Page 12 of One Night Rebellion (Bellehaven Hotties #10)

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"What are you doing sitting over here, sipping on your beer?" Malcolm asks as we sit in a booth, watching Addie tend bar. "You two aren't hiding anymore, remember?"

I finish off the bottle and set it on the table. "No, we aren't, but she's still working at this shithole for a few more months. So I sit over here and watch her be sassy to the regulars. Until I have enough."

"Then what do you do?" Rachel questions, sipping on her bourbon.

I run a hand through my hair before flashing a smile at her. "I get up off my ass, saunter across the floor, and get her to dance with me, while everyone in the place watches."

Addie grins as she watches me, her eyes taking in everyone and everything around us. When I get to the bar top, I reach out a hand to her. "What do you want, JT?"

"You, always you," I smile, bringing the back of her hand to my lips. "But first, I want you to shake your ass around this bar. Wanna do that with me?"

Her smile turns into a laugh. "You know I love dancing with you."

She takes my hand without hesitation, her fingers intertwining with mine like they were made to fit together.

"Let me grab a few quarters," she says, already reaching for it behind the bar. "Can't dance without music."

Within seconds, the speakers crackle to life with some old country song that gets everyone's attention. The regulars push back their chairs, giving us room, and I can already hear the murmurs and whistles starting.

"About damn time!" Cam yells, whistling. "Keeping that secret was rough."

Addie laughs, her cheeks flushing pink as I spin her once before pulling her back against my chest. "Ignore him," I murmur against her ear, but she's already grinning at the crowd.

"Why would I ignore him? They're all right," she says, her voice carrying just enough for the nearby tables to hear. "Took us long enough, didn't it?"

A cheer goes up from the regulars, and I can't help but grin as I lead her into an easy two-step. This woman. She's going to be the death of me. The way she moves, the way she fits against me, the way she's not afraid to let everyone see exactly how she feels about me.

Other voices can be heard around us.

"Never thought we'd see the day she'd find herself a good man after all the hell her father put her through!"

"JT, you better treat her right, boy!"

I spin her again, slower this time, letting her dress flare out as she laughs. When I pull her back, her eyes are bright and happy—happier than I've seen them in years. "You hear that?" I ask, my voice low. "They're proud of you."

"They're proud of us," she corrects, her hand tightening on my shoulder. "For finally getting our heads out of our asses."

The song shifts to something a little faster, and I adjust our steps accordingly.

Addie follows my lead perfectly, like we've been dancing together our whole lives.

I pull her closer, close enough that I can feel the rapid beat of her heart against my chest. "They're right, you know," I say quietly, just for her.

"I have been crazy about you from the start. "

"Good thing," she whispers back, "because I've been crazy about you just as long. Thought I was gonna have to take charge."

The thought of Addie taking control like she does behind the bar sends heat shooting through me. I have to clear my throat and focus on the steps of the dance before I do something that'll really give the regulars something to talk about.

"Easy there, cowboy," she murmurs, noticing the shift in my expression. "We're in public."

"Don't remind me," I groan, but I keep us moving, keep us dancing while everyone watches and cheers and makes comments about how long it took us to get here.

"Look at them," I hear someone say. "Look how happy she is. When's the last time any of us saw Addie smile like that?"

I feel Addie tense slightly, and I adjust our dance, pulling her into a slower, closer hold. "Hey," I murmur. "You okay?"

She nods, but I can see the shadow that crosses her face. "Just thinking about how different things are now. How different I am."

"You're exactly who you've always been," I tell her firmly. "You just don't have anyone trying to dim your light anymore."

The song changes again, something slower and sweeter, and I adjust our steps to match. Around us, the conversations have shifted back to normal bar chatter, but I can still feel eyes on us, people happy to see their bartender—their friend—finally getting the happiness she deserves.

"Thank you," Addie says suddenly.

"For what?"

"For waiting. For being patient with me while I grew up."

I stop dancing, right there in the middle of a bar, and cup her face in my hands. "Addie, I would have waited forever for you. You know that, right?"

Her eyes fill with tears, but she's smiling. "I do now."

"Good." I press a soft kiss to her forehead, then pull her back into the dance. "Because I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

We dance through two more songs, laughing and talking and soaking up all the love and support from the people who've watched us grow up in this little town.

When the music finally slows to something soft and romantic, I pull her close, one hand on the small of her back, the other holding hers against my chest.

"This is nice," she sighs, resting her head on my shoulder.

"It is," I agree, breathing in the scent of her shampoo mixed with the faint smell of beer and old wood that always clings to this place. "I could do this all night."

"Me too, but I should probably get back to work soon. Betty's been eyeing the bar, and I think she's about ready to start mixing her own drinks."

I laugh, glancing over to see Betty indeed standing near the bar with an empty glass in her hand. "Five more minutes," I bargain. "Then I'll let you go back to work."

"Five more minutes," she agrees.

I spin her once more, slow and easy, then pull her back into a dip so deep her hair nearly touches the floor. The whole bar erupts in cheers and whistles, but all I can focus on is the woman in my arms, looking up at me with trust and love and a future full of possibilities.

Leaning down until my lips are right next to her ear, I whisper the words that have been building in my chest all evening: "If we aren't careful, Malcolm and Rachel won't be the only two getting married in the next year."

When I pull her back up, her eyes are wide and her cheeks are flushed, and she's looking at me like I just promised her the world.

Maybe I did.