Sweetheart Dance

by Paige Mallory

  “I will not permit you to speak ill of yourself, Franny. You are a very special woman, and any man would be honored to have you in his life. And,” he added firmly, “I hate yellow!! Are you paying attention?” he demanded with another hard slap to her bottom.

  “Yes!”

  “Good!” He picked her up and put her on her feet as if she weighed no more than a child. When he stood, he towered over her. “I know the timing isn’t right, Franny, but I’d like to come calling, if you will permit me…?”

  “Why isn’t the timing right?” she asked breathlessly, unable to believe what she was hearing.

  “I’m not worth much money right now,” he said candidly. “But, if I don’t speak up now, you’ll be taken, and I couldn’t live with that. I know my mind, Franny. I always know when my first impressions are the right ones. I’m willing to wait and give you time to feel the same way… if you’ll give me a chance to prove myself…?”

  “I would like that,” Franny said shyly, then added, “You’ll need to speak to Papa first, though.”

  “I intend to do that. No more putting my girl down, okay?” he asked, then bent down and gently kissed her.

  Connie had heard and seen enough of the conversation between his little Franny and the young man to leave him shaken. He circled around and went back to the house. He already liked Will Kenton, but God help him if he ever hurt his little Franny. He took up a position on the porch, and waited for them to come to him. It wasn’t long at all, and he had to smile. Either the young man knew better than take liberties, or Franny put a stop to it herself. Either way, he was pleased when they came walking up on the porch, hand in hand.

  “Mr. Webster, I’d like your permission to court Franny. My intentions are honorable, but I’ll be right up front and tell you that it’s going to take time to build this ranch into something respectable. If Franny decides she wants to put up with me for the rest of our lives, she’s going to have to live on love and not much else.” He smiled at Franny and then said to the scowling big man, “I’d like your permission to come calling and give Franny time to decide whether or not we suit.”

  “Is this what you want, Frances?” Connie asked his smiling daughter.

  “Yes, Papa, it is. Will is special, and I really do like him a lot… and he likes me just the way I am!” she declared.

  “The way you are is very special, Frances, and you would do well to remember that,” Connie said gruffly. “If you want a chance to see this young man, then I will permit it. You know the rules, and it is up to you to make them known to this young man. Break the rules, and I’ll cut a switch. Understood?” he asked.

  “Yes, Papa. Thank you!” Franny smiled happily.

  “You go on inside now, and talk to your Mama. She’s worried about you.”

  “Yes, Papa,” Franny did as she was told, leaving Will alone with Connie.

  “I know you don’t know me, sir, but I promise you I won’t do anything to get Franny in trouble with you. I’m an honorable man.”

  “I wouldn’t be lettin‘ you near her if I didn’t think that,” Connie stated. “I saw you spanking Franny, and I heard what she said to earn it. A man doesn’t do that unless he cares. You’ll do, but don’t you ever hurt that girl, or you’ll answer to me… whether it’s tomorrow or forty-years from now.”

  “You have my word, Mr. Webster.”

  Will became a regular at the dinner table over the next few weeks, much to Franny’s delight. She felt truly beautiful for the first time in her life, and as she and her Mama worked on her peach colored “orange” dress, she was confident that Will would find her absolutely gorgeous the night of the Sweetheart Dance.

  Chapter Three

  Luke Taylor, Webster Ranch Hand

  “What’s on your mind, Luke?” Connie scolded as he picked himself up off the barn floor and dusted off his britches. It wasn’t like the young man to be so darn clumsy, and he’d caught Connie off guard when he came barreling out of the stall and knocked Connie down on the straw covered floor.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Webster,” Luke apologized. “I didn’t see you standing there.”

  “Obviously,” his boss said dryly. “Now out with it. What’s got you so crazy you can’t see straight?”

  “Okay… It’s Miss Nattie…”

  “Nattie?” Connie was stunned. “What’s the girl done now?” As far as she knew she was confined to her bed, and told to stay off her ankle for the next few days. It was badly sprained in the accident she and Franny had. Nattie’s sisters were taking turns keeping her amused, but she was complaining about being confined to her room, even though Lenora made it clear she was being punished by having to stay in her room for a few days. Lenora didn’t want her daughter to suffer the switching she deserved since she was already in so much pain with her ankle, and Connie left the punishment to his wife.

  “Miss Nattie shouldn’t have been driving that buggy, for one thing,” Luke announced. “For another, she’s too young to be going to some dance. Every man around is going to talk nonsense to her and she’s gullible enough to believe every word of it. She’s too young to know her mind, and she’s always wantin‘ to do what her older sisters do. She’s got some growin‘ up to do. I think you should forbid her to go…”

  “It’s a dance, not a wedding, boy.”

  “Maybe so, but Nattie will believe any cowboy who sweet talks her.”

  “Then maybe you ought to come to the dance and keep an eye on her, Luke,” was the surprising reply.

  Luke watched as his boss walked away. If he could have seen the grin on Connie Webster’s face he would have been even more puzzled.

  Connie didn’t miss much and he’d seen Luke watching his youngest daughter from a distance… The same way he used to watch Lenora when he didn’t think she’d give him the time of day. Luke was a good man, and one day he’d have his own spread, built with his own two hands. Nattie could do a lot worse in picking a husband than to settle on Luke.

  ********************

  Nattie came down the kitchen steps on her backside. She was tired of being cooped up inside the house. Doctor Clem said she had to stay off her ankle, and her Mama was insisting she stay in her room and in her bed… as punishment for nearly killing herself and Franny. All her meals were carried up to the room she shared with Maddy… but with the dance only a few weeks away, her Mama and sisters were very busy. She hated being left out of all the preparations. The one time she’d tried to go to the sewing room and help out, her Mama made her Papa come and carry her back to bed, scolding her for not accepting her punishment! It wasn’t fair! She could at least sit on a chair and keep her foot propped up and be with everyone else… Having an injured ankle was punishment enough for being so foolish.

  Once Nattie was safely down the steps, she used the handrails to pull herself up. She peeked around the door to make sure the kitchen was empty, and when she saw that it was, she hopped on one foot out the kitchen door onto the back porch. A few seconds later she was outside, and breathing in the fresh air. She looked around for her Papa… and didn’t see him. She knew that her older brother wouldn’t have any qualms about picking her up and taking her back to her bed if he spotted her, but Sam was away on ranch business, and not due back for another two days. None of the hands would dare scold her for being outside.

  Nattie sat down on the porch steps, and enjoyed being outside. She closed her eyes and let the sun soak into her skin until she heard someone riding closer on horseback. Her big brown eyes flew open and she immediately recognized the rider as Will Kenton. She couldn’t believe the man was so besotted with Franny, but only a fool could miss the fact that they were falling in love. Will didn’t find Franny a bit plump, and he only had eyes for her, and none of Franny’s sisters. Nattie didn’t much care for Will, and she knew the feeling was mutual. He thought of her as a bratty little girl.

  Nattie got to her feet, wincing when she forgot and put too much weight on her sprained ankle. She hopped on one foot to
the other side of the house so Will wouldn’t see her, and decided to go and seek shelter in the barn. She wanted to see the new litter of puppies anyway, and she could hide out in there until it was time for supper. She’d have no choice then but to go inside, and hope her Mama would relent and permit her to join everyone at the table… even if it meant putting up with Will and Franny acting all silly. Nattie loved her sister, she really did, but she’d never thought that Franny would be the first one of them to have a serious beau. Abby and Becky and Dottie were all older, but most of the young men who came to call on them didn’t come back after one or two times. Her Papa saw to that… but he seemed to like Will.

  Nattie made it to the barn out of sheer determination and took a seat on a small bench in front of one of the stalls. Most of the horses were out in the corral, and the barn smelled of clean, fresh straw… “Taffy, here girl!” Nattie called. “Taffy…” She smiled when her dog came out from one of the empty stalls, wagging her tail, and obviously happy to see her. “I’ve missed you, little Mama. How are your babies?” Nattie asked as she gave her dog a big hug and pet her coat. “May I see them?” she asked, and when Taffy’s tail wagged even harder, Nattie took that as permission…

  Nattie limped over to the empty stall, and smiled when she saw five cute little puppies. She sat right down in the fresh straw and giggled at the little ones as they searched for their Mama… “They’re precious, Taffy,” she whispered, petting her dog once more. “You are so proud of them, aren’t you?”

  “What are you doin‘ out here, Miss Nattie?” Luke stood in the doorway of the stall to look down at the young girl.

  “I came to see Taffy’s puppies, not that it’s any of your business, Luke Taylor!” Nattie tossed her curls. Something about the young ranch hand made her heart beat just a bit faster every time she was around him. He had a cute smile, and she loved his teeth. They were straight, and white… not stained from chewing tobacco like most of the other hands. He had dark hair, too, and bright green eyes! She found him very handsome, but he never paid her any attention, unless it was to scold her about something or other. She knew that her Papa liked him… a lot… because he was always saying how Luke handled a situation on his own, and that he was fearless… taking on a couple of rustlers and bringing them in to stand trial.

  “Your Pa said you were to stay off that foot,” Luke stated. “How did you get out here?”

  “I don’t believe it’s any of your concern, Luke. Papa pays you to work, not keep tabs on me.”

  “He couldn’t pay me enough money to keep tabs on you, but if he did, I reckon the first thing I’d do would be to take you over my knee and give you a sound spankin‘,” Luke informed her, his glittering green eyes giving her to know he was serious.

  “How dare you speak to me that way?” Nattie felt her cheeks flood with color. It was the second time this week that a man had told her she needed a spanking! She wasn’t a little girl!

  “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?” Luke demanded. He wasn’t about to apologize to Nattie, even though she was as pretty as could be. Her warm golden brown hair and her dark eyes were an absolutely perfect combination. Nattie was a pretty girl, and one day she would be a beautiful woman.

  “What would you know?” Nattie’s feelings were hurt. “It’s lonely up in my room, and hardly anyone spends any time with me. They are all getting to work on their dresses for the dance, and helping Mama with the decorations… I can’t even leave my room for meals!” she pouted as she complained.

  “It’s your own fault, little girl,” Luke told her.

  “My fault!”

  “Your Pa told you to let Miss Franny handle the reins. Daisy is skittish, and you don’t have the patience to handle her. If you’d let well enough alone, Miss Franny wouldn’t have lost control of Daisy and the buggy wouldn’t have tipped over. You’re lucky you didn’t break your fool neck!”

  “You sound like Will Kenton, and I’ll thank you to keep your opinion to yourself!” Nattie’s temper sparked to life.

  “Your Pa should have cut a switch and striped your backside raw for risking your life and your sister’s life.”

  “Papa was thankful that we weren’t seriously injured, and you are just being mean! I don’t like you much, Luke Taylor!” she got to her feet, and then gasped in pain as her ankle made contact with the straw covered floor.

  Luke hurriedly stepped forward and swept her off her feet. “You’re going to re-injure yourself, Nattie!” he declared in a voice filled with worry.

  “As if you care!” she tearfully proclaimed. “You don’t see me as anything but a bothersome little girl!”

  “You’ll grow up some day,” he predicted, and then, to his shock, he added, “and I intend to be right here when you do.”

  Natalie looked at him in shock, but before she could ask what he meant, he headed toward the house, carrying her in his strong arms. Nattie had her arms wrapped around his neck, and her fanciful nature let her pretend for a few moments that he was her beau… Suddenly, she realized he was headed for the front porch and the front door! There was no way she would escape detection if he did that! “Luke, no!!! Please, go in the back door! I don’t want anyone to know I sneaked out of the house!” she whispered frantically.”

  “You sound like a little girl in need of a spanking,” he chuckled.

  “I am not!” she quickly denied.

  “A grown up takes responsibility for her actions… good and bad.” He headed for the front door.

  “Mama is going to be upset, and it will be all your fault!” she accused.

  “How so? I’m not the one who sneaked outside, little girl.”

  “Please, Luke… Just this once…! I don’t want to get into trouble again…” her cheeks were pink.

  “Trouble? What kind of trouble?” he asked.

  “Part of the reason I have to stay in my room is because I took the reins from Franny. Mama said I needed time alone to think of my actions…” It was either that or missing the dance, and Nattie couldn’t risk that…

  “You deserve a good spanking for sneakin‘ outside, then,” he scolded. “When you’re bein‘ punished you don’t do what you were restricted from doin‘. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?”

  “I know,” she whispered, feeling very small, and very guilty. “It’s just that I was going crazy all alone upstairs in my room. I wanted to see the new puppies, and just get outside for a while. It’s punishment enough not to be able to walk…” she pouted again. “Please, Luke… Don’t tell on me. I’ll be good until Mama says I can leave my room… Please?”

  Those dark brown eyes were his undoing. Luke turned and headed toward the back door. He made sure no one was in the kitchen, and then carried her up the steps and took her into her room, all without being seen.

  “Thank you, Luke,” Nattie giggled, pleased that she’d gotten away with her little adventure.

  Luke gave her a grin, then took a seat on her bed, and calmly flipped her over his knee, careful not to injure her ankle. “Best you keep quiet, Nat, unless you want your sisters and Mama to come runnin‘ to see what the fuss is all about!”

  Nattie gasped in outrage as her Papa’s hired hand flipped up her skirts and brought his hand down on her tender backside with a painful whap. “Ow! Don’t you dare, Luke Taylor! I’ll tell Papa!” she threatened.

  “Maybe he’ll cut a switch and use it on you for disobeying your Ma… He should, you know!” Luke spanked her again and yet again.

  “Ouch! You’re hurting me!” Natalie hissed. It didn’t stop Luke. He swatted her twice more, then stood up, lifting her carefully, and placing her on the bed gently, so as not to disturb her injured ankle. “I hate you!” she told him, thoroughly embarrassed that he’d seen her drawers. They were the oldest pair she owned!

  Luke leaned down and put one arm on either side of her, and his nose was almost pressed to hers as he said, “If I catch you outside without permission, Miss Natalie, I will cut a switch and stripe you
. Is that clear?”

  “You wouldn’t dare!” she retorted, insulted at the very idea.

  “Try me if you feel lucky,” Luke grinned wickedly, then left her room, shutting the door quietly, and sneaking out of the house. He sure didn’t want to get caught coming out of Natalie’s room… Connie Webster would string him up and whip his back raw before giving him a chance to explain himself!

  ********************

  Nattie was very angry with Luke Taylor. How dare he turn her over his knee and spank her! Granted, the fiery handprints couldn’t be felt later that evening, but the memory still burned the following morning. He wouldn’t dare switch her! He simply would not dare! Her Papa wouldn’t permit it.

  Doctor Clem Shreppy finally arrived when it was nearly lunchtime, and in spite of Nattie’s impatience to be told she could be up and about, the man took time to sit down at the table and eat the noon meal with her father, mother, and sisters before coming upstairs to see his patient.

  “Please tell me I can be up and about, Doctor Clem…” Nattie begged the man as soon as he walked in the room. “I am so sick of this room I could scream!”

  “Young lady, you are lucky to be alive. Quit complaining,” the Doctor gruffly ordered.

  “Natalie, you are acting more childish every day,” Lenora scolded impatiently. “You might at least say hello to Doctor Clem before you start badgering him.”

  “I’m sorry, Mama,” Nattie was embarrassed. “I’m sorry, Doctor Clem.”

  “No harm done,” Clem Shreppy smiled warmly. Little Nattie was a sweet girl, and she was just tired of not being able to get about like normal. He understood that. When his gout flared up, it hurt like hell, and made him grumpy. He patiently examined Nattie’s ankle, and the dark purple bruising and the flinches of pain across her pretty face told him the sprain was not healed enough for her to be up and about. “I’m sorry, honey. You’re going to have to stay off that foot for at least another week… I’ll come and have another look at you then, and you should be a lot better.”