by Sweet Annie
He didn’t see her at first, because he’d been engaged in a conversation with two men, but when one of them looked her way, and then the other, he turned his head and spotted her. Conversation died on his lips, and an unfamiliar expression softened his already heart-stopping features.
Annie kept up her steady step-limp, step-limp, discovering the sawdust beneath her shoes, seeing concern on his face turn to a question and then to a welcome and finally to something else—pride. She didn’t take her gaze from his eyes for a second.
She became aware that she’d drawn attention; that talk had hushed and that the dancers on the floor barely shifted. She felt every eye in the building focused upon her ungainly approach.
The song changed, but the dancers no longer moved.
Luke didn’t take a step toward her; he waited patiently. She drew near, and he smiled, the smile she loved that creased his cheeks and crinkled the corners of his eyes. He handed the tin cup to the man beside him.
She stopped in front of him, breathless not from walking, but from the exhilaration of doing such a bold and daring thing.
“I don’t know how to dance,” she said, her voice airy with nervous tension. “I don’t even know if I can…but I’d like to learn.”
He didn’t answer right away. He studied her eyes, her hair, his blue gaze a sensual caress that made her remember all their private moments together and feel the familiar heat. “I’d like to teach you,” he finally replied. “But first I have something for you.”
She watched curiously as he reached into his trouser pocket and withdrew something blue—a ribbon of some sort. He held the ribbon in both hands and placed it over her head, around her neck, let it fall against her breast.
Annie looked down at the ribbon fashioned into a first-prize award, the number one in shiny gold paint.
“You’re the winner tonight, Annie,” he said softly.
Her gaze rose from his racing prize to the blue sparkle in his eyes, and she smiled hesitantly.
He placed her left hand on his shoulder, took her right one in his and took two small steps toward her. She was forced to move back. He took two small steps to the right. She followed, then turned when he turned, the steps small and easy, but not too graceful.
“Mind trying something?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Put your right foot on top of my boot.”
“Step on your foot?”
“Right on my boot and put your weight onto it if you can.”
“I can.”
“Okay.”
She tried it and he led again, her good leg first, taking the step, then his left leg doing the work of her bad leg for her. She didn’t have to lunge to correct her gait this way, and with his agile steps and strong body doing the work, she followed as gracefully as a princess in a fairy tale.
“Is everyone looking?” she asked.
He glanced over her shoulder and nodded.
“Are my parents looking?”
A heartbeat and he nodded again.
“Burdy?”
“He looks like a rabid dog about to attack.”
“Can you take him?”
“I think so.”
“Then don’t stop until someone makes us or until the music ends.”
His smile whispered to her heart. “This was a big step.”
“I know.”
“You’re a brave woman, my sweet Annie.”
“Not so brave. Just sure of what I want.”
“I think I like that stubborn streak.”
“We’ll see if you say that a year from now.”
The smile left his lips. His eyes took on a seriousness she found endearing. “We’re talking about a future,” he said.
“A future together, right?”
He squeezed her hand. “Oh, yes.”
Songs changed, dancers moved around them, and they became part of the celebration.
“How long can you dance with me on your foot?” she asked.
“Until there’s a winter in the Rockies with no snow.”
With her heart full, she smiled. “Have you always been a poet?”
He gave a half shake of his head and his ebony hair glistened in the light of dozens of lanterns. One corner of his mouth edged up in irony. “Hardly.”
To her he was a poet. And a dancer and a lover and a prince. He was everything she’d dreamed of and more than she’d hoped for. When she was with him she could do anything, be anyone. He gave her courage and optimism and made her feel like any other woman of worth. This was the happiest night of her life.
Annie Sweetwater was dancing with the man she loved. The crowd had folded around them, their attention no longer focused on the unlikely couple.
Eventually the warm evening took its toll and Luke asked her if she’d like a drink. He led her to the row of chairs along the wall and she sat gratefully while he went for two cups, then returned and sat close.
Annie sipped tart lemonade, watching his eyes smile at her over the top of his cup. I love you, she wanted to say, but she held it to herself for a while longer and touched the ribbon hanging around her neck.
Luke’s attention shifted, and she sensed someone beside her. Annie looked up to see Burdell standing over her. Luke stood slowly.
“We’re going to talk,” Burdell said.
Chapter Ten
“Outside,” Burdy added.
Luke stood. “Do you really think now is the time for this?”
“You chose the time, buster, not me,” Burdell replied, anger making a vein stick out on his temple. “Walk or I’ll drag you.”
“Burdy!” Annie struggled to her feet. “Don’t do this.”
Diana had appeared directly behind Burdell, and she, too, tried to reason with him. “Maybe we could all have coffee at the house and talk this over.”
Luke clomped toward the door with Burdell on his heels. Annie grabbed Diana’s arm and they followed. Annie had to half run, an awkward stumble with Diana supporting her, to stay behind the men.
“I don’t want any trouble with you,” Luke said, stopping in the side yard and facing Annie’s brother.
“Then you should have left her alone like you’ve been warned,” Burdell replied. “This family has had enough of your interference.”
“Burdy, please,” Annie called. “Don’t do this. This is a big mistake.”
“The mistake is his,” Burdell hissed.
A few more people came up behind the clinging women, and Annie recognized her father’s angry voice. “What did you think you were doing in there, Carpenter? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?”
“I don’t want a fight with your family,” Luke said calmly. “I don’t want any hard feelings.”
Burdell rolled back his shirtsleeves.
“Don’t do this,” Luke warned.
“Burdy, don’t!” Annie called.
“You’re going to leave my sister alone,” Burdell threatened.
Luke drew a hand over his mouth, down his chin, then lowered it. “Why don’t you let Annie decide what’s best for her?”
“She doesn’t know what’s best for her!”
His words infuriated Annie. “I do so! I know exactly what I want! I’m the one who asked him to teach me to dance, remember? Did you see me, Burdy?” Holding Diana’s arm, she spun around and found her mother and father only three feet away. “Did you see me, Mama? I walked over there and I asked him to dance! That was what I wanted!”
Charmaine and her parents had come to stand at the front of the gathering crowd.
“We can work this out without any violence,” Uncle Mort said sternly.
Charmaine covered her mouth with her hands and stared.
“He’s got a lesson coming.” Burdell took an angry step toward Luke.
Luke sidestepped. “Don’t do this, Burdell. Think of your sister.”
Burdell’s face contorted. “Don’t you tell me to think of my sister. This is for putting your hands on her, you good fo
r nothing—” He jabbed a fist.
Luke ducked the blow and faced him, looking truly wary now. “Don’t do this. You don’t want to do this.”
“You know what I want now?” Burdell gave a terse laugh.
“You know what Annie wants?” Luke countered.
That angered Burdell more. He swung and Luke raised an arm, warding off the punch.
Overhead a burst of color fell from the night sky and the gathering on the other side of the building made appreciative noises. The fireworks had started.
“You’re going to leave her alone,” Burdell growled.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
“Why you son of a—” He swung again and this time his fist caught Luke’s jaw, snapping his head back. “You’ll leave her alone!”
An ache gnawed at Annie’s belly. A loud burst of firecrackers startled her.
Eldon edged forward. “Burdell, maybe this isn’t the right way to handle this.”
Diana released a little sob at Annie’s side and Annie put her arm around her.
“I’ll handle this,” Burdell shouted. “And he’ll leave her alone.”
“Hit me all you want, but I won’t leave her alone,” Luke said. “I’m going to marry her.”
A collective gasp came from the assembled townspeople.
Tears spilled down Annie’s cheeks. “Luke,” she whispered, the nightmare of this confrontation erasing the joy she deserved to feel over his words.
Charmaine moved to her side and rubbed her back comfortingly. Overhead, colors radiated from the ongoing fireworks display. The smell of sulfur filled the air.
Luke’s declaration had infuriated Burdell even further, and with narrowed eyes, he lunged.
Prepared for the attack, Luke caught Burdell’s weight and they wrestled for a moment before toppling to the dirt and rolling while both grappled for dominance.
Luke pulled away and got to his feet. Burdell scrambled up next, breathing hard. He charged at Luke and this time Luke caught him squarely in the chin with a right uppercut, then followed that hit with a blow to Burdell’s midsection that crumpled him to the ground.
Luke took several steps back to stand clear of the man.
Holding his stomach, Burdell glared up. “This isn’t finished.”
Luke beckoned. “Get up and let’s finish it then. I’m not gonna fight you every time I dance with her or talk to her. I’m not gonna fight you on the steps of the church when I marry her. Let’s get it over right now.”
“You sorry son of a—” Burdell staggered to his feet.
“Burdell, stop!” Diana cried. Pulling away from Annie, she rushed forward.
Charmaine wrapped her arm around Annie’s waist, lending her support.
“That’s enough,” Diana said to her husband. “Stop this.”
Burdell glanced at his wife, then over at Annie and back to Luke. “All right,” he said. “There are other ways.”
Annie pulled away from her cousin and limped over to Luke. He didn’t really look any worse for the wear, though it was too dark to see if he bore any scrapes or cuts. Impulsively, she moved into his arms and he hugged her.
“I’ll get your pretty dress dirty,” he said.
Taking his hand, she led him to where her brother stood. “Are you all right?”
He glared past her at Luke. “I’m fine.”
Her parents joined them and Mildred took Annie’s hand and tried to tug her away. Annie resisted.
“Annie, you’ve caused enough of a spectacle tonight.” Her voice and words, laced with censure and criticism as always, twisted the knife blade of hurt in Annie’s chest.
“I’m sorry you’re embarrassed, Mother, but if you’ll notice, your son was the one who started a fist-fight. Luke tried to talk him out of it.”
“But you brought it on, Annie, with that exhibition inside.”
“Yes.” She looked from her mother’s pinched expression to her father’s sorrowful one, and back. “You’ve certainly warned me enough about staying in my chair, haven’t you? I guess the fact that I can walk and that it makes me happy is beyond the point. The point is, I shouldn’t have even a tiny measure of joy if it makes me appear in the least bit clumsy and embarrasses you.”
“You’ve been walking?” her mother asked.
Annie nodded. “Everyone has seen me and is happy for me. Everyone except you.”
Mildred glanced at Charmaine, at her brother and sister-in-law who nodded reluctantly. Her glare lit upon her husband. “You?”
“Daddy didn’t know, Mother,” Annie assured her.
“They obviously don’t understand or care what’s best for you,” Mildred denied.
“They obviously do care,” Annie argued. “You are the one who doesn’t care about my feelings.”
Mildred made a strangled sound and Annie’s father wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“She’s an ungrateful child,” she whimpered.
Eldon patted her back and leveled a stare at his daughter.
“Luke and I are going to be married, Daddy,” she told him. “It’s what I want.”
Her brave declaration gave Luke the courage to speak up. “This wasn’t the way I wanted it,” he told her father. “I would rather have asked your permission and courted her properly. I’m sorry it came to this.”
“I think we should speak privately,” Eldon said.
Luke nodded. “I agree. But not tonight.”
“Monday. In my office.”
“No.” He’d met the man on his ground before. This discussion needed a neutral location. “Tomorrow after church. We’ll stay after and talk then.”
Sweetwater seemed to consider the idea only briefly. “Very well.”
“I’ll be there, too,” Burdell said.
“No,” his father said, and Luke gave the man credit for some sense. “Not this time. I’ll handle it. Now let’s all go home and calm down.”
Luke steadied Annie as they walked toward the social hall. The last few bursts of fireworks had fizzled out. Surely she didn’t want to go back in there and face the remaining people right now. “I can go get your chair for you. Are you tired?”
She nodded. “But don’t leave me. Charmaine,” she called. “Will you get my chair, please?”
Her cousin hurried inside.
Annie sagged against Luke and he scooped her into his arms, uncaring of who saw them now. She laid her head against his chest, and reverently touched the blue ribbon around her neck.
“People won’t forget this Fourth of July celebration, will they?” she asked.
“Not likely.”
“May I say it now?”
It took a minute to figure out what she was talking about. What did she want to say? Then he realized, and his heart jumped. “Only if I can say it first.”
She raised her head and looked into his eyes. He stood cradling her in the light from the open doorway. “Okay,” she said, her lips curving into a seductive smile.
“I love you, Annie.”
In the meager light tears formed in her eyes. “I love you, Luke.”
He kissed her, but it didn’t last because of their smiles. He started walking, carrying her away from the building, toward the wagons.
“Thank you for not killing my brother.”
“Thank you for not being ashamed to love me.”
“Why would I ever be ashamed of you?”
“Banker’s daughter, liveryman, you know.”
“No, I don’t know. Thank you for not being ashamed to love a clumsy girl.”
“You’re not clumsy, Annie. You’re the most beautiful girl in the state of Colorado.”
“And I can dance,” she whispered.
He touched his forehead to hers. “You certainly can.”
“Thank you for the dance, Luke.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Are you two going to stand there mooning all night, or do you want this chair?” Charmaine had followed them with the
wheelchair.
Luke turned with Annie laughing in his arms. “Thank you, Charmaine.”
He placed Annie on the seat and she settled her skirts.
Her parents approached wearing their displeasure on their stern faces. Luke wished her a good-night and trudged toward his horse.
The Sweetwaters left in the Renlows’ wagon.
Burdell and Diana walked toward their home, Burdell carrying his son on his shoulder.
Luke untethered his horse and mounted, heading for the livery. He’d need to be there when more wagons and horses were returned.
Annie had been right, no one would forget this holiday celebration any time soon, least of all him. He would never forget the image of his beautiful sweet Annie, walking toward him across that dance floor, her chin tilted bravely, her expressive eyes filled with pride and hope and love. He would always remember the dress and the act as a symbol of her maturity and determination. How he loved that courageous stubborn woman.
And now everyone knew it.
Whenever Luke attended church, he arrived late for the service, since he rented rigs to a couple of families for whom he had to deliver the outfit and then ride back, so it was his habit to slip in the back and sit in a rear pew.
This morning he’d entered quietly and sat listening to the music and the preacher’s sermon, sometimes letting his mind wander to the upcoming meeting with Annie’s father.
Annie wasn’t sitting against the wall where she usually sat in her chair, but in her family’s pew, and he knew the freedom she must feel without the hindrance of that chair.
Preacher Davidson ended the service and stood on the stoop in the sunshine, greeting the parishioners. Luke observed as Annie stood and made her way to the back of the church, Charmaine at her side, her mother’s expression pinched and her cheeks blooming bright pink.
“What do we have here, a miracle?” Preacher Davidson asked, taking Annie’s hand.
“I believe so,” she replied, and wished him a good day.
Luke followed, shook the preacher’s hand, and watched Charmaine get Annie’s chair from beside the building and hold it for Annie to sit. Her gaze lifted and she spotted him where he stood on a wooden step. She gave him a tentative smile.