"I am so glad I'm going to be here all summer," Hannah sighed, beaming at Ben. "My first year of teaching was kind of stressful. I needed this. It's just like old times."
Ben smiled, stroking his sister's hair. "That's why I said you should spend your vacation in St. Mary's Port. It's the best place to relax and let go of things. I knew you'd enjoy a nostalgic summer."
The song had come to an end. With a start, Hannah saw Josh coming toward them from the corner of her eye. Her heart sped up to a hum. Was he going to ask her to Josh casually tapped Ben on the shoulder. "Can I have the next dance?"
"Sure." Ben smiled, letting go of his sister. Hannah felt her heart in her throat when Josh lightly put one hand on her back and used the other to grab her hand.
"Do I have your permission too?" Josh asked with a smile, after Ben walked back to the table.
"Y- yes." She was momentarily lost for words.
"Wow, you sound eager," he said dryly.
Hannah laughed nervously. Great - she sounded just like those giggling freshman girls she'd taught this year. Maybe she should have been more understanding toward them. She wasn't doing a whole lot better.
"I'd love to dance," she added quickly.
At that moment, the band started to play 'Moon River'. One of her top ten romantic songs. What twist of fate made this song play right now? And of course, she had absolutely no idea how to dance with him to this slow and mournful music.
"Uhm…" she started out, fumbling indecisively. "I don't really know what to do." Because obviously, she'd been wasting her money taking dancing lessons for two years. She couldn't come up with anything. Anything. Except pressing her body against him and hoping it would look like some sort of dance.
Josh smiled. "Come here." He pulled her even closer. Hannah felt his body against hers and his hand on her lower back.
"Put your chin on my shoulder," he mumbled into her ear.
"But - I won't be able to see where we're going." Immediately, she realized just how stupid that sounded. Like Josh was going to abduct her while dancing on the beach with her brother in plain sight.
She heard him chuckle. "I'll give you a live report. Okay?"
Hannah gave up and put her head on Josh's shoulder. She stared at the tables on the deck, the beach stretching out behind them, and the blood-red evening sky. If only the beauty of the surroundings would calm her, but it didn't. The warmth coming off Josh's body and his arms around her completely confused her. Although Josh had promised her a live report, he didn't speak at all during their dance together. He turned her around in a circular dance that had no name. It wasn't a quick-step. It wasn't a waltz. It wasn't anything, really, but she didn't care. It felt perfect.