Her Gentle Giant, Part 2: Remember to Dance (2 page)

* * * *

Mike whistled admiringly when Rachel showed him the ring, and tears prickled in her eyes when he hugged her and told her he was proud and happy for her. The Dancing Pony was packed almost to capacity by the time their group arrived.

“Quick announcement, ladies and gentlemen,” Ethan said through a microphone in the DJ booth. “For all of you who know Rachel Lopez, you are aware she was involved in a serious car accident last month, and we want to welcome her back tonight.”

Cheers came from around the room because she
did
know almost everyone there.

“And many of you know our most recent addition at The Dancing Pony, Eli Wolf.” There were many more whistles, shouts, and even a few shrill wolf whistles. “Eli proposed to Rachel tonight, and she said yes. Sorry to all you single ladies. He’s officially off the market. A round of applause for Rachel and Eli!”

Eli put his arms around her gently, encircling her in his protective embrace, and he kissed her tenderly during the din and roar of applause and cheers.

Rogelio hugged her and congratulated Eli. She held on tight to Eli’s hand, not wanting to be passed around the room away from him, but well-wishers crowded in on them. Nodding at his dad and sister, he carefully led her forward to the dance floor.

In the DJ booth, Ethan requested a special song for them. Eli took her in his arms as “I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes” by Dierks Bentley began to play. She happily wrapped her arms around him, careful of the cast on her left arm, and rested her head against his chest. As they danced around the big dance floor, other dancers patted him on the back or congratulated her as they passed.

“How are you feeling, angel?” Eli asked, his hands sliding down her back to the swell of her hips.

“I feel terrific, Eli. So happy.” She slid her be-ringed right hand over his hard biceps. Eli pointed to his dad and Adam, both taller than almost everyone else there, as their group of friends claimed a recently vacated table.

After the song ended, he led her from the dance floor and helped her into the tall cushioned chair, saying, “Rest for one song, angel. Then we’ll dance again. I want you to pace yourself.” There was concern for her in his eyes. She’d already had a lot of excitement, and this was her first night out since before the accident.

She knew he was right and nodded in understanding. The men closed in behind her so that she was not completely surrounded by well-wishers, of which there were many. A thick knot of friends and acquaintances soon formed around their table.

Eli stood behind her chair, his gentle hand on her arm or shoulder stroking her. Luckily, the table and chairs they sat at were tall. Otherwise, Rachel would have felt a little claustrophobic with the press of bodies. Everybody was shaking their hands and wishing them well when it occurred to her why they were flanking her so protectively. Rachel felt a lot stronger, but she didn’t think she could take too many slaps on the back or hard hugs before she’d be hurting. She glanced up at Eli and reached for him. He leaned down to her.

“Thank you.”

“For what, angel?” he asked, smiling at her.

“For protecting me. I know they mean well. Thank you, Eli,” she said, watching the crowd.

“Sorry Rachel,” Ethan murmured from the other side. “Maybe I shouldn’t have made the announcement.”

She shook her head. “I don’t mind at all, Ethan. It’s good to see them again after so long.”

Adam said, “We’ll stay here right beside you until the crowd thins out, sweetheart. By then you’ll probably be ready for another dance.” There was laughter in his voice. He knew her well.

She did get her next dance a few minutes later and a few more after that. At one point, a friend cut in, asking to dance with Rachel, and Eli reluctantly allowed it. He stayed near the dance floor as others cut in also to watch her for signs of fatigue or a signal that she was ready for him to cut back in. She did eventually look over at him and nodded slightly for him to come to her rescue. As her current partner released her, she came into Eli’s arms and hugged him close. He steered them across the dance floor to the table.

“How are you doing, angel?” he asked.

“A little tired, but mostly just thirsty. I need water or a Coke.” Eli looked up for the waitress, but Ethan patted his back.

“I’ll be right back with it, Eli. Sit tight, Rachel.”

Looking concerned, Grace patted Rachel’s hand. “Rachel, you feeling okay?”

“I feel fine, but my stamina isn’t back at full strength yet. I’ll probably sit the next few out. Where is Kelly?”

“She’s dancing with her dad. She looks like she’s having a good time. Oh, Lord. Look who just cut in on them,” Grace added. Rachel looked and, to her surprise, saw Kelly dancing and chatting with Brice Huvell. Brice was looking sharp, dressed in new Wranglers and a freshly pressed white dress shirt and sporting a new black Stetson. He’d even polished his cowboy boots.

Ethan walked up behind them and placed Rachel’s Coke on a napkin in front of her and said quietly, “I told him he should.”

Grace turned to look her handsome husband in the eye. “You did?”

He grinned down at her and said softly, “Brice and I have been talking lately. I’ve been helping him understand how women like to be talked to. He asks lots of questions, receives what I’ve been trying to pass on to him, and uses it. Things have changed a lot for him socially since that bar fight. I didn’t want him to miss out on Miss Right because he gets nervous with small talk or overlooked basic hygiene. I told him Kelly was here with us, taking a little break from the baby grind, and that her husband is serving over in Afghanistan right now. You should have seen his little chest puff up.”

Rachel grinned up at Eli, who was smiling also, watching Kelly as she chatted with Brice on the dance floor. He was every bit the gentleman and danced two dances with her before he returned her to their table. He’d also obtained permission to dance with her again later on.

“Having fun, sis?”

“I sure am! I’m so glad you talked me into coming out for the evening. Brice was so nice and polite, and he’s a pretty good dancer, too. He said he’s a friend of yours, Ethan.”

“That he is, Kelly. That he is,” Ethan replied.

Rachel recalled the fierce look on Brice’s face the night he had defended Grace’s honor against two other men who were bigger than he. Yeah, he definitely was a good friend.

“He’s a good friend to all of us,” Jack said quietly as Grace and Adam nodded in agreement.

“Ready for another dance, angel?” Eli asked after Rachel finished her Coke. She nodded enthusiastically.

“I’d love to. But I’m pacing myself, and nobody cuts in this time, okay?”

“I have you all to myself and don’t have to
share
? I can deal with that. The caveman doesn’t like when other men cut in.”

“Was he beating his chest earlier?” she asked playfully as he squeezed her ass when he helped her down from her chair.

“He wanted to throw you over his shoulder and take you back to the cave.”

“And do what?” she murmured seductively. “Fuck me by the fire pit on his animal skins?”

He chuckled and drew her close to kiss her temple. “Holy shit, you paint a vivid mental image. I’m getting stiff thinking about it.”

“There’s only one problem with my fantasy.”

“What’s that, sexy?” He pressed her hips against his as they turned to each other on the dance floor.

She placed her hand over her mouth at his ear. “The caveman has to be very quiet as he fucks me by the firelight so that the caveman’s father doesn’t hear him in the next cave.”

He grinned and snickered. “Me caveman. Me no care!” He growled as he slid his big, warm hands down over her ass and pressed her to his tremendous erection.

“Baby,” she whispered, very impressed, “you’re so big and so
hard
!”

“And ready to slide right into you, angel.” He licked her earlobe and nuzzled the soft skin beneath her ear. “I can’t wait. But this is your first night out in a long time, and I don’t want to cut it short because I have the self-restraint of a freaking Neanderthal.”

Rachel was instantly wet picturing him dressed in animal skins, standing in the flickering firelight reflected off the walls of a cave. He looked down at her with a knowing look on his face, and she bit her lip and grinned sheepishly. “I would be your cavewoman in a heartbeat, Eli. I am
right there
with you.”

“Easy, now. I could still put you over my shoulder.”

“Your shoulder, your knee, it’s
all good
.” Rachel laughed when he groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Let Me Down Easy” by Billy Currington began to play, and Grace and Adam joined them on the dance floor, followed soon after by Ace Webster and Kathleen Stevens, who seemed lost in their own little romantic bubble.

Kelly and Elijah eventually took her leave after Kelly thanked Brice Huvell for his hospitality and thanked the others for convincing her to come along.

 “Are you going to dance with Grace this evening?” Eli asked as he helped her back into her chair.

“I was wondering the same thing myself,” Ethan added, standing beside Grace’s currently empty chair.

Rachel shook her head. “I don’t think it would be safe with this cast. It would feel awkward, and I might hurt someone with it. It’s pretty hard.” She rapped her knuckle on it.

“I could see where that might be a problem,” Ethan tapped it with his knuckle as well. “When does it come off?”

“Two weeks. I can’t wait.” She waggled her eyebrows at Eli while Ethan watched Grace on the dance floor.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got lots of help lined up planning your wedding.” Ethan smiled and chuckled. “Grace has been chomping at the bit for weeks, doing Internet searches and talking with Renata on the phone. She was afraid she’d give the surprise away before he could pop the question.”

Rachel turned to Eli, and asked, “How long have you been planning this?”

Eli chuckled and grinned at her. “I asked your father for permission to propose when I brought you to your parents’ house to recuperate.”

Ethan said, “Grace has had a good feeling about the two of you for months. She loves weddings and planning events like that.”

“I look forward to hearing Grace and Kelly’s ideas.” Rachel leaned into Eli a bit and held on to the arm he wrapped around her. There would be plenty of time for that in the coming days, but for now, she wanted to revel in the fun and joy of this moment.

A while later, Rachel and Grace were standing at the table taking a sip of their drinks and catching their breath from their latest trips to the dance floor. Eli and Jack were standing near them doing the same. The club was quite crowded by that late hour, and the mood shifted as the upbeat country rock song that had been playing gradually changed into a slow, romantic love song. It was one of Rachel’s favorites because of its acoustic guitar sound and vaguely erotic lyrics. It certainly put her in the mood to dance with Eli. He’d been taking every opportunity to whisper naughty, sexy things to her as they danced until she was simmering inside.

Grace gave her a knowing grin as Rachel put her glass down and turned to Eli. Both women watched incredulously as an extraordinarily beautiful tall brunette gracefully walked up to Eli and slid her hand over his pecs and around his shoulder. Pressed from hip to breast against him, she asked him if he’d like to dance. Rachel saw red and nearly growled out loud but Grace put her hand on Rachel’s forearm.

She watched as her fiancé immediately backed away and gently extricated him from the brunette’s grasp. He said a few succinct words to her, and her body language changed. She glanced over at Rachel and Grace standing three feet away, shrugged, and said what sounded like “sorry” to Eli before walking away, just as gracefully, with her dignity intact.

Feeling like she was going to get whiplash from her emotions, Rachel was actually glad Eli didn’t make a bigger show of rejecting her invitation. Glancing around, Rachel saw that men all around them were eyeing the unfamiliar brunette. Rachel was willing to bet she’d have a dance partner before the song was over.

Eli turned to her and smiled and seemed relieved when she smiled back. He held out his hand, and she allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor.

“She said she was new in town and wanted to dance.”

“I didn’t recognize her. If I was new in town, I’d go for the most handsome guy in the place, too.”

Eli chuckled and kissed her forehead, and she pressed herself as close as she could to him. He kept her on the dance floor for another song and whispered to her about how well
he’d
make her feel at home if she were the new girl in town. He intoxicated her with his nearness and the deep timbre of his voice.

On two other occasions as the night progressed, Rachel was surprised to watch other women approach Eli and invite him to dance. One of them was another unfamiliar face, but the other woman should have known better and gave Rachel a catty look before walking away. Both times, Eli dealt with them, smoothly rejecting the offers.

There came a point when he drew her to him, standing at the table, and didn’t allow her to leave his side anymore to deflect any other comers with her mere presence. In her present mood, she knew if any other women approached him tonight the cavewoman was going to be the one dealing with them.