Page 78 of The Kiss Keeper
She tossed him a wink. “You might not get the first dance, cowboy.”
He took her hand as they set off on the trail that led to the camp’s old barn. “Why not?”
“The way it works is that everyone puts their name in a hat, and the lobster queen has the first dance with the lucky winner.”
He pursed his lips and seemed to weigh the answer. “What if I write my name on all the slips of paper?”
“Then you’d be a cheater,” she said, meeting his devious gaze.
“A cheater who plays to win,” he replied, eyes twinkling.
“It’s one dance, Jake.”
“What if I don’t want to share?” he offered as his voice took on a low, rumbling edge.
“Do you always get what you want?” she asked as heat flooded her body, secretly loving how this man didn’t want to share her for even one dance.
“I’m here with you, aren’t I?” he tossed back with a cocky grin that said he did get what he wanted.
She parted her lips, hoping a pithy comeback would materialize, but lost her train of thought as they rounded the bend to find the barn transformed. In the twilight, the twinkling lights they’d spent hours hanging lit the space in a cozy glow while the wildflowers she’d picked with the children earlier in the day were displayed in mason jars on top of blue checkered tablecloths that dotted the space around the dance floor. The once dreary and dank barn now sparkled with country charm as a fiddler tuned his instrument, setting the perfect soundscape.
“It’s…” she said, searching for the right word as adults laughed and chatted under a canopy of light while children weaved their way past the grownups to a table lined with sweet treats and pitchers of lemonade.
“You’re right. It’s…” Jake began when a clap of thunder and a smattering of raindrops darkened the gravel path.
“Oh, no! Our barn dance,” she cried.
He wrapped his arm around her and ushered her inside. “I was up on that roof all afternoon, hanging lights and those little hats of yours. The structure is sound. We should be fine.”
“The lobster queen has arrived,” her grandmother said, greeting them each with a hug. “And just in the nick of time. It looks like we’re in for some rain.”
Her grandfather joined them. “Come on in and see how wonderfully the barn turned out. You kids did a great job,” he said with a healthy grin, but Natalie couldn’t forget what the nuns had shared and wrapped her arms around the man.
Her grandfather patted her back. “What’s all this, Nat?”
“I’m just glad to be here,” she answered, blinking back tears.
“Get used to it, kiddo. You’re taking over,” he said with a sly-dog smile.
“And this time next week, your grandfather and I will be boarding a plane and heading to Maui for a real Hawaiian luau. We’ve never had a summer to ourselves,” her grandmother answered with a girlish blush.
Natalie shared a glance with Jake. “That’s wonderful news! You deserve many, many more summers together.”
“Well, it certainly gives us great peace of mind to know the camp will be in good hands,” her grandma Bev added as Finn joined them, holding a cowboy hat brimming with folded pieces of paper.
“Uncle Jake, do you want to put your name in the hat for a chance to dance with Aunt Nat?”
“Absolutely,” he answered as Finn’s expression grew serious.
“But you only get one piece of paper. I caught Uncle Leo trying to sneak in two!” the boy replied.
“I’m not surprised,” Jake said, tossing her a knowing look. “Who wouldn’t want to dance with your Aunt Natalie? She’s the prettiest lobster queen I’ve ever seen.”
Finn frowned then turned to her. “I guess you’re not that bad for a girl, Aunt Nat, and you’re good at climbing trees.”
“That’s what I like about her, too,” Jake said, clapping Finn on the shoulder.
The adults chuckled as Jake took the offered marker and slip of paper and entered to win the first dance.
