Chapter 16 : Dance Until You Drop

Lucas

With no time to waste, the crew and I got back to business. I stuck my fingers in my mouth and shot out a shrill whistle, cutting through both the din of conversation and the bluster of the wind.

“Listen up! We’ve got a lot left to do before the dance. You want to sit around, chit chatting all damn day long, that’s your business.”

I blew on my hands and rubbed them together.

“I, for one, would like to get out of this cold.”

Laughter rolled up from the lot of them. All the hands returned to work, and I pitched in wherever they needed me.

My mind kept wandering back to the subject of Mila. Her smile lit up my heart with joy. I kept up with the ranch hands, but sometimes they had to ask me a question twice, or even three times, before I realized they were talking.

“What’s wrong with you, man?”

I turned to James, his face drawn tight with concern, his breath white puffs amid the snow flurries.

“I guess I’m just kind of distracted, that’s all.”