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wanders sometimes.
Sparks Fly! A Divine Creek July 4th Family Reunion 143
Adam waved at their waitress and asked for the tab.  Why don t
we say good night and see how far we get down the road. Adam said
it with a wink directed it at Grace, which Jack knew boded well for
whoever got to the backseat first.
Jack was so grateful they d learned the benefits early on of being
as helpful as they could to Grace with the house and with the baby.
The three of them were hands-on with Rose Marie to keep Grace from
feeling overworked. Having a housekeeper saved the time she had in
the evening after work for relaxing with her men. Less stress equaled
more of Grace s lovin .
Jack got up and helped Grace from her chair, and they bid
everyone a hasty good night. As he passed Seth Carter, Jack noticed
the tattoo artist was keeping an eye on Jayne, who was on the dance
floor with his ranch hand Buck Turnsell. Jayne didn t appear to be
uncomfortable, but she maintained a ladylike distance with Buck. She
might ve agreed to dance with him, but it was pretty clear her choice
was already made. Seth s posture communicated that he didn t take
that for granted, which Jack appreciated since Jayne was his wife s
cousin. Jack laid a hand on his shoulder, and Seth looked up at him
and reached out to shake his hand.
 Jack, thanks for the invitation. I had a great time.
 Glad to hear it, Seth. You re welcome out at the ranch anytime.
Nodding at Jayne on the dance floor, Jack added,  She s a jewel.
She deserves someone who will treat her well. Especially after all
that the sweet girl had been through.
Seth nodded, agreement in his eyes, which immediately tracked
back to her. Jack grinned as Grace slipped her hand in his.
You may not know it yet, Seth, but welcome to the family.
Jack had seen that look on Ethan and Adam s faces when they d
been courting Grace, and he was sure they d seen it in his too. Seth
had stuck close to Jayne for the entire day, and even Jack, who was
sometimes the last to know about stuff like this, could see that they
were very attracted.
144 Heather Rainier
As Adam passed him, he growled,  First one to the SUV gets
laid.
* * * *
Seth sat alone at the table nursing his beer and minding
everyone s drinks. All the other occupants of the table, including
Jayne, were on the dance floor. Buck had politely asked Jayne if she d
liked to dance almost as soon as they d arrived, and Seth hadn t
wanted to appear to be an asshole, so when she d looked at him
questioningly he d nodded his approval. He wished now that he d
beaten Buck to the invitation.
Her soft curves pressed against his back on the ride over had been
enjoyable torture and he looked forward to holding her close to his
front as they danced. She d look up at him with those unusual blue-
green eyes that harbored an intoxicating combination of eagerness and
innocence.
Her eye color fascinated him. If he looked deep enough, he could
see blue, green, and an irregularly shaped ring of brown that blended
the other two colors together. He d had to stop himself from just
outright staring at them when they d been at the ranch. He could look
into them for a long time and be perfectly happy, but he thought that
had as much, if not more, to do with the emotions her eyes expressed.
Prior to settling in Divine, he d travelled on three continents
because he d wanted to gain experience in life and in his art. In the
long run, what he d learned was that life experience was overrated.
Jayne was nothing like the women he d grown accustomed to. The
circles he d travelled in attracted a certain kind of woman, and while
they might ve been eager, none of them had been innocent. There was
something about Jayne that was fragile and pure, and brought out his
protective instincts. His thoughts were interrupted when he was
enveloped in a cloying cloud of perfume as a blonde sat down in
Jayne s seat.
Sparks Fly! A Divine Creek July 4th Family Reunion 145
 You look lonely, she said with an exaggerated Texas twang.
The pouty pink lip-glossed look might have worked on some of the
men in the club, but it did nothing for Seth. She looked awfully young
for her collagen-enhanced lips and Botox smile, but to each their own.
 Not really. Seth s gaze returned to Jayne as she chatted amiably
with Buck on the dance floor. He no longer felt particularly
threatened by Buck or Chad but wished the song would end so Buck
would bring Jayne back to the table. Seth was more than ready for a
dance with her.
The young woman held out her ornately manicured hand as
though she were offering it for him to shake it but actually expected
him to kiss it.  I m Presley Ann.
Seth nodded at her.  Hello. He shook her awkwardly tilted hand
and released it, surreptitiously wiping his hand on his jeans afterward
in case her heavy perfume had rubbed off.
 You re that new tattoo artist in town, aren t you? At his nod,
she said,  I ve often thought of getting a tattoo, maybe something
simple and sweet like a little angel or a heart. She pointed to her
darkly tanned shoulder.
Sweet cheeks, at the first tingle of discomfort you d go screaming
to your mama and want to sue me for pain and anguish.
He d seen her type before. The screamers were the worst.
Nodding at Buck and Jayne as they twirled by, Seth noticed the
wary look in Jayne s eyes as she spotted Presley Ann seated at their
table.
Pretty Jayne, don t even go there.
He didn t want her to think he was interested in that woman, so he
rose from his chair, intending to cut in. Buck would understand, and
maybe he d do Seth a favor and take over with Miss Presley Ann.
 Why, I d love to dance with you&  She let the sentence drift off,
as though waiting for his name, but he didn t offer it, thanking his
lucky stars when Chad walked up and pulled out his chair.
146 Heather Rainier
 Actually, miss, I m going to cut in and rejoin my date out on the
dance floor, but Chad will dance with you. Seth looked hopefully at
the ranch hand. Fast on the uptake, Chad s rear never even hit the
chair as he smiled at the blonde and lifted his cowboy hat.  Presley
Ann, Chad Jordan. After that perfunctory introduction, he strode to
the dance floor as a Brantley Gilbert song began to play.
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