Page 70 of Playing for Keeps
Upstairs, the noise dulls slightly, the lighting dimmer and more intimate. Plush velvet sofas and private booths fill the space, creating cozy hideaways throughout the room. In one corner, a smaller, more relaxed dancefloor glows under soft lights, with a handful of people dancing. Wyatt leads me to a sofa tucked discreetly at the back, offering a bit of privacy,
and a server appears the moment we sit down. Once we’ve placed our drink orders, Wyatt turns his attention back to me.
“Is this place okay?” he asks. “We come here sometimes after a game.”
“Yeah… I love it.”
The server appears with our drinks, and when he’s gone, Wyatt raises his bottle.
“Happy birthday, Ivy.”
“Thank you,” I tell him, clinking my glass with his bottle.
He takes a mouthful of his drink and places the bottle on the low table in front of us.
“I meant to say yesterday,” I say, leaning closer to him so he can hear me over the hum of the music. “I found a couple more listings just outside Hope Creek that might be worth a look. They probably don’t fit exactly what you’re looking for, but it should give you an idea of what’s out there.”
“I don’t have to see Isobel again, do I?” he asks, pulling a face.
I laugh. “No. They’re with an agent who works out of River Falls.”
He grins, his whole face lighting up. “So, you can come with me?” I nod. “When can we see them?”
I laugh. “I’ll see what I can set up. Are you free next week?”
“Yeah, early in the week I’m around. I’ve got to head back to the city on Wednesday. I’ve got some pre-season training sessions lined up.”
I take a sip of my drink. “You’ll be back for the wedding the weekend after, though, right?”
“Of course,” he says without hesitation. “It’s only a few days. Nothing could keep me from the wedding.”
I smile. “Okay. I’ll make some calls on Monday, then.”
“All right,” he says, taking my half-drunk drink from my hand and placing it on the table. “Enough shop talk. Do you want to dance?”
I grin. “Absolutely.”
He rises from the sofa and holds out his hand. “Come on then, birthday girl. Let’s dance.”
I slide my hand into his and let him pull me to my feet. Still holding hands, he guides me across the room to the dance floor. It’s busier than before, with the crowd moving to the sound of an upbeat country track. As we find a space, I start to sway my hips in time with the rhythm, lifting my hands in the air and letting the music carry me, my fingers slipping from Wyatt’s as I lose myself in the moment.
After a few more songs, the tempo suddenly slows and the mood around us changes. Couples gravitate toward each other, and everything suddenly feels more intimate. I turn to Wyatt, suddenly aware of how close he is. He doesn’t speak. He just steps forward and places his hands at my waist, pulling me in until there’s no space left between us. My hands moveinstinctively around his neck, and we begin to slowly sway to the music.
His gaze locks with mine, and for a moment, everything blurs around us. He’s all I can see. I breathe him in, the clean, woodsy scent of his cologne enveloping me. I let my head rest against his chest and his arms tighten, holding me like I belong there.
We don’t say a word, but the silence between us is anything but empty. Instead, it’s full of things I don’t know how to say. In his arms, everything feels right, even though it shouldn’t.
I don’t know what this is, or what it means, but swaying here with him under the dim lights, it doesn’t feel fake. Not even a little.
And maybe, just maybe, he feels it too.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Wyatt
Ivy and I dance for the rest of the night, but nothing quite matches the way we moved together during that one slow song. I probably shouldn’t have pulled her into my arms, but it happened before I even realized what I was doing. And once she was there, once I felt how right it was to hold her, there was no way I was letting go until the music stopped. I never dance. Ever. But with her, I already want to do it again.
Being with Ivy makes me wish time would slow down. I’ve had a great night, like I always do when I’m with her. We’ve talked, laughed, and had moments that feel too good to be pretend, even though that’s exactly what they are.
