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His head tipped back and he chuckled from deep in his chest. “I try my best.”
The sound made her tummy do flip flops. All she could think was thank heavens she didn’t have to balance caviar while dancing. The deep timbre of his voice would have easily had her spilling on herself all night.
“Your best is pretty darn good. Trust me, I know of which I speak. Four big brothers. All of whom practiced, and I use that word lightly, with me as teens and after all these years, I still may have bruises to prove that all except Mitch have two left feet.”
“My mother insisted the mark of a truly happy man is one who can take his wife dancing.”
Quickly her brain scurried in an effort to remember if their ranching neighbor was married or not. While Kyle had become famous on the racing circuit, Jared had been one of Houston’s society favorite bachelors, whose name was often linked with some woman or other. From what she could remember, nothing about a wedding, to which she was positive at least her grandparents would have been invited, came to mind. “How’s your mom’s philosophy working out for you?”
He shrugged. “No complaints from the dance floor, but no wife either. Despite Mom’s best efforts.”
“Ah. You have one of those too?”
“Mothers?” His eyebrows rose high on his forehead.
She bit back a hearty chuckle. “Matchmakers.”
“Sadly, yes. And bless her heart, she has the absolute worst perception of who is perfect for me.”
“Do we dare compare stories? Because my grandfather has tried some doozies on all of us. One reason why none of us ever show up to an event stag if we can avoid it.”
“I gather tonight was unavoidable?”
She nodded.
His grin bloomed again. “Then I guess this is my lucky night.”
And with that, he spun her around in an easy twirl and on the song’s last note, dipped her back and low. Dang, could this guy dance. Heaven forgive her, but she couldn’t help but wonder what other talents did Mr. Sun-kissed Hair have?
For a split second, Jared second guessed himself on that last move. The song and the timing, along with the conversation, was the perfect combination to dip his dance partner. The problem of course being that not all dance partners liked it, especially ones he’d just met and only danced with once. To his immediate relief, the bright flush of her cheeks and huge grin to match told him that he’d done the right thing.
“Oh, my.” Hand on her chest, Eve was still grinning. “Not sure I’ve ever been dipped before.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“I beg your pardon?” Her smile slipped.
“It’s easy for a lady to throw all her weight back on me. You held your weight, making the dip easy.”
“I see.” A deep crease formed between her brows before she chuckled. “I think.”
“I promise it was a compliment.”
“Then I’ll quit while I’m ahead.”
The band started another tune and his gaze darted from her to the band and back. “Up for another turn?”
Her head bobbed quickly.
Once again, they took the standard position of coupled dance partners. “I guess these charity galas are old hat for you?”
Still smiling, she nodded. “Two things happen to a Baron on her sixteenth birthday. The expected coming out party, followed by an introduction to philanthropy 101. Just in case you wanted to know, thanks to two summers straight of volunteering to build homes for veterans, I wield a mean hammer.”
“I’ll remember that the next time I’m fixing the fence line.”
She chuckled. “That I learned long before my sixteenth birthday.”
“You’re not kidding, are you?” He couldn’t picture such a classy woman riding and repairing fence lines.
