“Holy shit. Tate, you look gorgeous.”

She blushed and he couldn’t help but kiss her on her neck.

“Thank you. It’s Beth’s doing. She picked it out. You look very nice too. I haven’t seen you dressed for dancing.”

He kept an arm around her waist and pressed another kiss just beneath her ear, up the side of her face and over her brow. “You taste good.”

“My, you’re very fancy with the compliments. By the way, a few of my siblings are going to be at The Tonk tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”

He escorted her to his truck and helped her in.

“Of course I don’t. My brothers and sisters-in-law will be there too. They’re all anxious to get to know you.”

“Yeah, ‘cause that won’t make me nervous or anything.”

“They’re all very nice people. You already know Liv and Maggie.”

“Sort of. It’s not the same, working for someone. It’s not like I’m friends with them or anything.”

He nodded, chewing over that mentally as he drove. “Well, okay, if you say so. It’s hard for me to know and all, they’re part of my life so I just think of them as friends.”

“Liv was your girlfriend too, right? For awhile a few years back?”

He laughed. “Yes. Odd isn’t it? She married my little brother and she’s going to have his baby in September.”

“Odd, yeah that’s a word for it.”

“Does it weird you out?” Admittedly, he hadn’t thought of that, of how the woman he’d want to be with would feel about Liv.

“Well, I don’t really have a place to be weirded out. It’s just a date.”

“Tate, it’s not just anything. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable being with me when we’re out. There’s nothing between me and Liv, hasn’t been for years now. She’s one of my best friends and my brother’s wife, that’s it.”

“This conversation is making me uncomfortable.”

He laughed. He liked it when she got prim and sort of prickly. They pulled into the parking lot of The Tonk and he hopped out, heading around to her door to open it.

“What is it with the men in this town and these damned trucks? Can’t you all have cars that aren’t fifty feet off the ground?”

He helped her get down and tried not to smile. “You’re just a bitty thing, I’ll have to get a ladder for your side. Not that I don’t like helping you in and out but…”

“My God you talk a lot.”

He looked at her, surprised but her grin brought a matching one back to his lips. “You’re kinda spunky for someone so small.”

She took his arm and hmpfed.

Tate was nervous as hell. She’d never been to The Tonk but was thankful that through the sea of people she sighted her sisters and brother across the room. They appeared to be sitting with a bunch of Chases. God, they all looked so pretty. There she was, a dumpling in a dress and everyone else was pretty. Figured.

Still, the music caught her within moments. The way it always did. And she didn’t feel so much like a dumpling anymore. She felt graceful and a little bit sexy.

“Looks like you’re a girl who loves to dance. Which is lucky for me, ‘cause I’m a guy who loves girls who love to dance. Fate is a beautiful thing.” He spun her into his arms and swayed a bit. “I like the way you feel against me.”

“My word you’re quite the flatterer.” So much so it made her all giddy and weak-kneed. “I love to dance. Always have. We go to Reba’s every other Saturday.”

He kissed her and spun her again, leading her through the crowd toward the other side of the club where their family awaited. Only the disbelieving stares directed toward them made Tate uncomfortable and pissed off.

“Hi, honey, you look beautiful.” Nathan stood to kiss Tate’s cheeks, sensing her distress.

“Thank you. You all look fetching as well.” She grinned at her sisters and Anne’s boyfriend Royal before turning to the Chases assembled there. “Hi, everyone.”

“I think you know most everyone. Kyle and Maggie, Liv and Marc were at my place a couple of weeks back. The big lunk there is my oldest brother Shane, his wife Cassie. Guys, this is Tate.” Matt pulled a chair out for her and she sat down, feeling very grateful for her family there.

“Nice to meet those of you I haven’t met before. While we’re introducing folks, this is my brother Nathan, he teaches at the high school with Maggie. My sisters Beth and Anne and Anne’s boyfriend Royal Watson.”

“We’ve all introduced ourselves but we hadn’t met Matt yet.” Nathan squeezed her hand briefly.

“Tate and I have an appointment with the dance floor. When our waitress comes by can you order me a beer? Tate, sweetness, what would you like?”

“Oh, beer is fine.”

Matt stood and escorted her through the crowd down to the dance floor just as the music changed to something slow. He pulled her close against his body and eased her into the dance. Right off they matched. Their rhythm was the same, and everything else but the music and his pale green eyes on her fell away. She studied his face in the low light. He was the kind of handsome that was nearly pretty but not quite. His nose was just a little bit crooked but it’s what took him straight into masculine handsome. High cheekbones defined his face and a light beard covered his chin and edged the line of his jaw. All in all, it made everything inside her go gooey.