7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Stella

“Absolutely not.”

“Don’t be a chicken.”

“I’d rather be a chicken than wear that.” The look of horror flashing in Cody’s eyes has me biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

“You can’t go two-stepping without a cowboy hat. That ruins half the fun.” I wave the offensive object between us, but Cody’s defensive stance doesn’t move an inch.

“Two-stepping itself is bad enough. Hat hair will only make it worse.”

I roll my eyes, “That’s why you keep the hat on, so no one sees the disaster underneath.”

You would think this man grew up in a big city, not the agriculture centre of Alberta.

Giving me the full force of his glare, Cody grabs the hat out of my hands. I squeal with excitement and quickly whip out my phone. There is no way this moment is going undocumented.

“Say, howdy!” Cody flips me the bird just as the flash goes off. I cackle with glee and stash my phone before he can even think about deleting the evidence.

Carefully adjusting the wide-brimmed hat to minimize the damage to his fauxhawk, Cody heaves a sigh, his paisley button down stretching tight against his broad shoulders.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to do this.”

I smirk, flipping the end of my long braid over my shoulder, “Admit it, Ellsworth. You’ve always wanted to dress up as a cowboy.”

“I’m more of a cape and tights kind of guy.”

“In that case, you’re welcome for broadening your horizons.” I give him a beaming smile, holding out an elbow for my cowboy escort to grab on.

Muttering under his breath, Cody links his arm through mine and together we make our way towards the entrance of the makeshift country club Taber’s student union managed to construct overnight.

Although our university is small, it always does a good job of creating unique opportunities for its students. From clubs to sports teams to campus-wide events, Taber promotes an inclusive community that helps bring students together in all kinds of social settings. Even my dear Lou, who started her university journey as one of the most socially self-conscious girls I have ever met, managed to find a home here at Taber.

Well, with the help of her adorable roommate and best friend, of course.

A crooked sign screaming, A Two-Stepping Good Time! welcomes us as we near the entrance, nasally singing and acoustic guitar floating out of the room.

“Look! They even got a horse.” I let out a laugh as we pass the cardboard cut-out, its two-dimensional nose not quite lining up with the feed bucket hanging from an equally fake outpost.

I love this event already.

Cody lets out a groan, “We’re even after this, got it?”

I pat his arm absentmindedly, my hips already swaying to the country rhythm vibrating through the polished floor.

“If you perform well tonight, then yes, we are even.”

Cody’s brown eyes light up with amusement as he turns his gaze to the already-packed dance floor. Jean-clad couples of all shapes and sizes stomp and clap their way across the floor, belt buckles sparkling under the dimmed lighting.

“Who’s our competition?”

I grin at the question, knowing Cody is already on the same page. His competitive nature compliments my own and that is part of the reason why I wanted him as a partner tonight. Well, that and I didn’t have any other options that didn’t include Hunter.

Curse Lou for getting a boyfriend and leaving me to fend for myself.

“Them.” I point to a couple who are unmistakeably the best two-steppers on the dance floor. The girl’s two red braids spin elegantly as she twirls into the open arms of her partner. The partner matches her steps with ease, his dark skin and cowboy hat a beautiful contrast to her pale one.

I sigh in admiration, taking a moment to relish the piece of art the couple is slowly creating on the dance floor.

Mom would love this.

The thought comes unexpectedly and suddenly I’m struggling against the unmistakeable burn of my tear ducts. I get so focused on blinking that I don’t notice one leaks out until a callused thumb wipes my cheek gently.

“Can I do anything to help?” Cody’s voice is gruffer than usual, probably because he’s nervous I’m a second away from turning into a full-blown crybaby.

Forcing the past back where it belongs, I pull myself together with a snort that would make debutantes around the world cringe.

“Nope. Let’s do this.”

My shriek of laughter fills the air as Cody swings me from one side of his body to the other. I gasp once my feet touch the ground, barely having time to suck in a breath before the varsity captain is spinning me around again and again.

“Pause! I’m pressing the pause button.” My voice comes out shaky, my stomach still not quite back on solid ground. I drop my head between my knees to stop the room from spinning, but I end up falling forward when someone bumps into me.

A second before my face makes contact with the ground, rough hands yank me upright and press me close against a hard chest.

Did someone say déjà vu because it feels like I’ve been here before.

I snuggle closer to the warmth radiating from Cody’s body as he gently carries me to a nearby booth. My body feels disjointed as he sets me down, my head spinning while my body sags against the leather seat. A wave of motion sickness hits me, and I turn my attention to keeping the rising nausea at bay.

“You okay, Stel?” Worried brown eyes pierce my disoriented mind, the low brim of Cody’s hat drawing out the shadows of his jawline.

I give him an easy smile, stomping the sickness down, “Never better. Could have given me a heads up I was partnered with the country version of Derek Hough, though.”

Cody’s wry grin draws my eyes down to his lips and suddenly my stomach is clenching for an entirely different reason.

“I’m going to pretend I know who that is and say thank you.”

I huff out a laugh then groan as another wave hits me. Clamping my lips together to keep from spewing my dinner all over the booth, I go back to deep breathing.

“If I’d known you get motion sick, I wouldn’t have added that extra spin.” Concern etches itself across Cody’s face and I sigh in acknowledgement.

The O’Brien genes leave a lot to be desired in that particular department.

“Worth it. We definitely won.” I whisper the words, trying to keep my lips pressed as tightly together as possible. Nothing kills the mood faster than stomach compost.

Cody chuckles and shakes his head, “Always a competition with you, isn’t it?”

I shrug, not bothering to deny it. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my brother, it’s how to be the best. And sometimes that means going for the kill even when there’s nothing at stake.

The moment you let yourself off the hook is the moment your opponent will steal the spot.

You’re only as good as your biggest failure, Stella.

“I’m going to get you some water. I’ll be right back.” I blink and suddenly Cody is gone from the booth, his jean-clad ass disappearing into the throng of cowboys mingling around Taber’s paper-thin western saloon.

I take the second to look around, noting the printed out wanted posters of ancient convicts decorating the walls. My lips tug into a smile as I catch sight of the far corner closest to the bar, where drunks can pay a dollar to use a makeshift lasso to rope in the two-dimensional cattle lining the back wall. Based on the rowdy shouts coming from that section, I’d say the student body has some work to do in terms of eye-hand coordination.

“Mind if we join you?” The couple from earlier, aka our biggest competitors, casually gesture to the empty seat across from me.

Nausea momentarily forgotten, I straighten up and wave for them to sit down. “Of course! Please make yourselves comfortable.”

“Thank you so much.” Breathing a sigh of relief, the pretty redhead slides smoothly into the booth and her partner takes the spot beside her. The handsome black man passes his dance partner a handkerchief from his pocket, and she accepts it with a smile of thanks.

I watch the exchange with a drop of envy, the couple’s cuteness reminding me of my own, sad single status.

“How did you two meet?” The question comes out instinctively, the gaping hole in my love life driving me to fill the void.

“Well, it’s sort of a long story…” The girl breaks off with a shy laugh and the guy raises an eyebrow. “Don’t look at me like that, Jamar. You tell the story if it’s not that long.”

Jamar shakes his head at me, “You would think it was this complicated journey the way Keegan tells it.”

Keegan rolls her eyes, “Go on then, Romeo. Show me how its done.”

Jamar throws her a wink before turning his attention back to me. The chemistry between the pair reminds me of Wes and Lou, two forces of nature driven together by some inexplicable destiny.

“It all began back in sixth grade, when this girl with beautiful red hair walked into the lunch room and stole my favourite snack.”

Keegan lets out a groan, “When will those Dino gummies stop coming back to haunt me.”

I laugh while Jamar shoots her a look for the interruption.

“Sorry, sorry, please continue.” Toying with the end of her braids, Keegan returns the look with a sheepish smile.

Jamar sighs, “That is the first of many interruptions, I’m afraid.” Taking a moment to fix his cowboy hat, Jamar shoots me an apologetic glance.

“Are you sure you want to hear this?”

I lean forward, butt cheeks already perched on the edge of the booth, “Absolutely. Tell me everything.”

If I can’t get my own happy ending, I may as well enjoy someone else’s.

Cody

I leave Stella for two minutes and she’s already filled our booth with new friends.

Carefully placing the water glass on the table, I look to see the couple we tried to out dance occupying the booth across from us. The sequins on Stella’s jeans sparkle as she shifts further down the seat, her red cowgirl boots looking like something out of a bad 80s movie.

“… and it was only when I bought her mom flowers that Keegan finally confessed she liked me too.”

The redhead rolls her eyes with a huff, “You forgot to mention you were the one who insisted we keep things casual.”

“Did not.”

“Did too.”

I clear my throat as the couple falls into a glaring contest and look to Stella for clarification.

She lifts her shoulder in a delicate shrug, “I asked for Keegan and Jamar’s origin story, but we’ve arrived at a standoff.”

Stella’s dark blue eyes dance between the pair sitting across from us, neither of them backing down. I take the chance to study her side profile, her proud chin and pert nose drawing my attention to the shimmery powder dusted along her cheekbones. There’s yet to be an occasion where Stella doesn’t sparkle and yet she always puts in the effort to go just that little bit further.

“What about you two? How did you meet?”

I jolt at the deep voice, forgetting we were no longer at an empty booth. Stella blinks in surprise, the edges of her pink lips tugging downwards at the corners.

The sight of her frown pulls at something deep in my gut and before I know it, I’ve gone and opened my mouth.

“At the gym.”

Stella’s eyebrows shoot up past the brim of her hat and I see her eyes widening in shock. Her frown has all but disappeared, taking the ache in my chest with it.

I throw her a wink as if to say, play along.

“I watched her destroy this freshman at the gym and I was hooked. As soon as his head disappeared into the garbage can, I knew I had to make my move.”

Stella’s lips start to twitch, and I have to talk myself down from doing a fist pump. Keegan, meanwhile, looks like she may have developed a girl crush.

“You made a guy puke at the gym? That’s incredible.”

Jamar shoots his girlfriend a concerned glance, “Don’t get any ideas.”

Stella laughs, “I don’t normally make it a habit to break people, but this guy got under my skin.” Scooting a little bit closer, Stella flutters her eyelashes in my direction, “Little did I know this one would stay under my skin.”

Ignoring the warning bells going off in my head, I throw an arm around my mentor’s younger sister and tug her close to me.

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for punishing blondes.”

Stella’s muscular frame leans into mine, the warmth radiating off her body making it hard to breathe. If I lowered my head just a couple inches my lips would be level with hers.

“Mm, and I just love a man who wears a cowboy hat.”

My laugh rumbles through us both, making me hyperaware of every point of contact between us.

Shoulder. Hip. Thigh.

Keegan shakes her head with a sigh, “I always tell Jamar he should wear his more often, but he just complains it ruins his hair.”

Forcing my mind from forbidden gutters, I look across the table and exchange a supportive glance with the man who understands my pain.

Stella huffs, her exaggerated breath pressing her body tighter against mine.

“Men.”

Keegan pretends to clink an imaginary glass against Stella’s untouched water on the table. Jamar groans good-naturally and steals a glance at his watch.

“Well, as much as I love girl-bonding over male flaws, I think it’s time for us to go. We’ve got a long night ahead of us.” Jamar gives Keegan a knowing look and the one she returns leaves no question as to what type of night lies ahead for the couple.

“Right. Lots of things to do back in our… house.” With an unsubtle wink at Stella, Keegan holds out her hand for a shake, “But it was so lovely meeting you. You’ll have to teach me your cardio secrets so I can give this one a run for his money.”

Jamar slides out of the booth with a sigh, “Here we go again.”

Stella jumps up and bends over the table to latch on to Keegan’s hand. I try my best not to look, I really do, but the sequins glittering along Stella’s ass draw my attention like I’m a gemologist who specials in bedazzled jeans.

“It would be my pleasure! Take care guys.”

She plops herself back down and I bite back a sigh of relief. My own jeans are tighter than they were a minute ago but looser than they would have been if she’d stayed in that position for any longer.

The handsome couple give us one final wave then disappear into the crowd.

“They are totally going home to fuck.”

I groan at Stella’s comment, my mind and southern regions veer back into dangerous territory.

“Don’t be crude, O’Brien.”

“What? It’s true.” Bringing her long braid back over her shoulder, I watch as she tugs the elastic from the end and slowly starts unwinding the knots out of her hair.

“They plan to fuck all night long.” Stella sings the words as her fingers make quick work of the braid, silky platinum strands falling loose with the process. She wiggles her eyebrows at me, “Should we place bets on who’s going to be on top?”

I should have bought a beer when I had the chance.

“No, but I think it’s time we took you home to bed.”

Immediately regretting my word choice, I avoid Stella’s laughing gaze as I slide out the booth and hold out my hand for her. She takes it, callused fingers rough against my own, and doesn’t bother hiding the smirk taking over her face.

“What position would you like tonight, Captain? I’ve always wanted to save a horse.”

The unspoken ride a cowboy hangs in the air between us, a challenge that’s as tempting as the hunger glinting in her dark blue eyes. Stella’s testing me and damn it if I don’t want to deliver the way she wants me to.

The way I want to.

“Don’t think my hair would make it to morning.” I take the easy way out, skimming the edges of our complicated relationship without showing my cards.

Stella snorts, seeming unfazed by my subtle rejection, “Your hair wouldn’t be the only thing that doesn’t make it to morning.”

At this point, I’m not going to make it to the end of the night.