Page 35 of The Maverick’s Legacy

Jesse laughed at that, and his body visibly loss its stiffness “Don’t forget the dogs! It’s lively, for sure.”

They continued to talk until dinner arrived. Carly took a bite of her food, and her mouth instantly watered with pleasure. She savored the gravy on top, dipping her seasoned vegetables in it so she didn’t miss a single bite.

After finishing their meal, she said, “It’s incredible. I’ve been all over the world, but Tenacity has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.”

“I’m glad you approve,” he said, his eyes soft. “Would you care to dance?”

“I’d love that.”

They made their way onto the dance floor just as the band began to play a slow, melodic song. The trumpet player placed a mute on the bell of his instrument, giving it a timeless sound.

Carly wrapped her arms around Jesse’s neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the base of his skull. It was just as soft as she thought it’d be. He put his own palms at the base of her spine, the heat of his hands seeping into the fabric of her dress. There was hardly any space between them, and she couldn’t have asked for anything better. She almost wished that she had worn a looser skirt so that she could feel one of those strong thighs of his between her own. Her hand drifted to his chest, resting above his heart, taking comfort from the steady beat of it.

The music changed, the beat becoming faster. Carly thought perhaps that was the end of their dance. Instead, Jesse twirled her away from him, only to bring her back hard enough so that her breasts met his chest. He smirked at her surprised expression before he dipped her.

“What are you doing?” She laughed.

“Showing you that this guy has some moves.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She was very tempted to ask him to show her some more of those alleged moves when he brought her upright again, only to whirl her in his arms. They danced around the floor, cackling like loons. Other couples moved out of their way, and she was pretty sure she saw someone whip out their camera, but in that moment, she didn’t care.

If she’d been keeping a tally of her best dates, this one would’ve taken a top spot without question.

When he drove her home later that night, she felt more optimistic about their relationship than she ever had before. She’d put off the question of whether he was really ready to date, but maybe now was the right time. Unlike the drive to their date, she didn’t feel distracted or tense. She felt hopeful.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” he said as they stood on her porch, but he made no move to kiss her.

“I did too,” she replied, leaning against the railing.

“Well, I…” he started to say before he gave her a tight smile. “I’ll call you later, okay? Have a good night.”

He started down the steps so he could head to his car. Carly shook her head as she watched him go. They had just spent an incredibly romantic evening together and he was walking away like nothing happened.

Carly’s frustration boiled over and she followed him. “I need some clarity here.”

He gave her a quizzical look. “Sure. What about?”

“Are we dating? Or do you want to be only friends?”

Jesse froze at that. “You don’t know we’re dating?”

“Are you really ready for this? I mean, it’s okay if you’re not—you must have really loved your wife—but just tell me if I don’t have a chance here because—”

Jesse held up his hand to stop her tirade from spewing any further. “Forgive me, but I think I need to recap this conversation. You think that we’re either not dating, I just want to be friends, or I’m not ready to date. Do I have that about right?”

Carly wanted nothing more than to run inside her house and never come out again. Ever. The police would eventually be called because the neighbors would complain about the smell wafting from the house, even though they lived miles away. And the real irony was that it’d be Jesse who made the call.

“It’s getting pretty late,” she said weakly. “I should get inside.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

Carly stiffened at that. “I’m sorry?”

“I need to understand what’s going on in that head of yours.”

She raised her chin. “I don’t think that it’s really that confusing.”

“I might be just a dumb country boy, then, because I don’t understand how we went from having an incredible night tonight to you asking me if I’m not interested in dating you.”