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Blaine blinked, closed his mouth, and cleared his throat. “I think.” He had to grind the emotion out again. “I think you look like a million bucks.”
She smiled and ducked her head, the hint of a blush creeping into her fair-skinned face.
“You ready?” he asked. “I could come in.”
“I’m ready.” She grabbed a purse that was clearly hanging by the door and stepped onto the front porch with him. “Are you really staying tonight?”
“I brought a camp cot,” he said. “Sleeping bag. It’s all in the back of my truck.”
“I really don’t need you to,” she said, glancing at him as they walked toward the stairs leading to the sidewalk.
Feeling flirtatious and bold, Blaine swept his hand along her waist before he took her hand in his. “Sometimes we don’t get what we want, you know?”
Tam looked at him, some anxiousness in her blue eyes. The makeup she’d put on somehow made them bluer, and Blaine hadn’t thought that possible. “My back did twinge a little today,” she admitted.
“I know,” Blaine said, looking out over the glorious Kentucky landscape in front of her house. She only lived maybe three-quarters of a mile from the ranch, but he had to go all the way down the road and back up a curve and past a couple of fields to get to her place. “I saw you limping on that last horse.”
Next to him, Tam stiffened, but her stride didn’t break. “I’m okay, Blaine,” she said.
“Don’t worry, baby,” he said easily. “I’m not going to take you back to the hospital.” He opened the passenger door for her and let her step past him. Her dress looked like it was made from crinkly cotton, and it had ruffles down the front of it. He wanted to know how that fabric felt against his skin, and after Tam had settled onto her seat, he reached out and gathered a handful of her skirt in his hand.
She said nothing, and he enjoyed the rougher texture of the fabric. “I really like this dress, Tam,” he said, lifting his gaze to meet hers.
“Do you?” she asked, her smile quick and filled with white teeth. “I’m glad. I bought it online and haven’t worn it yet.”
“Mm.” He backed up and closed her door. He’d already known she hadn’t worn the dress yet. He saw her at church—the only time Tam wore skirts or dresses—and he’d never seen that dress. As he rounded the tailgate, he wondered if she’d worn that dress to church, would he have realized his romantic feelings for her?
He got behind the wheel and looked at her. “It’s Wednesday, and that means Italian night at Six Spurs. I don’t really want that, and you can’t really dance anyway.”
“Plus, you’re not Spur when it comes to a dance floor,” she teased.
“Hey,” Blaine said, putting the truck in reverse. “I know how to dance.”
“Yeah, but you’re at least…what? Fifth in the family as far as actual dance-power goes.”
“Dance-power?” he repeated. “Fifth?”
“Spur’s the best dancer,” she said.
“I think Trey’s better than Spur,” Blaine argued. “But go on.”
“I would’ve put Trey second,” Tam said. “Then Duke, because he’s got moves when the fast songs come on.”
“Oh, please,” Blaine said, though he was enjoying this conversation. “He watched a couple of YouTube videos on hip hop. He’s no dance-master.”
Tam pealed out a string of laughter that made Blaine’s heart feel ten times lighter. “Fair enough. But he’s still third. Cayden’s fourth. You’re fifth. Conrad can’t keep a beat to save his life, but he’s marginally better than Lawrence.”
“Ian’s last?” Blaine asked. “I thought he did a decent job at his wedding.” Out of the Chappell brothers, only Ian and Spur had been married. He and Trey had both been engaged once-upon-a-time. Spur was again for the second time, while everyone else remained single.
“That’s swaying back and forth,” Tam said. “That’s not actually dancing.”
“We’re not actually dancing tonight either,” Blaine said, glancing at her. “I was thinking of going to Cattleman’s.” He watched her for her reaction, something he could do on this relatively straight stretch of road.
Surprise flitted across her face, but it dissolved quickly. “Oh, I see what’s happening. You’re going to flash around some fancy diamond card or something.” She grinned at him, clearly teasing.
“I want good food tonight,” he said.
“Mindie’s is good.”
