment seemed to melt away. The wedding bustle faded into a blur, leaving only the two of them moving in perfect harmony beneath the twinkling fairy lights.
Her thoughts flickered to the kiss they had shared after the Christmas market, still vivid in her mind. The memory now hummed between them, a silent reminder of the connection they had found.
Dancing with him now, she could feel the echo of that kiss in every step, every slight shift of his hand, and she didn’t want this moment to end. It felt too fragile, too precious, like trying to hold onto the last snowflake before it melted away.
Holly hadn’t realized how much she’d missed being held like this. Not only the physical touch, but the deep, soul-nourishing sense of being seen and cherished.
She closed her eyes, letting herself sink into the music and his quiet strength.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“Fine, actually. Having you here helped so much.”
He smiled with genuine happiness and she felt as if all the lights in the venue were twinkling inside her.
Aunt Nancy glided by on the arms of her husband. The older woman beamed at the two of them, giving Holly a meaningful wink as they moved past that made her wince.
How on earth would she be able to tell them all she and Ryan weren’t “together” anymore? They would be heartbroken. She might have to string this imaginary relationship out for years.
“I like your former in-laws very much.”
She gave a rueful smile. “So do I. If I hadn’t liked them all so much, I might not have married Troy in the first place.”
For some reason, that confession seemed to please him.
