Page 134 of Heartland

She hops down a second later and hugs me hello. “Thanks, girls! What did I miss?”

“Just one song, I think,” Kaitlyn says, tossing her lipstick into her bag. “Put the trash back together, would you? And close that window.” She gives an exaggerated shiver and strides out of the bathroom.

I will never really understand Kaitlyn, but she’s a little nicer to me now. I give credit to her hockey player, who seems to be sticking around.

“Let’s dance!” Ellie says, hurrying me toward the door. “This is my first time at a bar.”

“You can’t get wasted,” I beg. “I don’t need to hold your hair while you puke on Valentine’s Day.”

She laughs. “Fine. One cider. That’s all I ask.”

When we step out of the ladies’ room, Dylan is playing a slow, romantic tune. His eyes are closed as he plays, and shivers climb up my spine as the melody swells.

This happens a lot, actually. I look at him and think,How did I get so lucky?

But he says the same thing to me sometimes just before we fall asleep. So I guess I’m not the only one.

“Here.” Rickie is already waiting with a beer for himself and a cider for Ellie and me. “Told you it would work.”

“Thank you, Rickie,” Ellie says with a smile. She looks older since her braces came off over Christmas break. “You’re my hero. I expect a dance after we finish our drinks.”

He scowls, but we both know she’ll talk him into it.

“This next song starts fast and then gets faster,” Dylan says into the microphone. “So pace yourselves, ladies!” He puts his violin on his chin.

“The not-a-kid sounds great!” Griffin, says, applauding. “This is fun, baby. Thank you for making me come out tonight.”

“Any time, you big grump.” Audrey hugs him from behind. “Now dance with me.”

Rickie and Ellie dance. We switch it up a couple of times, but the truth is that I prefer to stand still and watch. I'll always love watching Dylan play.

It’s getting towards the end of the set when I hear Dylan announce, “This next song is for someone special.” He smiles right at me, and my heart nearly bursts with joy.

Ellie lets out the perfect little fan-girl shriek.

“I wasn't able to take my girlfriend out somewhere alone tonight. Because I'm here with you all.”

The girls in the audience all make a collective noise that sounds likeAwwww.

“First we were friends,” Dylan says, tuning up his new electric violin as he talks. “…and then we spent a lot of time together making gourmet caramel candies. So I think this whole Valentine's Day thing isn't a scam after all, you know? Because after we made all that candy together it became clear to me that I was in love for the first time in my life.”

TheAwwwwis louder this time.

“That’s the sound of other hearts breaking,” Rickie quips.

Keith is picking up another guitar. I don't have any idea what they're about to play, but I can feel my cheeks flushing already.

“So I hope you're ready to rock, because my love song here isn't a slow one. I don’t know what the songwriter was saying when he wrote this. But I think this song is about caramels and love. Let’s do this!”

Keith kicks into a fast guitar riff. I don’t recognize it, but then Dylan adds a riff, and it starts to sound familiar.

My pop-culture knowledge is still pretty shaky, so I have to shout a question at Ellie and Rickie. “What is it?”

“An eighties tune called ‘I’ll Stop The World And Melt With You’!” Rickie says. Then he cracks up. “Good one, Dyl!”

And then? Dylan lifts his chin from his fiddle and sings the lyrics. To me. Right here in this crowded room. Keith sings, too. It’s magical.

The first two lines makes me blush like crazy. But, yowza. It’s the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m not ashamed to say that I get tears in my eyes.