I shrug and wait to make my judgments until he starts singing, but being from Texas, this seems like a contradiction to me. After all, I’m from the land that brought us George Strait.
As the strums of his guitar echo around us, the noise quiets and a smooth voice hums the opening beats of the first song. When his deep and gravelly voice begins singing, he proves me wrong. He may be wearing flip flops, but he sings great.
The song picks up rhythm and everyone starts dancing. My eyes move to Lizzy to see what she’s doing, and I smirk watching her dance with her friends. She laughs as she sings along, messing up some of the words.
“Let loose,” Luke says before taking a chug of his beer.
“I am loose,” I argue.
He stares at me with a furrowed brow that slowly lifts. “Right, and you letting loose looks like you’re constipated? Is that why you opted for coffee?” He chuckles, shaking his head.
I glare at him and finish my Frappuccino, searching for a garbage to throw it out. When I head back to the group that’s adopted me, I find Lizzy’s eyes on me. I arch an eyebrow, a slow smile tilting my lips. She looks away, knowing she’s caught, but I stalk toward her.
“People are going to get the wrong idea if you keep staring at me,” I whisper, grabbing her hand and spinning her around as an excuse to talk to her.
“Absolutely not. I was staring off, and it so happened to be in your direction.”
I toss my head back and laugh. “Were you looking for Howard Putty?” I tease her some more.
“No.” She lifts her chin in defiance, and it takes everything in me to keep control as her blue eyes stare into mine with a twinkling challenge that makes her look less schoolteacher and more vixen.
I spin her around again before my hand lands on her waist, moving to the fast beat of the song.
I lean down to whisper in her ear, “What will people say about this?”
“Oh, you’re in dangerous territory.” Her voice is shaky with laughter. “They’ll be saying you’re going to take my last name.”
I laugh at the ridiculousness before my breath catches when I realize people are staring at us with deep curiosity. We’re sure to be the gossip in town this weekend. As much as I enjoy Lizzy’s company, I don’t want to be part of Emerald Bay’s gossip mill. Everyone is already curious about my family and me, and I don’t need them now digging into my love life.
Besides, I don’t deserve a woman like Lizzy, who’s sweet and kind, when I carry my father’s DNA.
When the song ends, I release her and step back in an attempt to douse those rumors a bit. And the doubt stirring in the pit of my stomach.
Chapter 10
Lizzy
Igrababeerfrom the stand and hum along to the song Sutton is singing. After Mason finished his set, Sutton Wright started hers. I absolutely love her music and have followed her since the beginning of her career.
I love a good music festival. The drinks, the camaraderie with music lovers, the live music. It’s all unbeatable. But it can be such a tiring day, too. My calves are burning from dancing on the sand.
After our dance earlier, Nate abruptly stepped back and has kept a distance from me for the rest of the day. Maybe it’s for the best, but we were having fun dancing.
He did the same thing at work the other day when he practically ignored me and then spoke to me openly in the parking lot as we were leaving. He runs hot and cold, giving me whiplash. I hate it. When I think he might be opening up to me, he closes right back up.
I shouldn’t care. Come fall, my time will be tied to work and studying my butt off to get my master’s degree. The fast-track program I got into will be intense without adding a new relationship so I don’t know why my mind keeps going back to him.
And yet it bothers me. Mostly because I can’t get a read on him when he’s moody.
Either he’s concerned about our work situation, or he’s undecided about me.
Or he’s playing games.
If that’s the case, then I’m the wrong player to engage.
I chug my beer as I head back to my friends. Nate stands feet away from me, staring at the stage.
First fact I’ve learned about Nate: He’s an avoider.