Mistakenly Mated by Sonnet O'Dell Page A

are we going anyway?” Kerry smiled at him and flicked the brim of her hat so that it sat further back on her head.
    “You’ll see when we get there, won’t you?” Caleb kept his eyes on the tail lights of the Mazda. He followed them out onto the interstate and off again, just before the next town over. They pulled into a packed lot of a bar inside a converted warehouse. A neon cowboy rode a bronco in shades of blue, red and yellow flashed above a sign that read Red Bills, except the B kept flashing off and on.
    Caleb arched a brow, staring out the window at the place. Kerry was already climbing out the car joining her friends. She shot a look back at Caleb, challenging him with her eyes. Paulie gave him a look too and slipped his arm around Kerry’s waist. He whispered something into her ear that made her laugh.
    Caleb got out of his car, hitting the pad to lock it and followed in behind them.
    Inside the building there were four bars—one at each end of the room. In the middle was a huge wooden dance floor with a stage at one end against the back wall where a band thrummed out country music.
    “Oh, yeah,” cried Kerry. “Cover band night. Let’s dance.”
    Kerry grabbed Susan by the hand and dragged her, laughing, onto the floor. They joined the end of a line and quickly fell into step.
    Paulie smacked Caleb on the back. “You ever been here before?” he asked, arching his arms out to encompass the entirety of the building.
    Caleb shook his head, taking in all the women in tight jeans and short skirts and the men in Stetsons.
    “It’s intense.”
    Paulie laughed and smacked him harshly in the shoulder again. “You could call it that. Come on, let’s get a couple of beers in you and you’ll be fine.”
    * * * *
    Caleb stayed on the side of the dance floor, watching them. Luka sat next to him with a beer in one hand and picking at some barbeque chicken wings with the other. Luka was a very quiet companion. Paulie was out of the dance floor with the two girls, keeping up with them as they stomped, clapped, and twirled to the thrumming music the band belted out. Susan ran over, fanning herself with her hat. She picked up Luka’s beer and took a swig from it.
    “It’s hotter than the six shades of hell out there. Oh, yum—chicken wings.” Susan grabbed one of the wings, devouring it in one gulp and pulling the bone out clean.
    Caleb blinked as she tossed it down, licking sauce off her bottom lip. Luka’s eyes were a little glazed over watching her.
    She took his hand. “Come dance.”
    Luka shook his head and swigged his beer.
    She pulled at his hand and pouted. “Come on—please.”
    “Nobabyyoudancejustfineonyourown.” It was the first time Caleb heard Luka speak. He spoke so fast with no spaces between his words, not breathing until he was done speaking.
    Susan stomped her little foot and ran back into the crowd of people. As if in exchange, it spat Kerry out. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her hair stuck to her face. Caleb smiled at her and watched a line of perspiration run down her neck, sliding over her breast and down between them. Caleb held out her light beer. Kerry took it and necked it.
    She grinned at him. “I didn’t expect you to be a wall flower. Come show me your moves.”
    “I honestly wouldn’t know how to keep up. I’m more of a formal dancing kind of guy.”
    Kerry smirked at him. She rolled her hips as she swiveled in a circle, showing his just how tight her cutoffs were against her body. Caleb gulped.
    “Now, I’ve seen you work your hips. Don’t you lie to me, boy,” she challenged him.
    Before Caleb could say anything in reply, Paulie appeared. He grabbed Kerry’s arm, spinning her, and dropping her back against his arm. Her hat went tumbling to the floor and she barked out a laugh.
    “There you are. I wasn’t done with you darlin’,” he said, flipping her back
    Kerry’s knee bent and she caught it on his hip. They ground together, which made Caleb growl.