Chapter Twenty-Eight

As promised, Hannah dropped the dress and loan denim jacket and jewelry off on her way to work in the morning. She couldn't stay long but was able to stay long enough to check that all the items did indeed go together, to put Molly's mind at ease. 

Molly then set about chilling out for a bit, as she knew that getting ready was going to take her as long, if not longer, than it would've back in Phoenix. She had to make sure she looked her absolute best and the least city she could. 

"While you're not doing much, want to learn some line dances and two step?" Jennifer asked. She'd seen this behavior before in her sister, but today she seemed to be particularly nervous. Practicing might help steady the nerves. Her sister seemed to contemplate whether to correct her that she wasn't just doing nothing, that this was part of her preparation, but decided not to. 

"Yeah, fine, show me some moves," Molly answered, thinking her sister was taking the piss a little. She knew how to dance, surely she'd be fine with whatever music came her way tonight. She got up and stood where her sister pointed. 

"Right. Basic line dance, follow me," Jennifer started her instruction. 

Within a couple of minutes, Molly was starting to panic. Clearly there was more to this than she thought, and she couldn't believe she'd left it to the last minute to practice. 

Two hours later she still wasn't sure she'd got the hang of all the moves. There seemed to be a lot of twirling and swing moves. Even Beth coming over for a little bit to help out didn't help settle her nerves. In fact, it probably made it worse so her new friend wisely decided to keep her distance after reminding her that she was coming to pick her up at 7. 

"Jen, why couldn't you have started these lessons yesterday?" Molly complained as she sank into her chair, knowing she was going to stick out like a sore thumb tonight. Even more than she already did of course. 

"I barely saw you yesterday," Jennifer protested. "Seriously though, you'll be fine. The barn dances tend not to take the dancing too serious. Not like in the dance halls. And most of the guys will be able to lead you through most of them if they've been before," she continued her attempts to cheer her sister up. "Besides, barn dances are mostly about socializing, drinking and making out," she said without thinking, getting a bemused look from her younger sister. "Yeah actually maybe you shouldn't go," Jennifer realized what she'd unwittingly said and potentially put ideas in her sister's head. 

"Give me a break Jen. I'm not that bad. Besides, Hannah will be there with me and will hopefully introduce me to some more people. Keep me out of your hair," Molly managed to tease her. "Right. I think it's time to start my beauty regimen," she said dramatically as she got up, actually seeing her sister bite back a chuckle. 

"Just don't layer the make up on too much. Country boys like their women a bit more natural," Jennifer said, though not even sure herself why she was giving her little sister these kinds of tips. 

"Wasn't planning to," was all she got back as Molly headed into her room and then her bathroom to start her bath for a relaxing soak. 

Beth was at the front door at exactly 7pm to show her where to go. Jake was waiting in the truck, pretending to be Duncan who was supposedly driving the two girls to the barn dance. 

"Does your dad not want to come in for a minute? It'd be nice to meet him," Jennifer said to Beth as they waited for Molly to grab her purse and give her hair and make up one last check. She looked at the truck, but it was hard to see in. 

"Nah pa'll be ah'ite. Comin' in means more faffin' 'n waitin' around. He's fine out there," Beth waved away her concern nonchalantly. She was pretty sure she had actually heard her father say that once before. Waiting in the truck put more pressure on the person they were waiting for to hurry up a bit more. "Molly, hurry up!" she called into the house now, making Jennifer chuckle to herself. Jake chuckled to himself as well when he heard, knowing that she wouldn't take kindly to being rushed. 

"I'm comin'!" Molly hollered back from her room. She straightened her dress out a little, flicked her hair a bit more so her curls fell bolder and better and shrugged the denim jacket on before she headed towards the door. 

"Have fun, but not too much. And don't stay out too late, will you be okay getting home?" Jennifer said when she saw her sister's outfit. She knew that outfit would be a hit and her sister hadn't mentioned the journey home yet. 

"Hannah's dropping me back home," she assured her as she passed her to step out. Molly was kind of hoping that Jake was watching this, so he could get a proper first look at her outfit, but she wouldn't know until she got in. "Hope you have a good evening in," she wished her now. 

"Yeah thanks," Jennifer said wryly with an eye roll. "Have fun girls," she said now as she started closing the door behind them. 

"Bye," Beth said with a wave as she almost skipped down the porch steps to the truck. She got in first, to be sat next to 'dad', in case Jennifer was in the kitchen watching from the window. "Tonight's gonna be so much fun," she said excitedly to her brother as Molly got in after her. They'd agreed that she could stay for a little bit, until 8.30/09.00 when Duncan would come pick her up. "Don't she look pretty?" she asked him, making their guest blush as he took her in and nodded before he realized. 

"Ready?" he asked in an attempt to gloss over it and pulled away before they could answer. 

When they got there, Beth was quick to break away and find her friends, who seemed to all be huddled together in a corner, not seeming to be able to believe that they were there at their age. Usually the only parties they were allowed to go to were limited to the town's summer fetes and the Cowboy festival. 

Molly led the way over to talk to Hannah, as Jake didn't seem comfortable heading straight onto the dance floor. One of Hannah's other friends, Jo-Lillie, seemed quite nice and was just as happy to talk to the new girl as she'd been. She knew Jake as well and was a little surprised to see him. It had been a while since Jake had come to one of these, let alone already with a date. Most of the people here had grown up together, although there seemed to be a couple of different age groups in attendance.

Your mama packed y'all up 'n moved ya to the South. Packed a U-haul cross a one-tree yard, to a tin roof shot gun house. Ya didn't know nobody, didn't talk too much. Had a rockin' little body with a Yankee strut. 

Before Jake could object, Molly pulled him with her onto the 'dance floor', which was basically the middle strip of the barn floor. "This is my kind'a song," she said with a laugh, feeling like the song was almost following her life at the moment, except for it being her sister who moved her here.

Then you got in with some Southern belles. Cut your jeans off with a rebel yell. Learned the talk of the Bible Belt. Now girl I melt when you M-O-V-E. I love it yeah, I love it when you get that deed. Boots on, stomp ya feet. It's like you've been waiting on me too. Move like you do, all sexy and smooth. Like you love to. 

Jake gave a small smile, listening to the song lyrics as well, thinking it did fit mostly. He twirled her out and round, making her laugh happily. This was definitely more fun than her sister's instructions had made it seem, though she'd been right that he was able to lead her. 

Legs and your hips, like old Moonlyn. When that song hits, damn you turnin' loose. Stars of the southern sky, buzz of the fire and ice. DJ plays that throwback tune, but I can't move when you move. It's like there's something in the air. It turns you wild when a country song is way up loud and the sun goes down. Right about then, you lock eyes on me. You got me where you want me, where I wanna be. 

Molly could see that he was trying not to overthink the lyrics, to avoid becoming unable to move like Luke Bryan was describing. She smiled happily when he pulled her in close before twirling her again.