A Moment To Dance (12 page)

Ella glanced doubtfully at Cord. “Are you sure you won’t mind me stepping on your toes?”

“It’ll serve him right,” Alexis said, “as he seems to think moving his feet is easier if he’s standing on mine.”

Both women broke out in laughter.

Cord frowned at Alexis. “We should head inside and get this over with. Unless you two want to continue laughing at my expense.”

“Seems my better half is anxious to get in as much practice as possible.”

Cord groaned as Alexis led him by the hand across the street and into the studio.

Once Ella started to dance with Cord, it took them quite a while to learn each other’s rhythm. Halfway through the lesson, they’d started moving well together, but the shrill whine of the fire whistle brought their dance to a halt. Cord rushed over to where Alexis was sitting.

She held out a buzzing cell phone. “Duty calls.”

Cord checked the text message and turned to them. “Gotta go. We’ve got a brush fire out on Fork Road.”

Alexis gave him a brief kiss before tossing him the keys. “Don’t worry. I’ll just walk over to my father’s place. I told him that we’d stop by after practice.”

Ella watched the easy interaction between the two. She noticed that Alexis didn’t show any signs of concern when she told Cord good-bye. Ella’s stomach was twisted in a big knot after hearing the whistle repeat its warning.

“What will they do without Tony?” Ella asked before realizing how Alexis might interpret her interest.

Alexis’s eyes lit up. “They’ll be fine. Tony has them run drills all of the time. Cord is newer to the crew, but he knows what he’s doing.”

“That’s good.” At least for this one fire call, Tony was safe at his refresher course. She wouldn’t have to go home worrying about his safety.

Alexis gathered her belongings. “Well, Josie, guess we’ll get out of your way since Mr. Twinkle Toes bailed on us.”

The petite brunette said, “I’m sorry you didn’t get your lesson. Would you be interested in reviewing your techniques?”

The women looked at each other and shook their heads as they smiled.

“Josie, you deserve the rest of the night off,” Ella suggested.

“Besides, it’s the men who need the practice, not us,” Alexis teased and started everyone laughing.

Josie turned off the music. “You can hang out here if you want to talk. Just turn off the lights and lock up on your way out.”

“No problem, Josie,” Alexis said, not moving from her folding chair. “Good night.”

Josie walked toward the office while Ella took a seat next to Alexis. “Does this happen often?”

“What? Oh, you mean Cord getting called away in the middle of things?”

“I bet you get tired of him running out with only a moment’s notice.” Ella regretted vocalizing her blunt observation with someone she barely knew. “Sorry, that sounded rude, and I didn’t mean it to be.”

“No offense taken.” Alexis shot her a reassuring smile. “He’s been a firefighter for most of our relationship. I’ve gotten used to him being pulled away to do his duty. Oh sure, sometimes I’d prefer if he wasn’t always on call, but I know he’s out there helping one of our neighbors. So how could I be upset?”

With her curiosity piqued, Ella settled back, eager to get another woman’s perspective on being involved with a firefighter—not that she was involved with Tony. She was just curious. “But surely you must be scared to death every time he goes out on a call.”

Alexis shook her head. “No.”

“Really?” She couldn’t fathom Alexis’s laidback attitude.

“Cord takes his safety seriously, as do all of the men who have his back. He doesn’t take unnecessary risks.”

“I don’t know. I’d still be scared every time he went out on a call.”

Alexis patted her hand. “It all depends on what you consider a risk. A pilot takes his life in his hands each time his plane leaves the tarmac. A bank teller could be held up at gunpoint. And a businessman could get into a car accident on his commute to the office. Life’s a risk.”

Ella admitted that her new friend had a reasonable argument, but still the thought of loving a man who put his life on the line every day for his job would drive her crazy with worry. “I could never marry a firefighter.”

Once the innocent words were vocalized, she saw the curious look Alexis shot her. Ella’s cheeks burned. She wanted to deny any ideas about getting married, but she knew there was no way of backing out of this without making it worse.

“You’d be surprised what you can do for love.” Alexis picked up her brown leather purse and rose from her chair. “I guess we should get out of here.”

After making sure the building was secure, Ella stood next to her car. “It was good talking to you. Would you like to grab some food or coffee? And then I can give you a ride to your father’s.”

“I don’t want to put you out of your way. It isn’t far—”

“You won’t be. I’d really like the company.” She really liked Alexis, and she hoped they’d be good friends. One could never have enough of those.

“Sure. Sounds good.”

As Ella drove them the short distance to the Green Chile Cantina, she considered Alexis’s observations about being involved with a firefighter. In time, would her heart cease to race when the fire whistles sounded? Could she learn to go about her normal routine while Tony was off facing a life-threatening blaze?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

T
he Green Chile Cantina appeared to be the hub of activity in Whistle Stop.

Ella gazed around the colorful restaurant. She loved the color scheme, from the red-and-white floor tiles to the cherry red, ladder-back chairs to the white tabletops. It was bright and cheery. The walls were a soft white stucco with red chile ristras interspersed amid colorful Southwestern folk art.

A young waitress in a white T-shirt with the restaurant’s logo on it and black jeans hustled through the dining room with a loaded tray of food balanced on her shoulder. Customers laughed, smiled, and sent greetings to each other. The whole place was welcoming. And busy—as in, every table was occupied.

Ella inhaled deeply. Mm…no wonder this place was hopping. Her stomach rumbled its agreement. If the food tasted anywhere near as good as it smelled, she’d be breaking the piggy bank to come back here soon—real soon.

“I don’t see any available tables.” Ella couldn’t help but think it was for the best, considering every penny she had was needed to repair the cabin. Still, the delicious aromas were tempting—very, very tempting.

Ella went to turn toward the door when Alexis called out, “Wait, I see a couple of seats.”

“You do?” How had she missed them?

She followed Alexis through the congested room. They stopped next to a table with two young women about their age. They both looked up and smiled.

“Hey, Alexis. Does Cord know you’re here?” The one with a long, dark braid grinned, letting them know that she was joking.

“Actually, he doesn’t. But he’d probably be happy because then he’d be assured of a good meal instead of one that’s a bit on the charcoaled side.”

“It’s okay.” The other woman with short dark hair spoke up. “I count on people like you for job security.”

Alexis smiled and shook her head as she took a seat. “Thanks, guys. You sure know how to make me feel better about being a lousy cook.”

Everyone started laughing. Ella sat down and smiled, although she didn’t have a clue who the other women were, but they sure seemed nice enough.

Then, as though Alexis remembered her, she turned her way. “Oops. Sorry. I meant to introduce you to these two but, well, you saw what happened. They like to pick on me because they’re both so talented in the kitchen and I’m lucky if I can cook a frozen dinner.”

“I told you we’ll give you free lessons on how to use the timer.” The young woman with the long braid grinned.

Alexis stuck her tongue out. “But what you’re forgetting is that I have a man who’s really good in the kitchen. And it doesn’t get much sexier than watching him work a spatula.”

Everyone at the table nodded in agreement.

“Now if you’ll hold the jokes for a moment, I’ll introduce the newest member of our group.” Alexis turned to Ella. “I guess you could call us the bachelorettes of Whistle Stop.”

“Then I guess I’ll fit right in.” Ella relaxed back in her chair.

Everyone in the small group was quite pretty in their own individual ways. It was so hard to believe they were all single like her. It had started to feel like she was the only one her age not embarking on her very own happily-ever-after.

“Everyone, this is Ella Morgan. She’s a schoolteacher, and…she’s Tony Granger’s dance partner.”

The smiles faded from the women’s faces as their brows rose in surprise. All three sets of eyes turned her way. Ella forced a smile to her lips as her stomach quivered with nerves. She couldn’t tell what they were thinking. Not quite sure what to say, she sat quietly and waited for them to speak.

“Hi, I’m Ana. I own this place.” The woman with short dark hair waved her hand around at the establishment. “Any time you don’t feel like cooking, I’m here.”

“Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be working?” Alexis glanced around the bustling room.

Ana smiled broadly. “It’s my night off. I just stopped by to drop something off, and I ran into Piper.”

“By the way, I’m Piper.” The young woman with the long braid leaned forward and smiled. “I own the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery in the town square. You definitely need to stop by one of these mornings. If I can’t tempt you with a bagel or a muffin, I brew a mean cup of coffee.”

“She does have the best coffee.” Alexis propped her elbows on the tabletop. “And I’m totally addicted to it.”

“I’ll make sure to stop by for some coffee on my way to work.” Surely she could spare enough in her tight budget for some coffee, especially if it was as good as Alexis claimed.

“And try a muffin. Piper makes the best baked goods in the state.” Alexis licked her lips. “By the way, Piper failed to mention that she won’t be part of our bachelorette group much longer. She’s getting married in the fall. But we decided that she could still be an honorary member.” Alexis smiled, but just as quickly the smile faded. “Hey, where’s the bling?”

Piper glanced down at her naked ring finger. “I…I gave it back.”

“What?” the other two bachelorettes chorused.

The color faded from Piper’s face. She shrugged, slouched in her seat, and kept her gaze downcast. “It’s over.”

The admission was so soft that it almost got lost in the din of conversation buzzing through the crowded dining room. Alexis and Ana sent each other puzzled looks. It seemed that no one knew what happened to the engagement. And Piper obviously wasn’t up for talking about it.

Ella’s heart went out to Piper. Her one relationship hadn’t gotten that serious, so she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to find someone you thought you could spend the rest of your life with and then have that dream crumble. No matter what the reason, it had to be difficult. And that’s why Ella intended to keep her heart guarded and safe.

The longer the bachelorettes remained silent, the more miserable Piper looked. And it appeared that Alexis and Ana were so stunned that they didn’t know how to react or what to say.

Ella leaned forward and uttered the first thing that came to mind. “So I hear that Tony has some sort of reputation around town.” All three women looked at her. Their gazes filled with confusion. Ella swallowed hard. “I…I was just wondering, since we’re dance partners, if there was anything I should know.”

Alexis was the first to regain her voice. “He’s one of Whistle Stop’s most eligible bachelors. If I hadn’t met Cord first, you might be looking for another dance partner.”

“Yeah, right,” Ana chimed in. “You and Cord might not be married yet, but everyone in Whistle Stop knows you were made for each other.”

Alexis got a dreamy look on her face, and no one had to ask. They just knew she was thinking of her man. “You’re right, but that doesn’t mean that Ella dancing with Tony won’t cause quite a stir around town.”

Ana nodded. “You’ll be the envy of many women.”

“With him as a partner, you’ll gain the female judges’ votes.” Piper spoke softly. Then her gaze shot to Alexis. “Sorry. I know you and Cord will do great in the contest. It’s just that, you know, everyone knows that Cord is off the market.”

Alexis smiled. “Relax. I know what you mean. And we’re really sorry about your engagement.”

“Yeah. We’re sorry it shocked us.” Ana squeezed Piper’s arm. “But we’re here if you ever want to talk.”

“Thanks.” Piper sent them a watery smile. “You guys are the best. But I’d rather hear more about the contest.”

With the tension broken and the subject of Piper’s engagement neatly swept aside for the moment, everyone relaxed. The chatter flowed about the dance contest. Who was entered, who was partnered with whom, who might win. There were shocked gasps, knowing nods, and peals of laughter.

Ella smiled. She really liked the bachelorettes. They were fun, caring, and they made her feel like she was one of them. Whistle Stop was definitely becoming her home.

♥♥♥

Who had danced with Ella?

The taunting question wouldn’t leave Tony’s mind while he was off at his firefighting refresher. And even now that he was back in Whistle Stop, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, wondering if she’d found someone more experienced to be her partner.

Whistle Stop had its fair share of young guys who’d jump at the chance to dance with the attractive schoolteacher. The thought sent a strange sensation coursing through him. Could it be—no, he wasn’t jealous.
Impossible
. He just had to find out what had happened in his absence—he had to talk to Ella.

“Come on, Johnny. Time to leave,” he said, dumping the remainder of the boy’s toast and scrambled eggs into the garbage.

“Where are we going?”

Tony wanted it to be a surprise. “You’ll find out soon.”

“Can’t we stay home? I’m tired.”

Tony’s initial reaction was to give in to his nephew. Then he recalled Johnny stowing away in the bed of Mike’s truck to go see Patch and what could have happened. He’d given in to the boy’s whining one too many times in the past. “I need your help.”

“But it’s Sunday, and you said we could do something together.”

Tony stopped cleaning the kitchen and shot the boy a serious stare. “We will be together.”

“What about my pirate ship? You promised you’d help build it.”

He had promised, but he hadn’t specified a particular day. Tony exhaled a frustrated sigh. Johnny’s newfound independence and outspokenness made Tony uncomfortable. Not so long ago, life had been much easier. Now he understood what people meant when they said that kids grow up fast.

The truth of the matter was, Tony had been putting the boy off about the model kit for one legitimate reason after another, but this wasn’t the time to cave in to the boy’s wants. He’d witnessed the toll the manual labor had taken on Ella when she’d winced repeatedly during their last few dance lessons. And her hands had been a mess of scrapes and blisters.

Most of all, he wanted to help her restore the yard, to make her home as safe as possible. He hoped to give her a sense of security, a place to set down roots. Then she’d never want to leave, and after the adoption, maybe they could explore this thing between them. The idea filled him with anticipation. Nothing could stop him from going to her.

“We’ll work on the pirate ship this evening. Right now, Miss Morgan needs our help.”

“Really?” Johnny’s face lit up. “You mean we’re going to see Patch.”

“Not exactly. We’re going to help clean up her yard.”

“You mean I gotta work?” When Tony nodded, the smile faded from his nephew’s face. “You only wanna go ’cause you like her.”

Tony finished wiping off the counter and tossed the cloth in the sink. Was it that clear, even to a nine-year-old? Tony inwardly groaned. He didn’t want people thinking he had a thing for Ella, especially not his matchmaking mother.

His gut reaction was to order the boy to put on his shoes and hightail it to the truck, but he hesitated. He stared at his nephew, really studying him. Johnny’s face had thinned in the past year, losing his baby fat. He was just starting to sprout upward. The boy was no longer a little kid. In a couple of years, he’d be a preteen. Maybe they both had some adjusting to do.

“But that doesn’t mean you can’t play with the puppy when we take a break.”

Johnny sent him a skeptical look. “Can I play with Patch while you work?”

“I didn’t say that, but I promise you’ll get to spend time with him.”

Johnny jumped to his feet. “As long as you promise I can play with Patch, I’ll go.”

The boy acted like he had a choice in the matter. Tony wasn’t in the mood to point this out and start an argument. Besides, it’d just delay them even more. And he had some questions for Ella that he couldn’t wait to have answered.

“You can play, but not the whole time. Now let’s roll.” Tony grabbed his keys from the counter.

“Can’t. I lost my hat.” Johnny ran out of the room.

The boy was forever losing his baseball cap. He’d wear the hat for a little bit, but then he’d get hot and take it off.

“Did you leave it in the barn?” Tony called out.

Johnny raced into the kitchen. “I’ll check.”

“Hurry.”

“I will.” The boy ran outside, letting the screen door bang shut.

Tony shook his head and took the free time to read over the headlines in the local newspaper, a luxury he rarely had time for anymore. He’d just flipped to the sports page when the doorbell rang. He certainly wasn’t expecting anyone.

Tony opened the front door and found a familiar brunette standing there—Ms. Sorkin, aka the court snoop. Tony held in an exasperated sigh. These surprise visits were taking their toll on him.

“Hello, Ms. Sorkin,” he said, mustering every bit of congeniality he could. “We weren’t expecting you on a Sunday. Johnny just ran out to the barn. He’ll be right back.”

“That’s the point of these random visits—to observe you in your natural setting without any pretenses.”

She peered around him, and he realized he had no choice but to invite her inside. Getting those answers from Ella would have to wait. Uneasiness churned in his gut as he forced his lips into a smile.

He stepped back. “Please come in. Can I get you something to eat or drink?”