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“I really like this year’s poster. It’s not what you showed me. It’s better.”

“I almost didn’t finish it.” Her face is turned away. “I lost my inspiration.”

I remember her saying I was her inspiration, and my eyes close. Have I lost her? Still, I’ve got her in my arms. We sway side to side as the song continues. The scent of lilac floats around me.

“You’re very beautiful tonight.”

“It was supposed to be a special night.”

“It’s not over.”

“We didn’t come together. Nothing’s going to change.”

Reaching up, I slide her hair off her cheek. “We didn’t arrive together, but we could leave together. If you want.”

She finally looks at me, her green eyes intent. “What do you want, Sawyer?”

>

Our gaze holds, and I want so many things. Things complicated by something I can’t control. “I want you to have everything you want. I want you to be happy.”

Her eyes close, and she drops her chin, her voice quiet. “I want you to let me in. I want you to want me. That would make me happy.”

My arms tighten around her. She has no idea how much I want her. Everything in me wants her in a way I’ve never experienced. She’s my anchor, holding my hand and keeping me grounded. I want to take care of her, protect her, treat her the way she deserves.

The song ends, and the band strikes up the Acadiana two-step. Couples move in fast around us, and I lead her off the floor.

“You’re in a tux? You’re dancing? What is happening right now?” Noel grins, hugging me, but Taron hangs back giving me a concerned look I don’t like. “Did you convince him to do this?”

My sister turns to Mindy, who shrugs. “I’ve never been able to convince Sawyer to do anything he didn’t want to do.”

It’s a two-way dig. “Figured it was time to dust off this monkey suit you bought me.”

“You are very handsome.” Noel slides her hands on my lapels. “I want to find Leon and get a picture of all of us together. All the kids, Mindy, you, Leon, and me.”

“I thought you were going to show me how to two-step.” Taron puts his hands on my sister’s waist, and she laughs.

“Okay, but don’t run off, big brother. I want a dance with you, too.”

They go to the floor, and Mindy’s expression is resigned. “I have a really good bottle of tequila at my house.” She crosses her arms, watching the couples dancing. “We could get it and drive out to the lake.”

My eyes run down her body, down her legs to those silver shoes. As pretty as she looks in her party dress and heels, tequila at the lake sounds even better.

“Lead the way.”

21

Mindy

“Brown sugar!” I’m not the greatest singer, but I close my eyes and belt it out along with Mick on Spotify.

The air smells like pine and damp leaves and summer. My shoes are off, and I flip the ends of my chiffon dress with my fingers. I’m full of tequila and swinging my hair, doing my best Lana del Rey as I dance in the glow of the high beams of Sawyer’s truck parked in front of Darby Lake.

He’s leaning back against the hood watching me. His jacket, tie, and cummerbund are gone, and his white shirt is unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. The lines of his stomach deepen with his laugh, and I can just make out the sprinkle of dark hair across his chest.

He’s pure sex, and I want to wrap my legs around him.

When I was waiting for him earlier, I sipped just enough Dwayne Johnson tequila to piss me off, and I decided I wasn’t sitting home alone with my hair freshly done in my new dress and shoes, with my mani-pedi. I called an Uber and got a ride to the ball.