Mountain Mystic by Debra Dixon

yourself.”
    His tone of voice sent a shiver up Victoria’s spine. He was challenging her. They both knew what he said was true, but he wanted to hear her admit it. Somehow it was important to him. Victoria stumbled over saying the words. Once she confessed her feelings for him, they’d eventually end up in bed. Maybe not tonight. Maybe not next week. But eventually.
    The only protection she had was the façade of friendship between them. Brush that aside and she would be emotionally naked.
    “I’m not sure I want to be more than friends,” she said, picking her words carefully. “I’m not sure I’m ready.”
    “Who the hell ever is?” he asked gently, and pulled her up. “Dance with me and let what we are to each other take care of itself.”
    “That’s what I’m afraid of,” she whispered.
    “No,” Joshua corrected her, and led her onto the floor. He cupped her face with his hands and dropped a kiss on her parted lips. “You’re afraid of letting anyone inside. Just like the rest of us.”
    He might not be able to read her mind, but he listened. He had a fair idea of Victoria’s problems, and they included being afraid of disappointment. That was a fear they shared. Both of them had been burned.
    The kiss made him hungry for more, but the dance floor wasn’t the place to indulge himself. He let the motion of the dance do what he couldn’t right now. He came as close as he dared to making love to a woman in a public place without raising eyebrows.
    He made sure that her breasts were lightly touching his chest. He liked the anticipation as they brushed against him unexpectedly, rubbing him. Victoria liked it too. Her face was flushed, and she sucked in a tiny breath each time contact was made.
    Halfway through the song, Victoria knew they weren’t doing much more than wearing a hole in the floor and swaying, but she didn’t care. For once in her life she was attracted to a man who made her feel as though they had all the time in the world to explore each other. His hand trailed down her back andpressed her hips against his. She closed her eyes as her belly met the full extent of his arousal.
    When Victoria wiggled against him, Joshua gritted his teeth. Once he’d worked his way to the edge of the dance floor, he said quietly, “We’re leaving. Now.”
    Letting her eyes drift open, Victoria saw the passion in his. She liked that feeling of power, as though she had as much control over his reactions as he had over hers. Leaving was just fine by her. He wasn’t going to kiss her the way she wanted to be kissed as long as they were in public. “My shoes.”
    “I’ll get them. It may take a while to find them.”
    “I’ll wait right here.”
    Inane conversation, but Victoria knew it said, in code, everything they wanted to say—“I don’t want you to change your mind.” “I won’t.”
    Her mind was already skipping ahead to the motorcycle ride and the intimacy it created, when a woman’s voice broke her train of thought.
    “Ms. Bennett?”
    Forcing her irritation to go away, Victoria told herself that no one else could possibly know they were interrupting a fantasy. She turned and was pleasantly surprised. “Naomi! How many times do I have to tell you to call me Victoria?”
    The woman shrugged. “I’ll try. It’s hard though.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “Well, the other granny was older. I ain’t much used to someone close to my age.”
    Victoria’s eyebrows shot up, and she felt theadrenaline surge through her body. “The other midwife?”
    “Yeah, the one Ma used.”
    Victoria closed her eyes for a second and crossed her fingers. “You don’t happen to remember her name, do you? I’d like to find her and talk to her.”
    The pregnant woman’s brow furrowed. “I was only eight when she came the last time.” She worried her lip with her teeth. Suddenly Naomi’s face cleared, and she nodded. “It was Granny Logan, I think. Don’t recollect the first name, but the last name