He pulled her into his arms with an easy twirl that said he’d done this many times before. She bumped up against him and was reminded of that day in the diner. She’d thought way too much about the feel of his hands on her since that day. As they curved around her waist and her hand, she knew that wasn’t going to change anytime soon. He had good, strong hands.
“Sorry about the belt.”
Miranda tipped her head back. At 5’10” it was exceptionally rare for her to have to look up at a guy. Ethan had a good five inches on her. She loved that. “Small-town cops are never really off duty.”
Those gray eyes seemed warmer under the lights of the dance floor. “Neither are small-town doctors.”
“True enough. There tend to be a lot of blurred lines.” She felt pretty good about those hazy boundaries just now, pressed close enough she could feel the heat of him. It started a hum in her blood she hadn’t experienced in far too long. She wanted to get to know this man. “So, are you gonna play with Clay?”
Ethan gave a half laugh. “Is he looping you in on this campaign, too?”
“There’s a campaign?”
“We had a duo back in college. Did pretty well on the music scene in Austin. He wanted Nashville. I...didn’t.”
“Nashville? Y’all were that good?” She couldn’t quite reconcile the serious cop with country music star.
“We could’ve been. But it was a long time ago.”
She wondered what he’d been like back then. “You don’t feel the pull to play?”
“Sure. But I’m still establishing my reputation in this town. I need people to respect the badge.”
“Blurred lines, Chief. Just because you can perform isn’t going to make people respect your authority any less. And I, for one, am now insanely curious what you’d sound like.”
The smile hit his eyes first and slowly curved his mouth, and all she could think was Damn.
“Maybe you’ll find out one of these nights.”
As the song ended and Clay swung into something more upbeat, Ethan gave her a twirl and started a two-step. That was just fine with Miranda. She wasn’t in any hurry to sit back down. Two dances turned into three, three to five. Ethan Greer was a hella good dancer. If she had some concerns about his stitches, well, it wasn’t like she couldn’t fix them. By the time they stopped to hydrate, Cam and Norah had pushed the table together with Autumn and Judd’s. The chili cheese fries were almost all gone, and she didn’t even care. When was the last time she’d had this much fun?
Judd nudged a glass in Ethan’s direction. “You got some moves there, Chief.”
“A few. Got some better ones when I don’t have a hole in my ass.” He tipped the glass back and drained it.
Miranda guzzled a glass of water instead of the rest of her beer. “You realize you’re never going to live that down, right?”
He heaved a beleaguered sigh. “I have resigned myself. Dave Lautner is banned from any more classes I’m teaching, that’s for damned sure. I’m surprised your admin didn’t give you a blow-by-blow of how it all went down.”
“Delaney?”
Ethan nodded. “Only woman in the class. She’s a damned good archer for an alleged newbie. Girl’s got impressively steady hands.”
“Alleged?” Cam asked.
“She said she’d never shot a bow before, but her form was too good. I figure she was keeping prior experience quiet so as not to threaten the men. Or maybe it was a bid at flirtation.” He shrugged. “I was setting her up for another go when the idiot shot me.”
Fake inexperience so the big, strong man will get up close and position you properly? Classic tactic and one Miranda might have been tempted to use herself in a similar situation. But she didn’t see Delaney going for a guy ten years her senior. “Delaney never said a word. She’s not one for gossiping.” Lord knew, she’d been too often the victim of it herself.
“Then she’s a rarity in this town. Far as I can tell, it’s the professional sport around here.”
Autumn laughed. “You aren’t wrong.”
Ethan glanced at the stage then back to Miranda. “One more dance before he finishes his set?”
Chili cheese fries be damned. “Love to.”
“I think we’re about to call it a night,” Cam announced.
“Early meetings tomorrow,” Norah added.
Miranda didn’t want to think about the price she’d be paying tomorrow morning. Right now, she just wanted to spend some more time with this interesting, attractive man. Preferably with his hands on her. “See y’all later.”
“C’mon, Legs.” Ethan grabbed her hand.
Norah shouldered her purse and made Eyebrows in their direction, clearly demanding details later. Miranda just smiled and followed Ethan back to the dance floor. Clay transitioned into another slow song, one that had been a favorite of hers back in high school.
“He’s pulling out old school stuff tonight,” she observed. “Slow’s not usually his speed these days.”
“That’s because I was the balladeer of the two of us.”
Now she really wanted to see him with a guitar in his hands. “Yeah? You’re not doing anything to dim my curiosity.”
“A healthy curiosity is a good thing, to my way of thinking.”
“Only if you’re planning to satisfy it.”
His only response was that slow, molasses smile. The one that said he knew plenty about how to satisfy a woman. The idea of it sparked off needs she’d too long denied. Well, they’d just see who got satisfied, wouldn’t they?
Game on, Cowboy.
“So what do you usually do when you’re not working, Doc? How do you relax? Are you a go out with friends or stay in at home sort of woman?”
“There’s a time and place for both. When I’ve had a really hard week, and I’m too tired to face another soul, I like to order Chinese and binge watch old westerns.”
Ethan’s eyes brightened. “You like old westerns?”
“Love ’em. My granddaddy hooked me when I was little. Spent most of my childhood sitting with him in his big old recliner, watching Gunsmoke. It was how the family dealt with my horse-crazy phase. He died when I was in high school, but I like to watch the reruns, still. They remind me of him.”
“You’re gorgeous, smart, compassionate, and you’re a Gunsmoke fan,” he said in wonder. “Doc, you may be the perfect woman.”
Miranda laughed. “I guess you could say my fascination with the U.S. Marshals started early.”
Another beat of attraction pulsed between them, and this time Miranda knew she wasn’t mistaken.
“Was Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke what got you interested in being a Marshal?”
“No.”
When he said nothing else, Miranda lifted a brow. “That’s it? Just ‘No’?”
His lips curved in amusement at her frustration. “Maybe I’ll tell you the whole story one of these days.”
Did he always play this hard to get?
When the song ended and Clay took his break, they returned to their table, scooping up the drinks that had been delivered in their absence.