You know, to music. I used to take my dates dancing all the time. There is a great dance hall a few towns from here."
"I don't dance very well."
She coughed and shifted in place, trying to shake out this green-eyed envy piercing her.
Going to a weekend cutting horse competition was one thing. Tagging along on one of Cody's dates was totally . . . it just wasn't happening. Period.
She struggled, trying to force some professionalism into her voice. This wasn't about her.
It was about Cody.
"Getting out in a public place is a great next step. Maybe trying something smaller before Saturday would be a good idea."
He flashed a quick smile that had her catching her breath and made her knees weak.
"Good," he said.
"But I don't really think my coming on one of your dates is appropriate. This could be a test run for you and maybe—"
She stopped mid-sentence, taking in the tilt of his jaw and the devilish amusement playing at the corner of his lips. He was smiling one of those wide grins that showed how perfectly straight his teeth were and how adorable a man with dimpled cheeks could be.
He knew she was flustered. And damn him, he was enjoying every second of it.
His voice was low and slightly gruff when he spoke. "I wasn't asking if you wanted to come on my date with me, Lyssa. I was asking you to be my date."
Her heart did a flip. And she felt like an idiot. "Oh."
"Is that a problem? I mean, with the school? Is there some handbook rule that prevents you from going dancing with me?"
She chuckled, more with relief than anything. "The only rule is the law of
coordination—in that I don't have any. You do remember the incident by the pool, don't you?"
She fought the scorching blush, but it came anyway, blistering her cheeks until she dipped her head, averting her gaze. Even knowing Cody couldn't see it didn't help.
"I can help you with that."
A nervous laugh escaped her lips before she could catch it. "Believe me. Many a man has tried and found it to be a lost cause." Okay, so maybe the many men consisted only of her father and Chad, but that was enough humiliation for her.
"They're not me."
A cocky remark. One that she was sure came straight from the core.
Her heart hammered. "I don't have anything appropriate to wear."
"You're full of excuses. It's not a black tie affair, Lyssa. It's just some club with some good country music. Brock mentioned at breakfast he'd be playing there tonight. I haven't been out to see him play in a while and I'm sure he'll be happy someone finally dragged me out of the house. Not to mention having a little family support of his own for a change."
Lyssa didn't know much about the two youngest Gentry men, but she'd heard bits and pieces at the dinner table. Jackson, next in line after Cody, had yet to make an appearance at the ranch. From what little Cody had said about him, she knew only that he was in law enforcement.
Brock, the youngest of the brothers, was as scarce around the house as Jackson, although technically he did still live there. He was a musician from the cradle, Cody had said. Every once in a while she'd hear the mellow sound of a guitar playing down the hall, and the haunting voice of a man singing of lost love. She knew it was Brock, but the way he'd hole up in his room, Lyssa thought he was more of a phantom.
She knew Cody didn't think much of Brock's choice to pursue fame and fortune in
country music. She knew Mike Gentry approved of it even less. But at least Cody supported it because he knew it mattered to Brock.
"I don't know," she said, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"If you're nervous about us going alone, we can always ask Beau and Mandy if they'd like to come."
"Sure, more people to witness my fine dancing performance."
She sighed. She was really being ridiculous. There was nothing saying her time at the ranch had to be all work and no play. With Beau and Mandy tagging along it wouldn't really be a date. It'd just be a bunch of people together.
"I guess.
"I don't dance very well."
She coughed and shifted in place, trying to shake out this green-eyed envy piercing her.
Going to a weekend cutting horse competition was one thing. Tagging along on one of Cody's dates was totally . . . it just wasn't happening. Period.
She struggled, trying to force some professionalism into her voice. This wasn't about her.
It was about Cody.
"Getting out in a public place is a great next step. Maybe trying something smaller before Saturday would be a good idea."
He flashed a quick smile that had her catching her breath and made her knees weak.
"Good," he said.
"But I don't really think my coming on one of your dates is appropriate. This could be a test run for you and maybe—"
She stopped mid-sentence, taking in the tilt of his jaw and the devilish amusement playing at the corner of his lips. He was smiling one of those wide grins that showed how perfectly straight his teeth were and how adorable a man with dimpled cheeks could be.
He knew she was flustered. And damn him, he was enjoying every second of it.
His voice was low and slightly gruff when he spoke. "I wasn't asking if you wanted to come on my date with me, Lyssa. I was asking you to be my date."
Her heart did a flip. And she felt like an idiot. "Oh."
"Is that a problem? I mean, with the school? Is there some handbook rule that prevents you from going dancing with me?"
She chuckled, more with relief than anything. "The only rule is the law of
coordination—in that I don't have any. You do remember the incident by the pool, don't you?"
She fought the scorching blush, but it came anyway, blistering her cheeks until she dipped her head, averting her gaze. Even knowing Cody couldn't see it didn't help.
"I can help you with that."
A nervous laugh escaped her lips before she could catch it. "Believe me. Many a man has tried and found it to be a lost cause." Okay, so maybe the many men consisted only of her father and Chad, but that was enough humiliation for her.
"They're not me."
A cocky remark. One that she was sure came straight from the core.
Her heart hammered. "I don't have anything appropriate to wear."
"You're full of excuses. It's not a black tie affair, Lyssa. It's just some club with some good country music. Brock mentioned at breakfast he'd be playing there tonight. I haven't been out to see him play in a while and I'm sure he'll be happy someone finally dragged me out of the house. Not to mention having a little family support of his own for a change."
Lyssa didn't know much about the two youngest Gentry men, but she'd heard bits and pieces at the dinner table. Jackson, next in line after Cody, had yet to make an appearance at the ranch. From what little Cody had said about him, she knew only that he was in law enforcement.
Brock, the youngest of the brothers, was as scarce around the house as Jackson, although technically he did still live there. He was a musician from the cradle, Cody had said. Every once in a while she'd hear the mellow sound of a guitar playing down the hall, and the haunting voice of a man singing of lost love. She knew it was Brock, but the way he'd hole up in his room, Lyssa thought he was more of a phantom.
She knew Cody didn't think much of Brock's choice to pursue fame and fortune in
country music. She knew Mike Gentry approved of it even less. But at least Cody supported it because he knew it mattered to Brock.
"I don't know," she said, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"If you're nervous about us going alone, we can always ask Beau and Mandy if they'd like to come."
"Sure, more people to witness my fine dancing performance."
She sighed. She was really being ridiculous. There was nothing saying her time at the ranch had to be all work and no play. With Beau and Mandy tagging along it wouldn't really be a date. It'd just be a bunch of people together.
"I guess.
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