Page 10 of The Cowboy's Friendly Wake-Up Call

"Not every man."

Lance leaves that hanging between us, along with what I think is the tiniest of grins at me that has me feeling confused and a little off balance.

Before I have a chance to rib him anymore; hopefully to bed down the squirmy feelings that this conversation has started inside me, and maybe get him to give up more details on whathe means, the band breaks into the opening chords of one of our favorite songs.

Barely giving me time to empty my plastic cup and drop it in a nearby trash can, Lance pulls me in to the open area in front of the bandstand where the grass has been worn to bare dirt in most places by the footsteps of dancers throughout the years.

Taking my hands and pulling me into the circle, I easily fall into step with Lance as we two-step around the rough dance floor.

"Didn't know you could dance, cowboy."

Lance laughs, as the band transitions into another lively tune, this one better suited to a western swing which we easily adjust to.

"Didn't know you could dance, either, Mercy Jean," Lance tells me as he spins and dips me.

"How is it that you know my birthday, my favorite color, and what time of the month to bring me chocolate, but you didn't know I could dance?"

Lance's hand holds mine above my head with enough clearance that I can spin without knocking my hat off, then he grips me strategically and drops me into a deep plunge that takes me almost to the ground.

The unexpected move has me gasping for breath and gripping him by the forearm for security as he holds me just inches from the grass with one hand under the back of my neck.

"I won't let you fall, you know." The usual twinkle in Lance's eyes softens to something different, as he steps over my body in a fancy dance move I don't expect before gripping my arm and pulling me back to my feet so fast I get dizzy.

At least; I'm pretty sure it's the dancing that has me dizzy.

"I'm not used to getting dipped like that," I explain, as Lance pulls me against him and keeps us moving in time. "I'm not exactly light, you know."

Lance

"That's silly, Mers." I like the feel of her in my arms when I pull her in to step around the dance floor together, but I command myself to push her out and let her spin again before taking another greedy chance to hold her close.

"You don't weigh that much."

If I'd known she liked to dance, I'd have found a hundred excuses to get her in my arms like this.

I love watching her face light up with every spin and the way she giggles every time I dip her.

"Going down again." I warn her this time, and the way she trusts me to drop her low now that she's over her bullshit about being too heavy for the fancier moves, has me feeling some ways that are too dangerous to get used to.

Mercy's almost a full foot shorter than me, and sure, she's got curves-- curves that have had me mesmerized since my awkward fits and starts into noticing them way back when puberty first hit-- but she hardly weighs anything.

Not when I spend most of my days pitchin' hay bales and wrangling cattle.

Besides, pulling Mercy back up to me each time I drop her low to the ground is the best kind of torture; letting me imagine what it would feel like if I could lay my lips against hers every time I pull her back into my arms.

The song gives way to another, this one is a slow one.

The lead singer breaks into sultry lyrics about Tennessee whiskey, doing a damn good job of it too. He's got the voice for it.

Couples move into the spaces around us, wrapped in each other's arms, some of 'em crooning the words along with the singer as they sway.

Mercy melts into my arms and I think I've died and gone to heaven when she looks up at me with happiness still coloring those baby blues of hers.

Then the world stops all around me and that might include my own heart.

Stretching up, tilting her head back, closing space between us like it's something she does all the time, Mercy pulls me down to her like she's about to kiss me.

And I just stand in place like a stunned cow until the brims of our hats bump against each other, knocking mine askew and sending hers tumbling to the ground.

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