Can't Hurry Love

So. She was still mad then.

Josh felt a grudging smile pull at his lips as he watched Beth's tiny figure stomp across the room, dragging Damon behind her.

Feeling a stare on him, he turned to see Brooke's speculative gaze raking over him.

"I don't think I've ever seen Beth mad at someone," she said, her dark eyes narrowed.

"Lucky you," he murmured, his own eyes already hunting for Beth again.

For months now, he'd been torn between trying to talk to her and explain himself or just carrying on a friendly-but-distant-neighborly relationship.

In a town as small as Rocky Valley, completely avoiding each other wasn't an option. Though she gave it a hell of a shot.

Sometimes, when he caught a glimpse of her golden curls, or she accidentally made eye contact and looked him with those huge blue eyes, he'd remember the lust that had caught him by surprise the night he'd kissed her. And he'd want her with a force that bordered on desperation.

Other times, he'd call himself all kinds of crazy for reacting that way to a woman who, while she was beautiful, was just a woman.

Mostly though he just felt an ever-present sense of guilt. Especially when he played cards or had a beer with her brothers.

Brothers who were rightly protective of their baby sister. Josh figured that Beth hadn't told Grayson, Zach, or Seth about their date night considering it'd been a year since then, and he still had all his limbs attached and two un-blackened eyes. Maybe it hadn't been that big a deal for her. Although a year of her shooting daggers at him or completely ignoring him and commandeering unsuspecting dance partners would suggest otherwise.

"What happened between you two?"

Josh had forgotten that Brooke was even standing beside him.

His entire focus was on Beth. On how she laughed up at Damon. The yellow dress that clung to her in a way that made him want to tear it off her.

Her body might be tiny, but it was mighty, and remembering exactly how it had felt pressed against his was starting to make things uncomfortable for him.

"Nothing," he croaked. "I mean I didn't-we didn't-

He stopped talking because, truthfully, he had no idea what to say.

"Well, whatever it was, you should apologize."

That got his attention enough for him to look a Brooke directly. He lifted his eyebrow, a little surprised by her audacity. He shouldn't be, though. He'd learned pretty quickly upon arriving in Rocky Valley that everyone knew everyone's business. And everyone felt compelled, even entitled, to comment on everyone's business.

He'd found it stifling at first. Then charming. Now it felt like a stick to beat him with.

"You assume that I should be the one to apologize?" he asked with a wry smile.

"Aren't you?" she shot back, obviously unimpressed with his attempts to charm her.

He gave up, pretty sharpish under her scrutiny. "Well, yeah," he admitted, "but how did you know?"

Brooke rolled her eyes before turning them on Beth and Damon, and Josh noticed that she looked as happy about the couple dancing as he felt.

"You're a man, aren't you?" she asked, sounding way more bitter than he'd ever heard her before and, without waiting for an answer she moved away, gliding passed the dancefloor with her chin in the air.

Man, the ladies in this town took no prisoners.

The song ended, and Josh watched closely to see if Damon would hold on to Beth for longer than necessary, knowing that it would be none of his business and wondering why the idea of it bothered him so much. To his relief, they parted straightaway, and neither of them looked like anything other than two lifelong friends dancing at a wedding.

The band waited for the smattering of applause and hollers to die down before Chase, the lead singer and local lawyer, spoke into the mic. "We're gonna slow things down again, folks, before we take a little break, so grab someone special and make this one count."

He watched Beth refuse someone's offer to dance and turn in the direction of the bar.

But he wasn't about to pass this opportunity up.

Josh hurried around the bodies on the dance floor and stood directly in Beth's path. He waited for her to look up but, just like that first night, her eyes were down, and she wasn't looking where she was going.

Preparing for impact, Josh reached out and, just like the tiny hurricane she'd been at Bella's Diner that night, Beth barreled right into his arms.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she gasped before looking up and seeing who she'd bumped into.

She'd never be able to join their poker nights, Josh thought as he watched the myriad emotions flit across her face. Even if she was a dude, her expressions would give her away. The scowl she was currently directing his way, for example, was definitely screaming Not. Happy.

But right before the scowl, he'd seen a flare of desire, tiny and flickering out before it really got a chance to ignite. But it was enough that he didn't drop his hands right away. "You owe me a dance," he said softly.

Her mouth popped open and damned if that simple action didn't have his groin stirring to life.

"Excuse me?" she snapped. "I don't owe you anything." "Well," he began casually, wrapping one arm around her waist and clasping one of her hands in his much larger one. She didn't seem to notice. "You did completely ignore me when I tried to ask you back there. Before you ran away."

Her eyes narrowed. She probably thought it made her look intimidating. It just made her look cute and spitting mad like a feral kitten. He knew better than to tell her that though.

"I did not run away," she hissed. "I was dancing with someone I wanted to dance with."

He nodded to acknowledge the hit. She didn't seem to realize that she was dancing now, too.

Again, he didn't feel it was necessary to point that out. "Well, maybe you don't owe me anything," he said gently and risked pulling her a little closer. "But I know I owe you something. An apology..."

Beth opened her mouth. Probably to argue. "...and an explanation."

That seemed to bring her up short.

She gazed up at him looking half suspicious, half enthralled.

And suddenly Josh's throat was dry. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her the truth, that much he knew.

It was too personal, not something he ever planned to admit to anyone. The reason he'd moved here in the first place.

"I am sorry," he whispered, because he needed to say something. And because it was true.

If that call hadn't come the night of their impromptu date, Josh knew he'd have called Beth. Probably that same night. That was how smitten he'd been. So, maybe it was providence that Ellen had called his cell while he was typing out a text to Beth. Maybe it was a sign that he should leave well enough alone.

It wasn't as if he could have anything serious with Beth. Or with anyone, really. Chicago and Elaine had made sure of that. Had made it so he could compete in commitment- phobia at the Olympics.

Beth shrugged, but she was holding herself so stiffly that the gesture didn't come across as casually as she'd probably wanted it to. "It's not a big deal, Dr. Larson," she said with a casualness that sounded a little brittle. Or maybe that was wishful thinking on his part. "We had a couple of drinks. Hardly something to still be talking about a year later."

With that, she removed herself from his arms and hurried across the room and out through the opened French doors before he could even blink.

Josh reminded himself that he should leave well enough alone. Reminded himself that a casual fling with the Carroway girl wasn't an option. And something serious with her was so far off the table it was practically back in Chicago. He told himself all of this.

And then he followed her anyway.