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“Easy for you to say. You’re used to tiny towns like this.”
Danny shrugs, although he’s made my transition to small-town living a little simpler. “Why are you fretting? No one here bites. No matter how much you’ve heard about banjos and the like, rural towns aren’t scary, Cass.”
“It’s just the small-town thing is all. I’m kind of worrying about making a fool out of myself in front of people I have to see regularly. If I do that in the city? It’s no big deal. I’m probably not going to run into anyone there ever again.”
My friend blows a raspberry, or rather he tries to. It’s more like he spits. He’s had quite a few drinks already. It makes me worry that the only real thing to do in a place like Burly is get drunk. “You’re being overdramatic. These small towns have community. Real strong community too. People learn about one another. Help one another. You don’t get that in big cities.”
People do seem happy here. They’re talking and laughing. The crowd is older than I’m used to, but there’s plenty of twenty- and thirty-somethings. I guess when the town is so small, you can’t really segregate into different scenes, so everyone piles into the same place and deals with it if they happen to dislike country music.
I’m not one of those people who dislike it, but I guess I understand why someone would.
There’s also a particular type of guy here. Lots of ten-gallon hats. We’re in Washington, but this far out, the differences between Washington and Texas begin to break down. All the girls are wearing flaring dresses, dancing along to the music and letting them spin and flap up with their movements. Me showing up in skinny jeans is a big part of why I feel like an outsider.
“Danny and Cassidy, how the hell are you two doing tonight?”
Jennings, Danny’s friend, stands at the edge of the booth with a huge smile on his face. I’ve run into him a few times since Danny has been trying to integrate me into the small-town life of Burly, and he’s friendly enough.
But my focus isn’t on Jennings. He’s handsome and all that, but my fascination is settling on the man beside him.
Kind of scruffy, but in a good way. A solid jaw, piercing brown eyes and a killer grin. He’s looking right at me and taking me in entirely. It’s kind of obvious that his gaze is rolling down my body and checking me out, taking advantage of my choice of skinny jeans to get a better idea of my curves.
“I’m, I’m fine,” I manage to let out, trying to stop from being too taken with this mystery man’s looks. “Having a beer, enjoying the music. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing, right?”
Danny chuckles, downing the last of his beer. “In theory, yes. Is this one of your brothers, Jennings?”
“Yep. This is my older brother, Cash,” Jennings says, gesturing to the other man, who steps forward with a sly smile.
“Drinking beer and enjoying the music are only two of the things you’re supposed to do here, miss. You know what else you can do here?”
“Uh... get some decent mozzarella sticks?”
“Dance. And I’m going to cut right to the chase and ask you to be my partner out there.”
I swallow audibly, and look at Danny. “Uh...”
Danny is cracking up. “Hey, if you’re reacting like this, it means something. And Jennings is good people, so I can’t imagine his brother is any different. Jennings, you’ve driven me home at the end of the night how many times?”
Jennings scratches his head. “Way too many for someone who has only been drinking legally for a few months, really.”
“Still, you’re there for me. Good people. All of you,” Danny smiles drunkenly.
I’m too busy shaking at what was just proposed to me to take the compliment. I didn’t really expect to come here and dance. Danny just wanted to get me out of the house and used the previously mentioned mozzarella sticks as a way to coerce me out of my hole. Skinny jeans and trainers aren’t exactly a dancer’s garb.
“Go on, Cassie. Get up and have some fun. It’ll be good for you.”
Danny’s needling wins me over, and red as a beet, I nod toward this Cash person.
He offers me his hand, and I take it, finding it rough but gentle. He’s built thick, and I can tell he’s strong, and with the way he looks, those aren’t glamour muscles made in a gym.
The band finishes their latest hectic, bass-filled song. The singer leans into the microphone. “Let’s switch things up, ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between. Gonna play something a bit slower for the lovebirds out there... or perhaps the soon to be in love.”
A slow guitar twang begins as we hit the floor, and the band begins the ballad.
I feel especially out of my element as I realize I have no idea how to dance in a situation like this.
“Just follow my lead, beautiful,” Cash says with a soft voice, taking my hands into his.
I nod, and obey. It’s a slower dance, one that doesn’t require lots of spinning or high kicks, just a steady shuffle and some rhythm.
