Chapter Eleven #2
“I honestly don’t know. The trouble is, he doesn’t believe her.
He thinks it’s all some big joke. And normally I’d be mad at a guy for that, but I can kind of see his point.
You found it hard to believe that she’s interested in him — I did too, if I’m honest. And Brayden’s not exactly an outgoing kind of guy, is he? ”
She loved the way Jake smiled as he said, “No. But even I know there’s such a thing as opposites attract.
And Tiffany and Brayden couldn’t be more opposite if they tried.
But anyway, I hope things go well for her there, and if I can be of any help, I will.
But right now, I’m more interested in seeing how things are going to go for Savannah and Jake, aren’t you? ”
She looked up at him with a smile. “I am. Come on, let’s go get this party started. Do you want to sit with everyone?”
“I do.”
She took his hand and led him through the crowd to the table where her friends were sitting. As they skirted the dance floor, she looked back at him over her shoulder and said, “I hope you dance. I haven’t danced in forever — and if Clay’s singing, I want to get up there.”
He took her by surprise when he tugged her to him, wrapped his arm around her, and spun them both before she even knew what he was doing. When they came to a stop, he looked down into her eyes and pressed a kiss to her lips.
“I should have warned you before — I like to dance.”
She rested her hand in the middle of his chest and rose onto her toes to kiss him back. “You just get better and better, don’t you?”
He tightened his arm around her as he said, “I’m going to try.”
~ ~ ~
Jake leaned back in his chair and took a long swig of his cold beer.
He was really enjoying this evening. He and Savannah had danced for a while as Clay sang.
He still couldn’t believe his luck — that Clay MacAdam just came to hang out at his local bar like this and sang because he wanted to.
Before he’d come to Summer Lake, the only time Jake had ever seen Clay MacAdam play was in a stadium.
He brought his attention back to the conversation.
He’d talked with most of the guys tonight.
All of them had been up and danced, but none could keep up with the women, who were all still out there.
He glanced over at Savannah, loving seeing her enjoy herself so much.
She turned, caught his gaze, and gave him a little wave.
He waved back. She was beautiful. She was maybe the sweetest person he’d ever known, and he considered himself lucky that she was finally giving him a chance.
She was enjoying herself up there with her friends, and he loved that for her.
“…don’t you think?”
He turned to Zack. He’d been enjoying talking to him and his friend, Luke. They were both pilots, but Zack’s question made him realize that he’d totally zoned out on the conversation.
Luke grinned at him. “It’s okay. We get it. You’re not paying attention because you’re more interested in Savannah. You guys just started seeing each other, didn’t you?”
He gave them a sheepish smile. “Yeah. I wasn’t ignoring you. It’s just so good to see her out having fun.”
Luke chuckled. “No need to explain. I know exactly what you mean.” He jerked his chin toward his fiancée, Angel. “It’s taken me years to get her to the point where she’ll take time off work to just relax and have fun. And …”
Luke stopped talking, and all three of them looked up when the song ended and the dance floor cleared.
It took Jake a moment to understand why – Clay MacAdam was thanking everyone for coming out to see him.
He shook his head with a smile. That was just who the guy was; he was humble like that.
Jake figured that pretty much everyone in the place tonight would’ve been happy to pay good money to hear Clay sing.
As the women came back to join them, Jake loved that Savannah came straight to him, and after looking around for an empty seat and not finding one, proceeded to plunk herself down on his lap.
He held her close for a moment and pressed a kiss to her temple.
She was hot and sticky, and she turned to him with a smile.
“You don’t mind, do you?”
He tightened his arm around her waist and reached for the bottle of water he’d picked up for her the last time he went to the bar. “Far from it. Do you want this? I figured you might need it after all that dancing.”
“Oh, you’re a lifesaver. Thank you.” She took a long drink of water before lowering the bottle. “Damn, I needed that.”
Tiffany elbowed her way over to them, and Luke and Zack shuffled along, leaving an empty seat for her beside Jake and Savannah.
“Hey, guys.”
Savannah held the water bottle out to her, and Tiff took it gratefully. Jake made a mental note to grab two bottles next time.
“It looks like there’s something going on up there,” Tiff said. “Clay never usually finishes this early, and he’s looking all kinds of smug. There’s something going on.”
Jake glanced over at the stage again and chuckled when Josh came to join them, bringing a chair with him and said, “There’s something weird going on.”
Tiffany laughed. “I just said that.”
“Shush, guys,” Savannah waved a hand at them. “Listen, he’s saying something.”
“… So, thank you all for having me tonight. You know I love to get up here and hang out with my good friends. Come on now, give these guys a hand! If any of you don’t know, that’s Eddie back there on the drums, and this guy here is Chase. Let’s show ’em some appreciation, can we?”
The crowd applauded, and the sound of whoops and whistles rang out.
Chase and Eddie were the house band — more than that, Chase was Kenzie’s husband, and Eddie was engaged to April, who worked at the bakery in town.
It hit Jake that as much as he enjoyed feeling part of a family now that his dad was with Jo and his Uncle Dom was with Sadie, the whole town was the same way.
Everyone knew everyone, and it seemed, at least, that everyone cared.
He didn’t want to examine that too closely in case it turned out that he was wrong.
For now, he was just going to go with enjoying the feeling.
He leaned his cheek against Savannah’s shoulder, and she looked down at him with a smile.
As the applause died down, Clay spoke again. “So that’s it from me tonight. Enjoy the rest of your evening — I’m out of here.”
Jake, Savannah, and the rest of them joined in the boos that rang out. No one wanted Clay to finish, and when he hesitated halfway off the stage, it seemed that he might sing another. But when he stepped up to the mic again, laughter in his voice, he said something completely unexpected.
“But since it sounds like you guys aren’t ready for the evening to be over, here’s a little surprise for you. Y’all know this next guy — he’s family around here, even if Nashville’s been trying to claim him. Would you give it up for my good friend, Carson Tate?”
“Whoa!” Jake ducked his head as Savannah and some of the others shrieked, even above the sound of the crowd’s cheering that rose in waves.
All Jake could do was grin as he watched.
Carson strolled out, guitar slung low, that familiar lopsided grin tugging at his mouth.
He had the look of a man who’d seen a lot and still believed in the good stuff — an old soul in a young man’s boots.
Jake grinned as Savannah bounced up and down on his lap, but he couldn’t blame her — he felt like bouncing himself. Carson Tate was maybe his favorite artist, and when he opened his mouth to sing, his voice turned grit to gold, as it always did.
~ ~ ~
Savannah laughed as the girls all surged back toward the dance floor like a tidal wave.
She didn’t mind in the least that she was swept along with them.
Even better—once they were all out there, she looked around and realized that the guys had come, too.
Jake grinned at her as he sang along with Carson.
She loved this song. It was one of his big hits—an up-tempo country anthem that just made you smile. Jake caught her hand and twirled her around before pulling her into him and pressing a kiss to her lips.
“I take it Carson’s more your style than Clay?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I love them both…” He broke off and turned to chant the chorus with all the other guys, each of them punching their arms in the air to emphasize the words.
We’re still standing tall, backs to the wall,
Shoulder to shoulder through it all.
Raise your glass, boys—we’ve seen it all,
And we’re still, yeah, we’re still standing tall.
When he lowered his arm, he turned back to her with a grin. “Sorry. I can never let that chorus pass me by.”
“Don’t apologize. I love seeing you like this. I knew you liked country music, but I didn’t realize it meant this much to you.”
He took hold of her hand and twirled her again before pulling her in close, dancing a kind of two-step on the spot. “It’s feel-good music,” he said, his eyes shining.
She wasn’t about to argue with that. Although, tonight she wasn’t so sure that it was just the music—it was being with him that made her feel good.
As she got swept up in the music, the laughter, the friends dancing around them, the feel of his strong arms around her and the smile in his eyes that made her heart fill up, she knew she’d never felt this good in her life.
They stayed out there and danced to every song that Carson played.
This was such an amazing surprise that she didn’t want to miss a minute of it.
And it was easy to see that Jake didn’t either.
Some of the gang went to sit back down, but most of them stayed on the dance floor.
It was packed, but Savannah didn’t mind.
It just meant she had to stay pressed up close against Jake—and there was nowhere in the world she’d rather be.
He loosened his grip and looked down into her eyes when the song came to an end.
“Thanks for coming out tonight. Thanks for giving us a chance.”
She rested her hand in the middle of his chest. “Thanks for wanting a chance—and for not giving up on me while I figured it out.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I was never gonna give up on you, Savvie.”
She smiled. Savvie. She loved that. He looked so pleased with himself as he nodded.
“Yeah, I figure all your friends—the people you’re close to—they call you Savvie.” He cocked an eyebrow. “We’re close now, aren’t we?”
She nodded, tempted to tell him that yes, they were—but not as close as she hoped they’d get.
“Then, if you don’t mind, I want to call you Savvie.”
“I don’t mind. I like it.”
He looked more serious as he leaned down to rest his forehead against hers.
Her heart felt as though it might burst with happiness when he said, “It’s probably too soon to tell you this, but I think I’m falling for you.
” He brushed his lips over hers. “In fact, that’s a lie.
I don’t think it—I know it. I’m falling for you, Savvie. ”
She reached up to kiss him, and they both laughed when she only managed to reach the corner of his mouth.
“It’s not too soon, Jake. I’m falling for you, too.”
As if Carson had somehow heard every word they’d said, he launched into his next song. Savannah felt as though she melted into Jake’s arms. His eyes seemed to twinkle as he held her gaze and mouthed along with the words to the first verse.
I’ve been the kind to hold back my heart,
Keep both boots on the ground.
Love’s a long road full of stop signs,
So I’d just turn the truck around.
But then you smiled like summer lightning,
Hit me where I stood.
Now I’m learning you don’t fall halfway—
When you fall, you fall for good.
She had to swallow around the lump in her throat.
Jake was singing those words to her—but she felt as though they were her words for him.
She’d been so cautious, but he’d struck her like lightning.
And now all she could do was hope that the words might come true – that they might both fall for good.