shadow. “Think before you refuse me. It might well be the last invitation you get, and you know you want to go. Your feet are itching to dance the reel.”
Overwhelming pride conquered her, making the lie come easily to her lips. “I can’t go with you, Mr. Dane. I’m going with Sheriff Stu.”
He issued a short bark of disbelief. “Does Stu know?”
“What do you think?” She looked outside in a pointed dismissal. “Good day, Mr. Dane.”
“Theo.”
She brought her gaze back to his. “Mr. Dane.”
He winced. “So much for gratitude.” Then he strode off the porch to his majestic horse.
Regina closed the door and, wasting no time, raced upstairs to her bedroom for her bonnet and gloves. She pulled on the light gray gloves as she ran downstairs to the hall mirror, where she positioned her bonnet over her sunny hair. The back door slammed shut and Lu came into the hall, arms full of freshly ironed linens. Her face was flushed and shiny with perspiration.
“Lu, I’m going out, but I’ll be back within the hour.”
“What about these linens? Want to deliver them to the Basin Street Hotel while you’re out?”
“No, I haven’t … Oh, give them here.” Regina took them and brushed past Lu. She took the backpath that cut through dense woods, a shorter route to town. She had to get there before Theo Dane, she thought, knowing he’d visit the sheriff soon and ask if what she’d told him was true. It wasn’t, but she’d make it true soon enough.
She was breathless ten minutes later when she arrived at the sheriff’s office. Sweeping inside, she found the sheriff pinning Wanted posters behind his desk. He turned, saw her, and grinned broadly.
“Well, now! If this isn’t a pleasant surprise. Come on in, Miss Rose. I don’t have anybody you’d know in jail, so this must be a social call.”
She looked up and down the street for the swaggering figure of Theo Dane, then stepped farther inside when she didn’t spot him. “I can only stay a minute, Sheriff Stu.”
“Can I take those linens from you, Miss Regina?”
“No, I … thank you. Sheriff Stu, do you recall asking me to the Spring Cotillion?”
“I sure do. You said no.”
“Have you asked anyone else yet?”
“No.” He scratched his thatch of straight black hair. “Not yet.”
“Then might I change my mind and agree to go with you? That is, if you still wish to escort me.”
His grin provoked one of her own. “Why, Miss Regina, it’s my fondest wish! I’m plumb tickled that you changed your mind.”
Stu’s delight made her feel uncomfortable and she found herself retreating from the glow of his smile. She’d had no idea until that moment that the man harbored such affection for her. She bumped against something softer than a wall, but unyielding nonetheless. She knew by Stu’s gloating expression whom she’d backed into before she turned to face Theo Dane.
“Miss Rose!” He widened his eyes and examinedthe folded linens that filled her arms. “Fancy meeting you here!”
“I thought you were going to Tom Wilson’s,” she said.
“I’ve been there and now I’m here.”
“You’ve finished your business at Wilson’s saloon already?” She glanced over her shoulder at the loudly ticking wall clock, then faced Theo again with smug satisfaction. “Twenty-five minutes.” Her gaze moved from his face to his boots and back up. “How … efficient.”
His smile acknowledged her biting tongue. “She was too busy to see me.”
“I’ll bet,” Regina said with deliberate disbelief. She stepped around him. “Good day, Sheriff Stu. I’ll be speaking with you again very soon.”
“I’ll come around in a day or two,” Stu called after her.
“And I’ll be looking forward to it,” Regina rejoined, flashing Theo a haughty smile. “Go ahead, Mr. Dane,” she whispered to Theo. “Ask him.”
“I don’t have to now,” he whispered back. “You beat me to the draw,
pard-ner
.”
Regina hurried across
Overwhelming pride conquered her, making the lie come easily to her lips. “I can’t go with you, Mr. Dane. I’m going with Sheriff Stu.”
He issued a short bark of disbelief. “Does Stu know?”
“What do you think?” She looked outside in a pointed dismissal. “Good day, Mr. Dane.”
“Theo.”
She brought her gaze back to his. “Mr. Dane.”
He winced. “So much for gratitude.” Then he strode off the porch to his majestic horse.
Regina closed the door and, wasting no time, raced upstairs to her bedroom for her bonnet and gloves. She pulled on the light gray gloves as she ran downstairs to the hall mirror, where she positioned her bonnet over her sunny hair. The back door slammed shut and Lu came into the hall, arms full of freshly ironed linens. Her face was flushed and shiny with perspiration.
“Lu, I’m going out, but I’ll be back within the hour.”
“What about these linens? Want to deliver them to the Basin Street Hotel while you’re out?”
“No, I haven’t … Oh, give them here.” Regina took them and brushed past Lu. She took the backpath that cut through dense woods, a shorter route to town. She had to get there before Theo Dane, she thought, knowing he’d visit the sheriff soon and ask if what she’d told him was true. It wasn’t, but she’d make it true soon enough.
She was breathless ten minutes later when she arrived at the sheriff’s office. Sweeping inside, she found the sheriff pinning Wanted posters behind his desk. He turned, saw her, and grinned broadly.
“Well, now! If this isn’t a pleasant surprise. Come on in, Miss Rose. I don’t have anybody you’d know in jail, so this must be a social call.”
She looked up and down the street for the swaggering figure of Theo Dane, then stepped farther inside when she didn’t spot him. “I can only stay a minute, Sheriff Stu.”
“Can I take those linens from you, Miss Regina?”
“No, I … thank you. Sheriff Stu, do you recall asking me to the Spring Cotillion?”
“I sure do. You said no.”
“Have you asked anyone else yet?”
“No.” He scratched his thatch of straight black hair. “Not yet.”
“Then might I change my mind and agree to go with you? That is, if you still wish to escort me.”
His grin provoked one of her own. “Why, Miss Regina, it’s my fondest wish! I’m plumb tickled that you changed your mind.”
Stu’s delight made her feel uncomfortable and she found herself retreating from the glow of his smile. She’d had no idea until that moment that the man harbored such affection for her. She bumped against something softer than a wall, but unyielding nonetheless. She knew by Stu’s gloating expression whom she’d backed into before she turned to face Theo Dane.
“Miss Rose!” He widened his eyes and examinedthe folded linens that filled her arms. “Fancy meeting you here!”
“I thought you were going to Tom Wilson’s,” she said.
“I’ve been there and now I’m here.”
“You’ve finished your business at Wilson’s saloon already?” She glanced over her shoulder at the loudly ticking wall clock, then faced Theo again with smug satisfaction. “Twenty-five minutes.” Her gaze moved from his face to his boots and back up. “How … efficient.”
His smile acknowledged her biting tongue. “She was too busy to see me.”
“I’ll bet,” Regina said with deliberate disbelief. She stepped around him. “Good day, Sheriff Stu. I’ll be speaking with you again very soon.”
“I’ll come around in a day or two,” Stu called after her.
“And I’ll be looking forward to it,” Regina rejoined, flashing Theo a haughty smile. “Go ahead, Mr. Dane,” she whispered to Theo. “Ask him.”
“I don’t have to now,” he whispered back. “You beat me to the draw,
pard-ner
.”
Regina hurried across
Similar Books
