him. “Mike, long time, no see. How are you?”
Mike was one of the few who had left town as fast as his football scholarship would carry him and had never looked back. A lot like Brady had, but he didn’t blame her, or him. Or his brother Kurt who had done the same thing.
He pumped the offered hand. “I’m good.” Mike chuckled. “Quite a turnout. But what would you expect from our prettiest cheerleader?” He laughed again and Darren had a hard time not rolling his eyes at his old friend. Lissa was no longer a cheerleader, she was the manager at their local bank.
“It is a good turnout. Almost like a reunion.” They were shouting to be heard over the band and Darren hoped Mike would find something else to catch his attention. He had better things to do.
He glanced around the bar, which was filling to capacity, and his eyes landed on Brady again. She had finished her drink and was trying to make her way to the dance floor.
“Listen, Mike…”
“Hey, man, I wanted to talk to you about something. Okay to drop by your place this weekend? I fly out Sunday night.”
“Yeah, sure,” Darren answered distractedly as he handed Mike his beer and moved to intercept Brady.
Brady finished her drink a little quicker than she should have and made her way to the dance floor, intending to tell her sister goodbye. She was tired from traveling. Plus, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she was resentful that no one seemed to remember her.
The bodies pushed and squeezed and the three feet separating her from her sister felt like a mile.
Suddenly her hand was grabbed and she was pulled into the arms of a rugged man with bright-blue eyes. He didn’t give her a chance to pull away before he was dancing her about with the rest of the crowd. With no way to escape, Brady joined in, hoping she could shimmy herself closer to Lissa.
But as those bright, laughing blue eyes landed on hers again she knew who he was. Her heart stuttered and she prayed to the forces above she was wrong.
Just getting into the beat, she looked about in dismay as the band switched to a slow number and couples quickly paired up on the floor. But the sexy hunk still had a hold of her hand and pulled her close with a smile.
After a second’s hesitation she put her hands on his shoulders and swayed with him to the melody of the music. They were so close to the band that talking was out of the question and Brady relaxed a little in his arms.
Peeking up at him, she was surprised to see him staring down at her with a mushy look on his face. But she figured she knew what that meant—he had one too many birthday drinks and would probably look at any woman like that at the moment.
She hadn’t come back here to reconnect, not even with the biggest crush of her life. Even if he was holding her like he wouldn’t ever let go. The music ended, Brady broke free from his arms and the band took a much-needed break. It gave Brady the time she needed to find her sister.
“Melissa?” Lissa heard her voice and she turned, pulling Brady into the gathering mob of people around her.
“Brady! I’m so glad you could make it! Isn’t this fun?” she gushed as she waved her hand to indicate the whole of the bar.
“Yes, it was fun but I’m going to head back to my hotel.”
“What? The night has just started!” Melissa stared at her in shock, not able to comprehend why she would want to leave in the middle of a party. Someone put another drink in Melissa’s hand and she turned to smile at him.
Brady grabbed her arm before she could move away. “Call me in the morning.” Giving her sister a quick peck on the cheek before Lissa was pulled back on the dance floor, Brady headed for the door.
But the little bar was filled to capacity and leaving was easier said than done. The wall of boisterous human bodies only got deeper as she neared the door. Some unknown person was jostled into her and she would have lost her balance if a pair of strong arms hadn’t
Mike was one of the few who had left town as fast as his football scholarship would carry him and had never looked back. A lot like Brady had, but he didn’t blame her, or him. Or his brother Kurt who had done the same thing.
He pumped the offered hand. “I’m good.” Mike chuckled. “Quite a turnout. But what would you expect from our prettiest cheerleader?” He laughed again and Darren had a hard time not rolling his eyes at his old friend. Lissa was no longer a cheerleader, she was the manager at their local bank.
“It is a good turnout. Almost like a reunion.” They were shouting to be heard over the band and Darren hoped Mike would find something else to catch his attention. He had better things to do.
He glanced around the bar, which was filling to capacity, and his eyes landed on Brady again. She had finished her drink and was trying to make her way to the dance floor.
“Listen, Mike…”
“Hey, man, I wanted to talk to you about something. Okay to drop by your place this weekend? I fly out Sunday night.”
“Yeah, sure,” Darren answered distractedly as he handed Mike his beer and moved to intercept Brady.
Brady finished her drink a little quicker than she should have and made her way to the dance floor, intending to tell her sister goodbye. She was tired from traveling. Plus, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she was resentful that no one seemed to remember her.
The bodies pushed and squeezed and the three feet separating her from her sister felt like a mile.
Suddenly her hand was grabbed and she was pulled into the arms of a rugged man with bright-blue eyes. He didn’t give her a chance to pull away before he was dancing her about with the rest of the crowd. With no way to escape, Brady joined in, hoping she could shimmy herself closer to Lissa.
But as those bright, laughing blue eyes landed on hers again she knew who he was. Her heart stuttered and she prayed to the forces above she was wrong.
Just getting into the beat, she looked about in dismay as the band switched to a slow number and couples quickly paired up on the floor. But the sexy hunk still had a hold of her hand and pulled her close with a smile.
After a second’s hesitation she put her hands on his shoulders and swayed with him to the melody of the music. They were so close to the band that talking was out of the question and Brady relaxed a little in his arms.
Peeking up at him, she was surprised to see him staring down at her with a mushy look on his face. But she figured she knew what that meant—he had one too many birthday drinks and would probably look at any woman like that at the moment.
She hadn’t come back here to reconnect, not even with the biggest crush of her life. Even if he was holding her like he wouldn’t ever let go. The music ended, Brady broke free from his arms and the band took a much-needed break. It gave Brady the time she needed to find her sister.
“Melissa?” Lissa heard her voice and she turned, pulling Brady into the gathering mob of people around her.
“Brady! I’m so glad you could make it! Isn’t this fun?” she gushed as she waved her hand to indicate the whole of the bar.
“Yes, it was fun but I’m going to head back to my hotel.”
“What? The night has just started!” Melissa stared at her in shock, not able to comprehend why she would want to leave in the middle of a party. Someone put another drink in Melissa’s hand and she turned to smile at him.
Brady grabbed her arm before she could move away. “Call me in the morning.” Giving her sister a quick peck on the cheek before Lissa was pulled back on the dance floor, Brady headed for the door.
But the little bar was filled to capacity and leaving was easier said than done. The wall of boisterous human bodies only got deeper as she neared the door. Some unknown person was jostled into her and she would have lost her balance if a pair of strong arms hadn’t
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