The band finished The Devil Went Down to Georgia and the crowd went wild. Declan whooped and hollered along with the best of them, and turned to smile at Iris. That was one of her favorite songs in high school. She must be…

Off in her own little world?

She was staring off into the distance in some sort of trance, not paying the least bit of attention to anyone or anything around her.

“Are you okay?” he asked her and she jumped slightly, turning to him with a huge smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Oh, absolutely,” she said over the din. “Isn’t this concert great?”

“It is.” But before he could say anything more, the Old Time Fiddlers started into Oh! Susanna and the crowd was clapping along again, singing the lyrics at the top of their lungs. This time, Iris’ smile did reach her eyes as she began clapping and bellowing too. He couldn’t help grinning back, and decided to push down his worry. Whatever it was that she’d been thinking about, she’d moved on.

Like he should be doing. He’d forgotten how much fun it was to be around Iris. They’d spent the last two years of high school and the first two years of college together – they’d pretty much gotten along like two peas in a pod. She was friendly and kind and thoughtful, and he found that he could relax and just be himself around her, not something he could say about everyone, and certainly not what he could say about the blind dates that Abby and Jennifer had set him up on in the last month.

Didn’t they realize that he couldn’t date someone? 

Not even Iris.

Especially not Iris.

The Old Time Fiddlers swapped out for a local act, The Boot Stompers, and the hours faded away. By time the music ended, their pile of fair food had been demolished, leaving only a burnt corner of the fry bread and some watery syrup at the bottom of the Icee cup. Declan threw their trash away and then helped Iris to her feet.

The crowd surged around them, all stampeding toward the parking lot, but Declan realized that he wasn’t in any hurry. Normally, he was one of those men standing towards the back of the crowd, close to the exit, ready to bolt as soon as an event was done, so he could hightail it out before the masses descended upon the parking lot.

But with Iris on his arm, life was suddenly a lot slower.

And strangely, he didn’t seem to mind one bit. He rather enjoyed how she was hugging his arm, snuggling it up against her. He always loved helping others, but once Stetson found Jennifer and Wyatt fell in love with Abby, he’d been at loose ends. His brothers didn’t need him like they had before. He was happy for them, of course, truly happy, but being able to take care of someone again warmed up a part of him he hadn’t even realized was unhappy.

He snuck a sideways glance at Iris as they strolled through the grass. She was the same as ever, and yet, indefinably different. A few more wrinkles around her eyes, longer red hair…she was a woman now, not a girl.

He’d thought since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her back in junior high – when he first started looking at girls that way, instead of as annoying humans who squealed and cried a lot – that she was quite possibly the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. It’d taken him until their sophomore year to ask her to tutor him; until their junior year to ask her out on a date.

Never once did he change his mind on the topic of her beauty – not then, not now. When he’d switched colleges halfway through his bachelor’s degree and had moved up to northern Idaho, he’d tried to forget her. He’d asked out every blonde and brunette he could find.

None of them were Iris McLain.

The crowds were almost gone by the time they got to his truck. He helped her inside, and then hurried around to his side. They headed back towards Sawyer, Garth Brooks singing about thunder as they cut along through the gathering darkness. It’d been a damn amazing day and Declan admitted to himself that he didn’t want it to end. This was supposed to be a one-and-done. A pity date. It’d turned into…

Well, not that.

“I—” they both said at the same time, and then started laughing.

“You go first,” Declan said.

“No, it’s okay. What were you going to say?” Iris responded.

“Just that…” He blew out a breath as he drove, thinking about how he wanted to say this. “I had so much fun tonight, Iris, I really did. Next weekend, what would you think about going to Copperton with me? They’ve fixed the washed-out bridge and the old steam engine is running again. We could take a train ride and eat dinner. You’ve been gone to Pocatello for so long, you might’ve forgotten what it’s like over here in western Idaho. A train ride through the scenery might be a lot of fun.”

Anything was fun around Iris, but a train ride seemed especially fun. It was a damn creative idea if he did say so himself.

She turned and studied him in the lights of the dashboard for a moment. And then another moment. The silence got longer and he started to second-guess himself. Maybe Iris hadn’t felt that same spark he had. Maybe she didn’t want to be around him. Maybe she—

“I’d enjoy that,” she said softly.

Oh.

Good.

He was surprised at the strength of the happiness that rushed over him at her words. Her saying yes meant a lot to him.

Probably a lot more than it should.

He pushed that thought away.

“Great!” He shot her a grin and she returned it. He turned up the radio and they began bellowing out She thinks my tractor’s sexy! all the way home.