Dancing Hearts Page 2

  “Hell yes. What’s up guys? Hi Nia.” Nia is my buddy Hunter’s sister. She is a couple of years younger than us. When we got tickets to the concert, Hunter surprised her with one for her birthday. He watches out for his sister and I have nothing but respect for that. She’s tried in the past to come on to me, but I’ve only ever thought of her as a sister. She is good with that now and has moved on to wanting Ryder. Ryder, Levi, Hunter, and I all went to high school together and have been friends ever since. It will be an interesting night, that’s for damn sure.

  “Let’s grab a beer before we head out. What do you say Coop?” I just close the door behind me and lead them to the bar. I go behind it and grab four Miller Lites, pop the tops, and hand them to everyone who is now sitting at the bar.

  “Just one guys, I don’t want to park too far from the stadium. Levi, did you pack the grill and grab the burgers?” I love tailgating at concerts. It just makes it that much better.

  “Asshole, you texted me two hours ago to remind me. Of course, I brought it all. I also grabbed beer and water for you.” I have to admit that I appreciate that none of them bust my balls for not drinking. Obviously they all saw what I went through, but I still appreciate it nonetheless. I nod my head and look around the bar just checking to make sure that everything is set for opening. I usually open earlier on a Friday, but with going out I opted to wait as I’m stressed enough. The girls are all setting up the tables and Roy is cutting up fruit for the drinks. I start to feel a bit better seeing that they all seem to be doing what they should be.

  “Man, relax. You are entitled to have a night off. You should do it more often if you ask me,” Ryder says throwing back his beer. I sigh and shake my head. I know I should take more time for myself, but I just don’t see the point. All my friends end up here anyway, especially on Saturday nights when we have live music. That brings in a huge crowd and I am grateful this concert is on a Friday.

  “Hey Boss.” I turn to look at Roy and he raises his pierced eyebrow at me. I laugh and flip him off. He thinks I’m sticking around to make sure everything is running smoothly. Well, lucky for me, I can blame it on these guys wanting a drink even if I am doing just that. A squeal breaks me out of my thoughts and I look over at Nia at the same time as the rest of the guys do.

  “What the hell, Nia?” Hunter yells.

  “Sorry. I just saw on Facebook that a girl I used to hang out with in high school is going to the concert. I hope we see her.” Hunter shakes his head and finishes off his beer.

  “Don’t get your hopes up, baby sister, there are going to be a lot of people there.” He stands up and throws money down on the counter. One thing I can say about these guys is they never expect a drink for free. They know how hard I bust my ass and never take advantage of it. Everyone else stands, indicating it is time to leave. I walk to the other end of the bar and throw my arm around Roy.

  “If you need anything at all, call me.” He laughs and wipes his hands on a rag.

  “Boss, I’ve got this, but if I need you I promise to call. Alright?” I know he is full of shit; he won’t call unless the damn bar is on fire, but I’ll take what I can get. I give him a slap on the back and make my way outside to meet up with everyone. I unlock my Ford F250. This truck is the only new thing I’ve bought myself in years. It is silver with black interior and it is a fucking dream to drive. Also, it has the extended cab so I can still fit everyone in here.

  “Cooper, I put the coolers and grill in the bed before we came in, so we are ready to roll,” Levi says jumping in the front seat. Ryder, Hunter, and Nia get in the back, and I hop into the driver’s seat.

  “Alright, you guys ready for a kick-ass night?” I ask and push the key into the ignition and listen to the purr that accompanies it.

  “Fuck yes.”

  “Damn right.”

  “Bring on the hot cowboys.”

  We laugh at her reaction because Hunter hates that shit. He’s happy to pretend that his sister is still a virgin, although I can’t blame him. If I had a sister, I would probably be the same way.

  The drive to the concert is smooth. The conversation is steady, the music is pumping, and if I’m being honest, for the first time in quite a while, I am excited. Maybe there is something to getting away from the bar every once in a while. We pull into the parking lot and it is packed already. We ended up parking farther away than I thought we would have to, but it is the perfect spot for tailgating. After I turn off the truck we all pile out. I go around back and jump up in the bed to start unloading everything. I hand the grill and coolers out to the guys. I grab the chairs, jump down, and set them up. Nia plops right down in one, smiling while she is texting away on her phone.

  We get the grill going and I throw the burgers on. The guys are standing with me around the grill all drinking a beer. I look around the parking lot at all the people. Damn, this concert is going to be packed. There are so many people tailgating and having a great time already. It just adds to the excitement I was already feeling.

  “Hey, Coop.” I look over at Levi and he raises his beer. I raise my water and we take a sip. It’s his silent way of saying he is proud of me for doing something for myself. Once the burgers are done, we all sit down to eat and bullshit before we head to the stadium.

  “Damn, these are good, Cooper. I didn’t know you could cook too.” Nia says taking another bite. I take a sip of water and smile.

  “Well, who do you think cooks for me every day Nia?” I laugh finishing off my burger.

  “Oh yea, duh. Sorry, Cooper.” She is shaking her head and laughing at herself. I look over at Levi and see he has his eyes focused on a group of girls. I can’t help but notice that there are a lot of hot girls here tonight, but there are also a few slutty-looking ones. I throw my napkin at him and he looks over at me. I raise my eyebrows and he just shrugs while tossing back another beer.

  “Alright guys, I think we should start to pack this shit away. I am pretty sure it is going to be really crowded, so we should start heading over there soon.” They all agree and we start packing it all back into the truck. Ryder grabs another beer before we load the coolers back in, but everyone else grabs a water. Once it is all put away, we start heading to the stadium with the hundreds of other people.

  “Shit, we are going to be crammed on the lawn. This is a shitload of people,” Ryder says tossing his beer into a garbage can as we pass.

  “I didn’t think it would be this crowded, but I’m sure it is going to be an awesome concert.” I really think it will be. I’ve never seen Luke Bryan, but his music is great, and I’m sure he puts on a good show. I’m taking in all the people as we wait in line to get in. There is such a diverse group of people. Old and young, couples, groups of friends. It is great to see so many people that enjoy the same thing. Music.

  After we all get in, we make our way to the lawn. Holy shit, there are so many people already and we still have a half hour until it starts. Nia starts walking in one direction, so instinctively we all follow. I hear her loud squeal, followed by more squeals. I look over at Hunter and he just lifts his shoulders. We make our way to her and she is hugging a girl. I laugh and move closer to Hunter.

  “Looks like she found her friend after all.” He laughs and turns to me.

  “Only she could find someone in this fucking crowd.” Levi and Ryder make it to us and we stand there waiting on Nia.

  “Lacey, it is so good to see you. You look amazing. How are you?” This friend, who I assume is Lacey, is answering her and asking her questions. I look back at the guys and laugh.

  “Guys, I think this is where we are watching the concert from.” Ryder says as he moves to stand next to me and throws his arm around my shoulder.

  “I’m more than happy with this view, that’s for damn sure.” Ryder says, I smile and shake my head. He is not talking about the stage, that’s for sure. He’s talking about all the girls in front of us. I would be lying if I said these girls weren’t sexy; they definitely are. There ar
e three of them--two blondes and a red head. I’m usually more of a brunette kind of guy, to be honest.

  “Lacey, I’m sorry this is my brother, Hunter. And his friends, Levi, Ryder, and Cooper.” We all shake hands with Nia’s friend.

  “Nice to meet you all. This is my twin sister, Lane, my friend Rowan and … ” she looks over to the right and this tiny little thing is walking over. The closer she gets, the more my attention is on her. She is beautiful. “Oh, here she is. This is my friend, Emma.” Emma doesn’t seem to notice us at first and yells out to her friends.

  “Fuck you for making me go to the bathroom alone. I hope one of you have to go soon, because I’m not going with you.” Everyone laughs, but there is a part of me that wants to wrap my arms around her, to protect her. Where the fuck is that coming from? I haven’t felt like that in a long time. She turns around and notices we are standing there. “Oh shit. Sorry, hi, I’m Emma.” I don’t even wait for anyone else, and I move toward her with a slight smile on my face.

  “Hi, Emma. I’m Cooper; nice to meet you.” She looks up at me and seems speechless for a minute. It is like she is taking me in, and damn, if I don’t love it. She clears her throat and I instantly love the effect I am having on her.

  “Hey, Cooper.” I wink at her and she smiles before turning to talk to her friend. Well holy shit, this night just got a hell of a lot more interesting, that’s for sure.

  HOLY SHIT. I CANNOT BELIEVE how incredibly hot this guy is standing in front of me. He’s tall, probably almost a foot taller than me. He has dark brown messy hair, brown eyes, a muscular body, and tattoos that are coming out from under his sleeves. I am instantly attracted to him, not that I’ll make a move or anything, but damn, a girl can look. After our introductions, I turned to talk to Rowan.

  “Damn Ro, look at how hot this guy Cooper is. Like, holy shit hot.” She gives me a knowing smirk.

  “As soon as Lacey’s friend introduced them, I knew you’d think he was hot. I know you didn’t take notice of anyone else, but Hunter is holy shit hot too.” I have no idea who that is, but when I glance back I know exactly who she is talking about. He is the dark-haired, clean-cut guy with the sexy smile. Just her type.

  “So, who are these guys?” She explains the whole thing to me about how they are friends of Lacey’s friend. Well, looks like we will have some extras hanging out tonight, which is fine by me. The more the merrier.

  Rowan ditches me to go over and talk to Hunter. Lacey, her friend, and Lane are talking, so I just lean up against the railing and look out onto the stage. I can’t wait until Luke Bryan is out there; I find myself smiling just thinking about it.

  “You have a beautiful smile.” I snap my head over and notice that Cooper is leaning his back on the rail, arms crossed, smiling at me. There is a part of me that wants to shy away from him and a bigger part that wants all the attention he is willing to give me. I smile again and look back at the stage.

  “Thank you. Are you a country fan?” Duh, why would I ask something like that? He’s at a damn Luke Bryan concert. I want to face-plant into my hands; he is making me nervous which is not something I am used to. He lets out a small laugh and I turn to look at him once again. Damn he is hot.

  “Yes, I am a country fan. Although I do listen to a bit of everything. If it’s a good song, I don’t care who sings it. I just love music.” I turn my body to stand with my back resting on the rail as well. I cross my feet and rest my arms on the rail behind me.

  “I love music too, although mine is pretty much country. I love the feeling a song is capable of bringing out, whether it is excitement, tears, or laughter. Any musician capable of that has talent.” He shakes his head and turns his body to face me, with his left side now resting on the rail.

  “I couldn’t agree more. Have you seen Luke before?” I can’t help the smile that makes its way to my face.

  “No, but I am so damn excited to see him tonight. How about you?” One of the guys calls his name so he looks away from me. I take the opportunity to really check him out. The tight black shirt he has on is showcasing his magnificent body, muscles flexing just from every move he makes. I can’t make out exactly what his tattoos are, but I find myself wanting to reach out and trace each one. He has a strong jaw, a perfect nose, and even the slight five o’clock shadow he is rocking has me wanting to know what it would feel like rubbing on me. His eyes are a deep brown, but you can see that they hold wisdom. His perfectly messed-up brown hair completes the entire sexy package. I am taken back by how badly I want to feel his arms around me and not just in a sexual way.

  “Emma?” I pull myself out of my trance and look at him. He has a knowing smile, and I should be embarrassed, but I just laugh. I’m caught, no use in looking more ridiculous.

  “I’m sorry. What did you say?” He gives me a sexy ass half-grin and winks at me.

  “Would you like something to drink? My buddy is going to grab some drinks.” Yes, please. A little bit of liquid courage is just what I need to relax myself.

  “Please. A Corona would be great.” I reach into my pocket to hand over some cash, but he is walking toward his friend. I just stand there, watching the scene unfold. He is talking and laughing with his friend, and for some reason it makes me happy to know that he has friends he seems close to. I shake my head at that weird thought since I don’t even know the guy. What the hell should it matter if he has good friends? After a short time, he comes walking back toward me. For the first time since probably high school, I feel butterflies in my stomach. This time, he stands right in front of me and I need to look up to see his handsome face.

  “Levi and Ryder are going to grab drinks for everyone.” He says this like I know who they are, and I realize they are his friends but I don’t know them.

  “That was nice. I’ll give them money when they get back.” He winks and moves to stand next to me again.

  “I got it, doll.” Doll? Doll? What the hell? Why is that such a damn turn on? I just smile and look out at the sea of people that are now on the lawn.

  “Can you believe this crowd? I’ve never seen it so packed before.” He turns his attention out to the lawn and lets out a low whistle.

  “Shit. This place is going to be a mad house. Who else are you here with?” I’m not sure why he would ask that. Maybe it is his way of seeing if we brought guys?

  “Just me, Rowan, Lane, and Lacey. Who are you here with?” I give him the same half-smile he’s been hitting me with. He laughs and I like that I was able to make him do so.

  “Just me. Well, Levi, Ryder, Hunter, and Nia, but I’m single if that’s what you were asking. I’ll just ask, are you single?” I can’t help it, and I burst out laughing. This guy is not only ridiculously good looking, but I really like his personality.

  “Yes, I am.” He gives me a nod when one of his friends, Hunter, I’m assuming because he has his arm around Rowan, comes walking over. She is unreal and I can’t help but laugh at her when she wiggles her eyebrows at me.

  “Coop, I haven’t met your friend yet. Hey, I’m Hunter.” He sticks out his hand on the arm not wrapped around Rowan.

  “Hey, Hunter. I’m Emma; nice to meet you.” He gives me a nod similar to what Cooper had given me. Before we have time to even talk further, we hear music and I spin around to look at the stage. The opening act is finally coming out, and Lee Brice comes walking out onto stage. I can’t contain my excitement and start bouncing up and down before he even gets a word out. He gets to the mic and thanks us all for being here, starting in on the first song. His first song is I Drive Your Truck and I am belting out every lyric. I love this song and can’t even help the fact that a tear is running down my face. I feel a thumb wipe my tear and turn to see Cooper smiling at me. He leans down close to my ear because the music is so loud, and I am damn thankful for that.

  “Are those tears of a talented musician evoking your emotions? I hope so.” Who the hell is this sweet guy? I don’t know why his words mean so much to me, but they do. It is
like he is hoping I am not hurting. I smile and push up on my toes. He bends so I can reach his ear.

  “Yes, these are tears due to talent. Thank you.” I pull back and he smiles at me. They are tears of a talented musician, but this song reminds me of my brother so that may be part of the tears. Where the hell is my beer? I am pulled out of my Cooper trance when Rowan starts screaming and jumping around. Beer is the next song; we high five and start singing. Coincidental since I was just thinking about my beer. Finally, Cooper’s friends make it back to us with our drinks.

  “Shit, the lines are fucking awful. Forget about trying to make our way back over here.” He starts passing out all the beers and hands Cooper a water. I feel bad that the poor guy is the designated driver, but it doesn’t stop me from taking a huge sip of my beer.

  Once I’ve downed my beer, we are having so much fun. We are dancing, singing, and, let’s be honest, taking tons of pictures. Lee Brice is killing it up there--what a fucking awesome opening act. Rowan and I are holding hands and screaming when Lee Brice announces that Luke Bryan will be up soon. “Ro, are you ready to shake that ass?” I smack her ass and hear the guys laughing behind us. Just to be a bit dirty, I do it again. We laugh and turn around to see what is going on behind us while we wait for Luke. Holy shit, I guess my little spot is all I’m getting. You can’t move now.

  “Fuck me, that’s a lot of people.” I hold up my hand for a high five from Rowan. Hunter leans down and grabs her attention so I look over to see where Cooper went. He’s a few people away talking and laughing with Levi. There is a small part of me that is a bit disappointed that he isn’t over talking with me. I turn back to the stage and mentally slap myself. You will never see each other after tonight, idiot; don’t let him get to you like that. I can see Luke’s band getting everything set up and the excitement I felt before is nothing compared to this. I look down at all the people in the seats, and I am amazed that they are all filled too. Looking to my right, I lean slightly over the rail, when suddenly I am pulled back. I scream because I felt like I was falling.