Page 28 of Heart of Stone

“I hope you ain’t thinkin’ about runnin’ off,” he said as he approached Stone. “You should stay a little while, at least.”

Stone shifted uncomfortably and shrugged. Luke could see that he was trying hard to look as though he wasn’t as nervous as Luke was sure he was feeling. He was in a new suit, too, a dark blue one with a white shirt that made his skin look very tanned.

“I reckon I’ll have to,” he muttered. “Since it’sproperthat Copper Lake Ranch be represented.” He gave Luke a slightly sour look, because the only reason Stone had finally agreed to come in the first place was that Luke had pointed out that Priss would have expected it of him. For all that Stone had never known his aunt, he seemed determined to hold to things the same way she would have done them, and Luke had found that saying “Priss would’ve...” was a good way to get Stone to cave in on things when he was being particularly stubborn.

“Well, it is.” Luke didn’t feel a trace of guilt about using any weapon in his arsenal he had to. “Priss never missed the Spring Festival, and she always attended the dance, even though she couldn’t dance with the one she really wanted to dance with.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Luke regretted saying them because all he’d managed to do was remind himself that he was in the exact same situation that Priss had been in all those years. It definitely didn’t put him in a festive mood.

Apparently it didn’t do much for Stone, either, since he sighed and looked away. “I ain’t dancin’. If I’ve got to say my ribs are worse than they are, I will. But I don’t want to take a chance of steppin’ on some dainty gal’s toes. Not to mention havin’ totalk.”

“Fine, you can stand around with the married men and jaw about cattle,” Luke replied soothingly. “I’ll do the dancin’.”

Stone’s eyes were back on him at once, dark and intense. “You will?” His jaw worked as though he wanted to say something else, but then he shrugged again. “I guess that makes sense.”

“I don’t mind it.” Luke mirrored his shrug. It wasn’t what he wanted to do, but it was the right thing to do, especially since it would maintain the illusion that he was no different from any other man in his preferences. “I do it every year.”

“Well, maybe you’ll catch a bit of a break this year.” Stone inclined his head to one side, toward the wall where James was currently holding court with half a dozen of the town girls hanging on his every word. “Looks like ol’ Dandy Jim might be the belle of this particular ball.”

“Figures.” Luke didn’t bother to hide his disgust. He wasn’t particularly upset that James would be relieving him of the burden of socializing with the unmarried young ladies of Serenity, but he had no doubt James would be as phony and smarmy with the ladies as he had been with everyone at Copper Lake, and that sat wrong with Luke. At least he didn’t lead the girls on, but he doubted James would draw the same line. “Well, as long as he behaves, I don’t much mind having my dancing duties lightened.”

“Him behavin’ is the big question, ain’t it?” Stone’s eyes narrowed as he looked at his cousin. “Maybe I was selfish, bein’ glad that he was leavin’ me alone to recover. Seems like he might have been settlin’ himself in to stay for a long spell.”

“Unfortunately,” Luke agreed grimly. He hadn’t mentioned his confrontation with James to Stone. For one thing, he was annoyed with himself for letting James provoke him to rudeness, and for another, he didn’t want Stone to worry. While Luke was sure James hadn’t forgotten it any more than he had, they seemed to have reached an unspoken agreement to ignore what had happened.

“I just wish I knew what’d convince him to go back East,” Stone said, gnawing on his bottom lip. “I just wish I knew therealreason he was here.”

“Me too.” Luke drew in a deep breath and braced himself for an evening of socializing that for once, he wasn’t in the mood for. “Well, time to get started, I reckon.” He stepped inside the warehouse and headed straight for the refreshment table. The punch wouldn’t be spiked, unfortunately, but eating and drinking would at least give him something to do that would let him procrastinate on the socializing.

Agnes Wilson was standing behind the table, and she smiled as he approached. “Something to drink, Luke? We have lemonade. Papa had the lemons sent all the way from San Francisco just for the Festival.”

“Really?” Luke was genuinely impressed by that, and he didn’t try to hide it, knowing it would please Agnes. “In that case, I’d love some.”

Agnes’ smile widened, and she picked up one of the mugs on the table, filling it carefully from a huge bowl of the lemonade with a ladle. “There you are.” She hesitated for a moment. “How is Mr. Harrison doing?”

“Back to his normal ornery self.” Luke gave her a mischievous smile. “He was up as soon as possible and back to work. Your pa did a good job patchin’ him up.”

“Papa is a good doctor.” She didn’t bother to hide the pride she felt in her father, but then her expression fell a little. “I would have liked to have been a doctor or at least a nurse, but Mama doesn’t think it’s ladylike. So instead I help Papa because that way, he doesn’t have to pay a real nurse.” She smiled slightly. “At least it gets me out of the house so I don’t have to sit around doing the fancy embroidery Mama thinks will catch me a proper husband.”

“I don’t know of any man who’d care much about needlework, but he’d definitely appreciate someone who could take care of him when he ain’t feelin’ good.” Luke didn’t really know what men looked for in a woman, but he could take a decent guess.

Agnes chuckled, and her brown eyes sparkled, making her look almost pretty. “You’re right, but my Mama does cling to what her own mama taught her. At least she finally listened when I told her Mr. Harrison could never, ever be interested in me.”

Luke schooled his features into a neutral expression, not wanting to give away too much. This wasn’t the first time Agnes had said something that hinted at her knowing more than she ought to, but Luke would be damned if he would confirm anything for her. Not when Stone refused to be with him out of fear of what people might think if they found out.

“Well, now, Miss Agnes, you never know who might take a fancy to you.”

She shook her head, her cheeks turning pink. “Oh no, though you’re nice to say it, Luke.” Her gaze moved over to where James was laughing and joking with what seemed to be every single woman under thirty in town – with the exception of Agnes. “People get so wrapped up in what a woman looks like, they don’t see anything else.”

Luke let out a disgusted snort at James’ posing and preening, and then he turned back to her. “You deserve a lot better than anything that fancy fool has to offer,” he said, and he meant it. Agnes might have a plain face, but she was smart and had a good heart, and James Rivers was the last man who could make her happy.

Unfortunately, it seemed his encouragement may have come too late. Agnes shook her head, looking down into the bowl of lemonade. “It doesn’t matter. Remember how I told you I’d know when he right man came along? Only he isn’t the right one. He’s just the one I want, even though I thought I was too smart to fall for a handsome face.” She lifted her eyes to Luke again, and there was a kind of empathy in them mixed with sadness. “Love isn’t easy, is it? At least not for some of us.”

“I ain’t so sure it’s easy for any of us,” he replied, refusing to give in to the urge to look at Stone. He wasn’t about to be stupid and give himself away like that. He regarded her speculatively for a moment and then put his cup aside; it seemed she was in as much need of a distraction as he was, and he knew one thing that might help. “Sounds like the band’s startin’ up a new tune,” he said, beckoning to her. “Would you do me the honor, Miss Agnes?”

Her eyes widened, and she straightened her shoulders and curtseyed. “Mr. Reynolds, I would be delighted to dance with you.” She came around the table and rested her hand on his arm, carrying herself with all the regal hauteur of a queen.

Luke led her over to join the rest of the dancers, ignoring the gawking and whispering that followed in their wake, and he led her smoothly and gracefully through the opening steps of a reel. Agnes was a very good dancer, even though Luke suspected her father had probably partnered her more than any of the single men in town, and Luke liked to dance, especially with a skilled partner. Even though he spotted Stone and James watching them intently, he ignored them both, focusing his attention on Agnes. He was going to enjoy this, damn it, and make sure she did, too, since it might be the highlight of the evening for both of them.

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