"You’ll have to excuse me, Jess," she said, leaving him standing alone outside the meeting hall where the dance would be held.
His brows were raised and questioning. She smiled secretively, then turned and ran back to Mrs. Huckleby’s, so excited she couldn’t stop grinning.
She took a quick sponge bath to get off the dust of the day, then put on the fancy petticoats and waist cinch that Patty had lent her. She scarcely needed to cinch her own waist, but she had been told it would be indelicate have men touch her while dancing and feel a soft body beneath their fingertips instead of corseting and whalebone. That is, if any man even asked her to dance.
Before dressing, she needed to style her hair. It was still fairly short. Not as short as when she was home, where she had made sure to cut it so that it stayed cool and out of her way when she worked on the ranch with her pa and brothers. As she brushed it, trying to come up with something that would make her look a little less hideous, she remembered a circular she had seen in Tombstone about Lillie Langtry, the beautiful actress. Suddenly, she knew how to style it.
She swept the sides and back upward, toward the crown, and held them in place with combs. Then she heated Mrs. Huckleby's curling iron to make curls that fell all over the top of her head and onto her forehead. She also used the hot iron to form little ringlets out of wisps of hair on her neckline that were too short to be caught in the combs. Last, she wove a thin blue satin ribbon, the color of her dress, through the curls and over the combs, tying it into a small bow behind her left ear.
She put on the sky blue dress and studied herself in the mirror. The dress was simply cut, but in a recent style she had seen in a magazine brought to Dry Springs from San Francisco only six months before. The front of the dress dipped lower than anything she had ever worn, while the waist cinch pushed her breasts up, tight against the material. For the first time in her life, she had a noticeable cleavage.
The upswept hairdo gave her height, making her neck appear long and delicate, and the curls that framed her eyes set them off in a way that made them look larger than usual. The excitement of going to the dance had brought a pinkish glow to her cheeks.
She stood there in front of the mirror for several minutes, trying to become accustomed to this new Gabe. Or was this, perhaps, Gabriella?
She sucked in her breath, then let it out slowly. What would Jess's reaction be when he saw her?
Patty Larkin waited for her in the parlor and the two of them walked together to the dance. Gabe started off briskly, taking her usual long steps, and quickly realized that if she kept that up, she would leave Patty well behind. She slowed down and measured her pace to Patty’s, moving along in the lady-like way she’d seen other women affect. She even took a couple of sashaying-type steps, but had to stop. She felt too silly.
Music from the danced filled the night air as she approached the meeting hall, anticipation gnawing at her stomach. She stepped through the doors. Smoke from lanterns and cigarettes floated above the dancers. From miles around, miners, ranchers, cowpunchers, their wives and daughters had come to join the day's festivities.
Gabe looked for McLowry but didn't see him. Almost immediately, a young man asked Patty to dance. Gabe waved her off. No sense in Patty being a wallflower just because Gabe was. She was heading toward a wall to hide against and wait for McLowry to arrive when a tall, pleasant looking young man with straight brown hair and a long, droopy mustache, stepped up to her.
"Good evening, Miss Devere," he said.
Did she know him? "Hello."
"My name's Tommy Larkin. Patty’s brother. The one who lent you the...er, I mean..."
Gabe watched the young man's face turn so many shades of red at the thought of her waist cinch she feared he would burst into flame.
She held out her hand to him and smiled. "Tommy, how nice to meet you."
He tugged on her hand like a water pump. "I been wanting to meet you. My ma and Patty talk about you all the time." He ran the sleeve of his jacket over his forehead to wipe away the perspiration.
"Thank you."
"Do you...uh...that is, would you, uh...like to...uh..."
"Dance?" she offered.
He gave a smile of great relief. "Yeah. Want to?"
Gabe regarded him a moment. The last dance she had gone to, no one looked at her twice except for McLowry. And he was only being nice. Now, this poor boy was nervous as a bridegroom just asking her for a mazurka. Her heart went out to him. She knew what it was like to be rejected. "Of course," she said with a smile.
He strutted onto the dance area, leading her as if she were a princess. She glanced around the room for McLowry, wanting him to see this with his own eyes, but he still hadn’t arrived.
Tommy turned to her, then smiled awkwardly, as he raised his right arm, and lowered his left, then switched the other way, looking more like a railroad flagman than a dance partner. Gabe helped him out, and they soon stepped in time with the music. She hadn't spent all those years being partners with her brothers for nothing.
A pang touched her heart at the thought. The last time she went to a dance they were with her, Henry never leaving Louisa Zilpher's side and cocky Chad never dancing with the same girl twice.
She forced her attention back to Tommy who was busily tripping over his own feet when he wasn't standing on hers. He smiled. "You must be the prettiest girl here, Miss Devere," he said.
Gabe felt her cheeks redden at the compliment. Tommy twirled her around the dance floor and when the music ended, three other young men immediately surrounded her, each demanding their turn.
o0o
After Gabe had gone off to change her clothes for the dance, McLowry, too, decided to dress up a bit. He put on a clean cream colored shirt and black slacks, with a small black string tie. He knew she and Patty Larkin planned to meet and walk to the dance together, so he went on ahead. He stood around waiting for her to return, smiling foolishly in response to others who saw him. Hanging around town socials wasn't his style. He was more comfortable with men and women in saloons, especially during a card game. He decided to go for a walk.
At the edge of town he built himself a cigarette, and after smoking it, decided to kill a little more time by returning to the dance by way of the back streets.
Maybe Gabe would have arrived by the time he returned.
One of the two dance hall girls in town, Lucky Meacham, stood on a small second floor balcony. McLowry had met her a week earlier when she had helped out during the night hours at Doc Shannon's. She leaned her elbows against the balcony railing, her head turned toward the fiddler's music coming from the dance, a wistful expression on her face.
As McLowry’s boots crunched on the gravel of the roadway, she gazed down at him and smiled.
He put one foot on a water trough below her, and pushed back the brim of his hat. "Evenin', Miss Lucky," he said.
"Jess McLowry, what're you doing here? I came out to see the women fight over you down at the dance. You're the handsomest thing that's happened to Dry Springs in a month of Sundays."
He grinned. "That's why I left. All that attention was making me blush."
She put her hands on the waist of her green satin dress and playfully thrust her hips out toward him. "I'll bet you haven’t blushed since your mama stopped changing your diapers. But I might know a few tricks to at least get a rise out of you."
He grinned. "Is that a promise?"
Her laugh was deep, warm and throaty. "Come up and find out."
There had been a time when to spend an evening with a woman with Lucky's good nature and laughter was all he wanted. But no more. He glanced back toward the dance. Gabe might be there now. He should make sure that she was all right. And take a look at the dress she’d been babbling about all week. "No, I'd better get back. Can't disappoint all those womenfolk you were talking about."
She grasped the railing and peered down the street to the town hall. "I remember when I used to go to town socials." She shook her head, the
smile gone from her eyes as she gazed down at him. "Long time ago."
He watched her. "Let’s go, then."
"Me?" She threw back her shoulders, staring at him as if he were crazy. "I'm not wanted there, McLowry. You know that."
"They wanted your help last week at Doc Shannon’s."
"That was different."
"You helped in this town. You were there when people needed you. You can hold your head up with any of the rest of them."
Temptation was written over her face, but still, she hesitated.
"Come with me," he urged.
She seemed to study him a long moment. "Oh...well...why not! Give me one minute, okay?" She ran inside. In no time she was stepping out onto the porch, a black lace shawl covering her shoulders, her green skirts swirling around her as she turned to pull the door shut. With a smile and a swish of ruffled petticoats she bounded down the steps and hooked her arm in his. "I just hope you're still with me when they start throwing stones."
Chapter 15
As they approached the dance, McLowry felt Lucky stiffen and grow more nervous with each step. Mrs. Larkin and Mrs. Grimes stood at the entrance like a pair of gargoyles. Their eyes widened in surprise to see Lucky, then each smiled sternly and welcomed her.
McLowry thought Lucky was going to faint from relief that she wasn’t turned back. He gave her a grin as he went off to check his hat and guns.
A crowd had gathered around the refreshments, but Gabe wasn't among them. He wondered if she hadn't returned yet. Casually, he glanced in the direction of the dancers then stared, unbelieving.
He had never seen her in a dress cut that low. It was all wrong for her. Too dressy, too worldly...too revealing. Who the hell did she think she was? Lucky? His gaze slowly drifted to her tiny waist and the soft billows of material that flowed over her slim hips to the floor. He stared at her hair, done up in tight curls and giving her a sophisticated, grown-up look. He could scarcely swallow. She was beautiful.
To him, she'd been beautiful for a long time, but he guessed the rest of the world found her, at best, cute. But there was no denying that the rest of the world would notice her beauty now.
The young man who held her so reverently obviously did. Even from this distance, McLowry could see the enchantment in his eyes and the way he couldn't tear his gaze away from her.
Nor could McLowry. He glanced at the bodice of her dress again and felt a little warm under his collar. When he saw her partner’s hold on her tighten ever so slightly he decided if the young buck got any friendlier, he was going to march right out there and put a stop to it.
"Your little cousin seems to be in capable hands there," Lucky said, joining him.
McLowry’s back went rigid at her unfortunate choice of words. The thought of any other man's hands on Gabe....
He tried to shake off the feeling. He had no right to it.
"Do you want to go over to her?" Lucky asked.
McLowry forced down the desire to march up the hayseed holding Gabe so damn close and toss him on his ear. His arm slipped around Lucky's waist and he jerked her to his side, then inclined toward her, his words for her ears alone. "I don't want to be anywhere but here." He caught her eye and held it.
She tugged on the tip of his string tie. "Good," she whispered.
Moments earlier, Gabe had spotted McLowry step to the edge of the dance floor. He looked mighty fine, she thought, with his wavy, golden hair, his broad shoulders narrowing down to thin hips, his long, muscular legs in well-fitting black slacks. Giddily, she smiled at the young man with her, eager for Jess to notice her dancing, to witness that, tonight at least, other men found her attractive. As soon as he realized that fact, she planned to go to his side and stick beside him the rest of the evening. She could have danced on a tabletop, so gleeful was she that he was here, now, seeing her being whirled around the dance floor.
But then, Lucky Meacham stepped up to him. Gabe saw her take McLowry’s arm and saw him smile at her, then pull her close and whisper to her.
Gabe turned her head away, struggling to keep her composure. Her partner spoke of his pleasure at dancing with her, and she looked up at him as if he had been talking some foreign tongue. He smiled. What was his name? He was rather handsome and quite pleasant. There should have been something about him to warm her and make her feel even a little of the flutter and turmoil she felt in McLowry's presence, but she found nothing.
She allowed him to pull her a little closer, but even his nearness did nothing to awaken her bruised senses.
She peeked at McLowry, at his arm lingering on Lucky's waist. She watched Lucky’s hand touch his chest as they gazed at each other.
Her legs refused to take another step, and she lowered her head, unable to mask the hurt that came over her.
"What's wrong?" her partner asked.
"It's...it's a little warm. I think I've been dancing too much. Perhaps some punch..." Her voice was a whisper, and he put his hand against her back as he bent near, then kept his hand just that way. Instead of leading her toward the refreshment tables, he led her toward the entrance.
"Why don’t we step outside?" he suggested.
She didn’t want to go out with him, and stopped walking. "No. I’m a bit thirsty, though, if you don’t mind."
"Anything for you, Miss Devere."
She was grateful to be left alone for a moment, to be given some time to recapture her control. She pressed her fingers to her fiery cheeks, trying to calm herself. As she lifted her head, a different young man stood before her.
"May I have the next dance, Miss Devere?" he asked. He was tall and thin, with ears that stuck out from the sides of his head like fins on a fish. He had ridden with McLowry to Tucson.
"I’m sorry. I’m waiting for a friend to return with some punch. Perhaps later?"
"Okay." He reddened as he backed away. "Good. Great!"
He looked as if he wanted to say more, but Gabe said good-bye as she backed away and then spun around to move even farther from him. As she did, though, she turned directly in front of McLowry and Lucky. Her gaze met his and held.
He felt like the Devil himself when he saw the disappointment in her eyes. He wanted to take her hands and tell her he had only brought Lucky here as a friend. Instead, he kept his arm around Lucky’s waist. This meeting went along with his plan perfectly. He had wanted Gabe to meet young men, after all. And she was. He had wanted her to ignore him, and she would. Now.
It was perfect. Why, then, did he feel like something that would stick to the sole of a boot after walking through a pigsty?
"Hello, Gabe," Lucky said.
Gabe tried to smile at her, but it felt more like a grimace, and she quickly stopped. "Hello." Her gaze drifted back to McLowry. She was sure everything she was feeling was written on her face, but she could no more lie to him than to her own soul.
"You seem to be quite in demand this evening," he said.
She shrugged. "There aren’t many single women here, I suppose."
"I don’t think that’s the reason."
"Oh?"
"You look beautiful tonight, Gabe," he said.
Her eyes brightened, but then a brow hitched, and confusion filled her face. He suddenly wanted to explain--to tell her how he felt about her. But he had no right to.
She took a deep breath. "Don’t you know you shouldn’t compliment one woman while your arm’s around another, Jess McLowry?"
McLowry turned to Lucky. "Is that so?"
He didn’t listen to Lucky’s comment as some scalawag, whose name he didn’t know, walked up to Gabe as bold as you please and handed her some punch. Who was that guy?
"Thank you," Gabe said to him, then glanced back at McLowry and Lucky. "Excuse us, please."
Without waiting, she turned and walked away. McLowry glared murderously at her companion. The young man blanched at McLowry’s scathing look, then hurried after Gabe.
"Go after her, McLowry," Lucky said. "It’s obvious you two want to be tog
ether."
His stony gaze should have made her regret her outspokenness. "She’s hardly more than a girl," he said. "That young boy she’s found who follows her around like a puppy is perfect for her." Hard eyes raked over Lucky’s figure. "I prefer women. Why don’t we get the hell out of here?"
Lucky hesitated, looking long at him, then put her hands on her hips. "This is a dance, McLowry. And I intend to do some dancing. I declare, I’ve never been such a wallflower in all my life!"
He had to admit to being grateful for her refusal of a suggestion he had regretted making as soon as the words left his lips. He led her to the dance floor. When the music stopped, another man, a widower, shyly asked Lucky for the next dance. She gawked from him to McLowry, then smiled broadly and accepted.
As McLowry slowly strolled along the edge of the dance, he watched Gabe surrounded by admirers. He felt like a man who had found a plain, brown caterpillar, brought it home and gave it shelter as it spun its cocoon. Then, one day, it emerged as a butterfly...and flew straight into his neighbor’s garden.
He leaned against a pillar and looked over the crowd. The people in this town had been friendly to him, and he had found plenty of people here to admire, but he’d spent too many years as an outsider to know how to begin any attempt to belong. The day would soon come when he would want, or need, to leave. He should go now, while he still felt good about the place. After tonight, with all these men asking her to dance with them, Gabe might find a reason to stay here. She might even forget all about her dangerous plans for revenge.
His gaze drifted, as it had all evening, back to Gabe and the bevy of single men surrounding her. He noticed one tall fellow step up behind her and stand much too close. If he got any closer he could peer over her shoulder and right down the front of her dress.
McLowry strode toward her. Any sign that the tall fellow’s mind traveled the route his own just had, and he would either get Gabe away from him or remove the tall man's head from his shoulders. Probably both.
Dance With A Gunfighter Page 14