The obvious effort she was making to appear like she wasn’t craning her neck for a glimpse of him failed to convince Kate.
“Not really.” In truth, she had spotted his lanky form. “But I just barely got here.”
“He’s here somewhere,” Elspeth breathed. “Ma told me. I do hope he asks me for a turn through the squares.”
“I’m sure he will.”
Elpeth’s measuring eyes ran over her. “What about you, Miss Kate? Will anyone special be taking your arm to do-si-do?”
She glanced away. “Between farm duties and doctoring animals, I’ve no time for such things.”
“Yes, I heard you’re quite the handy hoss doc,” the blonde said, smoothing what was no doubt a brand new cotton frock. “Don’t know how you manage a man’s job like that.” She glanced around before leaning close to whisper to her. “Is it really true what they say about you?”
Kate arched a brow. “What who says?”
Elspeth ran a measuring glance over Kate’s dress. “That you’ve been seen wearing a man’s trousers.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Really, Elspeth, I’m hardly the first woman to do so nowadays. They’re not all that different from split riding skirts, when you think about it.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “You wear those, too?”
“How else am I supposed to sit astride a horse?”
“You’re not supposed to sit astride. That’s the point.” The girl shook her head and deposited Kate’s basket on the table. “Honestly, how can you expect to land a man if you dress and act like one?”
“I don’t expect to land one at all. I told you, I’m too busy to worry about such things.”
“You’re so busy because you don’t have a husband taking care of you.”
Kate grunted. “What era do you live in? Women work just as hard if they’ve got a man in their beds. Harder, I’d wager.”
Elspeth’s mouth fell open. “Katie Rose! Such talk.”
“Evenin’, ladies.”
They turned and Elspeth nearly tripped over herself. “Why, Thomas Lowe Junior. We were just talking about you.”
“You was?” The gangly man flashed a gap-toothed smile.
Kate restrained the urge to mention that Elspeth was talking about marriage and smiled back.
“You’re both lookin’ a might dandy tonight,” he went on.
The caller announced the lineup for the next dance. “Line up now, and make yer square, ladies all and gents who dare.”
Kate saw Tommy’s Adam’s apple bob above the collar of his tight plaid shirt. “Care to dance, Miss Kate?”
She felt Elspeth stiffen beside her. “That’s very kind, but I think I might have twisted my ankle a bit getting off the wagon. Might be best if I sit this out.”
The genuine concern in his expression over her white lie stabbed her with a bit of guilt. “Anythin’ I can do?”
“I’ll be fine.” She gave a meaningful glance at Elspeth, and then raised a brow at Tommy.
He seemed to catch the hint. “Um, can I interest you in a dance, Miss Elspeth?”
Elspeth shot Kate a look, but turned her best smile on Tommy. “Why, I’d be delighted. If you don’t mind, Kate?”
“Of course not. You two go right on ahead.”
The couple lined up just in time for the dance, and Kate stood beside the food table to watch a half dozen squares promenade, circle left, and wheel around. Onlookers clapped or stamped their feet in time to the music, and Elspeth’s grin was split from ear to ear every time she whirled Kate’s direction.
After a while Kate hugged herself with a sigh, wondering why she’d come when there was so much work to do at home. She’d known good and well that neither William nor Jack would show up. While there were worse fates than being among friends and sharing a good meal, she had plenty enough food at home and Pa to consider. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted standing there. There was really no point to staying, shifting from one foot to the other and smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from her skirt.
She’d decided to slip out and make for home when a man’s deep whisper in her ear sent a shiver through her.
“Ningxa’ ne:sindiwa:n.” I think you look beautiful.
Her stomach gave a happy little jump when she turned to see William standing over her. He wore a red band-collared shirt ironed crisp and neat, coupled with a brown vest and clean blue jeans. Just as shiny and handsome was Jack, who stood beside William with his thumbs hooked in the belt loops of a fresh pair of jeans. He had foregone wearing a vest, instead wearing a western-yoked brown shirt in a shade similar to his hair.
“Ma’am,” Jack said, tipping his hand to a hat that wasn’t there. “Lookin’ a might pretty tonight.”
Her pulse fluttered faster at the sight of the men. My, weren’t the two of them a right couple of dandies? Both of them were combed and freshly shaven, smelling of leather and soap. They had obviously changed and cleaned up after a day on the ranch, unlike many cowboys here who seemed so eager to get to the dance they didn’t bother to take off their spurs or even visit a washbasin first.
She gave a shy smile. “He:yung,” she said, meaning “hello.” “And thank you for the compliments.” She felt warmth creep into her cheeks at the smile they gave her in return.
“I almost didn’t recognize you,” William said. “Not used to seein’ you with your dress on.”
Mrs. Jessup happened along at that very moment, and her mouth fell open in an exact replica of her daughter Elspeth’s when Kate had mentioned hard work. “Well, really,” the woman said. “I never.”
“Beg pardon, ma’am,” William said, and Kate had the satisfaction of seeing his face redden several shades. “I just meant Miss Marsh is so busy tendin’ livestock that she hasn’t much call to dress up for fine occasions like this.”
The straight-backed woman sniffed and lifted her chin. “Hm.” She tossed Kate a harsh glance and nodded. “I hope you three enjoy yourselves this evenin’.”
He and Jack made hat-tipping motions to the lady. “Thank yeh for the hospitality, ma’am,” Jack said.
When the woman had bustled off, Jack chuckled and Kate couldn’t suppress a smile. “I see I’m not the only one whose mouth sprouts legs and runs right into trouble,” she said.
“Nope,” Jack replied. “Will here’s got a real knack for that himself.”
William shot him a look and turned back to her with a grin. “Guess you’re a bad influence on me.”
She laughed. “I doubt I could make that deep an impression on you.”
“Oh, you make an impression, all right.”
The flock of doves in her stomach turned into a cattle stampede, and she had the sudden urge to run. She settled for averting her eyes from his molten stare.
William crooked his arm and raised it. “Would you care to dance, Miss Marsh?”
Jack shot the two of them a look she couldn’t quite read. The words that fell from her lips in reply shocked her before she had a chance to chicken out of saying them. “I’d be delighted.”
The caller was announcing a Virginia Reel when they joined the dance. Men lined up on one side, women on the other, and as they took their places Kate noted with a smile that she and William were the head couple. She felt a stab of guilt at Jack being left out, until she saw he’d grabbed a thrilled Betty Sue Landers and lined up beside William. The fiddlers struck up the tune, and cowboys yee-hawed while men and women skipped up to one another, bowed, then skipped back again. Their caller was in fine spirits as he shouted out the steps.
“Now join hands right and swing yer girl.”
When William’s hand slid into hers it felt warm and inviting, and she tingled when he touched her. And she might have imagined it, but when he finished swinging her through the turn he seemed reluctant to let her go. He led her through the left hand swing, then her skirts brushed his leg while they do-si-doed around each other.
“Head couple sashay and don’t be late,” the
caller whooped.
Kate’s heart pounded with exertion and William’s proximity when they joined both hands and slid in bold side steps down the center of the line.
“I’ve been tryin’ to figure out where we’ve met,” William shouted over the din as they sashayed back again.
“Now swing that girl like an oiled gate,” came the next call.
William twirled her around.
She smiled. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
With the caller still going, they began threading through the line, swinging around each of the other couple’s opposite sex partners and then returning to each other. Jack was first.
“Evenin’ again, Miss Marsh. You look even prettier a mite flushed like this.”
She felt more than flushed than ever with his hand on her, swinging her around. She danced back out to William.
“You’re really not gonna tell me where we met?”
She shrugged with an innocent smile, and the caller went on. “Left to the buggy and right to the wheel. The faster you go, the better you feel.”
She had to admit she did feel better the more she skipped and wove through the line, especially with Jack’s eyes glued to her and William right there to meet her in the center every time. She was downright giddy by the time they reached the end of the line, where Tommy was waiting to join hands and swing her through a turn.
“Thought yer ankle was atwist,” he shouted.
“Guess it’s better now,” she said as they finished the turn.
“So I see.” He grinned as she went back to where William waited. They joined hands and sashayed down, then split to walk around the back side of their lines to meet up at the far end.
The rest of the dancers followed in single files. Then he grasped her hands, and together they held them up in an arch while the rest of the dancers paired up and sashayed beneath. She felt her cheeks burn from all the activity, and his hands shot tingles through her palms and all the way up her arms. Jack winked at her as he passed, and her stomach fluttered. William’s brilliant green eyes stayed fastened to her until the last couple—Tommy and Elspeth—skipped beneath their clasped hands and fell into place alongside. Then he dropped her hands, and they clapped the rhythm out while the reel started over again. From the corner of her eye, she caught Elspeth shooting appreciative glances at William and questioning frowns at Kate.
By the time the dance had ended, Kate was breathless and smiling so hard her face hurt. Her stomach quivered when William set a firm hand against the small of her back and lead her from the dance area to the refreshment table, where he got them both a cup of lemonade before steering her over to where Jack stood away from the crowd.
“I haven’t had that much fun in a long time,” she said, sipping the tangy drink. “Thank you.”
William gave her a nod. “My pleasure, ma’am.”
“Seems like you had a nice time, too,” she said to Jack. “Can’t remember the last time I saw anyone dance with Betty Sue.”
“She’s a decent enough girl. A bit on the stout side.” His light brown eyes glittered in the lantern light, taking a quick sweep over Kate’s dress that made the hair on her arms rise. “My tastes run a might different.”
She swallowed and glanced over to where the pudgy brunette was gushing to a half-circle of ladies and stealing glances Jack’s way. “Well, I’m sure she won’t forget it. Don’t be surprised if she talks about you for weeks.”
“Just so long as that’s all she does,” Jack said.
“People do like to talk in this town,” William added. “Not much else to do, I guess.”
Jack leaned close to him and dropped his voice to where Kate almost couldn’t hear. “Then yer not doin’ the right things.” Another heart-pounding wink came her way.
Kate’s eyes slid past Jack’s shoulder to the open barn door, and her mood deflated. Jack must have caught her frown because he added, “Somethin’ wrong?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t realize how late it is. I really should be getting home.”
If he or William were disappointed, they didn’t show it. “We’ll see you off, then.”
On their way out, the men stopped to grab hats and coats from among many hanging on the barn wall, and tugged them on as they walked through the night. The music was still strong out here, but not enough to drown out the sound of crickets adding their own fiddles to the night. The air was much cooler, and chilled her enough to cause a shiver.
“You’re cold,” William said, and immediately began to shuck off his duster.
“I’ve a shawl in the wagon,” she said. Jack headed for the horses while William followed her to the buckboard, where she retrieved her wrap. To her surprise, Jack had her horse in hand along with his when he came back.
The thought that the dance was over for them now that she was leaving gave her heart a little skip of pleasure. “You’re leaving, too?”
William tipped his hat. “We’ll see you home safe, if you’d so oblige the company.”
Her heart double-skipped this time. “That’s very kind.”
Jack helped her aboard the wagon and mounted his palomino while William got his own horse, Windstorm. The gorgeous spotted Appaloosa, she’d learned, was William’s first acquisition upon learning to tame mustangs Indian style. The mare was a beauty and his favorite riding animal. Windstorm nodded its head as if in greeting to Kate, and they all headed out at a gentle pace with William and Jack riding along either side of her buckboard.
The moon was bright and full enough to dim the stars closest to it, though a huge palette of shining white dots painted the sky. She broke the comfortable silence that had fallen between them to comment on it. “Windstorm reminds me of the night sky, only in reverse. She’s white with black stars, each outlining a special constellation.”
William leaned forward and gave the animal’s neck a firm pat. “Windstorm is a unique animal, it’s true.”
“Never seen a paint job like it,” Jack added.
Kate nodded. “Glad to see her leg is better.”
“Just needed a bit of rest,” William said. “Must have twisted it funny in the stall or somethin’.”
They went the rest of the way in silence, Jack exchanging silent smiles with her that lit warmth in her stomach. William appeared lost in thought. She wondered whether he was still trying to figure out how she claimed to know him. All too soon they turned in at her place, and they rode over with her to the barn. She felt the odd tingle up her arm again when William was the one to offer a hand to help her down from the buckboard. For a moment when her boots touched ground, she was standing in his arms. She flashed on a brief fantasy where he’d clutched her against him to kiss her, rather than simply give her the courtesy of a hand.
“Well,” she said, more breathless than she’d have liked. “Thank you for seeing me home, Mr. Tyler.”
“William,” he said.
“We’ll help put up the horse and wagon,” Jack said in a volume that suggested he was trying to remind her he was standing there, watching. She hadn’t forgotten. His eyes penetrated her to the core, and a shiver went through her at the thought of standing in Jack’s arms the way she was practically doing with William.
“Thanks to you for the escort as well, but I’m perfectly capable of putting up the wagon on my own,” she told him. “I don’t want to hold you two up.”
A lazy smile curved his lips, and her gaze lingered on them a bit longer than was proper. “Two extra sets of hands will ease your task.”
Something shocking flickered in her mind—a thought of what other things two extra sets of hands might be helpful for.
“Besides,” William said, “we’re in no hurry.”
Unable to think of an argument aside from the obvious impropriety of being alone in the dark with two men and her indecent thoughts, she let them help her unsaddle Peaches and get the animal put up for the night. As the pair worked side by side with her, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what i
t would be like to have a man like William or Jack helping her with chores every night. Afterward, he’d take her by the hand and lead her inside, where he would watch her brush out her long hair before retiring to the bed they shared.
“Guess that about does it,” William said, jerking her away from her folly. She felt hair prickling along her arms beneath the sleeves of her dress, standing on end from the shock of where her imagination had sent her.
She barely managed to stammer out thanks while they walked back to their horses, and she pulled her shawl tighter around herself when they did. William turned to her, his measuring gaze searching every inch of her face. He pulled off his hat and nodded. “Miss Kate,” he said, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper while he stepped close. Too close. “There’s somethin’ I’d very much like to do right now, if you’ll forgive me for asking.”
Her breathing grew shallower until it nearly left altogether, and her lips parted slightly. Oh, please, let him kiss me, she thought as he drew even closer. She licked her lips and wavered, deciding whether to let him finish asking or just cut to the chase and meet him halfway.
Her pulse fluttered, and when she couldn’t stand his hesitation any longer, she darted forward and pressed her mouth to his. The sensation was indescribable, sending a shiver through her despite the warmth of her wrap. His lips were hot and pliable, smooth and yet firm.
He stiffened, but she heard a slight groan in his throat.
The sound of Jack clearing his throat brought her back to sanity, and she jerked back. Jack’s eyes were regarding her with undisguised interest. William’s looked a bit glazed.
“Is that what you were going to ask?” she whispered to William.
He cleared his throat. “Actually, I wanted permission to call on you sometime.”
Heat flew to her face. “Oh.” She stepped back and hugged herself. “Well, I’d say you’d better pay call, since you just kissed me.”
He cocked his head. “I believe it were you who kissed me. Ma’am.”
Jack’s chuckle sparked a touch of irritation in her. “Looked that way to me.”
She shot Jack a glare. “He didn’t exactly fight me off.”
To Tame a Wild Mustang Page 4