Luke stood when the others got to the table. "Hey. First rounds on me." He said before sitting back down. Luke had managed to get a corner booth in the far back where it was quiet enough that they could talk if they wanted to. Annie and Jimmy slid into the right side and Daisy and Luke slid into the left while Marco grabbed a chair and sat at the end. "How's everyone doin'?"
"Good" Daisy said looking around the bar and taking a long swig of beer.
This time Jimmy answered for himself and Annie after looking at her. "Good, considering. You?"
"Good." Luke replied taking a swig of his already almost empty beer. " I need another. Then do you want to dance Daisy?" Luke said standing up.
"Sure, why not." Daisy replied
"So, what's goin' on with you two?" Daisy asked, directing her question to Jimmy and Annie, as soon as Luke was out of hearing range.
"Nothing. We are just friends and co-workers. Just like me and you." Annie asked avoiding Jimmy's direction.
"What she said. Anyways I just got out of a three year relationship. Remember?" Jimmy answered looking over Daisy's head at the TV that was broadcasting the most recent Huston Oilers game. "Damn the Oilers got their asses handed to 'em." He finished.
"That was last night's game. I watched it before bed." Daisy said looking back to the screen, temporarily dropping the subject.
Luke and Daisy's one dance turned into two then three. Annie just sat there thinking while Jimmy and Marco were talking, until Jimmy said to Marco. " Hey I'm goin' to get this lady here to have fun." Then her turned to Annie "Come dance Boots?" Annie took his hand and slid out of the booth and followed him to the dance floor. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself. What's up?"
"Nothing Jimmy, I promise, I'm just thinkin'" Annie replied as they fell into an easy two step. They talked about everything and anything to keep their minds off of the case they would be diving into the next day. Not realizing that the song had changed multiple times they just continued dancing and talking until Jimmy said " Ok, time for a drink, then we'll come back out and dance more if you'd like."
"Sounds perfect." Annie said stepping out of the dance. Walking back to their table, Jimmy grabbed Annie's hand so that he would not lose her and she would not have to fend for herself. When they did make it back to the table they sat down. Daisy, who had returned without Luke sometime in their absence looked at their clasped hands and smiled. It looked like they did not even realize that they were doing it.
"So nothin' goin' on?" She asked before taking a sip of her beer.
"What?" Annie asked looking at her as if she had grown a second head. Daisy nodded to her and Jimmy's hands. Annie blushed and removed her hand from her partners. As soon as she let go Jimmy fumbled mid sentence from his conversation with Marco, then pulled his hand back in front of himself.
"Yeah Romo is doing ok but I think he could do better." Marco said noticing the way Jimmy reacted when Annie released Jimmy's hand. He smiled to himself.
"I agree." Jimmy said before turning to Daisy and asking "Would you like to dance?"
"I'd love to." Daisy replied. Sliding out of the booth. And following Jimmy.
"Dance?" Marco asked Annie.
"Sure why not?" Annie replied and they followed Daisy and Jimmy to the dance floor. The song was a fast one, Boot Scootin' Boogie. The four of then joined into the dance after Daisy convinced the guys. Annie ended up teaching Jimmy the dance, but he kept stumbling so he just grabbed her and took her into a swing dance. Marco noticed and tapped Daisy on the shoulder as the song ended and Jimmy slowed their dancing.
"You know that Daisy and Marco are looking at us right?" Annie asked as 'The Dance' came on.
"Yeah I know. They can look all they want. I don't care what they think." Jimmy replied to her "But if they're lookin' may as well give them somthin' to look at." He then pulled her as close as he could.
"Hey." Annie laughed surprised. "A little warnin' would be nice."
"I told ya already I ain't nice." Jimmy joked looking down at her.
"Yeah, Yeah I know." She said, her eyes meeting his. "But that doesn't mean I can't try and change that fact."
"You go ahead and try that Boots. Let's see how long it takes for you to realize that you ain't gonna succeed." Jimmy said then spun Annie.
"Damn it Cowboy." Annie said trying to hide her amusment.
"Annie. You are one strange woman. Tellin' me to stop goofing around while you are thoroughly enjoying it." He said smiling and spinning her around again.
"Fine I give up, yes I'm enjoying it. Thank you Jimmy." Annie replied when she spun back onto his arms.
"For what Boots?" Jimmy replied
"Everything, for making sure I'm doin' alright. I know that I'm not easy to deal with most of the time. For makin' sure that I don't have to do this by my self, it's more than I could ever ask for." Annie said leaning her head on Jimmy's shoulder, and wrapping her arms around him under his arms.
"You never have to thank me Annie. Ever. I will always do what I can for you." He replied wrapping his own arms around her slim shoulders and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
Three songs later Annie pulled away enough to look at Jimmy, and said. "I love this song." Then started sway with the music and to sing along.
There's a house fly swimming in my sweet tea
Hey darlin' pass another Kerr jar to me
Butter drippin' off a biscuit, baby better take a bite
Cantaloupe thumps like it's finaly ripe
Box fan on a lawn chair suckin' in swamp air
Two-hundred mile marker signs from nowhere
That's what country is
It ain't a rebel flag you bought at the mall
It's a hide away bed in an old horse stall
Two kids gettin' caught stealin' a Boone's farm kiss
It ain't a John Deere cap that's never fell in the cotton
It's a Jimmy Rodgers song that was long forgotten
It's homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips
That's what country is
When the sun starts slippin' from the delta sky
And the last scarecrow tucks in for the night
Make a fire throw a blanket on the sandy bank
'Bout an hour till we feel the first catfish yank
Barefoot cane pole wavin' at the riverboats
They when they're gone take a dip in the moon glow
That's what country is
"Who would have thought that hard ass U.S. Marshal Annie Frost can sing?" Jimmy said.
"Yeah I can, what's your point?" Annie said
"No point just never heard you sing before." Jimmy answered. " How do you know this song but not the one from the car earlier? They are both on the same CD that just came out."
"I have the CD I just haven't listened to all of the songs yet. Out of the seven I have heard though this one is my favorite, right ahead of 'Someone else callin' you' baby." Annie answered as they continued to sway
"Gotcha." Jimmy started only to be interrupted by the DJ.
"Hey y'all. I hope you're enjoyin' your selves tonight. I know I just played a Luke Bryan song but tonight I've been asked by a good friend of mine to test out his new album. But I don't think it would do any of the songs justice to play them from a CD. So why don't y'all do me a big favor and help me welcome Capital Records artist, the one and only Luke Bryan."
"Hey y'all. I hear we have some law enforcement in the buildin' and I would like to say thank you for everythin' y'all do to keep this place as safe as you can. Ok time to get some music goin'" Luke Bryan said before motioning to the band to start a song
"Well here's your chance to listen to the rest of it." Jimmy said smiling.
"Yeah I guess so." Annie said as they made their way back to the table. When they got to the table Annie asked Daisy where Luke went because she hadn't seen him since her and he went to dance over an hour ago.
"I have no idea. I know that I saw him about twenty minutes ago at the bar. I know Marco was over there with him so he's probably givin' the kid some lessons on the ladies" Daisy replied "Why are you askin' me?"
"Cause out of this group you're the closest to him." Annie said knowingly. The three of them sat and listened to Luke sing, every now and then when a song one of them recognized they would sing quietly to it.
After singing all but two songs Luke started talkin' again. Ok, everyone who has someone to dance with needs to get up here on the dance floor. I'm gonna slow things down for a bit. Now this next song I have never performed in concert and would like to sing for the first time in front of a crowd, which is not my family, for you guys tonight. It's called 'Every Time I See you'. Anyone who knows the lyrics please feel free to sing along. Now pull that special person close and please enjoy the song."
During Luke Bryan's speech Luke showed up and held his hand out to Daisy, who took it and followed him out onto the floor. Marco was out on the dance floor with his girlfriend who showed up about an hour into the night, and Jimmy took Annie's hand and led her to the dance floor.
It's Like a bolt of lightning hits me in my chest
Right out of the blue
Every time I see you
Every time I see you
Top of the world I'm standing rocking at my best
Then I look like a fool
Every time I see you
Every time I see you
You're like a wreck out on the highway
I can't look away and I can't pass through
You're like an early morning Monday
Bringing me down messing with my mood
I'd love to say I can hold myself together
But I can't help but come unglued
Every time I see you
Every time I see you
I wanna tell you everything I ever wanted to say
But I never do
Every time I see you
Every time I see you
I'm sure my steering wheel and dashboard would
love a good break
But they feel it too
Every time I see you
Why I gotta see you?
"I'm startin to like this song." Annie said as Luke Bryan finished the last verse.
"Yeah well It's a good song with a lot of meaning." Jimmy answered.
"The last song I'm goin' to be singin' tonight is called 'You make me want to.' It's one of my favorite off of my first album. My first time here in town three years ago I met this guy who I sat and talked to for a few hours. We talked about how when his friend did dangerous things it made him want to jump after her, and then yell at her. But at the same time it made him want to hug her close and not let go. He wanted to take her pain away. I wrote this song after my visit here and I don't think he knows that I got the inspiration from him. So here it is and I hope you like it." They heard Luke Bryan say before the music for his last song came on.
Jimmy froze for a moment when Luke said that. He remembered the conversation well and he never correlated it to the song he had heard many times before. "Ok Jimmy calm down. Annie is bound to pick up on it if you don't relax before dancin' with her. Breath." He said to himself.
You make me want to hold you like a hammock on a summer day
Tell you how I'm gonna take your cares away
You make me want to
You make me want to roll down the river and around the bend
Love you like a story with a happy ending
You make me want to
You can blame it on my southern boy ways
Why I'm always running away
I don't know if I can ever change
But you make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to hang up the phone ride across town
Walk through you door and lay it down
Kiss you 'til you feel the truth
You make me want to
Jimmy was singing along, his eyes almost never leaving Annie's. They were dancing much slower than the beat of the music, but neither one cared at the moment. All they cared about was trying to figure out what they were feeling.
You can blame it on my southern boy ways
Why I'm always running away
I don't know if I can ever change
But you make me want to
You make me want to
Well I never met a girl like you
That's got me thinking like I do
To hang up my hat and kick off my boots
But you make me want to
You make me want to
You make me want to
Baby you make me want to
The entire bar stopped what they were doing when the music ended and cheered for Luke's singing, and looked up at the stage. It was not the first time that a well known artist came into a bar there in Huston after one of their concerts. "Thank y'all for lettin' me sing here tonight. I love comin' into the bars here in Huston 'cause y'all make me feel right at home." Luke said as he finished his set. "Thanks again for lettin' me play here tonight. Hope y'all enjoy the rest of your night." He said before walking off stage and letting the DJ take over again.
"Come with me," Jimmy said gently pulling Annie with him towards the backstage area. "Hey Luke." Jimmy said once they got back there and found Luke Bryan.
"Jimmy, hey man how are you?" Luke said smiling.
"I'm doin' really good right now. Luke this is my work partner and friend Annie Frost, Annie this is Luke. I met him here about three years ago." Jimmy said
"Nice to meet you ma'am." Like said
"Nice to meet you too Luke, but please don't call me ma'am. I ain't a grandma." Annie replied shaking his pre-offered hand. "You did very good tonight. I've gotta say I liked 'What country is' and that last one you did the most." Annie replied smiling.
"Yeah those two are my favorite too. If I hadn't of persisted 'You make me want to' would not have even been cut. But I loved the story behind it and I love how it turned out." Luke said packing up his guitar.
"Yeah it's a good story, and it turned out very good. I wonder if the guy that gave you the inspiration will ever know that he did." Jimmy said looking Luke straight in the eyes. Luke got the message and did not say that it was Jimmy who gave him the inspiration. Jimmy was obviously talking about Annie when he was talking with Luke those three years ago and did not want Annie to know quite yet.
"So how did the two of you meet?" Like asked.
"We work together. Both Marshals. Jimmy was actually the first one who volunteered when I got my team." Annie replied smiling up at her partner.
"Yeah and at the time I thought it would be easier than it is. I can't tell you how many ledges I have chased her off of, or kept her from fallin' off of." Jimmy said, a smile coming onto his face as he had a flashback of catching Annie after a fugitive jumped off of a balcony and ended up missing the pool he was aiming for.
"Yeah well if the fugitives would stop jumpin' off of high places I would not have to follow.
"Nice, yeah I have heard that bad guys do some stupid things." Luke said as his son, Thomas, came running into the room yelling daddy. "Hey there big guy."
"Well we have to work in the mornin' so we'll let you get to your family. It was nice seein' you again Luke. And I hope you enjoy your stay here in Huston." Jimmy said offering his hand to Luke.
"It was nice seeing you too Jimmy. Feel free to give me a call when your not busy, I'll be in town for the rest of the month." Luke said taking Jimmy's hand and pulling him into a half hug. "It was nice meetin' you Annie. I hope you reconsider when jummpin' off things. I can tell by the way Jimmy here talks about it; it gives him a heart attack each time. And please also feel free to give me a call. Any friend of Jimmy's is a friend of mine. Hey Tom say bye to daddy's friends." Luke told his son as he shook Annie's hand.
"Bye daddy's friends." Little Tom said snuggling into his father's shoulder.
"See ya Luke." Jimmy said then turned to Annie. "Come on, time to go home."
"Again it was nice meetin' you Luke." Annie said as she and Jimmy headed to the doors back into the main area of the bar. "He's a nice guy." She said to Jimmy.
"Yeah he is." Jimmy replied taking Annie's hand and heading out of the bar after saying goodbye to the rest of the team. They walked back to Annie's apartment without a word, both just enjoying the night and the feel of the others hand in theirs. When they got up to the apartment they said their goodnights as they went to their own rooms. Jimmy spent the night restlessly, he couldn't stop thinking about how Luke Bryan showed up and told the story that Jimmy had told him.
Annie spent the time before she fell asleep thinking of how she was going to approach Jimmy about the song that he had inspired. Yeah she knew. She had figured it out when Jimmy said that he wondered if the guy would ever find out. She was not surprised that Jimmy would tell a friend of his about her habit of leaping before she looked, at least when it came to physical leaps and not emotional ones. She promised herself that when Ben was caught she would bring it up to Jimmy. Maybe she could have the relationship that she wanted with the one man that ever made her feel safe and cared for.