Page 53 of We'll Meet Again

“Thank you!” he replied. “I only got the first goal, though, Artem did the rest.”

“With an assist from you,” she reminded him. “You’re well on your way to taking us to the Champions League for the first time.”

“Really? We’ve never been before?”

She shook her head. “Maybe you’ll really shake things up and win us the FA Cup too.”

“Now, that is more manageable,” he said with a chuckle. “But, tell me what you’ve got planned for tonight.”

“It’s a surprise,” she said.

“Are surprises an English thing?” he joked. “I keep being told to wait and see.”

“This one’s much more worth it than the karaoke, honest.”

“I’ll follow you anywhere, darlin’.”

She beamed at him, and after letting him help her into her coat, he was true to his word and he followed her lead. Their destination was across town, so Billie ordered a car for them. But Ethan insisted on opening the door for her at least. He held her hand all the way there, and she had no objections. In fact, she wished he would hold her a little closer, like he had while they were watching the movie. Just intertwined fingers didn’t feel like enough.

They arrived at last, and when Ethan saw the name of the place in neon blue, his face lit up like a fireworks display. Mouth falling open, he looked at Billie.

“No way,” he breathed.

She nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

“You really - how could - there’s a honky tonk in London?!”

Billie giggled and nodded again. It had taken some searching, especially since she wasn’t sure how to spell “honky tonk” at first, but she figured it out and found a little place owned by a couple of Americans who had moved from Arkansas, and brought country line dancing with them. And her embarrassing Google search history was worth the delighted look in Ethan’s eyes.

Before they got out of the car, he gathered her up in his arms, giving her a gentle squeeze. She closed her eyes at the comfort of his embrace. She wasn’t sure she had ever felt safer anywhere. And for some absurd reason, it also occurred to her that since meeting Ethan, she had not dreamed that dream about the letter and the gaping heartbreak that came with it.

“This was so thoughtful,” he murmured into her hair. “Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a contented sigh. “Can you do something for me?”

He leaned away to look her in the eyes. “Sure, anything.”

“Can you teach me the dances?” she asked sheepishly.

She had carefully schooled her face into a look of confidence, but slowly, she let it slip, allowing him to see that she was actually…nervous. Understanding seeped into his gaze.

“You got it,” he promised.

Assured, she led him inside.

The place was packed, to Billie’s surprise. Music rocked between the walls, and the crowd stepped in time to the tune, turning to face a different wall just as Billie and Ethan walked in. Whatever song was on had an extended banjo solo, which made everyone cheer as they did jazz squares and turned again to face the back wall. Billie briefly wondered if they had somehow been transported out of England. But apparently the idea of line dancing was more popular than she anticipated. Suddenly, Ethan had her in a bear hug again.

“You’re the best!” he called over the music.

“D’you want to grab something to drink before we get started?” she asked. “I may need some liquid courage.”

He retrieved his wallet and handed her his card. “Get whatever you want, darlin’.”

It took her a moment to recover from how attractive that was.

“What? No, I’m supposed to be treating you!”

He put the card in her hand. “I insist.”

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