Chapter Ten #2
“You made it,” the first man said. Andrea noticed that Seth made no movement to pull away. Whoever these two men were, Seth was comfortable with them seeing him being so affectionate with her.
“Hey, Seth,” the other man said, then smiled and nodded at Andrea.
“Daniel, Mike, this is Andrea Spence,” said Seth. “She moved to town a couple of months ago, and she’s been helping me figure out this dino park thing, and whether it would be a viable pursuit.”
Andrea extended her hand and accepted the firm embrace of the other men’s handshakes. “It’s nice to see you,” she said. “I think we met. At the Feed and Seed? You must be Seth’s brother I’ve heard so much about.”
Daniel’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Uh-oh,” he said, grinning wide. He looked to be about the same age as Seth, maybe a couple of years older, with the same rugged build and signature smile. “Don’t believe a word he’s said.”
Andrea grinned. “What, that you’re a great brother? And you’ve found an equally, if not greater guy?” She flashed an appreciative glance at Mike Cooper.
Seth raised an eyebrow. “Don’t give away all my secrets, Andrea.” She reached down and squeezed his forearm lightly. It was nice, this repartee.
Daniel leaned in, his grin widening. “Oh, I’m just getting started,” he said. “Let me know when you’re ready to open up the Taylor vault. It’s full of stories that might just surprise you. One in particular involves a pantsing at the grade two Christmas concert.”
Seth immediately raised an eyebrow. “Hey now,” he said, his voice taking on a warning tone. “Two can play at this game. Have you ever told Mike about the slingshot incident?”
Daniel’s eyes widened, and he pulled Mike by the sleeve, quickly taking a step back. “We’ll be on our way now,” he said, his grin barely contained.
Andrea laughed. “Alright, now I’m intrigued,” she said. “Nice meeting you both. See you later on.”
The two men left, and Andrea turned to Daniel. “They seem lovely,” Andrea said.
“I like Mike a lot,” Seth said. “He’s good for Daniel. A down-to-earth rancher. Tight-knit family. Salt-of-the-earth kind of guy.”
“It’s nice how you’re close,” said Andrea.
“I always fantasized about having siblings. People who had a catalog of your embarrassing stories, but loved you nonetheless. I always envied the kids in high school who had older siblings, who moved in packs. They seemed to be protected. Indestructible.” Maybe some of Seth’s confidence, his seemingly unflappable nature, was due to the strong system that existed around him.
“What was it like growing up as an only child?” Seth asked.
“Quiet,” Andrea said. But she didn’t want to talk about her family, or lack thereof right now, especially now that the lights in the community center had dimmed, and the band was playing some classics and other partygoers had moved to the dance floor. “Do you want to dance?” she asked.
“With you?” His eyes sparkled. “I’d watch paint dry with you, Andrea.”
She did her best to keep at bay the wide grin that threatened to spread across her face as Seth took her hand in his and led her to the floor, and his arms slipped around her waist. With a Maren Morris song playing and the other residents of Tenacity swaying in couples around them, they danced, and Andrea felt eyes on them while Seth let his hand trail down her back to her waist, then pulled her into him and dipped his chin, and looked her in the eyes.
She let out a light sigh, then drew in a long breath.
She could get lost in Seth’s rich, gorgeous scent.
The safety of his arms. The deep pool of blue in his eyes.
With every second that passed, her resolve to keep Seth at a distance was chipping away.
When the song ended, she felt Seth start a bit. A slow grin crept across his face, and Andrea turned to follow his gaze. He was looking at Daniel and Mike, who were arm in arm on the other side of the dance floor.
“Can you keep a secret?” Seth murmured. He looked back at Andrea. “I think there might be a proposal coming.”
“Really?” said Andrea. “How exciting.” Not as exciting, however, as it was to be in Seth’s arms, the strength of his frame surrounding her like a warm protective shield.
“He showed me the ring last week,” he continued, then shook his head. “I can’t believe it. My big brother. Incredible.”
Andrea glanced over at Daniel and Mike, who looked to be living in their own private universe together in the middle of the busy dance floor. “Sounds like something to celebrate.”
“Let’s do that,” said Seth. He took her hand and led her to the bar. “Two glasses of bubbly,” he said, and dropped a bill on the table.
“I’d better not,” Andrea said. “I’ve already had a glass of wine.”
“I’ll drive you home,” said Seth. “We can leave your car out front.”
She paused for a moment. “Alright,” said Andrea. “Why not?” Why not? The words seemed to be working their way into her consciousness lately, and not just regarding the drink.
Seth passed her a glass, then tipped his toward hers. “Cheers,” he said. “Happy holidays. Lots to celebrate, indeed.”
“Cheers,” said Andrea, clinking her glass against his and taking a sip, the effervescent bubbles tingling on her lips.
The buzz of celebration in the room and how successful the auction had shaped up to be gave Andrea a surge of excitement for the community. And spending this time with Seth? If this was what a hoedown had to offer, she’d been missing out her entire life.
After the auction winners were announced—Andrea was bringing home the quilt, which at $150, she still considered a bargain—Andrea couldn’t help but yawn as the band took to the stage again.
“You ready to head out?” Seth asked.
“Sorry,” said Andrea. “If you’re wanting to stay longer, I’m more than happy to call the Tenacity Shuttler.”
“I’m absolutely driving you home,” said Seth. The firmness of his declaration was tempered by the warm look in his eyes.
“I’ll just use the washroom first,” Andrea said, her pulse dancing under his steady gaze.
“I’ll grab the coats,” said Seth.
* * *
A few guests were lined up for their jackets while Seth collected his and Andrea’s from the coat check, but the party was likely to go on for a few more hours, judging from the high energy in the air.
Jackets in hand, he waited near the entrance, observing the community center and all the residents of Tenacity enjoying the kickoff to the holiday season.
Daniel and Mike were still out on the dance floor together.
Seth was still surprised by how emotional Daniel’s plan to propose to Mike was making him.
Part of it, he knew, was that he was just plain happy for his brother to have found his perfect match.
The other part of him was relieved that they could be in each other’s arms, like he’d been with Andrea, without the moment being ruined by any kind of negative reaction.
Seeing the support and joy in the eyes of the Tenacity residents made him love the small community even more.
And then there was Andrea, and how she easily melted into his arms from the very first song, despite whatever reticence he was causing in her. Sharing Daniel’s plans with her had hit him right in the chest. She was a woman he could see himself having that kind of moment with.
He’d never thought this way before, and the feeling just about knocked him off his feet.
Seth swallowed hard when he saw Andrea getting stopped making his way back to her. JenniLynn Garrett was introducing herself to Andrea and pulling back to look at her outfit. It was clear she was complimenting her, and the way Andrea waved her off was adorable.
She carried herself like she was just an ordinary woman, but from everything Seth had seen so far, it was clear she had no idea she was anything but.
With her glossy, amber waves, smooth porcelain skin, full pink lips and blue eyes the color of Montana sapphire, she was an exquisite work of art. A total knockout. A goddess.
When she finally extricated herself from the group of people who’d stopped her to say hello, and strode toward him, that navy-blue dress hugging all the places he wanted to trace with his fingertips, he had to steel himself and remember that she wasn’t his.
Andrea Spence was a painting in a gallery behind bulletproof plexiglass, and he was a tourist there to appreciate her.
He’d pay the admission ten times over. But he didn’t just want to look at her.
Seth wanted to experience everything with her.
Talk to her about interesting things. Walk through the trails in the mountains near Bronco.
Cook a meal together in his kitchen, candles lit and something soft and soulful on the vinyl player.
He wanted to saddle up the horses for a ride across the plains, and later, to lay her down in his bed, exploring every way to make her feel cherished.
Andrea Spence wasn’t just a woman to look at. She was a woman to love.
The mere idea of caring this deeply for a woman would have had his old self running in the other direction, but all Seth felt in the moment was an undercurrent of peace that pulsed in tandem with his overwhelming feelings for her.
And so, he would wait.
“You all set?” Andrea asked.
“Ready if you are,” Seth said, swallowing hard as he held her coat open for her to slide into.
Her hair got tucked under the collar, so he slid his hand along her neck, extracting her thick mane and letting it cascade over her shoulders.
Seth could feel the silky tresses running through his fingertips, and how it would feel to nudge them away with his face to kiss the skin on her face again.
“Ready,” she said.
First things first. He had to focus on getting her home in one piece, even though every iota of his attention would be fixated on her instead of the dark country highways.