Page 31 of High Water

“We won a dance competition that one summer to this song. What were we? Seventeen or so? I’m pretty sure that makes it our song.” Bishop smirks while I do my best to remember the steps. It’s been a long time since I’ve danced like this, and I was hoping to ease my way back in on a slow song.

“You won it. I was just a prop. And don’t you dare try that lift you did,” I warn him as he dips me. The lift had me in the air with my legs split before he swung me around his neck and let me drop and flip to the floor. Which, in retrospect, makes me wonder how my brothers didn’t figure out we were secretly hooking up.

“We won it. I wasn’t getting that far without you. And I’ll spare you the lift for now. Let you get warmed back up first.” He grins at me. The next turn around the floor takes us close to the edge, and I see Carson sitting on the stool next to my abandoned one, watching us as we make our way through the crowd of dancing couples tonight. He takes a long draw off a tallboy, and I see him sizing up Bishop.

“I think you made an enemy.” I look at Bishop to find him watching me.

“Out of Beckett? He’s hated me for two decades. There’s nothing new there.”

“You didn’t get along in school? I didn’t even know the two of you crossed paths. Or did you cross women?” Beckett was one of the most popular kids in school, prom king two years in a row, and he had his pick of dates whenever he wanted them. Bishop’s popularity was of a different sort. More rebel without a cause and mysterious-aura charm that had plenty of women lining up to be his if he’d ever pick one of them.

“Yeah, honey. You.”

“What?” I ask as the music slows. I swore I wasn’t going to stay out here more than one song with him. I didn’t want to look like I was being rude, even if he caught me off guard. But now I’m too curious to leave.

“You don’t remember him asking you to prom senior year? Sending those secret Valentine’s Day flowers?”

“No. Or I guess, I don’t remember it being him. It was a long time ago.”

“Well, I promise he didn’t forget.”

“And neither did you apparently.”

“Hard to forget. Almost broke my hand on his face.”

“You fought over that?”

“He implied you’d never stoop to my level.”

“That’s ridiculous.” I flash a look back at Carson in belated anger on Bishop’s behalf.

“I thought so too.” He grins and pulls me a little closer. “Especially when I spent that night with your legs wrapped around me.”

“Bishop,” I scold him, but it’s only halfhearted because when he’s holding me like this, an old song playing as we make our way across the floor, and I can hear the sound of his amusement in his voice, I miss those nights. I miss him.

“So you see why you can’t be letting him into your bed tonight, right? It’d restart a decades-long grudge match.”

“Is that what this is about?” I pull back to look him in the eyes, searching them for answers to questions I’m not even sure how to ask. After spending that weekend together, I’m struggling with how to keep my guard up around him.

“No. This is about me wanting to dance with you. I didn’t spend all night running other men off to let him get the first one.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing. Just ignore me and listen to the music, Jones.”

“Are you the reason no man in a thousand feet will look my way?” It’s suddenly coming together.

“Nah. That was Jack’s doing.”

“Jack? The security guy?”

“Yeah. I told him to keep the all-hat, no-cattle types out of your way. But then I forgot that he and Carson go way back. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“Bishop…” I sigh. “Finding someone to date in this town is hard enough as a divorced single mom. Add the Stockton thing in, and well… I don’t need you mucking it up.”

“You dating already?”

“Maybe. Ethan already went on a date. Why shouldn’t I?”