The Edge of Town

by Dorothy Garlock

  “Not the way they were dancing in there.”

  His hand moved to her back and he pulled her so close her breasts were touching his chest. Her heart beat in a strange and disturbing way as she struggled to get sufficient air into her lungs. She felt the hardness of his chest and his breath on her cheek. She moved her feet automatically, praying that he didn’t feel the thumping of her heart.

  Evan was sure that Julie was enjoying herself. Her feet were light, her head high, and from time to time, when she stumbled a bit in the sand, a small excited laugh came from her. He stored her laughter in his mind to bring out and enjoy when he was feeling lonely.

  “You smell like roses,” he murmured into the hair at her temple just as the music stopped. He released her waist but held on to her hand. “We’ll have to go to a barn dance sometime. If we can dance in the sand, think what we could do on a slick dance floor.”

  “The moon is coming up,” she said, her voice slightly shaky. #8220;Isn’t it pretty, shining on the water?”

  “Yes, very pretty.” He murmured the words with his eyes still on her face, then looked out over the lake.

  The band began to play a fast tune and a female voice sang “Ma, He’s Making Eyes at Me.”

  “I don’t think we want to dance to that,” Evan said. “We’ll wait for the next waltz.”

  “Where did you learn to dance?”

  “In college. When I was in the army, officers were expected to go to social events, and those of us who couldn’t dance very well practiced with the other officers. It’s much more formal in Europe than here in the Midwest. The officers had to attend teas and spit-and-polish balls where everyone got dressed up as if they were going to call on the queen.”

  Julie felt, as never before, the distance between her life and his. He was an educated gentleman who knew about such things as teas and balls, and she was a farm girl who had not even graduated from high school.

  When she didn’t say anything, Evan wanted to kick himself for running off at the mouth about that flimflam that he’d despised. He was searching his mind for something to say when she spoke.

  “Why did you come back here? Oh, I know you came to see your father, but why are you staying?”

  “I didn’t come to see Walter. I came to see my old home again and found out that I like working the soil.”

  “Was he like …he is now when you were little?”

  “I don’t remember much about him until I was about Jason’s age, then I despised him. My mother sent me to my grandparents’ because of him. But let’s not talk about Walter. I don’t want to spoil the evening. The music has started again. Shall we dance again? ‘I’ll be with you in apple blossom time,’ ” he sang the words to the popular tune.

  Evan held her lightly, as if fearing she would bolt if he tried to pull her close to him. They had danced for several minutes when he tilted his head and placed his cheek against the hair above her temple. Julie’s heart was racing a mile a minute and her mind had shut down. She didn’t even hear when the music stopped. He released her and reached up to brush her hair.

  “We’d better get back to the car. The mosquitoes are coming out in full force. I just brushed one off your hair.”

  They walked back toward the pavilion. Evan held her close to him by hooking her arm beneath his and holding tightly to her hand. The crowd around the pavilion had almost doubled in size. Cars and buggies with horses tied to trees and shrubs filled the area at the side of the dance hall.

  Young people lounged against the cars or sat in them watching the dancers. As they approached Evan’s car, a girl called out, “Julie, is that you? Well, as I live and breathe, it’s Julie Jones.”

  Zelda Wood stepped away from a group that leaned on the car next to Evan’s. She was wearing a sleeveless dress with a beaded front and a skirt edged in fringe that danced around her knees when she walked. Huge spit curls were plastered to her cheeks. Julie was shocked to see that she was smoking a cigarette in a long holder.

  “Hello, Zelda.”

  “Good Lord. I thought that was you.” Zelda’s eyes went to Evan. “I see you took my advice.”

  “Uh … what advice?” As soon as Julie uttered the words, she wished that she could take them back.

  “You know.” Zelda took a puff from her cigarette and rolled her eyes up at Evan beneath the highly arched, thinly plucked brows.

  “Do you know Evan Johnson?” Julie asked, embarrassment making her voice tremble.

  Evan answered. “We’ve met. Evening, Miss Wood.”

  “I’m surprised to see you out here with …her.”

  “Why are you surprised?” Evan asked with a lift of his brows. “There aren’t many places around Fertile where a man can take his girl out for an evening.”

  “Bee’s knees! His girl? Fast work, Julie. I didn’t know you had it in you. You can’t tell about these quiet types.” She tossed the last words over her shoulder toward her friends leaning on the car and gestured with the cigarette holder.

  “You’re wrong, Miss Wood,” Evan said quickly. “The chasing was on my part. It took a lot of persuasion to convince Miss Jones to come out with me. It won’t be the last time if I have anything to say about it.” His tone more than his words caused Zelda’s face to redden and lose its smirk, but she wasn’t about to back down in front of her friends.

  “She is amusing, isn’t she? Different from what you’re used to.”

  “Very different. Very refreshing. I had begun to fear that all the sweet, wholesome women had been taken.”

  Afraid to look up at him, Julie felt as if the breath had been sucked out of her.

  “Well, I’ve got to get back to my chums. We’re here every Saturday night to keep up on the latest dances. Next time you bring your eggs to town, Julie, stop by the bank.”

  Evan opened the door for Julie. She got in and stared straight ahead while Evan rounded the car and got behind the wheel. She knew that Zelda and her “chums” were watching her. Some of them, along with Zelda, had been in her class at school.

  “What else could he say?” The male voice reached Julie. “Being who he is, he’d have to go out with someone like her … if he went out.”

  “Of course she’d go. I don’t think the poor girl has ever been to a dance hall. Did you know all the names in that family start with a J? Isn’t that the cat’s meow?”

  Julie’s face was still burning as they left the lake and headed toward town. The silence was thick and heavy. Julie felt as if she were in another world. Wondering what Evan could be thinking after the encounter with Zelda, she was filled with misery.

  “Are we going to let that silly little twit spoil our evening?” Evan asked quietly. “She’s trying so hard to be a flapper, she makes a fool of herself.” He reached for Julie’s hand and held it lightly, giving her the opportunity to pull away. When she didn’t, he tugged gently. “Come sit close to me. I hear that it’s what people do on a date. I’ve not been on many, so I have to take their word for it.”

  He looked at her when he could take his eyes off the road. His nearness confused her and weakened her willpower. She moved until her shoulder and thigh were touching his.

  “That’s much better. Forget about what the jealous cat said. She’s ill-mannered, rude, and not worth our giving her a second thought.”

  “She was in my class at school.” It was all Julie could think of to say as she swallowed an assortment of lumps in her throat.

  Evan stopped the car on Main Street in front of the drugstore. He looked at Julie. Her lips were slightly parted as she breathed through her mouth. The flush on her cheeks and the vein that throbbed in her neck were signs of her discomfiture. He wanted badly to cradle her in his arms and rest his chin on the top of her head. He didn’t dare, for fear he would damage her trust in him.

  “How about another ice-cream cone?”

  She turned to him and immediately the corners of her mouth tilted.

  “Oh, no. But thank you.”

  �
��I want to get some tooth powder. Do you mind waiting while I run in?”

  Of course not.”

  “Be right back.”

  Julie watched him go into the drugstore. He uses tooth powder, she thought, with growing concern. Another difference between them. She’d never used tooth powder. All of her life she had cleaned her teeth with soda and salt.

  Was Zelda right? Was he just giving the poor country girl a break from her dull life?

  There were quite a few people on the street. They strolled along, either on their way home from the picture show or gathering in groups to visit. Several people looked pointedly at her, or was it Evan’s nice car that had drawn their eyes?

  Julie hadn’t thought to check if her father’s car was still on the street. The picture show was over. Miss Dahlstrom, the round-shouldered spinster who played the piano to accompany the movie, had gone by.

  She was surprised to realize that she hadn’t thought of her father or Birdie Stuart since she and Evan had laughed about the joke Thad and Joe had played on her. The fear that her father had become infatuated with the woman was still there even if she had forgotten about it for a while.

  She watched Evan come out of the drugstore. He was a good-looking man, half a head taller than most of the men on the street. He moved with such assurance that people automatically moved out of his way.

  A man like Evan would never be seriously interested in a girl like me.

  Evan opened the door, got in the car and placed a box on her lap.

  “What’s this?”

  “What does it say?”

  Julie tilted the box up to the light. “French Chocolate Creams?”

  “Open it,” Evan said, smiling. “I’ve got a fondness for sweets.”

  “Oh, you! You’re like a little kid.” Excitement made her cheeks rosy as she broke the paper seal and opened the box. Inside were three rows of small round pieces of chocolate. Evan reached for one and held it up to her mouth.

  “Open up,” he commanded laughingly.

  When she opened her mouth, he popped the chocolate inside. The instant she bit down on it, a burst of delicious cherry-flavored cream filled her mouth.

  Her eyes, alight with pleasure, met his. “Oh, my,” she said. “Good.”

  His eyes still holding hers, he popped one into his own mouth.

  “Oh, my, you’re right.” He lifted his arm to position it on the top of the seat behind her. Their heads were close.

  “I’ve never had candy so good.”

  “I think I’ll have another. How about you?” Without waiting for her to answer, he held the chocolate to her lips. She took it, being careful not to touch his fingers.

  Their eyes held. She was the girl of his dreams, even more wonderful than he had imagined. Her hair was the rich color of ripened wheat, her mouth wide and sweet, her eyes like stars. The desolate look on her face when she heard the cruel remarks by the tart at the dance hall had cut him to the bone.

  Sweetheart, somehow I’ve got to make you want me. I’d give you the world if I could.

  Julie stared at him for a long silent minute. He was so close she could see the small squint lines at the ends of his eyes and the cowlick that stood up next to the part in his hair. She was afraid that if she moved, he would be sure to know how happy she was, being here with him. When she finally spoke, her voice caught, then came out in a husky whisper.

  “Thank you for the treat.”

  “The entire evening has been a treat for me.”

  “It’s nice of you to say that.”

  “I mean it. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and we can do it again.” He was looking past her down the walk. “It’s time we moved on. I see Walter and a couple of his cronies coming this way. I sure don’t want to give them a ride home.” Evan started the car, backed out and turned toward the road leading out of town.

  The extraordinarily wonderful evening was almost over.

  Chapter 16

  WHEN EVAN STOPPED THE CAR at the side of the front porch, Julie wasn’t sure what to do.

  “Thank you. I’ve had a good time.” She placed her hand on the door handle.

  “Will you stay for just a little while? I don’t want the evening to end.”

  “I…ah …really had a good time,” she stammered, not knowing what else to say.

  “I’m glad. I’d like to do it again sometime.”

  “Go to Spring Lake?”

  “Or the picture show. Just be with you.”

  “All right.”

  “I like being with you … and your family.”

  Julie laughed nervously. “I’d think that we’re rather dull compared to what you’re used to.”

  “You’re anything but dull, Julie.” His hand on the back of the seat moved to her shoulder, then to massage the nape of her neck. “Do I make you nervous?”

  “A little bit.”

  “I make myself nervous. I’m so afraid I’ll make a mistake and scare you away from me.”

  “I don’t scare easily,” she whispered and turned to look at him. His face was closer than she expected.

  “I hope not, because before you go in, I’d like to kiss you.”

  “You … would?”

  “Will you scream for Joe if I do?”

  A smile tilted the corners of her mouth. “I imagine it would be over by the time he got here.”

  Evan chuckled. She was fun, intelligent … soft. She was all a woman should be.

  “He could drag me out and punch me in the nose.”

  “He might—if I yelled real loud.”

  “To kiss you would be worth a dozen punches in the nose.” His voice was husky and rawly disturbed, like his deep, quivering breaths. “But I won’t do it if you don’t want me to… .”

  The hand at her nape brought her face toward his, then slipped down to cup her shoulder to allow her to turn away if she chose. She felt the caress of his warm breath on her cheek before, with the utmost tenderness and caution, his lips, warm and soft, settled on hers.

  Oh, my! This is what I’ve heard about, read about, but it’s a thousand times more wonderful. The thought floated through Julie’s mind during the brief kiss. A warm tide of tingling excitement washed over her. Her heart beat wildly and her mind whirled giddily.

  Evan moved his head and placed his cheek against hers. His arm tightened. His heart was drumming; he was stunned with happiness. Neither of them spoke for long minutes. He was content holding her and she was content resting against him. Finally she stirred and gently moved away from him. For an instant he feared her sweet surrender was all a dream, then she uttered a little laugh so soundless that it was no more than an exhalation of breath.

  “I’ve not had much experience … kissing—”

  “I’m glad.” He laughed with relief and pure happiness. “Maybe we should practice,” he teased.

  “I could volunteer for the kissing booth at the county fair. I’d get a lot of practice there.”

  “You don’t have to go to the fair. You can practice on me … right here.” Then he laughed, intimately, joyously, and his arm tightened around her. “The only thing that would have made that kiss better was if you had put your arm around my neck. Shall we try it again?”