Page 84 of Texas Splendor
Becky smiled. “Go on.”
Cameron held his hand toward Loree. She hesitated before slipping her hand into his. “I’m not very balanced these days.”
Cameron grinned. “That’s all right. Neither am I.”
Austin watched Cameron lead Loree onto the dance floor. Their steps were awkward, mismatched. Cameron chuckled, and even with the din of the other dancers, Austin heard Loree’s gentle laughter.
“You and I never got to dance,” Becky said quietly.
Austin slid his gaze to her. The royal blue of her dress enhanced the shade of her eyes. “No, we didn’t.”
She licked her lips. “We’re not going to dance tonight, are we?”
“No, we’re not.”
She shifted her gaze to the dancers. “Cameron wouldn’t mind.”
“But it might hurt Loree.”
She peered at him. “Do you love her?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Then she’s a very lucky woman.”
“She hasn’t been up until now, but I aim to change that.” He tilted his head as the music drifted into silence. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll dance with my wife now.”
He glanced toward the dance floor, reining in his impatience as Cameron escorted Loree back to him. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes sparkling. He would have grabbed her and hauled her back onto the dance floor right then and there, but he had something special in mind.
“Didn’t topple over, huh?” he asked as they neared. He laughed when Loree stuck her tongue out at him.
“Come on, Sugar, sit down,” he ordered.
Loree plopped into the chair, grateful to be off her feet. “Thank you, Cameron,” she called out.
Cameron glanced over his shoulder and winked at her before he led Becky back toward the dance area. Loree released a deep sigh. “I didn’t want to but I think I like Cameron. He’s nice.”
“Of course, he’s nice. You think I’d have mean friends,” Austin said as he knelt in front of her and lifted her foot.
She leaned forward. “What are you doing?”
“Taking off your shoes.”
She jerked her foot back. “Austin, not here,” she whispered hoarsely.
He looked at her with blue eyes that reflected the innocence of a child. “Why?”
She stared at him, trying to think of an acceptable reason. “It’s not proper. A woman doesn’t show her ankles in public.”
“Your skirt is long enough that your ankles won’t show. Besides, your toes have gotta be hurtin’. I’ve seen Cameron dance before. He may be nice but he doesn’t know his right foot from his left.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Her toes were hurting. He patted his thigh. “Come on, Sugar.”
She gnawed on her lower lip. She supposed if she just sat here …
“Oh, all right, but don’t let anyone see what you’re doing,” she whispered as she placed her foot on his thigh.
She loved to watch his long fingers nimbly work to unbutton her shoes. She wanted to see his fingers gliding along the strings on his mother’s violin. She knew he had been touched by the case she had given him for Christmas, but she’d been disappointed that he hadn’t shown more of an interest in the music sheets she’d given him.
