Page 32 of Close to Heaven

She could have hugged him, but this time, she restrained herself.

“Sorry, man. I didn’t know…” Tim looked guilty as hell, and Jax’s scowl probably wasn’t helping. Tim hurried off the dance floor, and Jax smoothly took his place.

“Spin your partner,” the announcer said again.

To her delight, Jax fell right into step with her. He seemed a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing, but he was there, and that was enough.

“Sorry about that jerk,” he said.

“You don’t have to apologize for him, but I’m glad you cut in when you did.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded.

He finished the dance with her and stayed for one more to boot. However, the next song was a slow one, and he said, “We should probably sit this one out.”

She nodded, although the idea of slow dancing with him was wildly appealing. Instead, she followed him back to their table, and they sat down.

“Where are Dakota and Cody?”

“Still dancing,” said Jax.

She followed his gaze and saw Cody slow dancing with the young blonde and Dakota with a stocky guy with a military-style haircut. In that moment, she was hit with a revelation.

Trevor should have been here tonight. She’d invited him to come for the weekend, but he’d already made plans. It wasn’t the first time he’d blown her off for his friends, and he might have done the same thing if she’d been in Knoxville.

He never makes me a priority, she thought with sudden clarity. Yet he tried to blame all their problems on her. She wondered if he truly missed her or was just mad that she’d left. Come to think of it, did she really miss him? How much had she thought about him since she’d left? Instead, she’d been giving more thought to the handsome man sitting beside her.

“Everything okay?” Jax asked as if he’d read her troubled mind.

“Not really, but it will be.”

He eyed her with confusion. “You sure?”

“Positive.” She smiled at him, and when he smiled back, she felt assured that everything would be just fine.