Henry holds his hands up in a gesture of innocence. ‘Okay! Relax, Gertie. My goodness, what has gotten into you?’ He gives me an imploring look. ‘You know I didn’t mean that about romance readers, right? I was just teasing.’ He uses his forefinger to chuck beneath my chin. ‘I’d never intentionally do anything to hurt you. You do know that, right?’
I’m not sure I do.
‘May I cut in?’
I spin around to see River at my side, looking breathtaking in his white shirt and jeans, two condensation-covered beer bottles in his hands. He leans down, right there in front of Henry, and, without any ado, presses his lips to my neck, making an ‘mmmm’ sound as he does. I inhale sharply at the pleasant sensation of rough stubble on my skin.
Some girls just ain’t ready to be kissed like that.
My mouth goes dry. I’ve never liked the feel of stubble before. I always used to grumble when Henry went a coupleof days without shaving, but right now? I feel myself go a little light-headed.
Get a grip, Gertie. Focus on the plan.
I turn to River, and crawl my fingers confidently up his torso, laying a palm flat on his chest so that I can feel the steady beat of his heart beneath it.
‘Hi, baby,’ I say, my voice croaking a little. I grab one of the bottles of beer off River and take a hefty swig.
‘Baby?’ Henry snorts.
‘Sorry to interrupt, buddy.’ River barely glances at Henry. ‘I was hoping this outstanding woman would do me the honour of joining me on the dance floor.’
My eyes widen. We did not discuss this bit. We did not discuss us dancing. The sexy leg-crossing, the flirting with each other, the neck kiss, the hand on his chest was all pre-agreed. But dancing?
Henry chuckles. ‘Sorry, mate, Gertie doesn’t dance.’
‘That can’t be true,’ River says, looking only at me.
‘Two left feet,’ Henry explains. ‘It’s adorable. She’s adorable.’
River’s nostrils flare. ‘Oh, I’d say she’s more than adorable.’
‘Is that so?’ Henry is still smiling, though it no longer reaches his eyes.
‘It is. I’d say she’s … astounding. Dazzling.Sublime.You know,adorableis such a weak description for someone like Gertie. Ain’t you supposed to be a serious writer, Henry? Come on, Owl. Let’s go bust a move.’
As Henry’s cheeks flush with fury at the insult, his mouthopening and closing without making a sound, River grabs hold of my hand, lacing his fingers through mine.
‘Don’t you dare look back at him,’ he hisses as we head over to the area between two trees where a small group of people are already dancing.
‘Oh my God,’ I breathe. ‘He’s so mad, though.’
‘He’s rude, is what he is. Trying to humiliate you like that at the campfire. Turning his nose up at your life’s work in front of your peers. I’ll tell you something, that man would not last a half-hour on Oakley Ranch. They’d demolish the windbag faster than a prairie fire with a tail wind.’
‘He didn’t really mean what he said about romance. I think he’s just needled about you being here with me, which is what we want, right? It’s making him sharper than usual – evidence that it’s bothering him.’
‘Well, either way, you held your own.Masturbatory prose?’ He chuckles. ‘Perfect. You got quite a sharp tongue yourself.’
River grins down at me as he places our beers onto a poseur table by the makeshift dance floor.
‘Henry was right about one thing, though,’ I tut. ‘Iamreally bad at dancing. Like, genuinely terrible. And I am telling you, it isnotadorable.’
Keeping hold of my hand and pressing his other hand against my back, River draws me right to him. He smiles, eyes twinkling beneath the fairy lights. ‘Oh, but you ain’t ever danced with me, Owl.’
*
As the scatter of stars above glitter like nature’s own disco ball, and the scent of the nearby wildflower meadow sails beneath my nose on a cool breeze, something magical and wonderful happens. I discover, quite unexpectedly, that I am not the worst dancer on earth at all. I might … I might actually be a very natural talent. I might, in fact, be a genius dancer. Has this been my hidden talent all these years? Is that what Josie meant when she told me I had wasted potential? Should I try to go pro? Is this my new career when my current career implodes because I still can’t seem to write a damn word? Am I destined for a life in the performing arts? I’ve danced two songs with River and to my surprise and delight I feel completely, weirdly, at ease in my body. It’s doing exactly what I want it to do, and that almost never happens. The dancing area of the forest floor is now crowded with tipsy revellers, red-faced and shiny with music, alcohol and really good barbecued chicken wings. As the music builds in tempo I start to shimmy, which makes River laugh out loud.
‘This is a move we are not familiar with in Bedlam Creek.’
