Chapter 6

six

ANDREW

Later that night, I stood beside Jacob. “Would you like to dance?”

His gaze landed on the people moving in coordinated rows behind us. “I haven’t got a clue how to line dance.”

“All you have to do is follow the person in front of you.” Jacob’s frown made me even more determined to get him on the dance floor. Tonight was about enjoying the company of good friends, good food, and a little home-grown entertainment.

I held onto his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on. I’ll look after you.”

Jacob looked over his shoulder at Shane. “If I’m doing this, so are you.”

Before Shane could reply, Jonathon pulled his fiancé to his feet. “That’s a great idea. It’ll be good practice for the wedding.”

Liam and Paul were already on the dance floor, doing the Cotton Eye Joe.

Jacob’s leaned closer to me. “Just so you know, I don’t have any sense of rhythm.”

“You’ll be fine. Paul and Liam only learned to line dance after they moved to Sunrise Bay.” I stood at the back of the room and let go of Jacob’s hand. “No one will be worried if you step in the wrong direction.”

“But they will worry if I bang into them.”

I sent him a reassuring smile. “Trust me. You’ll be fine.” As the next song started, I grinned. The Electric Slide was one of the first dances I’d learned. “The first step is to the right,” I said.

Jacob’s frown deepened. Half a beat after the people in front of us moved, he took his first step.

I kept an eye on him, moving quickly out of his way when he went left instead of right. “You’re doing great,” I yelled over the music.

Jacob’s relieved smile was good to see. I didn’t know how much downtime he’d had in Afghanistan, but I’d bet my last dollar that he’d never line danced his way across a wooden floor in Kabul.

When the song ended, I turned to Jacob and high-fived him. “That was awesome. We’ll make a local of you yet.”

“It wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.”

The first bars of the next song started, and I grinned. “You must know this song.”

Jacob rubbed his hands together. “I’m ready.”

As the Village People’s voices blared from the sound system, I watched Jacob focus on the woman in front of him. This time his feet moved in perfect timing. When they hit the chorus, his arms made the shape of the YMCA letters as naturally as anyone in the room.

I smiled when I saw Paul and Liam. They were both singing with the music, enjoying every minute on the dance floor.

When the song came to an end, I laughed at Jacob’s wide smile. “You’re a natural.”

“I’d still be sitting in my chair if it weren’t for you.”

The warmth in his gaze made my toes curl. “It’s just as well I’m here, then.”

Shane tapped Jacob on the shoulder and said something to him. For the first time that night, Jacob laughed.

For some reason, that gave me a deep sense of satisfaction. When the next song started, I stopped worrying about Jacob and simply enjoyed dancing beside him. At least after tonight, when he went back to Afghanistan, he’d remember the night he line danced his way across a small dance floor in Sunrise Bay. And if those memories brought a smile to his face, I’d be even happier.