23. Knox #2
“I’ll have to check and see if Ivy’s down. Being six months pregnant changes the camping experience. If I bring a bed, she might be more willing,” Alder muses.
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” I object.
“She could have mine,” Indie chimes in. Everyone at the table looks to her. “I mean…unless she wouldn’t want to? It’s just I-well I don’t mind sleeping in a tent. I never have before, and it sounds fun. And my b-bed or house is just right there.” Her rambling subsides, and I find myself smiling.
“That’s really sweet, Indie,” Winnie tells her.
“If you really don’t mind, I’ll tell Ivy that when I pitch her the idea,” Alder tells her.
“Not at all,” Indie confirms.
“You’ve never been camping?” I ask. She shakes her head.
“I’m not big on outdoor activities, so I don’t really do camping,” Winnie tells her.
“It’s not that exactly. I mean, no one would call me outdoorsy or anything, but I actually think I would like it; there just isn’t anywhere to be in nature in Atlanta. Not like here,” she says, swinging her arm in the air.
“Well then, let’s go camping,” Colt says, smiling at Indie like she’s one of his weekly conquests. Not gonna happen.
“Alright, fine,” I relent. Indie bounces up and down in her seat; Winnie and Mare squeal and clap their hands along with her.
“I need a tent,” Indie announces excitedly. “And probably some other things.”
The words are out of my mouth before I can think about them. “I have a tent you can use.”
“I’ll bet you do,” Alder jokes and elbows Colt. Children. I sigh.
“Between all of us, we’ll have everything you need. Don’t worry,” Mare assures her.
“Aww, thanks, guys. I’m gonna get another drink. I saw moonshine is available, and I’ve never had it before. Anyone else want something?” she asks, looking around the table .
“I’ll have another beer, and I’ll come with you,” Colt tells her. I clench my jaw. He’s doing this on purpose, and I’m getting tired of it.
Alder checks his phone. “I better get going actually. I need to get some oranges and get home. It was nice meeting you, Indiana. Ivy will be grateful for your offer, I’m sure, and probably call you to say so. If not before, we’ll see you at the Spring Festival,” he tells her.
“Call me Indie—and absolutely. I’m looking forward to it.”
He grins at her. “Goodbye, family. Make good decisions. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.” We all have a laugh at that. Something that, up until the last eight months or so, would have been something we said to him.
“We have shots!” Indie yells, approaching our table. Shots? What is this, her second one of the night? “Round three!” Third shot of the night?
“What the hell, I’m off tomorrow,” Mare says.
“I’m in!” Winnie squeals.
“What are you in? Trouble?” I hear Rhett say from behind us.
“Hi, handsome! I didn’t know if you would make it!” Winnie cheers.
“I thought the staff meeting would never end, but I snuck out when they started debating if we would be allowing metal water bottles inside the school anymore,” he says, sitting next to her, keeping an arm around her.
“You’re so bad, Coach Holloway,” she teases, and he whips his head to her. A knowing grin on full display.
“Alright that's enough of that.” Colt groans.
I laugh. I can’t imagine seeing Florence like this with a guy. I feel for him .
“Oh, come on, Colt. We all know you're not a prude,” Mare says in an accusing tone.
He cuts her a dirty look that ends up looking more predatory than threatening.
“Why don’t you come home with me tonight, and we’ll test that theory, Goldie.
” Marigold holds up her middle finger in response.
Colt takes it in stride, smiling widely.
“I’ll take that as a maybe and definitely don’t tell Dr. Grant,” he says, shooting her a wink.
I fight my smile, as does everyone at the table except for Indie, who looks mildly confused.
I can’t blame her. The tension between these two is hard to figure out.
We all take our shot, and it goes down like I imagined it would.
Tasting like I won’t be having another drink the rest of the night, and my beer will be abandoned.
I have a beer here and there occasionally.
Hard liquor has never been my friend, and even though I’ve been called a stick-in-the-mud, I have never had any interest in drinking to excess.
I do like to watch all my family have a good time though.
A few more rounds for the table, and a soda for me later, and everyone who’s still here is well and drunk.
“I’m going to dance!” Indie announces, waltzing out in the open with a few other couples. She dances alone. Not caring who’s looking. Her body sways to the rhythm, enchanting me. I can’t take my eyes off her.
“You should dance with her, Knox,” Colt tells me before taking a long sip of his drink.
I scoff. “I don’t dance.”
“No, but I do, and if you don’t get out there soon, I may have to make sure Indie doesn’t have to dance alone.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“I’m serious. She’s a great girl. Smart, funny, beautiful, and don’t get me started on her a?—”
“Finish that sentence, and you won’t be able to breathe without pain for the next month,” I threaten.
He holds his hands up. “I’m just saying, if it’s not me, it’ll be someone else.
” I mull over his words and am contemplating the alternative when I see Darrin Ward head toward her on the dance floor.
Darrin without a doubt will be a handsy motherfucker.
I’m up and out of my chair in an instant, whistles and cheers from the peanut gallery following me.
I grab one of Indie’s hands, spinning her into me.
She gasps and giggles at the motion. I twirl her around again, pulling her close to sway for a couple steps before twirling her out again.
Her laughter is like a drug to me. Her body pressed in tight to mine; hands sliding up my forearms, leaving behind a trail of goose bumps.
“Where did you learn to dance like this?” she asks, breathless.
I lean in close to her ear before answering. “Would you believe me if I said TV?”
She laughs, it’s husky and tempting. “No, I wouldn’t. You’re good.”
“Well, a man has to have a few secrets. I can’t go giving it away all at once,” I tease.
“Mm. Secrets aren’t any fun though. I should know,” she mutters.
I pull back to look at her face, hoping to get a read on her mood, but all I find is a tipsy smile and eyes full of warmth.
“You’re so handsome,” she whispers, then those soulful, brown eyes go wide, like she’s just realized what she’s said .
I chuckle and spin us around a little more until Indie tells me she needs a glass of water through her giggling.
An hour later and Winnie and Rhett are dancing while he serenades her out on the floor, Colt is on his third table of women, and Marigold and Indie are talking about a podcast that dropped a new episode this morning. Whatever the hell that means.
“We need to call Ivy. She’ll have the best theory,” Mare slurs.
“She’s a muderino!?” Indiana asks, her hands flying up in excitement.
“The biggest! She’s who got me into them!”
“Okay, let’s call her!” She pulls out her phone. I’m about to call it a night when Indiana reaches across the table, grabbing my arm.
“Knox, do you know Ivy’s number?” she asks me, her big, brown eyes glazed with alcohol and a dopey smile on her lips.
“I do, but I don’t think she would appreciate your call as much after midnight as she would tomorrow,” I tell her.
She giggles, causing her grip on my forearm to tighten. “You sound s-so serious.” She hiccups. Mare starts laughing with her, and Winnie joins as she and Rhett make it back to our table.
“What’s so funny?” Rhett asks.
“Me, apparently. I think it’s time for us to clear out. Last call was twenty minutes ago. Can everyone get home safe?”
“Grant’s picking me up,” Mare says.
“We’re walking,” Rhett answers, kissing Win’s temple.
I look over at the table Colt was at and find him missing.
“Colt slipped out a few minutes ago,” Winnie tells me, then turns to my neighbor. “Indie, do you want to stay at our place tonight?”
“Um, I don’t want to impose,” she murmurs. A sleepy look covers her face. Between that and the flush on her cheekbones that runs down her neck to her chest, it’s obvious she’s incapable of getting herself home on her own.
“Come on, Indie. I’ll give you a ride home,” I tell her.
“Um, I don’t want to bother?—”
“It’s not a bother,” I say. So much about this woman bothers me, giving her a ride home isn’t one of them. “Do you have your jacket, your purse?” I ask her.
“Uh…yeah, I…I didn’t bring a jacket. It was warm earlier,” she explains.
I catch what she says, but with every word, they start running a little more together.
She grabs the thin strap of a small, black leather bag and slings it over her shoulder.
“Thank you for inviting me out,” she tells Winnie and Mare.
They both get up and smother her tiny frame with their bodies.
I reach forward to steady them before they knock one another over.
“Okay, ladies,” Rhett says, grabbing Winnie, pulling her to him. She turns into his embrace and snuggles.
“I’ll see you this weekend! And I’m s-so excited to g-go camping!
In a tent! I have to tell Han!” Indie’s shouting, swaying on her feet.
She steadies herself with her hand on the table, but it’s obvious she won’t be making it to my truck without help.
I lean down without thinking and wrap my arms around her knees, swinging her up over my shoulder.
I hear a gasp followed by giggling. “Are you manhandling me, Knox Holloway? I’ve never been tossed over someone’s shoulder before—I’ve never been tossed around at all actually.
I don’t hate it,” she announces. She’s drunk.
Really drunk, and she’s so fucking cute .
“Night, guys,” I call, heading for the exit. Uncle Buck meets me there, holding the door open for me.
“Goodnight, Indiana. Come back soon. I haven’t had a dance partner in forever,” he tells the woman dangling from my shoulder.
“Please call me Indie! You’re a wonderful dancer, Buck. I would be honored,” she tells him earnestly.
“The pleasure is all mine,” he replies, then to me adds, “Will you be okay getting her home, Knox?”
“I think I can manage,” I tell him before walking out into the now-cool night.
“Speaking of managing things, I think I can walk to your truck,” she says. “Although the view from back here is…” she trails off, when I let her slide down the front of my body. “Your eyes…are so blue, Knox.” Her voice is low, the compliment coming out slowly. Lazily.
“Thank you,” I tell her. Eyes roaming over her flushed, heart-shaped face.
She smiles at me. “And your teeth. Oh god, they’re so nice.
When you smile at me, it makes me want to…
” she trails off again, and I wish she would keep talking.
Her feet fully planted on the ground now, she’s not swaying anymore when I unwillingly pull away from her.
I’m stuck between wanting to know what she was going to say and making sure she isn’t going to be sick.
She leans back into me, her lips curved into a devilish grin, looking up at me, biting down on that full bottom lip. I feel the leash I have on my control loosen.
“Fort Knox…” she muses.
“What was that?”
She giggles. “I called you F-Fort Knox.” She hiccups. “ You’re just so hard to get to know. Your walls are so high, like a fortress. I’m trying though. I’ll keep trying,” she says wistfully, trailing her fingernails down my chest and nuzzling into me. I’m in trouble.
“Indie, I think you overestimate my willpower.”
“Really? I think I estimate it just fine,” she quips.
“If you did, you wouldn’t be rubbing yourself against me right now, Honey.” Her eyes spark at the nickname.
“Are you flirting with me, Knox?” she teases.
“If I was?”
“I might flirt back.”
She’s still leaning into me, looking up at me with kiss-me eyes. I only want one thing more than to kiss her pretty lips swollen, and it’s for her to be stone-cold fucking sober when I do.