Page 30 of One Kind Soul

“You like dancing?” Christian asked.

Nicole couldn’t help it. She had to look at him. “Yes. Tessa and I used to go out dancing on Kauai regularly. Before Donovan stole her.” She reached forward and poked Donovan in the shoulder.

“Again, my apologies,” Donovan said.

“I haven’t been dancing since you left actually.” Now Nicole poked Tessa. “We have to get it all in while I’m here.”

“We will. I promise.” Tessa looked at Christian. “Hopefully this one will leave some room on the dance floor for us at the wedding. He likes to get a crowd going. Doesn’t matter what crowd either. Any crowd.”

“I can’t help it if I attract the fun.”

Nicole had to agree he probably couldn’t control his effect on people. She certainly hadn’t been able to resist him.

“Who are you bringing as a date?” Tessa asked him. “I don’t think you ever said.”

Nicole stilled in her seat. The notion of watching him with a date at this wedding made her queasy. She hadn’t thought of that. But of course he’d have a date. This wedding wasn’t a surprise function and he was the best man. Surely, he wouldn’t want to fly solo. Not when he liked flirting so much.

“No date.” The two words bounced around the interior of the SUV.

No date?

“What?” Tessa and Donovan asked at the same time.

“I haven’t asked anyone to accompany me,” Christian said as if it wasn’t a big deal, but the look on Tessa’s face said it was.

“Oh,” Tessa said. “But you’re going to. You’d better hurry up. The wedding is this weekend, you know?”

“I know, but I’m not bringing a date.”

Donovan looked at his brother in the rearview mirror. “Are you sure you didn’t bump your head in that accident yesterday?”

“I’m sure.”

“Then has someone taken over your body as a host?” Donovan squinted at Tessa. “What’s happening right now?”

“I’m not sure,” Tessa said slowly, but she looked at Christian then coasted her gaze over to Nicole. When she narrowed her eyes and looked back at Christian, Nicole nearly shouted, We had sex!

“Look,” Christian cut in before Nicole babbled. “I’ve been focused on the farm lately. I haven’t had a chance to hunt down chicks. Time . . . got away from me and now the wedding is here and I’m dateless. I assure you, the universe will not implode over this.” His tone suggested he was miffed that his brother and Tessa were so baffled over his no-date situation.

“Okay, okay.” Tessa held up her hands. “No date is fine. It’s . . . different for you. That’s all.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’m not the enormous flirt everyone seems to think I am.”

Tessa did that same narrowed-eyed look she’d done before and Nicole’s heart sped up.

“So didn’t you say you guys got a dog?” she asked.

At this question, Tessa’s expression grew soft. “OMG, we did! He is the cutest.” She squeezed Donovan’s arm. “Isn’t he the cutest?”

“He’s pretty cute.”

“Where is he now? I thought you’d bring him for the ride.” Nicole patted herself on the back for her excellent diversionary skills. One more second of Tessa studying her and Christian and her friend would have uncovered the secret hookup. They’d have to be super careful. That squinty expression suggested Tessa wouldn’t be happy if Nicole and Christian became a thing.

Not that they could become a thing. Things didn’t sprout in two weeks. Unless you were Tessa and Donovan, but surely they were the exception.

“Remi is with Landon and Aliza.” Tessa gestured to the back seat. “We figured you guys wouldn’t want a rambunctious Pyrenees puppy jumping all over you on the ride.”

“And she isn’t kidding about jumping all over us,” Christian said. “That puppy has like a trampoline built into its legs or something.”