Beside Still Waters (6 page)

Wagons and horses littered the street between Joe Grafton’s restaurant at one end of town and the livery stable at the other. The empty lot next to the livery had been transformed into a dance floor, as there was nowhere large enough to hold everyone who would be attending from the town of Hobbs and the surrounding area.

Long poles had been erected at the four corners of the floor and rope strung between them. Hanging lanterns lit up the entire area, including the tables and benches set along the sides of the dance floor. Caleb Owens and Victor Mansfield made up the band: Caleb on the banjo, Victor playing the accordion.

Jonesy tied up Lady Anne to the nearest hitching post and walked the rest of the way to the dance. He scanned the area for any sign of Eva.

He saw the sheriff leaning against a post, sipping punch and watching the dancers. Jonesy came up beside him. “Evenin’, Sheriff.”

Billy acknowledged him with a nod. “You made it.”

“Any reason to think I wouldn’t?”

A side grin split his lips. “According to my little sister, you’d better not show up if you know what’s good for you.” He clapped Jonesy on the shoulder. “You have about as much to learn about women as I do. Only don’t wait so long as I did, or you might just end up all alone.”

“Yeah, thanks. I’ll remember that.” He continued his perusal, but the dance floor was so crowded, it was hard to see faces unless they were right in front of him. “Where’s Eva?”

“I saw her dancing with Pa a minute or two ago.”

“Help me look, will you?” He saw her just as she saw him. Her eyes widened, then narrowed. Her lips pressed together, and she lifted her chin, turning away from him.

So she was going to be stubborn. He’d show her right good and well. He grabbed Billy’s arm and strode across the dance floor. The sheriff yanked his arm away. “If you think I’m dancing with you, you’re crazy.”

“I need you to dance with Eva so I can talk to your pa.”

“Pa? Oh, boy. I hope you know what you’re doing, because this is going to make Eva right hot under the collar.”

“For a little while maybe. But we both know she can’t stay mad longer than it takes to saddle a horse.”

He chuckled. “From the look on her face, I’m thinking this might be the first time she holds a grudge.”

“Don’t let him cut in, Pa.” Eva’s low tone reached Jonesy’s ears as her gaze cut through him like a hunting knife.

Andy Riley filled out his buckskin jacket as though he were still a young man, and Jonesy wouldn’t have wanted to tangle with him for any reason.

Ignoring Eva’s outburst, Jonesy glanced at her pa. “Sir, may I have a word with you?”

Eva sputtered. “You came out here to get my pa to leave me on the dance floor? Why, you … you … baboon.”

Billy took her by the arm. “Take it easy, sis. He brought me along to take Pa’s place.”

“I don’t need you to find me a dance partner, Benjamin Jones. I can find one on my own.” Jerking away from Billy, she stomped up to the nearest man, Lily’s pa, the owner of the general store. “Dance with me, Mr. Brewster?” She turned to Lily. “You don’t mind dancing with Billy, do you?”

Lily flushed, then gave a shy wink of her dimples. “I—if the sheriff doesn’t mind, I don’t suppose I do.”

Billy turned red. “It’d be my pleasure, Miss Lily.”

Eva turned to Mr. Brewster. “Well then. Now that that’s settled, how about you and me?”

The old-timer scowled. “That was sort of embarrassing for my daughter, Miss Eva.”

“Embarrassing?” She took the first step and placed her hand on his shoulder, then waited expectantly for him to do his part. “Mr. Brewster, Lily is my dearest friend. Don’t you know I have her best interests at heart? Besides, if you’ll dance with me, I’ll tell you a secret.”

He placed his hand on her waist and took her upraised hand. “What sort of secret?”

Jonesy watched as she charmed the old buzzard.

“My brother Billy has been moon-eyed over your daughter for as long as I can remember. And why do you think she won’t look at another young man? She’s mooning over him, too. So I did them both a favor.”

A smile spread across the wrinkled face. “I see. Then the least I can do is give you this dance.” He swung her around and swept her away.

Jonesy and Mr. Riley stood in the middle of the dance floor while dancers whirled past. Some frowned at the two men, others grinned in amusement, all looked curious.

Andy Riley eyed him evenly. “I hope you have a good reason for making a spectacle of my daughter, not to mention the rest of us.”

“I tried to make less of a spectacle by bringing Billy along to take over for you.”

It would have gone smoothly, too, if Eva weren’t so mule-headed. But there was no sense in antagonizing Mr. Riley by being critical of his daughter. Especially now. Even if it was a fact, not to mention common knowledge for anyone who knew her.

“I guess you have a point there,” Mr. Riley acknowledged. “Let’s get out of everyone’s way before they tar and feather us.”

When the two men had made it safely through the maze of dancers and found a quiet spot next to a wagon, Mr. Riley faced Jonesy. “Now what do you want that couldn’t wait until I was finished dancing with my daughter? Dancing with her for the fourth time, I might add, because it appears all the eligible young men who might have asked her to dance believe you are courting her, and they don’t want to move in on another man’s girl.” Andy folded his arms across his barrel chest. “Suppose you start by telling me why you allowed my daughter to come to a dance alone for the first time since she was thirteen.”

Jonesy rubbed his jaw and cleared his throat. “That was purely an oversight, sir. I would have asked her, but I didn’t think about it. I just figured we’d show up with our parents like we do for church and then spend the rest of the dance together.” He raked his fingers through his newly shorn hair. “I guess I am a baboon, like Eva said.”

Laughter rumbled through Andy’s chest. “Well, at least the two of you agree on that point. But that’s not why you interrupted our dance.”

“No, sir.” Jonesy shifted from one foot to the other. This was ridiculous. He had no reason to be nervous. He was a grown man, not a boy. Eva was a grown woman and pretty well past the age when most women married anyway. “I intend to ask for Eva’s hand in marriage,” he blurted out.

Mr. Riley stared and said … absolutely nothing.

Jonesy swallowed hard and went on with nervous energy. “I want you to know that I love her and I’ll do right by her, if she agrees to marry me.”

“Are you saying you plan to stay on and farm after all? Or will you try to build a ranch around here?”

“Well, neither … I …”

“I see.” Mr. Riley’s voice dropped. “You want to take my daughter away.”

“If she’ll have me, then yes, sir. I already own a hundred acres in Texas and have money saved to start my herd. Even have a cabin and a barn, and a small bunkhouse for the cowhands I’ll need to hire. I can’t up and leave it for good. Any more than I could leave Eva without at least asking her to come with me as my wife.”

The hulking man’s shoulders slumped. “I see you have your mind made up. I can’t say I blame you. As a matter of fact, it shows right good sense and stability on your part.” He drew a short breath and nodded. “If my daughter will have a baboon like you, then you have my blessing.”

Joy leaped into Jonesy’s heart, and he felt like shouting. He grabbed Mr. Riley’s hand and pumped it. “Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.”

Mr. Riley chuckled. “No need to thank me. Eva will make up her own mind. But I warn you, she’s come close to the altar more than once and hasn’t gone through with the ‘I do’ yet.”

Jonesy grinned at Mr. Riley. “She will with me.”

“We’ll see. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to go ask my wife to dance. She’s starting to look like a wallflower, and if I don’t do something about that, I won’t get a decent meal for a week.”

Jonesy watched him walk away. Hope Riley, Eva’s ma, turned as though sensing her husband was coming. Her face, illuminated by the lantern light, brightened even further at the sight of him.

What would Eva be like in twenty-five years? Loving him. Growing old with him. She was aggravated with him at the moment, but by the end of the evening, she would be his bride-to-be.

Eva stiffened as Jonesy approached her at the refreshment table. It was his fault she was forced to get her own drink in the first place. She sipped her punch and deliberately turned her back to him.

“Eva,” he said, in that scolding tone he used when she was being “stubborn,” as he called it.

“I’m not speaking to you, Mr. Jones.”

He gave an exasperated huff. “Yes, you are.” Taking her by the arm, he led her away from the table.

“How dare you manhandle me?” Eva demanded, but she didn’t pull away from him. It was rather thrilling for him to be acting this way. Like more than just a friend. “I’ve half a mind to tell my pa and just see what he does to you.”

“Tell him. He’s dancing with your ma.”

“Well, what do you want? I don’t want to leave the dance, although no one is dancing with me but my family.”

“Listen, Eva.” He stopped short and spun her around to face him. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask you to the dance. I just didn’t think about it.”

Eva sniffed. “You and all your romantic poetry. Hasn’t it taught you anything?”

Heat crawled across her cheeks. She hid her embarrassment behind what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug. “So why did you drag me out here? To apologize? Well, apology accepted. Now can we go back to the dance? You can make it up to me by letting the other men know they’re safe to ask me to dance.”

As she stepped away, he caught hold of her arm. Drawing her back, he looked down at her with a deep level of some emotion. What was it?

“Jonesy? What’s wrong?”

Was he leaving sooner than he’d planned? She’d been counting on two more weeks with him.

He took her hands in his. Eva shivered.

“I’ve been thinking, Eva. We’ve been trying to be friends. But it just isn’t working out.”

Tears sprang to Eva’s eyes. “I thought it was. I’m sorry if you don’t want to be my friend.”

“Eva.” He let out a short laugh. “The reason it isn’t working out is because I’ve fallen in love with you.”

He pulled her closer and touched his forehead to hers. “I’m so in love with you I can’t stand the thought of leaving you.”

Giddy relief filled Eva. “Oh, Jonesy. Finally.”

“Finally?” he whispered.

“I’ve loved you since the moment I met you. I thought you were going to go away and I’d never see you again.”

Jonesy straightened up and lifted her hands to his lips, pressing a kiss on one and then the other. “Will you marry me?”

A smile spread across Eva’s lips. “With all my heart, Jonesy.”

Then he did what Eva had dreamed of since the day they’d met. He gently released her hands and gathered her around the waist. His fingers spanned her back as he pulled her closer. His head lowered.

At the first touch of his warm lips on hers, Eva’s eyes closed, and she sank against him, accepting his tender kiss and responding with all the love she had to offer him. Her knees weakened as he deepened the kiss.

Disappointment flooded her when he pulled away. “Let’s go back and tell our folks.” His voice was husky and a bit breathless.

Eva nodded and grabbed his hand. “Ma is going to be so happy that I’m finally settling down. Only I can’t imagine what all the old dowagers in town will have to talk about now. But just think. I can join their little Ladies’ Aid Society.” She pinched her nose and spoke in a high tone, mimicking Mrs. Barker, the prim and proper owner of the town boardinghouse: “Because don’t you know, only married women are allowed because they often discuss childbirth and other subjects unsuitable for delicate, unmarried women.” Eva squeezed his hand. “But now they’ll have to let me in.”

She’d expected him to laugh, but he didn’t. As a matter of fact, when she studied his face in the light of the bright moon, his expression appeared downright sickened. “I don’t have to join the ladies’ society. But I’ll have to come up with a good reason to give Ma; otherwise she’ll insist, and I’ll give in.”

“Eva, honey, stop talking for a second.”

Heat rose to her cheeks. “I’m sorry, Jonesy. I thought you were just as happy and excited as I am.”

“Excited? I’m ecstatic. My joy has no bounds at the thought that you love me and want to become my wife.”

“Then …”

He gathered a shaky breath. “Eva, I still plan to move back to Texas in two weeks.”

Eva’s ire rose, sudden and hot. She jerked her hand from his. “Then what was all this, Jonesy? A game?”

“Of course not.”

“Well, what sort of marriage do you suppose we could have if you’re all the way in Texas and I’m—” She halted in midsentence as clarity struck her hard, like a tall tree crashing on top of her. “Do you mean to tell me you want me to come with you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” All of her strength sifted from her.
It hadn’t been that long ago that she’d believed if only he’d ask her, she would follow Jonesy anywhere. But faced with the wretched reality of leaving her family, how could she possibly make such a choice?
“I—I don’t know, Jonesy. How can I leave? My grammy and grandpa came west in the early days when wagon trains first brought settlers to Oregon. My pa is the only one who has ever left, and he came back. All my cousins and aunts and uncles live no farther than Oregon City, which is just a day’s ride from here.”