by Etta Foster
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Gavin. The two of you can enjoy a night on the town, and we’ll take care of everything around here. You just focus on enjoying yourselves,” his mother crooned. There was a look in her eye like she knew what he was up to, but he simply put a finger to his lips.
It took roughly ten minutes for him to get the horses hitched. He had paused briefly in the stable as he gazed at Walter, the big draft horse they typically used to pull the wagon. He patted him on the side, feeling the horse's breath gust over his hand when it turned its head to look at him. The thought of being thrown again briefly flashed through his mind, but he pushed the thought aside. That was just a freak accident.
Pulling the wagon up in front of the house, he watched as Harland helped Coralee onto the seat. He nodded gratefully to his friend and cracked the reins, spurring Walter onward. Trundling across the dirt path leading away from the house, he turned onto the main road and set off for their night on the town.
He glanced over at Coralee, noticing that she was playing with the hem of her bright blue dress nervously. “Do you feel okay?”
“I'm fine,” she replied quickly, sighing when he gave her a look of disbelief. “I'm just nervous. We haven't exactly had a good track record when visiting town so far.”
He winced at the truth in her words. Pretending to gaze off at the countryside while he recovered from the sting, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Yes, but it’s a new day. What are the odds that we’ll run into that no-good scoundrel Arnold again? He's probably passed out in some alleyway if we’re lucky,” he said, speaking mostly to himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was setting himself up for that exact kind of situation. Tempting fate - was that what they called it?
“I hope that you’re right,” Jessica replied smugly, giving him a playful half-smirk. “I would hate for you to have to eat those words later.”
He laughed loudly at that, causing some birds to take flight from the trees above them. “If I do, at least we'll be able to have a nice drink for me to wash them down with.”
Their ride was a peaceful one, and they spent some time talking. Coralee told him a little more about her childhood, though she changed a few details. She shared her fears with him about her brother, and he was sympathetic to her plight. How could he not be, with his own brother causing him so much distress on a regular basis?
When they arrived in town, Gavin immediately made for the tallest building that stood higher than the neighboring shops. It was a wide wooden structure the size of a barn, the word “Hotel” written in red paint. As he was helping her down from the wagon, Coralee heard two men laughing. One of the men's voices sounded familiar, and her fear was confirmed when she turned around to see none other than Arnold Stabler leering at her.
Standing beside him was a man that she didn't recognize but could immediately tell was bad news. He was dressed in a suit lined with fox fur on the front, a few missing teeth clearly visible alongside his other yellow teeth when he smiled. Rings winked on each of his fingers, and a cane with a wolf head-shaped grip was clutched in his right hand.
“Will you look here, Arnold? Who is this fine young gentleman escorting this beautiful angel? Could it be the young Gavin Woodworth?” He leered at the two of them as he tapped his cane on the ground. “I hear you've been taking my name in vain, Mr. Woodworth.”
“Maybe if your man there wasn't causing me drama, I wouldn't feel the need to speak the name of his employer,” Gavin replied coldly, glaring back at the man. “You've got a very bad reputation, Virgil.”
Virgil? Is this the Virgil Gleason Gavin mentioned before? Coralee bit her bottom lip as she stepped closer to Gavin. She briefly saw Lucas superimposed over Virgil, revulsion causing her to take an involuntary step backward.
“Hey, Gavin, how’s that horse of yours doing?” Arnold asked loudly, his words slurring slightly. “I hope it isn't feeling too much under the weather.”
Coralee watched as a change came over Gavin. His eyes darkened while he clenched his jaw, a vein sticking out in his left temple. “What did you just say, Stabler?”
“I asked you how that stallion of yours is doing. Didn't kick the bucket, I hope. Though, it probably would have served as a better lesson if it had,” Arnold replied, eyes flashing dangerously as he met Gavin's gaze. “Bad things happen to people who run their mouths, you see.”
“So, it was you?” Gavin was moving away from her before she could stop him, her husband-to-be stepping forward until he was face to face with Arnold. His hand was at his side, clenched into the tightest fist Coralee had ever seen. “Did you poison my horse, Stabler?”
“What are you going to do if I did, Woodworth?” Arnold's voice was so soft that Coralee had to strain to hear it. “What are you going to do about it? You going to strike me in front of your lady?”
“Gavin, we should go. Don't let him get to you,” she said, biting her bottom lip hard enough that she tasted blood.
His fist gradually relaxed, and Gavin finally took a step back from Arnold. “You and I will have our time, Stabler. It isn't today, but you best bet that you will get what’s coming to you someday. I swear it on my grandfather’s grave.”
Taking Coralee by the hand, they walked away from the men without another word. It wasn't until they were out of earshot that Gavin turned to look at her. “Are you hungry? I'll need something flavorful to help wash down the helping of humble pie I'm about to eat.”
“I tried to warn you,” she laughed, noticing that he was still holding her hand. He seemed to have noticed as well, releasing his grip on her hand and clearing his throat gently.
“I'll be sure to take your warnings far more seriously from now on. I see now that my failing was in not taking precautions. I should have realized that they would be in town; Arnold spends pretty much all his time here. Damn me and my pridefulness,” Gavin muttered, eliciting another laugh from Coralee.
“Am I to take it this is the reason you brought me here? So you could treat me to dinner?” Coralee glanced around at the various shops that surrounded them. She recognized the familiar striped pole of the barbershop, and the noise coming from the saloon to their right made it easily identifiable. “Is there some kind of restaurant nearby?”
“Yes, we'll be going to the hotel there,” Gavin pointed toward the building in question as he spoke. “You and I are going to have a special night tonight. I asked Harland to come into town yesterday to make the reservation for us.”
“That's so thoughtful of you,” Coralee fluttered her eyelashes at him. “You’re making me feel like the luckiest woman in the world.”
“That's the plan.”
They were given special treatment when they walked into the hotel, the front desk clerk immediately leaping out from behind his desk to welcome them. They were quickly ushered to a table near the back of the hotel that offered a lovely view of the sunset. The waiter poured a glass of wine for each of them and left to allow them time to look at the menu.
“I want to apologize once again for that altercation with Arnold. You probably stopped me from making a big mistake, and I thank you for it. That’s why tonight is about honoring you.”
Coralee grinned widely. “Now who could say no to that?”
Chapter 19
As he gazed across the table at Jessica, Gavin couldn't help but once again be struck by her beauty. Even without makeup, there was something about her that seemed almost mystical. Her face was clear of any blemishes, though she did have several freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose.
When she smiled, there was a tiny gap between her two front teeth that she seemed to be self-conscious about, but it was just another piece of the puzzle for him.
He would have to be an idiot if he didn't notice the looks Coralee got when they first walked in. Even the clerk had been stealing glances when he thought Gavin wasn't paying attention. I need to figure out some way to make it known that she belongs to me. I'm not going to have these animals d
rooling over her like some slab of meat.
“You've been staring at me for a long while, Gavin. Is something on your mind or do I have something on my face?” she asked, dabbing a napkin in her water glass and wiping her face gently.
“I'm just trying to find the right words. I'm not usually a man to make long speeches,” he admitted, gazing down at the table with a wistful look. “In fact, I find that I barely tend to talk to anyone when it isn't about stuff for the ranch.”
“Well, it isn't like you've had a lot of help over the last few years in taking care of things. Plus, you've been forcing yourself to take care of everything alone, so you aren't used to confiding in other people. Your shoulders must be so heavy with the burden you carry day in and day out, yet you still try to smile and put on a brave face. You need to let down your guard every once in a while. Even kings allow people to get close occasionally.”
“True enough. That's kind of why I wanted to bring you here, away from everyone else. I needed to be able to set the record straight with you. I'm falling for you, Jessica. I've done my best to try and ignore these feelings, and I tried to stay busy because I was afraid to face those feelings.”
Jessica’s look of relief at his confession was interesting to him. Who would have thought that pretending to be aloof and disinterested would have caused her so much distress? “I'm sorry if my recent behavior led you to think I was just using you to get my Pop’s land.”
“The thought did cross my mind a couple of times,” she said softly. “When you said a marriage of convenience, I was fully prepared to be treated quite differently.”
“Do you not have a good impression of people who've had marriages of our kind?” Gavin interlaced his fingers and looked at her over the bridge they created. “Or is it something else?”
“I'm honestly not sure what it is myself. I've just been treated for so long as though I’m just a pretty face that I never thought someone would genuinely care about my feelings or want to teach me things. That's why I was so happy when you told me you’d teach me to ride. It meant I would have the freedom to go out and about. The kind of freedom that I never dreamed of back in Boston.”
“I don't want our marriage to be the kind where we hate one another or can't be close. However, there’s also a fine line between companionship and partnership. If you’re going to be my partner, I'll need you to be able to learn some things so you can help out around the ranch,” Gavin said, holding up his hand when he saw she was about to protest. “I know you've been doing housework, and I'm real grateful. However, if you’re helping on the ranch, that will allow me the time to teach you to ride and you'll be with me more often. That's what you wanted, right?”
“It's a great start,” she laughed, their conversation interrupted by the arrival of their order. Battered chicken that had been fried in oil and set on a tiny wire rack to drip dry sat above a collection of vegetables and short white rice. “This looks absolutely stunning.”
“I bet it tastes even better,” Gavin picked up his fork and knife. “Let's dig in. This is only the first of many surprises I have for you tonight.”
“I remember you wrote in your letters that you have a distinct love of dancing. I have it on good authority that this hotel has a rather spacious dance hall that we can take advantage of,” Gavin tugged gently on Jessica’s arm and guided her down a short hallway that led to the dance hall. It was separated enough so that the music would not disturb the restaurant patrons, but was still quickly accessible to the hotel guests.
“That's so thoughtful of you to remember,” Jessica said, though her tone didn't quite match her words. “I'd love to dance with you.”
“Glad that's settled,” Gavin replied, speaking to be heard over the loud fiddle music that had started playing in the nearby dance hall. They stepped through the doorway into a room the size of a barn, but this establishment was filled with guests and wooden flooring instead of piles of hay and dirt. Gavin turned toward her and bowed at the waist, his arm coming up in front of his chest as his other hand extended toward her. “May I have this dance?”
He circled his arm around her waist and gently guided her out onto the dance floor. He hummed along with the music coming from the four-man band that sat on the raised stage at the far-left end of the hall.
The band was dressed in respectable black suits and bowler hats, smiles planted firmly on their faces as they strummed and bowed their instruments. Gavin had not listened to music in a while, so he was somewhat interested in hearing what pieces these traveling musicians knew.
Jessica seemed a little off her game. When she wrote to him about her dancing, he had assumed it meant she'd spent a lot of time on dance floors back home. Watching her now, however, he couldn't believe that she'd ever been on a dance floor in her life. Everything about her body language told him that she was in a place she wasn't quite used to.
“Follow my lead,” he said, taking one of her hands in his while he kept his right arm gently wrapped around her waist. He started out with a simple square dance, doing his best not to wince each time her feet would tread on top of his. “No need to be nervous. We’re just having a good time here.”
“You don't have to patronize me,” she laughed, smacking his chest playfully. “It's just been a while. A few years, in fact. I haven’t been out dancing much since my father died.”
“I can imagine,” he whispered, his voice lost in the applause that came after the musicians had ended their song. As they nodded in recognition of the praise, Gavin raised his voice to be heard over the crowd. “Come on, fellas. How about one more and make it a good one.”
The head of the musicians grinned as he shot a glance over in Gavin's direction. He caught sight of Jessica and his eyes widened briefly, nodding silently as if to himself. “You got it, brother.”
This time the music was much faster paced, the bow of the fiddler almost moving like a blur as he ran it back and forth along his strings. The bass player was strumming with his fingers, his bow sitting waiting and ready in the holster.
The lead musician picked up his saxophone and blew into it, the notes resonating deep within Gavin's soul. The reedy tones of the brass instrument melded with that of the strings, creating a pleasant and upbeat tempo that worked perfectly for what he had planned.
He swung them around, letting his feet move in a berth of hers to keep from being stepped on again. Taking her hand and gently stepping back until his arm was fully extended, he looked her in the eyes and chuckled.
He pulled her back to him, dipping her and turning them like he had done it all his life. Jessica let out the occasional squeal, though whether from fear or delight he couldn't quite be sure. The smile on her face put him at ease; he was really enjoying himself and he decided to put his other worries on the back burner for now. All that mattered was right here, right now.
“I've never felt like this before,” Jessica said softly, the two of them slowing down as the tempo of the music suddenly changed to a slow song. They slowed down to a two-step, turning on the dance floor together. The only other dancers there were couples, so the mood was just right. “I used to think about this kind of thing.”
“What kind of thing?” Gavin asked, his lips mere inches from hers as they drew closer. His heart was beating solidly in his chest, the scent of the perfume Jessica wore filling his nostrils.
It was akin to woodsmoke, but far sweeter and a thousand times more pleasant. He could faintly hear her breathing as they danced, her eyes gazing up into his with a vibrancy he had not yet seen on her face.
A short while later, they were sitting on the balcony that looked out onto the main road. Gavin was drinking a glass of whiskey while Jessica sipped a glass of wine. The sound of frogs croaking in the distance was the only noise. The rest of the hotel guests seemed to have gone to bed for the night. The moon hung high in the sky, its white light painting everything in an eerie glow.
“Thank you, Gavin. This evening has been the most fun I’ve had in a
very long time. You never told me that you were such an enthusiast of the dance floor scene.” Jessica hiccupped gently, setting her glass down on the small table that sat beside her. “I think that’s enough wine for me.”
“I can't blame you. Too much of a good thing is not advisable, or so they say. Besides, I didn't bring you here to get you drunk. This isn't that kind of date,” he said solemnly, gulping down the rest of his drink.
“Well, I’ve had a wonderful time,” Jessica said, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. “I'm glad I agreed to come to town with you.”
Gavin closed his eyes and sat silently with her for a while, his arm wrapped around her waist while he held her hand. She was practically sitting in his lap by now, but there was still a respectable distance between them. I'm glad you came too.
“Will I be able to look forward to more things like this when we finally do get married?” Jessica craned her neck to gaze at him.
