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Which she did.
Just…not anywhere near where she needed to.
“At least I’m getting close, right?”
“Definitely,” he told her. “Here. Watch me again.” Moving into place, he took his three throws and was pleased that they all landed closer to the bullseye. “Ready?”
Nodding, she took her spot, aimed, and hit the wall. Her shoulders sagged and she looked at him. “We’re either going to need a bigger board or you’re going to have to help me.”
He was about to respond when the band took the stage and things got loud fast.
Stepping in close, Jackson respectfully put his hands on Savannah’s hips and guided her into the proper stance. Then, he pressed up behind her and heard her soft hiss of breath at the barely-there contact.
Yeah, I feel it too…
His left hand stayed on her hip as he took her right hand in his and showed her how to hold the dart and throw it.
“You’re doing great,” he murmured close to her ear and all she did was nod, her eyes never leaving the board. The next throw actually hit in the circle and when she turned to him and smiled, he swore his heart kicked hard in his chest.
It was insane to be reacting to a woman like this so fast. It was one thing to experience a mild attraction, but what he felt right now was far more than that. Taking a step away, he motioned for her to try it again on her own.
It took another couple of rounds of practice before they started an actual game and opted for a best of three.
The pub was much more crowded by the time they were done and people were dancing to the music, so it made getting back to their booth a little trickier. He held out his hand to Savannah so they wouldn’t get separated and by the time they were back in their seats, he caught her watching all the dancers. That totally wasn’t his thing and yet he found himself asking, “Would you like to dance?”
Her eyes instantly lit up and before he knew it, they were right in the thick of it dancing to a poor cover of a Whitney Houston song. The band itself was good, but the singer was bad enough that he couldn’t help but laugh.
Fortunately, Savannah did too, and it just added to the fun of the moment.
One song turned to two, and when a ballad started up, Jackson was relieved when she immediately stepped into his arms. With her hand in his and their bodies pressed together practically from head to toe, he could say with great certainty that it was the best part of the night. They swayed to the music, but the song was over way too soon.
“We’re gonna take a break, but we’ll be back soon!” the singer called out, and with that, the floor cleared.
Which was kind of okay because his knee was starting to ache. Doing his best not to give in to the limp, he ambled back to their booth, but Savannah noticed.
“Are you okay?” she asked as she slid back into her seat.
With no other choice, Jackson told her about his surgery. “It was three months ago and I’ve been doing everything the doctors and therapists tell me, but…sometimes it feels like it’s never going to get better.”
“Recovery always feels longer when you’re the patient.” She paused and shifted a little in her seat. “There are a ton of stretches and exercises you can do and…”
“Believe me, I’ve done them all. I guess I just overdid it tonight.” The last thing he wanted to do was talk about this and have her think he was weak. Under the table, he rubbed his aching knee and saw the look of concern on her face. “How about that dessert?”
Rather than respond right away, she reached into her purse and pulled out her phone.
And frowned.
With an apologetic smile, she said, “I wish I could, but it looks like I need to go. Problem at home.”
She slid out of the booth and so did he. “Can I walk you to your car?”
“That would be nice, but I need to pay the check first. I think our waiter knew I was considering dessert and that’s why he never came over with the bill.”
As if on cue, Jamie walked over and handed it to him.
“I’ve got…”
“No,” Jackson interrupted. “Dinner’s on me. Consider it my way of celebrating your big news.”
