Page 23 of One Quick Obsession

I let my head fall back as I put my phone in my back pocket. There was no escaping this family, no matter how hard I tried. I let out a breath and got back to work. I could at least get another hour in before I had to shower and get ready. And deal with this dance.

Of course, I couldn’t help but remember one of the last dances I had gone to. Michelle had been dressed in blue with glitter, and had smiled up at me, all sweet and happy. I hadn’t known that she had been cheating on me with Jefferson at that point. Or that she would marry him by the time I got back from my deployment. We had gone all through high school at each other’s sides, and I had been a different person back then.

When I had gotten back from my second deployment, there hadn’t been any dancing or smiles.

I push those thoughts from my head, knowing this dance would be different. I wasn’t a kid anymore, and I didn’t have a date. I would go and make my sister happy and not step foot on the dance floor. I knew the rules.

By the time I was showered and decently ready to go, I already wanted the night to end. However, I didn’t really have much of a choice when it came to the rest of my evening. So I parked in front of the old barn that had been renovated a few times over the years and could fit most of the town locals. A few tourists would come as well, since the entry fee would go to helping restore some of the older buildings and the town bridge. And I figured that was a decent reason to have a dance.

After all, the last time the town bridge had gone out, tragedy had struck, and the town would never have that happen again.

I could hear the music from outside, a country tune where people seemed to be line dancing, and I held back a groan. I was officially entering one of my worst nightmares. At least I wouldn’t end up covered in blood in this one. Unless this was going to be a recreation of that old Stephen King book. We did have a farm nearby with pigs. You just never knew.

“You’re here!” Harper said as she moved forward and wrapped her arms around my waist. I immediately hugged my future sister-in-law back and lifted my chin at Dorian.

“I see you’ve been forced to come here too.”

Dorian just beamed, his eyes bright. It was a damn fine thing to see considering the state he had been in last year. I hadn’t blamed him for the darkness and had sat next to him through it since I understood, but being with Harper had truly changed him for the better, and it was good to see.

“Are you kidding me? I get to see my fiancée in a sexy dress as we slow dance? Of course I’m the one who had to come.”

“I donated some baked goods, but really this was all Dorian’s idea,” Harper agreed.

I rolled my eyes. “Well. At least you’re consistent.”

Isabella and Weston came over next, and I said my hellos, until I was forced to speak to resident after resident, who were just excited that I was out in public.

I didn’t always hermit up in my cabin, but apparently going so far as to not leaving for nearly a month was too much for this town.

Isabella gave me a knowing look, and I nearly flipped her off but thought better of it since the local pastor was speaking to me.

“There you are, darling,” Ms. Patty said, and I counted to ten so I wouldn’t scream or run away.

“Hello, Ms. Patty.” I leaned down and brushed my lips against her cheek. She giggled like a schoolgirl and waved me off.

“It’s so good to see you out and about. I know you’ve been busy up in those woods of yours, and you’re taking such good care of the area. You also must be painting up a storm. I can’t wait to see more of what you do. Mr. Mayor and I were just talking about the old Johnson place. And how there used to be a mural there years ago before weather took over. We should have you do it. A Cage working on Cage property would just be perfect, don’t you think?”

I was pretty sure Ms. Patty didn’t take a single breath during that entire speech, and the fact that she squeezed her husband’s forearm as she spoke, and called him Mr. Mayor, always made me pause. But the two were in love, you could tell from just the way that he looked down at her, and I couldn’t really say a damn thing. Ms. Patty might love her gossip, but she would fight for anybody in this room. She’s somebody you wanted on your side, even if I didn’t want her in my business.

“We can talk about it in a bit. How about that?” I hedged.

The mayor just grinned at me. “You do know that it’s going to happen anyway, don’t you, son?” the man said slowly, and I held back a laugh.

Oh yes. Because once Ms. Patty wanted something, she got it. A few other townspeople came over, including a few older residents with their younger and single daughters, and soon I was surrounded.

I glared over their heads at Isabella, who looked at me wide-eyed. When she mouthed the words I’m sorry, I figured she hadn’t expected this part.

Because I was the only single Cage here. In fact, I was one of the only single men here.

I had been conned. Bamboozled. And I needed to get out of here. However, from the way that Ms. Patty was looking at me, I was going to need to get on the damn dance floor at some point.

“Oh Hudson, you’re here. I have a question for you,” a familiar voice said, and I immediately turned and grabbed Scarlett’s hand.

“I’m all yours,” I growled, and her eyes widened.

“Okay, then. Let’s talk while we dance.”

I found myself on the dance floor, Scarlett fitting in my arms far too comfortably, as the rest of the town looked on. Others joined us on the dance floor as a slow song began to drift from the speakers, and I let out a groan.