door and scratched at the wood. They moved across the porch to stand on the steps. Another scratch. Anne just smiled and shrugged, hoping Bill wouldn't pursue it; there was nothing she could do about the name of Sarah's dog and she didn't want to be asked to try.
"How did the trip go?" she asked, changing the subject. Dammit whined and sniffed the crack between the door and the jamb. "Will you be able to stay in Abilene for a while?"
"It went well," he said. "They're going to run a line connecting Junction City and Council Grove, Emporia, Burlington, all the way to Denison on the Red River. Land prices might as much as double. Good opportunities there."
"So you'll be leaving again?"
"I'll be around for a while." He smiled charmingly. Everything he did was charming. It didn't seem as attractive as it once had, say, a week ago, before that outlaw had tumbled at her feet. "I make a good living, Anne."
"I'm sure you do," she said. She could feel her mother's eyes on her back through the lace curtain fabric. She smiled. Bill smiled in return. Surely her mama could see his smile from where she stood.
"But I want you to know," he said, pressing her hand. His hands were nice, long fingered, the nails pared, his skin cool. A bit sweaty. "We'll talk more about my prospects tonight, when I come for you. Seven, remember?"
"Yes, I remember."
"We'll eat at the Demorest, a big dinner. Eat light today so you'll enjoy it."
"I think we're having cold chicken for lunch," she said.
"That sounds perfect." He kissed the back of her hand, a gallant gesture, and backed down the steps, holding on to her hand until their arms were extended fully. He reluctantly let go of her hand. It was very romantic, almost conspicuously so. "And, Anne?"
"Yes?"
"Wear the blue dress. I can't take my eyes off you when you wear blue."
She was wearing ivory.
"Of course. The blue dress."
As soon as he left, her mama joined her on the porch. Dammit had been closed off in the kitchen.
"From his look, I'd say he'll ask you to marry him tonight."
"I really haven't known him for very long, have I?"
"I'd say long enough for him to know what he wants," Nell said, looking sideways at her daughter. Anne wrapped an arm around the porch post and leaned into it. "It's what you wanted."
"I know," Anne said softly, lying to her mama, hating it and doing it anyway. It was better than the fight that would come if she admitted that she didn't want to marry Bill or anyone else.
"He's a fine-looking man with good prospects," Nell said. "He'll give you children." A child was the best a man could give. It was what they did best. It just wasn't enough; not for her. Her life was going to be bigger than that.
"Was that how you felt about Papa? A fine-looking man with good prospects who would give you a child?"
"It doesn't matter how I felt, but I got my child. I got you, Anne." Nell said it softly, gently, her eyes full of sudden tears. "What would my life be without you?"
Anne gave her mother a quick hug, heavy with guilt, and then wrapped herself around the porch post once more. "It's just that I... I hardly know him." Better to ease her ma away from the certainty of a wedding this week; she didn't want to break her heart.
"You don't know anyone until after you're married anyway," her mother said, rubbing quick hands across her eyes.
It was a frightening thought, to marry a stranger, no matter how long you had known him, and find out years later if you had joined yourself to a friend or a foe. But she knew how it would turn out if she married. That's why she wasn't ever going to marry. But she couldn't tell her mama that, not when it was all Nell lived for.
"If you say no, you'll lose him. He's got too much pride to ask twice," Nell said.
And then she would be alone again, living in a house of women, all related by blood. The days empty and the nights eternal. No bumpy rides.
Anne blushed and tucked her face into her arms. He was the problem, the bounty hunter.
"How did the trip go?" she asked, changing the subject. Dammit whined and sniffed the crack between the door and the jamb. "Will you be able to stay in Abilene for a while?"
"It went well," he said. "They're going to run a line connecting Junction City and Council Grove, Emporia, Burlington, all the way to Denison on the Red River. Land prices might as much as double. Good opportunities there."
"So you'll be leaving again?"
"I'll be around for a while." He smiled charmingly. Everything he did was charming. It didn't seem as attractive as it once had, say, a week ago, before that outlaw had tumbled at her feet. "I make a good living, Anne."
"I'm sure you do," she said. She could feel her mother's eyes on her back through the lace curtain fabric. She smiled. Bill smiled in return. Surely her mama could see his smile from where she stood.
"But I want you to know," he said, pressing her hand. His hands were nice, long fingered, the nails pared, his skin cool. A bit sweaty. "We'll talk more about my prospects tonight, when I come for you. Seven, remember?"
"Yes, I remember."
"We'll eat at the Demorest, a big dinner. Eat light today so you'll enjoy it."
"I think we're having cold chicken for lunch," she said.
"That sounds perfect." He kissed the back of her hand, a gallant gesture, and backed down the steps, holding on to her hand until their arms were extended fully. He reluctantly let go of her hand. It was very romantic, almost conspicuously so. "And, Anne?"
"Yes?"
"Wear the blue dress. I can't take my eyes off you when you wear blue."
She was wearing ivory.
"Of course. The blue dress."
As soon as he left, her mama joined her on the porch. Dammit had been closed off in the kitchen.
"From his look, I'd say he'll ask you to marry him tonight."
"I really haven't known him for very long, have I?"
"I'd say long enough for him to know what he wants," Nell said, looking sideways at her daughter. Anne wrapped an arm around the porch post and leaned into it. "It's what you wanted."
"I know," Anne said softly, lying to her mama, hating it and doing it anyway. It was better than the fight that would come if she admitted that she didn't want to marry Bill or anyone else.
"He's a fine-looking man with good prospects," Nell said. "He'll give you children." A child was the best a man could give. It was what they did best. It just wasn't enough; not for her. Her life was going to be bigger than that.
"Was that how you felt about Papa? A fine-looking man with good prospects who would give you a child?"
"It doesn't matter how I felt, but I got my child. I got you, Anne." Nell said it softly, gently, her eyes full of sudden tears. "What would my life be without you?"
Anne gave her mother a quick hug, heavy with guilt, and then wrapped herself around the porch post once more. "It's just that I... I hardly know him." Better to ease her ma away from the certainty of a wedding this week; she didn't want to break her heart.
"You don't know anyone until after you're married anyway," her mother said, rubbing quick hands across her eyes.
It was a frightening thought, to marry a stranger, no matter how long you had known him, and find out years later if you had joined yourself to a friend or a foe. But she knew how it would turn out if she married. That's why she wasn't ever going to marry. But she couldn't tell her mama that, not when it was all Nell lived for.
"If you say no, you'll lose him. He's got too much pride to ask twice," Nell said.
And then she would be alone again, living in a house of women, all related by blood. The days empty and the nights eternal. No bumpy rides.
Anne blushed and tucked her face into her arms. He was the problem, the bounty hunter.
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