Page 5 of Hello Trouble

HAYES

“Left, right, left, scoot,” my teenaged niece, Maya, ordered, showing my brothers, dad, and me the moves to the “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.

” She had been learning it in dance class and insisted the whole family learn it, too, for the Cottonwood Falls Spring Festival.

Her class would be performing and their families were encouraged to join in.

I swore this girl would run the world one day.

Just under a month ago, she and my other niece Emily were giving a presentation on why I should finally settle down and pick a girl to marry.

They had bullet points and everything. Never mind that the list included impractical options for a partner, like their teacher, my brother’s sixty-year-old nurse, and my sister-in-law’s best friend—Della Dwyer.

Immediately at the suggestion, Liv had said, “Absolutely not,” reaffirming my reasons to stay away from Della.

It should have been easy to steer clear, with billions of people on the planet. But something about her was magnetic. Or maybe I was just as stupid as a bug drawn to a light.

“Hayes!” Maya groused. “That’s not how you scoot!”

While my brothers snickered at me, I arched an eyebrow. “I can scoot on outta here.”

Maya was undeterred by my smart-assery. “Like this.” She squared up in front of me, lifting one knee so she did a half-skip to the side. “Now you try.”

I did it as she asked, exaggerating the movement.

Her little lips pursed. “Good. But without the attitude next time.”

That had everyone cracking up.

I gave my brothers a look and said under my breath, “Sorry, I do my best dancing with a partner.” Then I winked.

Knox shoved my shoulder. “Stupid.”

But Maya soldiered on. “From the top!”

She yelled out the moves, no doubt in a perfect imitation of her music teacher, and we all followed along.

My brother Knox was a great dancer and probably knew the moves already.

Our oldest brother, Fletcher, followed the steps like a robot.

And Dad surprised me with how well he kept up.

My other brothers, Ford and Bryce, couldn’t make it today since they lived out of town. Lucky bastards.

When we made it through the song a couple times with minimal errors, Maya squealed. “I have to show Livvy!” That’s what she called her stepmama. “Stay right there.”

The blood drained from my face—the last thing I needed was an audience. Especially knowing Della was among them. Oblivious to my panic, Knox elbowed Fletcher and said, “Maya could start a cult.”

Fletcher made prayer hands and closed his dark brown eyes. “ Please, God, let her use her powers for something productive.”

I shook my head. “So far we have a PowerPoint on why I should get hitched and a choreographed dance. I’m not convinced.”

My dad and brothers cracked up at my joke. But then the door swung open, and we glanced over to see Liv coming outside with Maya... followed by all the other women.

I bit down on my lip ring to keep myself from saying something stupid. Especially since I’d soon be performing for them. Usually, I wasn’t shy. But something about Della’s eyes on me felt different.

I could feel her stare just like I could earlier.

And it bothered me that I even noticed.

Why the hell did I notice?

Women staring at me was part of my everyday life. When you lived in a small town and had as many tattoos as I did, had a reputation like I did, you drew attention.

But Della’s attention felt different.

Probably because she got under my skin—especially lately. Why was she so intent on making me like hot chocolate? I used to be fine with plain black coffee, but now that shit was like a drug. And unreasonably hard to find. I ordered over fifty bucks worth just to get free shipping.

But Maya’s performance went on, regardless of my spinning thoughts. The song started playing over speakers attached to the back of the house, and she shouted out the moves.

The women hooted and hollered their support, and... Della’s eyes were still on me.

If she was watching...I might as well put on a show.

I ran through each step, easily following the beat.

Between spins, I sent her a wink that had her pale cheeks flushing with color, her eyes darting away.

Some part of me was satisfied that I could fluster her like she distracted me.

Even if nothing could come of it, at least I wasn’t on an island of my own destruction.

When the song ended, everyone was cheering. Hell, maybe I was even smiling a little bit, despite being voluntold into dancing.

Maya walked up to me, holding out her hand for me to shake. “Good job, Uncle Hayes.”

I shook her hand. “Good job, squirt. I better vote for you for governor one day.”

She grinned easily. “I’d prefer a vote for president.”

“Done,” I said. “Lord help the other countries with you at the helm.”

Giggling, she went off to her dad and stepmom, who praised her teaching skills. As I watched after her, Knox patted my back and said, “Pull those moves at the bar and you’ll have the ladies all over you.”

I scoffed at him. “I don’t need moves for that to happen.”

Someone snort-laughed nearby, and I found Della flushing bright red under all her freckles.

“Yes?” I asked.

Knox’s eyes darted between us.

“Nothing,” Della said, humor crinkling the corners of her eyes. “Nothing at all.”

“Enlighten us,” I drawled.

She shrugged, despite the teasing smile playing on her lips. “I’m just thinking you may need those moves when you lose your hair.”

Instinctively, my fingers went to my scalp, and Knox cracked up laughing. A sly smile formed on Della’s lips, and I flipped off both of them before going to get some grub.

Why was she so good at getting under my skin?

* * *

For the rest of the evening, we sat around the firepit outside—eating, drinking, and shooting the shit—while little kids ran around like seagulls, picking food off peoples’ plates and playing games with each other.

But eventually the kids got tired and people started heading home. Liv, Fletcher, Della and I were the last ones around the fire when Liv glanced through the glass back door to the house and let out a sigh. “Looks like the movie’s over. Better tell Maya to get some sleep.”

Della stood up and gave Liv a hug. “I’m going to head home. It was great seeing you.”

That was my cue to leave, too.

While Liv and Fletcher went inside, Della and I walked around the side of the house to the driveway where our vehicles were waiting for us.

We were almost to our cars when she said, “Hayes?”

It was a tentative question, the way she said my name. Color me intrigued, because I leaned up against my truck. “What’s up?”

Her eyes darted in every direction but never landed on mine. “Never mind... It’s embarrassing.”

“More embarrassing than the Boot Scootin’ Boogie?” I cracked a wry smile.

She chuckled. “No, nothing’s more embarrassing than that.”

My hand went to my chest, wounded.

“Kidding,” she replied. But something was off about her tone. It was falsely light. Something was going on. And I might be a grump, but I’m not a dick. “What is it?” I pressed.

She bit her bottom lip, and my gaze lingered there a moment longer than it should have. “I just wanted to know... How do you do it?” she asked, her words halting and shy. So unlike her.

“Do what?” I asked.

“How do you stay single? How do you... enjoy it?”

I tilted my head, examining her. What a strange question, considering our interactions had never gone very deep, even in years of knowing each other. “What makes you ask?”

She glanced down quickly. “Reasons.”

I raised my eyebrows, waiting for more.

Extra color started at her neck and wound its way up her cheeks. “Forget I said anything.” She turned back toward her car.

But the thought of her driving away from me when I didn’t know what was behind her question had me saying, “Follow me.”

Now it was her turn to be surprised. She spun back toward me. “What?”

“Get in your car and follow me. It’s easier if I show you.”

I got in my truck, half expecting to see her headlights go another direction, but when I made the turn, she was right there with me.