Page 33 of Whiskey Reveals

Chapter 16

Melody’s nerveswere causing little sparks to dance over her skin, and she was sure if she stopped moving, she’d fall right then and there. And having the dance instructor fall on the dance floor during the opening day of a dance studio wouldn’t make for great business.

She’d spent months getting ready for this day, hours upon hours organizing, setting up loans, designing, and preparing herself to become a teacher in something she’d once thought was more important than breathing. And though she’d found more important things in her life than dancing and had done her best to change her mean-girl attitude since she’d hated the woman she was back then, dance would be at the center of her life once again.

Only, now, there was something far more important than dance, her studio, or anything else she’d ever done, and she was beyond scared and nervous about it. She had no idea what she was going to do when she made it to her third trimester and needed to teach dance, or what would happen when she had to take time off to recuperate after having the baby, or even what she would do once she was ready to teach again but had an infant in her arms.

Melody sucked in a few breaths, trying not to hyperventilate since people would be in her studio at any moment for lemonade, snacks, and conversation.

And the entire time, she was going to do her best to not throw up.

Should be easy enough.

Her stomach rolled.

Or not.

Her grandmother had hired the caterer for the event as a present, though Melody had tried to turn her down. The duo who owned a shop near Dare’s bar had already set everything up and departed, and would be back soon to help out with serving and drinks. Soon, Grandma Pearl would be in the studio, and Melody would be able to hug her grandmother and tell her thanks in person. She was always so much steadier when the last of her family was near.

Melody put her hand on her belly and swallowed hard. Not the last, at least not anymore. But she couldn’t think about that now. Sure, she’d stayed up reading about what comes next and what expecting a baby meant, but it still hadn’t hit her that somehow she’d ended up knocked up on the verge of her new life.

She rolled her shoulders back.

Get a grip,Melody.

It wasn’t as if she hadn’t had to deal with obstacles before for hell’s sake. She’d danced her heart out, put blood, sweat, and tears into her career and what she’d thought would be the only part worth living in her life to become one of the best dancers in the country, and she hadn’t even made it to a full company at the time. She’d come back from injury to walk again after finding out her dancing career was over. She’d found herself again after she ran from who she once was. And as each step had tripped her up and forced her into a new stage of her life, she’d come back fighting—even if she hadn’t been the same person she was before.

She’d just make a plan. Make lists.

And maybe, just maybe, rely on the man she’d spent the night with. Though that thought might not be something she could quite see through to the end yet, she knew she couldn’t run again. She’d moved to Whiskey to put down roots, and it seemed the town had wrapped its own around her in the most unexpected way.

Someone tapped on the door, and she turned on her heel, almost falling in her haste. Once again, she took a deep breath and promised herself that she would not fall in front of her new dancers and their families. There was only so much she could take, after all.

Her stomach did that weird fluttering thing that had nothing at all to do with the baby and everything to do with the man at the door. Fox stood there, a grin on his face, and her grandmother by his side. She hadn’t known that he planned to bring her grandmother with him. Though her grandma had been very interested in what Fox meant to Melody, she’d been oddly careful about how she answered Grandma Pearl about him. Melody still couldn’t quite believe how supportive the other woman had been ever since she told her about the baby, but Melody knew she shouldn’t have been surprised.

Her grandmother was the Ms. Pearl, after all. She’d insert herself into Melody’s life and always be there. No matter what.

Melody quickly made her way to the door to let them in before Fox could knock again. “You’re here,” she said, her smile widening. She was beyond nervous, perhaps even more so now than she had been while dancing, but seeing the one person who meant the most to her and the other who was quickly sharing that space in her soul calmed her more than she thought possible.

“Of course, we’re here,” Ms. Pearl said with a wink. “It’s our girl’s big day. Now give me a hug and let me inside so I can fawn like I’m prone to do when it comes to my baby girl’s dreams.”

And Melody knew she couldn’t hold back anymore. Tears fell down her cheeks, and her grandmother tut-tutted good-naturedly even as Fox wiped the streaks from her face. Grandma Pearl didn’t say a word as she strode into the studio, but the man beside her hugged Melody close.

“So damn proud of you,” he whispered. “You’re kicking ass and taking names, and soon, this place is going to be filled with the people who trust you and want to learn from you. You’re amazing.”

“And you haven’t even seen me dance yet.” Something she knew needed to be rectified soon. When, she didn’t know, but if this man were going to somehow be part of her life, she had to show him all parts of her.

And tell him who she was.

And what she’d done.

That fast, she was no longer feeling the heat between them, only the coldness that had spread within her through years of mistakes and wrong choices.

Fox seemed to see the change in her, but he didn’t comment. There wasn’t any time, and she was so confused and worried that she was making more mistakes. When they were alone, before they could find out who they could be together, she would have to tell him the truth. Because there was no other choice, not anymore.

This wasn’t a one-night stand or even a two-night stand. Even if she weren’t pregnant, there was still a connection between them that drew her to him, one that seemed to make him do the same with her, and because of that, he needed to know who she truly was.

Who she had been before.

---