Free A Moment To Dance by Jennifer Faye

just now that they were involved…er, um, dance partners, he felt uncomfortable with his mother and Ella getting too chummy.
    Still, his mother certainly treated Ella differently than she had Jessie—he retrieved the coffee from the cabinet—but that didn’t mean he should act any different toward Ella. They weren’t even friends. Were they? He filled the filter with scoop after scoop of the potent coffee until he realized he’d put in too much and had to remove some.
    Looking back on his relationship with Jessie, he realized that they’d dived in far too quickly. She didn’t like being tied down to anything—even him. When he had talked about the future, she’d always changed the subject. Sure, they’d had an apartment, but even that had been a month-to-month obligation. Ella wasn’t so different in that respect. With no family in Whistle Stop and her home in dismal condition, how long would it be until she moved on?
    He turned on the faucet and filled the pot with cold water. As he went through the motions, he continued to compile reasons why getting any more involved with the pretty teacher was out of the question.
    His interaction with Johnny had taught him the value of setting down roots. They were the lifelines that held a person steady when the winds of loss or disappoint threatened to flatten you. They held you firm and steady through the good and the bad. Ella didn’t have those roots that bind…
    “Tony, did you hear Ella?” his mother asked, breaking into his thoughts.
    “Sorry, I was thinking about work.” He refused to share his thoughts with anyone.
    “She wants to know if you’ll be calling about the dance lessons this week.”
    He flicked the On switch on the coffeemaker. “I talked to Josie this morning.”
    “You called already?” Ella uttered. And then, as though she realized she’d vocalized her astonishment, her cheeks grew rosy.
    “Yes, I did. She said that with the contest, her schedule is filling fast.”
    Ella’s face creased with concern. “Is she able to squeeze us in?”
    He nodded. “We talked it over, and knowing how important winning is to you, I went ahead and scheduled us for three lessons.”
    “So that’s what? One per week?”
    He chuckled. “No, we decided if you and I are to be competitive, we’ll need at least three dance lessons per week.”
    “What?” Her eyes opened wide. “Do you really think we need all of those lessons?”
    Hadn’t she been the one who was all gung ho about making sure he could dance so they’d win? Why was she suddenly being so hesitant?
    “You do want to make sure we’ll win, right?”
    “Oh, yes. Definitely.” Her gaze lowered. “It’s just that I…I didn’t think you’d be so dedicated.”
    “Tony takes all of his obligations seriously.” Carlota reached for a cookie. “If he says he’ll do something, you can count on him.”
    He frowned at his mother, hating when she bragged about him. “The lessons are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at five-thirty. If that doesn’t work for you, I can try to work out something else.”
    “That’ll be fine. If it’s okay with you, I’ll talk to Johnny’s teacher and see where he is with his classes. I was hoping to tutor him on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays after school. We can adjust the time if needed, you know, because of the dance lessons.”
    Tony gave her a pointed look. “Are you sure you’re up for doing both on the same days?”
    She took a moment to consider it. “Actually, it should work out perfectly. This way I won’t have to wait around after school for the lessons.”
    Tony nodded. A calmness settled over him, as if everything was going to work out for all of them. “Then I’ll see you later. Our first lesson is today at five-thirty sharp.”

 
    CHAPTER SIX
     
    T his was all going to work out.
    It had to.
    Tony eased his pickup around the corner and past the front of the library. He immediately noticed Ella standing in the shade just outside