Chapter 5

• After all the ribbons were placed and the pole lowered into the hole, the drums changed to a loud, flighty, faster rhythm. He watched several of the males join the dancing, as a few females came and went. He noticed almost immediately Leena wasn’t in the dancing circle. Turning to the drummers, he saw that she and Cora were walking among the drummers, bringing drinks. Dade winked at him and turned his head back to the women.
• He saw his friend watch Cora, almost daring her to bring a drink. He also saw that Cora moved to the drummers away from where Dade sat. Leena walked up and squatted down beside Dade and spoke in his ear. Dade laughed and shook his head. Owen watched as Leena pulled a bottle of water out of the bag and offered it.
• He recognized the playful dare in the man’s eyes as he spoke, and was surprised when she smiled, uncapped the water and placed it to Dade’s lips. She literally was giving him the drink. Swallowing, Dade grinned again and said something. That something was enough to make her lean down and place a kiss on his cheek. Owen made a note to have a private conversation with his lifelong friend and find out how the hell he did that.
• Not wanting to see Dade gloating, Owen turned back to watch the dancers and wait for Leena to return to the circle. He noticed Kasey and Rachel were sharing a bottle of wine, and headed that way. He didn’t want to leave the circle to get a beer, so maybe he could beg a sip from the ladies.
• The drumming remained steady, which surprised him when Dade walked up beside him. He knew it wasn’t just his friend drumming, but he seemed shocked they continued without him. “Do your arms get tired?”
• Dade shrugged. “Sometimes. I just take a short break now and then. Most often I’m too caught up in what’s going on to notice. So, what do you think so far?” They slowly moved around the outside of the circle toward where the women were standing.
• “I am going to need a little time to digest this. I feel like I’m on a high and I haven’t had a bloody thing to drink, or anything else.” He grinned at him, “I do know I will hold that pole every year for the rest of my life, though.”
• Dade threw his head back and laughed. “You haven’t seen anything yet, my friend. The best is yet to come.”
• “Any better and the showers here better be good, because I’ll need one. Long and cold!”
• Chris caught up to them and grabbed the bottle of water from Dade. “Did I offend one of the ladies, or all of them? I didn’t get a drink brought to me. Or a kiss. How did you manage that, Jones?”
• Dade winked at Owen as he answered, “I’ll never tell, my friend.”
• Chris laughed and turned to Owen. “I think if you’re planning on attending on a regular basis, we need to teach you to drum. You enjoyed that pole far too much for a newbie.”
• Owen nodded. “I will hold that pole every year until I’m so old someone has to hold me up.”
• Cora noticed the three men walking toward them and elbowed Steven, who had moved up to stand beside her. “Owen’s all right, isn’t he? I haven’t sensed anything off with him.”
• Steven grinned, “He’s fine. He just doesn’t know what he already knows. Yet.”
• “Well, let’s hope we don’t scare him into never wanting to know.” She smiled as Chris walked over. “Hello there, Mr. Lawyer Man. Sorry I didn’t bring you a drink. These two,” she motioned toward Kasey and Rachel, “were partaking of our ritual mead a little too healthily, and I don’t want to have to carry anyone back to the cabin tonight.”
• Chris shrugged, “I’m always happy to take drunken women where they need to go, Cora.”
• Dade put his arm around Kasey. “I’m sure they’re going to be able to walk back just fine, Coralee.” She glared back at him as he watched Leena glide over to the small group and said, “Are you ladies up for a bit of fun after the festivities?”
• Kasey smiled sweetly up at him and snuggled more into his chest. “What kind of fun are you looking for, Dade Jones?”
• Dade smiled down at the tiny woman under his arm. “Oh, nothing that isn’t acceptable. I just thought maybe we could bring some light into Owen’s world. You know, rather than break it to him gently...” He grinned at his wary looking friend. “We’ll just lay it all out for him. Well, not all, but enough.”
• Leena laughed softly and then frowned at Dade. “You’re not very nice sometimes, Dade.” She turned to Owen and smiled. “I assure you, it’s all harmless, just a way to bring you into our little circle, Owen.”
• Owen cleared his throat, not sure whether to laugh or whimper. “I’m game.”
• Chris, who had been looking around the rest of the crowd, frowned at Dade as he liberated Kasey from under Dade’s arm and swung her into his arms. “Great. Now ladies, how about you get back out there and dance so we have motivation to drum this night?” Setting Kasey down, he grabbed her face gently between large hands and kissed her lips, hard.
• Kasey, grinning wide, nodded and headed back into the circle.
• “Come on, Owen, sit with the drummers, and we’ll give you a silent beater.”
• Owen looked at Chris as he walked past. “A what?”
• “A drum that’s muffled so you can get the rhythm but no one will hear a sound from your drum.”
• Owen laughed. “Sounds like my kind of drum. Lead the way.”
• Owen found himself between Dade and Chris, caught up in learning the rhythm and watching either Chris’ or Dade’s hands to pick up the beat. This was a good place to be, as the dancers stopped often to dance right in front of them, or bring them drinks.
• After an hour, his arms were tired and he had new admiration for the men who were still going strong, moving effortlessly from one rhythm to the next.
• During a slower beat, he noticed several of the women moving through those at the edge of the circle. He watched as they took their wreaths off and placed them onto a head. He was sure the men didn’t realize how silly they looked wearing flowers and ribbons, although when the women gave them a kiss, he was sure they didn’t care.
• Kasey paused in front of the drummers and began to weave her way toward them, slowly taking off her wreath. She smiled in a shy, nervous kind of way at the drummers. Neither Dade nor Chris paused, but Owen could feel them both waiting to see who she was going to place her wreath on. When she passed Dade and went to Chris, Owen enjoyed the grin on his new friend’s face.
• Chris actually missed a few beats as he raised a hand to place it behind her head to receive the kiss. Owen didn’t see steam, but he felt warmer just witnessing their kiss.
• He was wishing some woman would make him look like an idiot and place her wreath on his head. He turned to watch the scene repeated with Doc and Rachel. He was sure Steven was blushing after, or maybe it was just from the heat.
• At the point when Cora began seductively dancing her way into the drummers, his heart stopped. She was far too exotic for him to handle, but if she placed her wreath on his head, he would certainly try. He felt like a schoolboy wanting to jump up and say, “pick me,” but he dug deep and found his dignity somewhere.
• She passed him by and held the eyes of the man beside him. When she placed the wreath on Dade’s head and leaned her mouth down to his, Owen was sure the sparks that flew burned him. In his own amazement, he realized it was a kiss out of a movie that made your heart speed up. Dade didn’t miss a single beat, though the kiss seemed to last more than just a few moments.
• He found himself wishing for mistletoe, a cute puppy, anything that would bring one of the women to him. His heart tripped when he noticed Leena dancing toward the drummers. He fought the urge to look around and make sure he was the only one in the area without a wreath, but held onto what composure he had left.
• When she stopped in front of him, it was all he could do to not stand and meet her halfway, he held the drum in front of him tightly and stayed seated. As the wreath touched his head, her smile made his insides burn. He reached up to gently guide her head down to his.
• As Leena lowered her head toward him, she still wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to pick Owen. Maybe it was from those years in school wishing he’d notice her, hoping her first kiss would be from him. He was older, and that made her invisible then. Now she was long out of school and if a woman didn’t allow herself a few luxuries, then life held no meaning at all.
• When he palmed her neck, she felt the heat and couldn’t stop herself from looking into his blue eyes. They had darkened to the color of steel, and the little voice in her head tried to tell her “mistake,” but she didn’t care.
• Feeling the heat sear through her, she had to stop from moaning into his mouth, and slowly pulled back before it was too late. His passion-filled steel eyes captured hers as he loosened his hold and let her straighten.
• Owen forgot where they were. Her lips were soft and warm as they touched his as heat coiled in his stomach. Turning his head, he deepened their kiss, knowing this may be the only chance he would get to taste what she offered. She tasted of dark passion and hunger. He didn’t know where he was going to find the strength to keep this brief, but he really didn’t care if it never ended.
• As she danced back to the circle, he felt Chris lean over, and heard him whisper. “Boil a man’s blood... welcome to our world.” Chris smiled a lopsided grin at him and then lowered his head back to his drumming.