Dewey was singing along with Miranda, and I couldn’t help but start laughing.

“You’re crazy, do you know that?” I yelled.

“Hell yes, I know that!”

By the time we danced to three songs in a row, I was dying of thirst. “Dew, I need a beer.”

Just then, Misty Rose walked by and smiled at Dewey. He turned back at me and gave me those sad puppy eyes.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “You’re really going to leave me alone, Dew?”

He kissed my cheek. “I knew you’d understand. Open a tab. It’s on me, baby girl.”

I sighed as I walked away. I headed toward the side of the bar opposite of where Scott was sitting. I peeked over at him as I was walking up. He was watching me as the same blonde was still standing there, talking to him. My heart started beating like crazy. I knew that he had told me the truth about making Chelsea leave that night. There was no way he could have screwed her and sent me those messages all night. Damn it. Why am I so scared to let him in? I knew I wanted him more than anything. I glanced up at him again. Now, he was laughing at something the blonde had said to him.

Yeah, I want him, but the moment I let him in, something better will come along, just like before. He’ll leave me high and dry again, feeling used and abandoned.

When I looked around, I had to smile. Jesus, is this our high school reunion?

“Hey, if it isn’t little Jessica Rhodes. How in the hell have you been, girl?”

I laughed as I reached out and shook Jimmy’s hand. “Hey, Jimmy. I’ve been good. How about you?”

“Well, I’m still kicking, still running this bar, and still married to the Mrs., so I’d say I’m doing pretty damn good.”

I giggled as I took a quick look down the bar. Now, she was leaning toward him and talking into his ear. Slut.

“You want me to move, so you can throw ’em?”

I looked at Jimmy, confused. “Excuse me?”

“Those daggers coming out of your eyes. You look like you’re about to pounce on someone.”

I started to laugh. “No, not at all. Hey, Dewey asked if you would open a tab for him?”

“Sure can. What are you drinking?”

“A Bud Light please.”

Jimmy winked and turned around.

When I glanced up, Scott was gone. Shit! Did he leave? I turned toward the dance floor, and then I saw him dancing with the bleach-blonde. Asshole.

“Well, if it ain’t Jessie Rhodes. You back for good now, sweetheart?”

When I turned around, Michael McDowell was standing there with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Oh Lord. This boy chased me all through high school. “Hey, Mike. How’s it going? Been a long time.”

“I heard you’re a vet now, fixin’ to work at the local vet clinic here. Is that right?”

“Here’s your beer, honey,” Jimmy said.

I turned around, and he handed it to me. I glanced back out to the dance floor. Scott was laughing and twirling the bitch around. I practically slammed the beer in one drink.

I looked at Jimmy and raised my eyebrows. “I’m gonna need another one.”

Mike smiled. “I’ll take one also, Jimmy.”

I glanced back at Mike. “I busted my ass to try and finish up school a couple years early, but I still have a few classes I’m taking.”

When Easton Corbin’s “A Little More Country Than That” started playing, Mike grabbed my hand. “Dance with me, Jessie.”

With one look on the dance floor, I saw that Scott was still dancing.

I turned and smiled at Mike. “Sure. Why not?”

We walked out, and as soon as we hit the dance floor, Mike spun me around, and we took off two-stepping.

I let out a laugh as he twirled me around again. “Shit, Mike. I forgot how well you know your way around the dance floor!”

He looked down at me and smiled. I was having so much fun dancing with him. For a few brief minutes, I forgot all about Scott and the bleach-blonde.

By the time we got back to the bar, I was laughing so hard that my side was hurting. Mike and I talked for a few minutes, and then I saw a girl walking up. She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. I smiled as I noticed the way he was staring at her.

I want that. I want to feel loved and cherished.

Mike leaned down and whispered something into her ear that caused her to blush. I turned away and asked Jimmy for another beer.

When I turned back, she was looking at me.

She held out her hand. “Hey, I’m Mary Lou, Mike’s wife.”

I shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for letting him spin me around on the floor.”

She giggled and hit his arm. “He loves to dance.”

“It shows.”

After a few minutes, they said their good-byes, and I was left sitting there, alone. When I looked down the bar, I noticed Scott wasn’t there. I glanced out onto the dance floor, but I didn’t see him there either. He must have left. I frantically searched for the blonde. What if he left with her? Shit! I closed my eyes and fought to keep the tears from building. No. I won’t do this again. I can’t do this again.

When Blake Shelton’s “Do You Remember” started to play, I decided that I needed to find Dewey and leave. I can’t do this. I got up, and when I turned around, Scott was standing there.

He gave me a weak smile as he held out his hand toward me. “Dance with me?”

My heart started to pound, and I felt sick. As much as my head was telling me to say no, my heart answered for me instead. “Okay.”

He walked me out onto the dance floor, and he pulled me in close to him. He didn’t say a word as we started to dance. I kept thinking back to him on the beach, begging me to believe him about Chelsea. I did believe him. But then, she had called, and it hit me. She was still a huge part of his life.

Is he looking for someone to make him forget? Or is he looking for someone to love?

As the end of the song was playing, he drew me in closer and put his mouth up to my ear. I felt the heat of his breath, and I had to close my eyes.

“Please forgive me, Jessie…please, angel. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. It kills me that you’re hurting because of me.”

I leaned away from him and stared up into his blue eyes. The look in his eyes was filled with…

Impossible. He couldn’t possibly think of me that way. I’m just Tiny, Dewey and Aaron’s baby sister.

He placed his hands on the sides of my face as he leaned down to kiss me. My heart was beating so fast and hard that I was sure the whole place could hear it. Once his lips touched mine, I let out a small moan as I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair.

I wasn’t sure how long we had been kissing, but the next song was already playing, and everyone was dancing around us.

He pulled away just a bit. “Please come home with me.”

I smiled as I nodded. “Are you sure it’s safe? No ex-girlfriends?” I giggled.

He threw his head back and laughed. “I promise. The only other living thing in that house is my cat.”

As I was looking around for Dewey, he danced right on by me.

“Dew!” I yelled.

He stopped and looked right at me.

“I’m going to be, um…I’m going to, uh…”

Dewey stared at me like I was nuts. I noticed then that he was dancing with the same bleach-blonde who had been talking to Scott earlier. Scott must have noticed, too, because he started laughing.

“Dew, I’ll make sure Jessie gets home…tomorrow.” He winked, and then he grabbed my hand and started walking me out of the bar.

Dewey shouted at Scott, “Fucker! That’s my sister you’re talking about, you dick!”

I turned around and smiled at Dewey. I was blowing him a kiss while Scott was practically pulling my arm out of the socket. It wasn’t lost on me that the blonde was giving me a dirty look. As soon we got outside, Scott grabbed me and began kissing me. I’d never felt so alive in my life. He reached down and picked me up as I wrapped my legs around him. He started to make his way to his truck.