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“Where did you just go?” she asked as she studied my face.
I shook my head. “Nowhere.”
Her eyes filled with something that looked like sadness, and I hated seeing that. I wanted to be honest with Georgie. Hell, she deserved honesty. But I also didn’t want to ruin tonight.
“I’m not asking you for more than this, Blayze.”
“This?” I asked.
“Being with you while I’m here in Montana. I know we both have separate lives, and I know you want a ranch wife and kids.”
My heart ached at the idea that Georgie didn’t want a family. Or maybe it was that she didn’t want it with me.
“You don’t want kids?”
Her eyes brightened. “I do,” she said with a soft laugh. “I’d like at least two. I hated growing up without any siblings.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” I said, winking.
She shook her head. “Liar. I see you with Morgan and Hunter. Even with Bradly the other day. You loved helping him with his riding. It was written all over your face.”
“You got me there. I do enjoy it. I’m older than Morgan by six years, and I’m thirteen years older than the youngest cousin. I know they look up to me and follow my example, so I try to be as strong as the examples I had growing up.”
Her eyes searched my face. “Your dad and your uncles?”
“Yes. If I could be like anyone, I’d want to be like my father. Hell, I’d take being at least ten percent of him.”
“You are like Brock. In more ways than you think, Blayze. Watching the two of you together has been fascinating. You move the same. Think in the same way. Do you know how many times you both acted in unison without even speaking while you worked side by side today? And your father is clearly so proud of you.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “I’m not sure about that. I think he wanted me to follow in his footsteps.”
She gave me a confused look. “You have.”
“No,” I said with a shake of my head as I looked over the people dancing until I found the man I was talking about. “Bull riding. When I gave it up in college, everyone said it was because I was too afraid. That wasn’t it at all.”
“Then why did you give up bull riding? And don’t tell me it was because you wanted to run the ranch.”
I looked back down at her. “That was part of the reason. I’ll tell you the other one later. I don’t want to ruin tonight.”
Her brows drew together, and for a moment she looked like she was going to ask me another question. Instead, she dropped her head down to my chest. When the song was over, I took her hand and led us through the crowd.
“The family will all be sitting together,” I said.
“Oh, I don’t have to sit with the family.”
Stopping, I put my hand up to her face. “Yes, you do, Georgie. And you’re sitting next to me.”
Her tongue came up and swept over her lips as her cheeks turned a beautiful pink.
Dinner seemed to drag on for what felt like hours. There were a lot of stories, laughter, and a few tears. I handed Georgie a napkin when she started to cry during my grandfather’s toast to Grams. Truth be told, I teared up myself.
I glanced at my watch and Morgan leaned over. “Just go already. My God, if you look at your watch one more time, Mom is going to notice.”
“I can’t leave you here, and you know it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, you can. Stand up, take the girl’s hand, and walk out of here. Jesus, I can practically feel the sexual tension dripping off of you.”
I turned and looked at my younger sister. “For fuck’s sake, Morgan.”
She took a sip of her drink. “I call it like I see it, big bro. How about I ask Mom something, pull her into a deep conversation, and you and Georgiana slip away.”
“How will you get back home?”
Glancing down the table, she answered, “I’ll ask Ryan or Mindy to drive me.”
I looked over to see Ryan talking to Dirk. Mindy was in a deep conversation with Merit, Dirk’s wife.
I surveyed the rest of the table. It was clear everyone was in conversation, and if we left, they’d most likely think I was asking Georgie to dance again.
“I owe you,” I said to Morgan as I reached under the table and took Georgie’s hand. After a small tug, she looked up at me.
“Grab your purse, we’re leaving.”
Her eyes went wide, and she looked past me at Morgan. Her cheeks flushed, and Morgan chuckled.
“God, you two are so cute. Go!”
We both stood and Georgie reached for her purse as she nodded like I had asked her a question. We headed to the dance floor then weaved in and out of the people. Everyone in Hamilton seemed to be at this anniversary party, and someone was going to see us leave, but in that moment I could not have cared less. Let people talk.
