When The Runway Went South (21 page)

"Y'all don't find this in New York?" Caleb's eyes were twinkling, amused as Ally's wide eyes tried to take in the scene.

"No, not at all; this is a kick. Uh oh, people are staring at me." Ally looked down at her menu.

"It's okay. You're not the only famous person here. See over at the next table?  They are Dallas Cowboy football players. No one will bother you."

"Ally, you should be used to this," Tara said as she glanced at her daughter.

"It grows old real fast, Mom. Now, Caleb, what would you recommend?" Ally felt better knowing Caleb had purposely separated her from her mother.

"Anything," he replied and politely listened to Tara carry on about the family. Caleb also kept his attention on Ally as she and Kat commented on the people around them. Every once in a while, he would touch Ally and point someone out to her, his hands never far from her legs.

Aware of the man sitting next to her, Ally could barely keep up with the table conversation. Every time Caleb touched her, she jumped like a bolt of electricity. This had never happened to her before and she tried to wrap her feelings around it. After dinner, Caleb stretched and put his arm around the back of her chair, so that when she leaned back, she could feel the solid muscle of his arm. When she did, her pulse started to pound. How could one man make her feel this way?

A live band set up and began to play. Ally's parents were wide-eyed in surprise and turned to Caleb. "Can you dance?" asked Robert. "Tara and I just learned how to do the two-step?"

"Y'all did? Well, that's great. Sure, all y'all go up there and let's see what all you can do." He turned to Ally. "You hear that? Your mom and dad are going to dance."

"Get out." Kat looked on.

"Look at them, Kat." Duly impressed, Ally turned to Caleb. "I've never seen them dance before in my whole life."

"Can you do the two-step?" Caleb challenged Ally.

"I just got here," Ally reminded him. "Two-step is not my thing."

"I can," shouted Kat. "Come on, Caleb. Let's show Ally how it's done." Kat grabbed a laughing Caleb out onto the dance floor, leaving Ally alone and feeling a little left out. She watched them as they smiled at each other and did the dance perfectly. Ally then looked at her parents and shook her head.

"You're Ally Duncan?" A deep voice broke her stare at the dance floor. Ally turned around, surprised to find a very good looking man seated where her mother had been sitting.

"Depends on who wants to know?" countered Ally.

"Name is Mike Grace. I play for the Texas Rangers. Baseball," he clarified as he saw the blank look on Ally's face.

"Took me a while to figure that out," apologized Ally.

"I'm originally from New York, so I've seen your picture everywhere. What brings you here?"

"Family." Ally pointed to the empty chairs around the table. "They're out there dancing. I don't know how to do the two-step."

"It's not really that hard. I could teach you if you want? Come on, give it a try." He tried to reach for her hand, but Ally pulled it away.

"If I wanted to learn it, I'd be out there right now. No thanks." Ally tried to be graceful.

"Well, there are other dances we can do." Mike sounded hopeful.

"I'm here with someone," explained Ally. "He's dancing with my sister." Ally hoped God would forgive her for this white lie.

"I'm sorry. I thought you were alone. Can I at least get your autograph?"

"Sure." Ally signed her name to a napkin and handed it to Mike.

"Here's mine," smiled Mike as he handed her another napkin. Ally noticed his phone number had been added. The music had stopped and Caleb headed towards the table, angry at the scene he had witnessed.

"Can I help you? You're Mike Grace. I see you've met my fiancé?" Caleb towered over Mike.

"Fiancé?" sputtered Ally.

"Yes, I have," said Mike smoothly as he started to back away. "I thought I recognized her. Nice meeting the both of you." Mike quickly walked away from the table.

"We're dancing," said Caleb firmly as he pulled Ally onto the dance floor.

"When did we get engaged?" asked Ally as Caleb wrapped his arms around her possessively. Warning bells went off being this close to him. To make matters worse, they were a perfect fit, even for dancing. Ally's nerves tingled and erotic thoughts circulated through her head.

"Just now," He whispered in her ear.

"I see." Ally became quiet. "I don't remember you asking me and my saying yes." She tilted her head to look up at him and encountered those green eyes. "If I remember correctly, you told me that being married to me would cause a man to have a heart attack."

"Good point. Okay, the engagement is off," teased Caleb. "I just thought he had a lot of balls to come over to the table when he saw that you were with me."

"I had been sitting by myself and you were dancing with Kat. How could he know?"

"So.
Are
you with me?" Ally's answer loomed between the two of them..

"And with my parents and my sister," she replied smoothly.

"A family date," murmured Caleb as he gently kissed her cheek, sending shock waves throughout her body.

"Though, my parents really like you."

"At least someone has taste."

"They liked Greg, too."

"Ouch.." Ally certainly knew how to hurt a man's pride.

"But I kind of like you too." Ally smiled.

"Kind of?" inquired Caleb.

"At first, you weren't too friendly and I didn't like you at all." Ally waited for his reaction.

"You thought that?" Caleb looked stunned. "I behaved that badly?"

"Yes. I thought you were an arrogant stud muffin and I didn't want anything to do with you. Then when Dottie told us about you, it confirmed my opinion."

"Do you like me now?" Caleb whispered softly in her ear.

"Does it matter to you?" Ally stared at him, his eyes holding hers captive.

"It matters very much." The music had stopped, but Ally and Caleb were still locked into a tight embrace.

"Yes."

"Right answer." Caleb's smile widened as he led Ally off of the dance floor.

"Come on, Ally. Dance with your old man." Robert took Ally's hand away from Caleb and onto the dance floor while Caleb danced with Tara.

****

Caleb came and grabbed Ally for one last slow dance. Ally willingly went into Caleb's arms, still amazed how he made her feel so alive.

"You know, Caleb," she whispered into his ear. "I don't know anything about you at all. I mean I know you own the ranch, you're having cattle stolen, you're rich and every woman in the county wants you. Tell me about the real Caleb Strait? I can't look you up on the internet like you could with me. They had nothing on Caleb Strait."

"What do you want to know?" He smiled at Ally.

"When's your birthday?"

"August tenth. I just turned thirty-one."

"A Leo? Hmm. Bossy."

"Not really. I just like to get my way all of the time."

"All of the time? You seem very self-assured by that. What about your family?"

"My parents passed away of old age about five years ago.. I have a sister who lives in California and wants nothing to do with the farm. I have aunts and uncles all over the county, dozens of cousins. There is only one cousin who lives at the ranch with me and helps me out with the chores. Of course I have Jeb and his wife, Gracie, who are not really family, but they've been in my life for so long, I consider them one of us.."

"Where did you go to school?"

"I went to Texas A&M. I played football as the starting quarterback, but obviously didn't make it to the pros."

"Quarterback? I'm impressed. So, you had no problems with women?"

Caleb smiled slyly at Ally before he answered, "There were plenty of women, but none very interesting. I married my college sweetheart."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," said Ally sympathetically.

"No, it's fine. We were in the process of getting a divorce when she died. It's true what they say about drinking and driving."

"I'm sorry." Ally changed the subject quickly.

"No need to be. Okay, next question?"

"What's your favorite color?" Ally tried to hide a smile waiting for his response.

"I'm partial to blue and I know yours is red."

"How could you tell?" asked Ally.

"You drive a red car and your dinner plates are red."

"I do like blue, too." Ally smiled. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"I like watching football, sports, hunting and fishing. I like most normal things that guys like to do."

"Movies?"

"Hmm. For movies there is history, mysteries and maybe a comedy; Indiana Jones, Star Trek and Star Wars. Did I pass?"

"Pass what? It's not a test." Ally pulled away and looked him in the eyes, eyes that seemed to see right through her.

"Kind of. I mean, why do you want to know this for?"

"I like to know about my neighbors," Ally answered coolly.

"Sounds like you want to date me?" Caleb's stare intensified.