Crushing on Love (The Bradens of Peaceful Harbor, Book Four) (19 page)

She shrieked with delight, and he laughed. She knew she talked more than he was used to and reacted to things like an uncorked bottle of champagne, while he was more like brooding wine. She worried she overwhelmed him at times, but if she did, he never let on, and he clearly listened to every word she said, making her feel special and important.

“It’s Happy Pack time, Butterfly.”

Fifteen minutes later they were sitting among throngs of other couples and families in the park, with two Happy Packs—one for a girl, one for a boy, spread out beside them. A band was playing country music on a bandstand that was decorated with colorful hanging lanterns, giving the event an even more festive feel. Beneath the twinkling stars, couples danced and held hands.

Shannon took it all in, swaying to the beat on the grass beside Steve. This was so different from Peaceful Harbor, with the backdrop of the mountains and the chilly night air. Sure, they had beach bonfires back home, but there was something about gathering in the center of town that made the evening feel
bigger
.

She sensed Steve watching her. He was always watching her, and she enjoyed feeling the heat of his gaze. Sometimes she caught him with a dreamy look in his eyes, but she wouldn’t dare reveal that. Dreamy wasn’t an adjective she thought he’d appreciate.

“Why are you always looking at me?” she asked, snuggling against him.

“Fair’s fair.”

She hadn’t counted on him knowing she was always stealing glances at him, too.

“You’re radiant, Shan. So full of positive energy and so sexy, you make me crazy.” He pressed his cheek to hers and said, “Waking up with you in my arms, seeing you dance around in the mornings with a Pop-Tart in one hand and a sugar-loaded coffee in the other, your naked butt wiggling beneath one of my shirts? It’s a miracle we ever get out of the cabin. I’m so into you, there’s nothing I’d rather look at.”

She felt a blush spread over her skin as she soaked in what he’d said. It was hard to believe he was the same guy who’d turned away from her the first night she’d tried to kiss him. He’d opened up so much to her since then, sometimes it still took her by surprise.

The band began playing another, faster song. “Dance with me later?”

“Sorry, Butterfly. I’ve got two left feet, and both have been banned from dancing all across the state.”

Maybe she could convince him to let her teach him to dance one day.

He nodded toward the food. “Ready for your Happy Pack?”

She reached for the burger and he touched her hand, stopping her from picking it up.

“There’s only one way to enjoy a Happy Pack.” He picked up the toy, which was wrapped in clear plastic. “Toys must come first.”

“You’ll make a little boy or girl very happy one day.” She snagged the plastic and tore it open, wondering if he wanted children. His words came back to her, answering that question for her and bringing an unexpected wave of disappointment.
No dreams of a house in suburbia with a white picket fence and two point five children.

To distract herself from the thought, she focused on the tiny Barbie doll toy. “Why do they think all girls want a doll? I like the pink streak in her hair, and her purple pants are pretty awesome, but what do you do with dolls? I never really understood them. Why would anyone want plastic friends instead of real ones?”

“I thought all little girls liked dolls.”

“Not me.” She set the doll down and picked up the toy from the other Happy Meal, tearing it open as she spoke. “I was into forts and swimming, riding my bike, and
anything
my brothers were doing. But Tempest loved playing with dolls.” She held up the toy car she’d just opened. “At least with this you can push it around, drive it over ramps and have races.”

“I assumed with your pink laces…I never figured you for a tomboy,” he said with a curious look in his eyes. “But now that you say it, I can see you chasing your older brothers around, trying to keep up.”

“Trying?” She waved a dismissive hand. “
Please
. I kicked ass in everything. Sammy taught me how to paddle canoes and do flips off of inner tubes. Cole and Nate taught me to throw a killer baseball and even spin a football. And Ty? When we were little he was into superheroes. He’s only a year older than me, so we played together a lot. He was Wolverine, and I was Shanna. Do you know who Shanna is?”

He arched a brow. “No, and I can’t wait to hear, but you should eat while you tell me, because cold McDonald’s leaves a lot to be desired.”

They ate as she explained. “Shanna was the only daughter of a wealthy diamond miner and grew up in the Zaire jungle. Naturally, Ty and I played this out in the woods near our house. He was the protector, and I was out to prove I didn’t need protecting.” She held up the burger. “This is good, but nowhere near as good as yours.”

He laughed.

“Anyway, Shanna was six years old when she witnessed her father’s accidental shooting of her mother, so she hated firearms, and eventually became a veterinarian. She worked at a zoo, and when her beloved leopard died, she took the cubs and raised them in an African reserve.”

“Just like that?” He finished his burger.

“Superheroes can do stuff like that.” She shoved a French fry in his mouth and he kissed her fingers. “Just go with it. I promise you’ll love where this is headed. Her father was kidnapped and eventually killed, but while she was searching for him, she was aided by Ka-Zar. I read up on them when I got older and learned what I hadn’t known as a little girl. Shanna eventually became Ka-Zar’s lover, and together they fought to preserve the Savage Land from outside threats
and
pollution from technology. Can you believe it? A superhero fighting pollution and technology? I told you you’d love it!”

“I might have to start calling you Shanna.” He slipped a fry into her mouth, then kissed her.

“She wore a string bikini, probably made out of animal hide.”

“I think we’ll skip the bikini.”

As they came together in another delicious kiss, the crowd applauded and the band began playing another song.

“Well, well. Who do we have here?”

They both looked up midkiss at the sound of Rex’s deep voice, and found Rex, Jade, Cal, Treat, Max, Savannah, and Jack smiling down at them with amused looks in their eyes.

Rex tilted his Stetson. “Howdy, lovebirds.”

Shannon and the girls squealed as she jumped to her feet.

Steve rose and extended a hand to Rex, then Treat. “How’s it going?” He shook Cal’s hand. “Nice to see you, Cal.”

Cal tipped his hat in the customary Weston greeting. “Steve.”

“Hal’s watching the kids,” Treat explained. “So we came to hang out. Cal’s friend’s in the band.”

Max’s eyes darted between Cal and Steve. She pulled Treat toward the grassy lawn where couples were dancing. “Dance with me.”

“Come on, angel,” Jack said to Savannah. “Let’s give those gorgeous legs of yours a workout.”

Savannah tugged on Shannon’s sleeve. “Come on! We can catch up while we dance.”

“Okay!” Shannon stepped closer to Steve. “Dance with me?”

Steve’s jaw clenched. “I don’t dance, sweet girl.”

“I do, darlin’.” Cal offered an arm to Shannon. “That is, if you don’t mind,” he said to Steve.

Shannon looked at Steve, who shrugged and nodded. As Cal guided her into the crowd, she glanced over her shoulder, hoping to catch Steve’s eye, but Cal spun her into his arms before she had a chance.

“DUDE. WHAT THE hell are you doing?” Rex asked Steve. “You just sent your woman out to dance with another man.”

“Are you going to ask me how many goats she’s worth, too? Shannon can dance with whoever she wants. I trust her, and I’m not going to stress over a dance when she’s coming home with me.” Watching Shannon dance was a whole-body experience. As she swung her hips and moved to the beat, Steve’s body awakened in all the right places. He knew Cal’s would be awakened, too. Steve gritted his teeth, feeling like a fast-burning wick of dynamite despite the fact that it was his own fault he’d never learned to dance. He couldn’t blame Cal. Hell, a man would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb not to want Shannon, and even then he wasn’t so sure they wouldn’t fall for her based on her scent and electric aura alone.

Shannon moved like she was born to dance. She tossed her head back, laughing with Savannah and Max, underscoring her vivacious personality and her love of all things social. She was sexy and seductive, and he was jealous as hell that he wasn’t the guy on that dance floor.

“Shouldn’t you be out there dancing?” Steve asked Rex. “You two have been known to cut a rug something fierce.”

“I need a few minutes for my gut to settle down. Had a big ol’ steak for dinner. And you know there’s no way I’d let any other man lay a hand on my wife.” Rex pulled Jade into his arms.

Jade rolled her eyes. “Not all men are as possessive as you, cowboy.” She turned to Steve. “Don’t you wish you’d taken those dance lessons Mom tried to get you to sign up for in middle school?”

“Christ,” he grumbled, watching every move Cal made.

“Treat said you asked him to go in on the Cumberland land with you,” Rex said.

“Yeah. It was the right thing to do. He’s a smart businessman, and I’m lucky he wanted in on the deal. I think we’ll make a good team.”

Steve explained how Shannon had come up with the Adopt an Acre campaign, and how she’d outlined the program to incorporate different levels of donations.

“Donations can be given to adopt anywhere from one to fifty acres, and each donator will receive a certificate of adoption. You should see the work she and Max have done on the website and the marketing plan they’re working on. Shannon’s as invested in this as I am. Maybe more so. I’m lucky she and Treat are involved. I don’t have the money, or the expertise, to do it right,” Steve admitted. “Passion only goes so far.”

“Passion is the only thing that matters,” Jade said.

“There was a time when I believed that.” He glanced at Shannon, and he knew all the passion in the world wasn’t enough to keep an effervescent woman like her on the mountain with a guy like him.

When the song ended, Shannon said something to Cal; then she hugged him, and Steve’s gut churned. This was the painful price of opening himself up to such an outgoing woman. He watched them walking over. Shannon’s eyes were locked on Steve’s, with that coy smile he had etched in his mind. His insides heated and turned to mush, while the rest of him got hard, and he knew with complete certainty, that given the chance, he’d open up to her all over again. He could have gone his whole life and never experienced this incredible, all-consuming love, and he would have missed out on something more magnificent than all the mountain ranges in the world.

Steve reached a hand out to her. “Hey, baby.” He leaned in for a kiss, settling all those jealous critters inside him.

Cal came to his side. “Thanks for not taking me down for dancing with Shannon.”

“Shannon, dance with us!” Savannah said. She, Max, and Jade tugged Shannon toward the dancing crowd.

“Sorry!” Shannon yelled to Steve, but she needn’t have. Seeing her joyful smile was everything to him.

“No problem,” he finally said to Cal. “She loves to dance.”

“The other night, when I saw her at Buckley’s, she told me she was into you. I wasn’t trying to move in on your girl. But she’s a hell of a dancer, and what can I say? I love to dance, too.”

She told you? Before we were together?
He shifted his eyes to Shannon, who spun on her heels, their eyes connecting for a split second. Enough time for his heart to take notice again.

“No worries, Cal. I know you’re a good man.”

Cal offered a hand, and when Steve shook it, Cal pulled him into an embrace and slapped him on the back. “You’re one hell of a lucky guy, and she’s a lucky woman, despite the fact that you look like Grizzly Adams.”

They both laughed.

Steve spotted Rachel heading their way. The sight of her reminded him about getting his hair cut for the video. He ran his hand through his hair, thinking of Shannon’s hands running through it later that night. Just like that, he went half hard. Christ, he needed to get ahold of himself.

Drawing on the techniques he’d learned in his younger years, he looked away from Shannon and thought of big hairy men.
Does the trick every time
.

“Hey, you guys,” Rachel said.

“Hi, Rach. I hate to bug you with work, but is there any chance you can fit me in for a cut tomorrow morning?” he asked.

She tucked her blond hair behind her ear. “I’m booked all week, but if you can come over before the shop opens, I’ll fit you in. Say, seven thirty?”

“Perfect. Thanks.”

“Max asked me to meet everyone here,” she said, shifting her eyes nervously away from Cal, who was looking her over appreciatively. “Where are the girls?”

“Shaking their booties.” Steve pointed to the girls, who were dancing in a circle, wiggling their butts and shaking their heads like they were dancing to a rock-and-roll song instead of country.

“See ya!” Rachel jogged over to join them.

“Damn, she’s fine,” Cal said under his breath.

Steve’s eyes were trained on Shannon.
Yes, she is, and she’s all mine.