Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
When Cole walked into his first ever Christmas party with his fiddle case in hand and Mila by his side, he took heart. The noise level and general merriment stood a good chance of buffering the crappy memories that had haunted him all his life.
Sticking with Mila would help, too. He was glad that she’d chosen a dress that was Christmas-adjacent rather than on the nose. No embroidered candy canes, reindeer, Santa or decorated trees. Just a slinky white dress on a woman with the curves to make the most of it.
A quick glance at the hair clip holding her lustrous hair behind her right ear had indicated it was a jeweled wreath. He chose not to look closely. He’d rather focus on her mouth, anyway.
Dealing with her intense sensual appeal distracted him from all the holiday outfits everyone else had on, including the members of the Rooty Toots. With a little imagination, he could see this as just another night out at a country-western bar.
Luckily there hadn’t been much Christmas music in his parents’ house, just plenty of fighting as they blamed each other for their poverty. They fought about it all year but the arguments turned vicious at Christmas, the season of giving.
Soon after he parked his fiddle case on the bandstand and got settled with Mila at one of the Bridger tables, the Rooty Toots launched into a brisk version of Deck the Halls.
Inviting Mila to dance, he plunged into the fray, taking Mila out on the floor for a fast two-step.
Might as well jump into the deep end and find out if he could swim.
She laughed as he spun her under his arm and the fringe on her sleeve tickled his cheek. “Getting right into it, are we?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He pulled her close for a tantalizing second and then twirled her around again. “Like it?”
“Love it.” Happiness gleamed in her dark eyes.
Just what he was going for. He’d keep his demons at bay no matter what it took. For Mila.
He’d never danced to a Christmas carol before. The uniqueness of it added another layer of protection against those fudging ghouls that stalked him this time of year.
Her dress had fringe down the side seams as well as on the sleeves. Watching her hips as she made that fringe shimmy filled his head with thoughts so hot they banished the ghosts of Christmas past. He could do this.
Rooty Toot was clearly on fire. They followed up with another fast one, a rocking version of God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen. He tugged Mila back on the floor. Adrenaline was his friend tonight.
She was panting by the time they finished the number. “Enough. I need to—”
As if the band had heard her plea, they switched to Silent Night played as a waltz.
He slid his hand behind her back. “Will this do?”
“Yes.” Holding his gaze, she fell into step with the slow, gliding pace. “Waltzing makes me feel like a princess.”
“You look like one in that dress.”
“I bought it in October. Tia Kat talked me into it.”
“I’m glad she did. Was that before or after the wedding?”
“After. She told me if I wanted to catch a certain cowboy, this was the dress that would do the trick.”
“A certain cowboy?”
“You, of course.”
Mila’s Auntie Kat had been on his side since October? Nice to know. “The dress looks great on you, but you didn’t need to put in extra effort. I was hooked a long time ago.”
She grinned. “Then let’s call it icing on the cake.”
“A very spicy cake it is, too. I like the flavor.” And he was getting hungrier by the second.
“Mama thought we might get together after the wedding. I told her we weren’t ready then. The timing had to be right.”
“Considering how ready I am right now, I think we might have overshot the mark.” He pulled her closer. “How much longer before we can go home?”
She smiled. “Silly man. We just got here.”
“Then I need to step outside and find me a handful of snow.”
Her smile widened. “That was the funniest—”
“Hey, you two.” Luis whirled Jordie around only a couple of feet away. “Adam’s ordering food so you need to go find him after this dance.”
“Thanks,” Cole called back. “But we can—”
“It’s easier if he puts in one order,” Mila said. “You have two choices—beef stew or chili.”
“I like ’em both, but why only two?”
“Easy on the kitchen and affordable for the customers. Clem’s got this down to a science.”
“Then I should just slip Adam some cash later for the bill?”
“The business pays for it. Simpler that way.”
“Ah.” He supposed it was, but while Clem was providing a reasonably priced meal, the Bridger Bunch was sixteen strong at last count. The bill would be sizeable.
Maybe not to them, though. He only had a vague idea of how much money the family had. Yeah, they owned around twenty thousand acres, but ranchers could be land rich and cash poor.
He had a hunch that wasn’t the case with the Bridger Bunch. He wasn’t going to let their wealth intimidate him because that kind of thinking would screw up his relationship with Mila real fast. Still, the contrast between his upbringing and hers was breathtaking.
Silent Night came to a sweet close and he allowed himself to bring Mila in for a hug. “That was nice.”
“More than nice.” She gazed up at him. “Dancing with you is a joy. I knew it would be wonderful, but it’s even better than I imagined.”
“Yeah, I’m thinking we should make a habit of driving in to go dancing.” Then he heard what he’d just said, and the assumption lying beneath it — that they were a couple now and would be spending most of their time together. “I mean, it’s an idea, but—”
“It’s a terrific idea.” The music started up again. “We should get off the floor before we’re run over.”
“Good point.” He reluctantly let her go and they moved over near the bar.
Turning toward him, she rested her palms on his chest. “I want to be with you, Cole. I want to plan things with you. Dancing, horseback rides, movies, lunch in town. Don’t hold back. Don’t second-guess yourself. This is real.”
Sliding his hands around her waist, he let out a sigh of relief. “It is for me.”
“For me, too. And now we need to find Adam and tell him what we want.”
“If I tell him what I want right now he’ll punch me in the face.”
“What we want for dinner.”
“I know. I’m just messing with you.” Tucking her against his side, he scanned the crowd. “I see him. Let’s go put in our order. Since I can’t have what I really want, guess I’ll have to settle for chili.”
He kept his tone light, but there was nothing light about this moment. Mila wanted to be with him, and not just for sex. That was huge.
Life had never been this good. Jordie was right. He’d spent a lifetime short-changing himself. That habit ended now.