Ballroom Blitz Read Free

been filled weeks ago and the mix of couples was more eclectic than she’d imagined.
    After checking in newlyweds and married couples of all ages, Maggie looked up to the next couple in line.
    Holy cow.
    The Native American man standing before her was breathtaking on a purely physical level. Shoulder-length black hair. Sharply defined facial features. His brilliant white smile set off his golden coloring to perfection. And his eyes. A stunning shade of blue. He wore a sleeveless T-shirt that revealed ripped biceps, triceps and forearms. When she met his gaze, he seemed amused by her blatant once-over and she blushed deeply.
    The young girl with him, however, wasn’t amused. “I’m Raven White Feather.”
    Maggie’s gaze winged between them. Father and daughter? Although this beautiful man looked a little young to have a teenager. Feeling unnerved by her immediate and unexpected attraction to the man, she was happy to refocus on the girl. “Welcome, Raven.” She checked her name off the list, but noticed her companion’s name had been left blank. “And who will you be partnered with?”
    “This is my uncle.”
    The man offered his hand and a smile. “Jon White Feather.”
    “I’m Maggie Buchanan.”
    “Buchanan?” he repeated, retaining hold of her hand longer than polite. “Any relation to Eden?”
    “Yes. She’s married to my brother, Billy. How do you know Eden?”
    “Eden and I palled around for a few years. I forget Spearfish is such a small town. I’m surprised we haven’t crossed paths before now since your brother Billy and my brother Jim are partners in Feather Light. This is Jim’s daughter.”
    She smiled at Raven, touched by the way she leaned back when her uncle squeezed her shoulders. “You guys go ahead and fill out your nametags.”
    A rancher and his wife from Sundance were the last couple to arrive.
    Seth looked up from fiddling with the sound system. “You spent extra time with those two students. Any problems?”
    “No. They know my brother and sister-in-law. Everyone on the list is here.”
    “Let’s get started.”
    She stepped in front of the group. “Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Couples Dancing 101. My name is Maggie Buchanan and I’ll be one of your instructors for this three-week session.
    “Why am I qualified to teach dance classes? Not only did I dance ballet, tap, jazz and modern during my formative years, I danced competitively in college in the American style of ballroom dancing. What does that mean?” She paused. “Lots of blisters and calluses from hours upon hours of practice.”
    Muted laughter encouraged her to continue.
    “That’s not what we’re expecting out of you, but we will be teaching several different dances.”
    Jon raised his hand before she could ask for questions.
    It figured. “Yes?”
    “Can you explain what you mean by competitive ballroom dancing?”
    “To be a competitor in the American rhythm style, a professional dancer is paired with an amateur and that couple is judged on five different dances. The professional, such as Seth here, must be employed full-time as a dance instructor. Someone like me, while having a dance background, is considered the amateur because dancing or teaching dance isn’t my main source of income. But it is a source of joy.” Maybe that’d been too corny. Her cheeks heated and she broke eye contact with the captivating Jon White Feather.
    Seth took the floor. “I’m Seth Fordham and like Maggie said, I’m a professional dancer. I moved home to South Dakota last year and I run a dance studio in Rapid City. My background is in theatrical dance. I’ve performed with traveling musical productions in the U.S. and abroad, as well as living every dancer’s dream of performing on Broadway. My career was cut short by a freak accident and after two years of rehab, I decided to share my love of dance by teaching.” Seth hip-checked Maggie. “And I’ve finally convinced my lovely Maggie here to jump back